I have still had issues with a wobble feeling in the steering wheel and through the Jeep starting at about 45mph. I know my tires were totally shot, torn lugs and overall rock damage. So I replaced them yesterday with 37” Cooper SST pros. The shop recommended balancing beads so I went with them. However, I still have the same wobble around 45mph. Now that I have balancing beads I cannot in my mind rule out a tire issue with the wobble since I’ve never been very trusting of the beads. The shop sold a good game on them which is why I let them use the beads.

Anyone have good/bad luck with beads?

I have my front drive shaft removed to try to isolate the issue, I have all new steering components (big bore hydro assist), all new control arms, alignment is good (will post specs later if needed). Ball joints are new and adjusted to torque specs (teraflex hd). If anyone has any suggestions as to where I should look, I need ideas.

 

Also, I’ve checked the tie rod ends, track bar, drag link and all associated ends. Everything is not only new but I verified there’s no play with someone else turning the wheel while I look for movement.

 

Sounds like you can rule out the tires if you have the same shake. Perhaps you have a bent wheel? Or an out of round wheel? I've had mixed results with various forms of balancing beads.

 

The people I've known personally that tried balancing beads ended up emptying them out and just going back to traditional methods of balancing. This was years ago and I can't recall exactly their complaints, but it didn't take long for them to change back.

To be clear, when you say "wobble in your wheel" you are just talking about your steering wheel moving back and forth a bit if you let go of the wheel right? we're not talking about adverse effects in your steering linkage and a real physical wobble under the jeep......you're just observing the steering wheel action. If that is the case, some of it could simply be effects of MT lugs in a certain speed range.

 

I doubt it’s an out of round wheel, I haven’t come down hard on my wheels and there’s no real damage to them aside from a Little Rock rash. And I don’t think I can rule out balancing beads since they do seem to have mixed reviews.

 

So to clarify the “wobble”, I feel it through the whole Jeep, the seat, and steering wheel. It’s bad enough that my side mirrors vibrate enough to where looking at them, things are blurry, it almost feels like a harsh shimmy or a super light death wobble. I don’t think it’s the lugs of mt’s since I’ve never felt this with mt’s before so I don’t think that this is a norm... at least to this extent.

I haven’t been able to inspect the front axle shafts but would a bad u-joint in the axle shaft cause this? I also should inspect the rear axle shafts, maybe one is bent and causing this?

 

If it was driveline with the RPM it rotates at there would be a high frequency vibration. Is this one a slow frequency wobble? Only things I can think of is bent rear driveshaft or axle flange not straight. Try removing the rear driveshaft and go for a front wheel drive and see anyway even though my first thoughts were a low frequency vibration. Isn't there also vibration dampers on there if you still have some stock stuff there.

 

Its not a high frequency vibe, it’s more of a slower heavy wobble feel. I looked around the rear drive shaft and it looks really good. The joints don’t have any play, there’s no physical damage to the drive shaft and no missing weights on it.

 

ok, this is not as innocuous as I was thinking you might have been describing. Something is going on.

If you're feeling it in your seat, it seems more driveline related. There a chance maybe you lost a weight on a shaft?

****I was too slow with my post, you already answered

 

I have an appointment tomorrow to take the beads out and use conventional weights. I really hope this will fix this Jeep once and for all. I’m running out of good graces with wifey to ask for more Jeep money...