I got a set of pro comp rock crawler 97 with 4.25 bs. I had them installed on my stock jku Rubicon (waiting on lift to come in) and they used the factory lug nuts. On the way home I got my first experience with death wobble. I had the tires rebalanced and everything checked from the death wobble fix thread and nothing. Called pro comp they said it is the lug nuts that factory ones will not work and will cause the death wobble. Is this correct? I have been searching and saw plenty of people using factory lugs. Thanks in advance

 

first thing first. If the wheel manufacture says the cone shape of the factory lugs is wrong for their wheel, replace them, their cheap. If the factory lugs are allowing the wheel to shift, it could cause vibrations. More importantly you're risking damage to the wheel and studs.

Do you have a bad vibration or real Death Wobble? Did you piss yourself thinking the whole front end was coming apart, that parts would start flying through the air and coming to a complete stop was the only way to stop it?

 

x2 on DW.. it'll change the color of what you're wearing

 

It was definite death wobble I thought they didn't tighten a wheel and it was coming off. When I stopped and the wheels were on I was like that has to be the death wobble they always talk about and I don't even have my lift on yet. It scared the crap out of me. They said I needed one that is 60degree conical. The tire shop said the lugs wouldn't cause it.

 

I had the DW I don't think the lugs will cause it like the guys on top said do u think the whole front will come off? Then it could be the death wobble sumthing must have come loose while u where doing the tire change double check the joints hope u get it fixed I was thinking about selling my jeep after I got it ... Makes you feel like you don't want to drive it anymore god luck!

 

Yeah it felt like the front had fell out from under it. I took it to shop and they checked the track bar control arms track bar tie rod ball joints steering and bushings. They could not find anything. When I put the stock wheels back on it went away.

 

They are technically correct, A loose or out of balance wheel is not the real cause, it is the trigger, the straw that broke the camels back. Just bigger larger tires could be that straw. If you're getting DW one or more front suspension parts are worn or loose. On My LJ I got DW after switching from 33" tires to 35", I traced it to a combination of worn parts, unit bearing and ball joints. The 33s just didn't put enough stress on the worn parts to kick off DW.

Back to your Lug nuts, get the correct one so they mate with the wheel as it was designed.

 

No shop could find my issue either. Finally an experienced jeeper had me put it up on jack stands. Then he took a 6ft 2x4 and wedge it under the tire and rocked it up and down. The amount of movement in the unit bearing and ball joint where scary, like I hope I can get home without loosing a wheel scary. Again three shops that could have charged for the work could not find it, no amount of pulling or pushing by hand found it, being under the jeep and cycling the steering did not find it.

 

Am I reading this right.....you had it up on the ramp and they tried moving the joints by hand, and they never moved? But when you wedged on them hard, they did? Did you feel any clunking etc when driving? Mine has a distinctive clunk over bumps etc. And I don't trust the shite stock ball joints. I have a set of Napa/Dana gold grease able joints at the store waiting for me.

 

Correct you could only see them move with the leverage of the 2x4. No I had no clunk. Heavy vibs as I approached 50 mph and would go into full DW if I hit a bump or swerved. Weird part was if I got up to 70 mph it was smooth as glass and would not go into DW, the laws of centrifugal force I guess.