Death Wobble: How To Fix Death Wobble
What is Death Wobble / Dodge Wobble / Ford Death Wobble / ...and How Do I Fix Death Wobble?
If you have to ask what Death Wobble is...then you’re lucky, because most likely you’ve never experienced it. If you ever do, you will know this terrifying experience immediately, and you will never forget it!
If you have already experienced it, then you know "Death Wobble" is the horrible front end wobble that feels like your vehicle is about to fly apart. Death Wobble makes if difficult to maintain control of your vehicle and usually starts when one tire (usually the right tire first) hits a groove or bump in the pavement somewhere around 40~50mph.
Death Wobble is quite possibly the worst possible downside to having a coil-sprung front suspension on a vehicle with a track bar or Panhard bar. Jeep vehicles affected by this design are the 1984-2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ and 1985-1992 Comanche MJ, the 1993-1998 Grand Cherokee ZJ and 1999-2004 Grand Cherokee WJ, as well as the 1997-2006 Wrangler TJ / LJ and 2007-present JK Wranglers. Other vehicles affected by this phenomenon include trucks like Toyota, Ford, and Dodge Ram (a page written specifically for Dodge Wobble is located here), but we have not yet written one on how to fix Ford Death Wobble.
Death Wobble is so extremely difficult to diagnose and fix because it is actually caused by excess movement/slop ANYWHERE in the entire steering and/or suspension system as a whole, not by one bad component, and therefore, there is no single cause of Death Wobble. And, that's why many of our customers have gotten rid of their Death Wobble problems by replacing ALL of the components known to wear out in the front end and cause Death Wobble AT THE SAME TIME...instead of messing around diagnosing what their mechanic THINKS is wrong one component at a time...
1984-2001 XJ Cherokee Death Wobble Cure kit
1985-1992 MJ Comanche Death Wobble Cure kit
1993-1998 ZJ Grand Cherokee Death Wobble Cure kit
1999-2004 WJ Grand Cherokee Death Wobble Cure kit
1997-2006 LJ / TJ Wrangler Death Wobble Cure kit
2007-2018 JK Wrangler Death Wobble Cure kit
We’ve been experimenting with and learning about the root causes of Jeep Death Wobble and Dodge Wobble since 2002, and have experience that VERY few other shops possess. In fact, we get calls for help from other 4×4 shops, and auto mechanics from all over, requesting help and our proven replacement parts to solve their customers’ Death Wobble problems.
And, know you're not alone in dealing with Death Wobble problems. These front-end components are wear-items...they are parts that get slop in them after 75k miles or so...and if a previous owner replaced the worn-out factory Mopar parts with cheap replacements which don't have the same wear-cycle or tolerances, that could be adding to your problem as well. Replace worn components with top-quality parts, ONLY, or you could be chasing this demon around in circles.
To diagnose and fix Death Wobble correctly, your mechanic needs to look for "play" everywhere in the steering and front suspension system, searching for anything that could have "play" in it. It's very time consuming to find a Death Wobble fix and if you're trying to do it yourself, it can be downright dangerous while you are in "testing phase", trying to exorcise this demon from your Jeep or Truck.
This page discusses Death Wobble Causes and Cures specific to the Jeep vehicles. Dodge Wobble specifics are located here, but Ford Death Wobble is not something we've gotten deeply into yet.
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For a more in-depth discussion and tutorial, Kevin has written his first book on Death Wobble, entitled "Death Wobble: Causes and Cures", which is available here. ________________________________________________________________
Where do I begin, in order to Fix Death Wobble problems on my rig?
Death Wobble - Front End Suspension Components - 4x4Xplor.com
The place I tell people to have their mechanic start is with an overall visual inspection. Spend 10 solid minutes under the front end of your vehicle, visually inspecting each one of the steering components. Your mechanic will be looking for shiny spots on steel, rubber, or polyurethane, which is typically indicative of suspension components that are moving around when they are not supposed to be. Pay CAREFUL attention to the track bar (also called a Panhard Bar inside and outside the USA, as well as variant spellings (misspellings?) of trackbar, tracbar, and trak-bar ). The Track Bar is often the culprit in many cases. If ANY of your bolts are even the least bit loose, Death Wobble also can manifest itself and make your life a living hell, so check for looseness EVERYWHERE! Here are some other steering components to check over for looseness or improper movement:
- Tie Rod Ends (all four, plus the upper track bar end)
- Upper and lower Ball Joints
- Track Bar mounting bracket bolts
- Steering Box Brace
- Track Bar Ends
Front End Alignment
If everything appears to be "normal" on the underside of your vehicle, and you've verified the bolt tightness on both ends of the track bar, the next thing to do is get a front end alignment, making sure that caster (frequently misspelled as " castor ") is set correctly as well as toe-in. If you have been offroading and have bent your tie rod even slightly, that, also, will throw off your alignment. Plus, it's only $40 or so at your local alignment shop. (By the way, DO NOT let the alignment shop talk you into a four-wheel alignment! This is only useful on vehicles with independent rear suspension in my experience, and since there are no adjustment points in the rear of a live-axle vehicle ANYWAY, you're merely paying for a service that you won't get.)
Furthermore, if you have a lifted vehicle, make sure that the alignment shop you choose knows the variant specifications for lifted vehicles. DO NOT let them set it to the "default/stock" settings! A good quality alignment shop familiar with lifted 4x4 vehicles will know these settings; a poor quality shop will likely tell you that it doesn't matter whether it's lifted or not and that they use the stock specs. If they tell you this, walk away immediately, or hang up the phone and call the next shop.
Track Bar / Panhard Bar tightness
If you are now *certain* that the front end alignment is set correctly, and that you have not replaced ANY other front end components recently (including tires or wheels) which may have caused the oscillation to trigger, I tell people the next most suspect thing is the factory front track bar. Over time, the tie rod end on the upper portion of the Panhard or Track Bar develops "play" in it due to wear and miles on the vehicle (some applications like the Grand Cherokee WJ, Ford truck, and the Dodge Ram have a rubber bushing configuration instead, which also wears out).
The same findings often go for the lower end bushing, which has a rubber or polyurethane isolator bushing in it, and this "slop" will allow the Death Wobble oscillation to be triggered. Aftermarket trackbars generally come with urethane bushings that allow a LOT less "play" (with respect to movement / crush) than the factory rubber bushings do.
The problem with most aftermarket track bars for the Jeep is that they also come with either a Heim joint, Johnny Joint, or tie rod end on the upper end of the Track Bar. This works fine for a while, but wears out over time, leaving you right back where you started; with a large mess in your shorts, a temporarily deafened right ear (from the wife screaming for dear life, or, quite possibly at YOU, for buying the Jeep to begin with, lol), and an overall high level of frustration with your entire rig in general.
We developed our Track Bar Conversion kit for XJ Cherokees and ZJ Grand Cherokees to eliminate that problematic (and expensive to replace) previously mentioned joint, as well as for the additional flex benefits you get from it. If you are running a Cherokee XJ or Grand Cherokee ZJ with or without Death Wobble, and it has more than 1.5" of lift, I highly recommend you check it out. Many aftermarket track bars, as well as the stock track bar, are completely ineffective in managing Death Wobble due to their "effective angle of operation", particularly if you are above say 2 or 3 inches of lift. Keep in mind that another alignment is necessary after replacing ANY front end components, especially if Death Wobble still remains. Sometimes you might get lucky and not need one...but be forewarned.
Track Bar Bushings / Panhard Bar Bushings
A product we have found to work VERY well in getting rid of Death Wobble is our exclusive Hard-KOR brand SuperDurometer Track Bar Bushings. These bushings are also available for the Track Bar Conversion, and fit most "normal" sized 1.6" ID by 1.25" deep aftermarket and factory track bar end loops, which would originally take a 1.6" OD rubber cartridge bushing. Our SuperDurometer Track Bar Bushings are about TWO TIMES as hard as the typical polyurethane bushings that come with most aftermarket track bars (which typically are made by Daystar or Energy Suspension for most of the various aftermarket manufacturers). Polyurethane bushings are also one of the least expensive replacement parts in the steering components, so it makes sense to try them.Steering Stabilizer / Steering Damper
The next thing to check is your steering stabilizer. I recommend AT THE MINIMUM, replacing your stabilizer (or dampener, as it's sometimes called) at the same time as whatever worn components that you find during your inspection. This "combination punch" is often more effective than changes caused by each individual part alone. Death Wobble shakes EVERYTHING and loosens up other components at the same time. Replacing the stabilizer by itself often times doesn't eliminate the problem directly, but it often helps with some other poor handling characteristics that cause the onset of Death Wobble (such as wandering, for instance).
A new stabilizer will tighten up the entire steering system, and It's also one of the least expensive parts to replace in your steering system while attempting to remedy the problem. I ONLY recommend two stabilizers to customers who are having trouble with Death Wobble; our Hard-KOR Steering Stabilizer or the Old Man Emu (OME) SD40 stabilizer. These two seem to be tighter and work better for stopping vibration than the other steering stabilizers on the market. I know, I've tested them all, trying like hell to fix this issue on a WJ years ago. They are also the most heavy duty that I'm aware of. (we stopped selling the SD40 due to crazy price increases...it just wasn't worth the add'l cost versus the Hard-KOR)
You may see people on the internet saying things like... "Steering Stabilizers are a mask", or... "Steering dampers are a band-aid fix"...but before you buy-in to their claim...have a look at this video...because we get asked this question enough to actually have made a video about it, lol.
Steering Box Brace / (a.k.a. "Steering Stabilizer" in some circles...which is confusing...I know.)
Another product that we've developed to assist in preventing Death Wobble is our Steering Box Brace. We manufacture a Jeep Cherokee Steering Box Brace (XJ) and a Jeep Grand Cherokee Steering Box Brace (ZJ); both the I6 and V8 models, and we resell the DT Products Dodge Ram Steering Stabilizer Box Brace as well. Our steering box brace holds the steering box tightly, allowing the additional stresses of running larger than stock tires to be directed to BOTH frame rails, rather than depending on the three little bolts that hold the gear to the frame. These bolts often work their way loose over time, and if they do, will snap the gear box ears off the box and leave you stranded somewhere you don't want to be.Tire Pressure and How it Related to Death Wobble
Another source of Death Wobble is over-inflated tires. You should have somewhere around 30psi or so with stock tires, and the larger your tire are running, the less pressure they should have. See Boyle's Law and consider how much more air volume is inside your 33" tires compared to stock tires. As an example, I run around 24psi in my 33" tires.Wheel Bearings / Hub Bearings
The last thing that I can mention that has caused Death Wobble in the past, is hub bearings. If there is a little slop in them over the years and miles, they MAY indeed help to cause steering oscillation as well. I mention them last because they are the most expensive to replace and probably least likely to be the root of the problem (thought they might be a component adding to the problem).Ball Joints / Upper and Lower Ball Joints
If you're running a lift kit of 4" or more, then while you have the front end apart, you should consider adding some offset upper ball joints to your Jeep in order to return the caster back to what a stock Jeep would be.
Be aware that on 4x4 models (especially FULL-TIME 4x4 models), by NOT changing the ball joints to the offset type, you add more vibration to the front drive shaft since you are also turning your pinion angle downward in conjunction with every caster angle increase. In other words, you can't have one without the other, and on the full-time 4x4 models, you'll get a little vibration at highway speeds by NOT doing so. Compared to getting Death Wobble, however, this is a very small price to pay.
Hopefully, this short checklist gets you started on the right path to helping you fix your Death Wobble problems once and for all. If you need some more in-depth information, I've written a book on Death Wobble: Causes and Cures, which goes in deeper detail and gives you a checklist to work through. I highly recommend it...and it gives you a discount on replacement components you may have to purchase. Hope this discussion helped you cure Death Wobble!
Very Gratefully,
Kevin - KevinsOffroad.com
1068 comments
Mike:
Print out the “how-to” guide you read through and give that to the guy at the dealership, asking him to check everything over per the article. If he follows it step by step, he’ll be able to cure the problem for you. And, folks, don’t let the dealership weasel their way out of it, even if you do have a lift kit (I know you don’t, Mike, but if you Google the “Magnusson-Moss Act” and print that out for them as well, as ammunition if they are unwilling to assist.
If it’s out of warranty, then call around until you find a local Jeep mechanic or alignment shop who knows what “Death Wobble” means.
I’m not 100% certain you have “Death Wobble” from your description. Does the entire front end of the Jeep shake uncontrollably until you slow down to under 40mph and then it’s fine for a while? If so, that sounds like Death Wobble to me. If not, and it’s just vibrating when you hit the brakes, then warped rotors are the cause of that. It’s very likely that the rotors from the junkyard were warped when you got them (why didn’t you just buy new ones?). Definately get new rotors, but get upgraded ones, like Stillen or DBA or something. The discount auto parts stores carry ones that are cheap, and will warp. Also, there was an earlier rotor, and a later rotor. The mid-‘01 rotors and previous had problems with warping, so they went to a new caliper in mid-’01, and that had a new rotor to go with it, if memory serves.
Chuck: The cause of Death Wobble is the design of the suspension. It’s so close to having a problem, even from the factory, that EVERY component is integral in keeping it from happening. A common misconception is that the steering stabilizer “masks” the problem. B.S.! If the factory included a steering stabilizer, it was because dampening was necessary in this design, not because they decided to include extra parts because their profits were getting too high.
Now, that said, once you add a bunch of leverage (read: lift kit) and a bunch of mass (read: larger tires, heavier wheels) and then add even more leverage to that (read: wheel offset increases when aftermarket wheels are installed), you have essentially called in a full-on air strike assault on the factory components, which now need to be upgraded to stronger components. Track bars need to be thickened, Super-Durometer bushings need to be used, tire pressure needs to be lowered (so that the tires are not bouncing back on every bump so highly), steering dampening needs to be beefed up, and special care needs to be taken with respect to watching, proactively, for any other components that have gotten loose with all that added leverage and mass.
So, it would be impossible for a steering dampener from the factory to “mask” the problem that was created by the design of the front end, right, because it’s actually part OF the design. Simply put, if you add more mass and greater leverage, you need more dampening to combat those forces, in order to keep the “equation” balanced. Sure, it would be GREAT to never need a steering dampener, and I toyed with my ZJ for months to get it just right so that a dampener wasn’t needed. However, a steering dampener is part of the design, and “DAMPENS” the forces that create Death Wobble, canceling them out, so that it never happens.
Lastly, you ask about lowering the upper track bar mounting point and putting a drop pitman arm on. Based on what I mention above about leverage, I can’t see how this could possibly assist you. In fact, when we fix DW problems at the shop, we almost ALWAYS remove the drop pitman arm and any sort of track bar drop bracket that the Jeep came in with. So far, we’ve cured damned near 100% of the problems we’ve had, simply by removing leverage, adding dampening, and upgrading weak factory parts to accommodate the extra mass and leverage that a lifted Jeep with larger-than-factory tires has.
Oh, and I don’t see any reason to get a JKS bar…the IRO bar is also beefy…so spend your time and resources on getting the proper dampening on there, make certain it’s aligned properly, and take your tire pressure down to maybe as low as 24psi for 35" or 37" tires, and maybe down to 26psi for 33" tires. There is no magic pressure, other than the pressure that allows you to roll over a bump and not have the tires feedback into the death wobble oscillation. (Please read “Boyle’s Law” if you’re questioning the lower tire pressures.)