OK, so I don't really have death wobble, but I have quite a bit of play in my front end. I have wheeled my Jeep pretty good off road and had my lift on for about a year or so. Specs are in my sig.

I was wondering what could cause this play, I notice it mostly around 35 mph, up to about 45 or 50, then it wanes off and at freeway speed is unnoticeable. I shook my Jeep from side to side in the front and there is a little bit more movement than I would like to see. So I started to check everything...

Could the heim joint on my track bar being worn out cause this wobble?
Could it be the ball joints? How do I check?
Could it be the u-joints or something more serious in the hubs?
I checked the tire weights and none look to be missing, is there anyway to check if the tires are actually balanced correctly without going to the tire shop and having them throw it on the machine do-hicky?
Anybody else have this specific sort of shake, and how did you fix it?

My next option is to tear everything down I guess and start replacing things that could be worn out, what should I go with first? I am pretty sure the heim on my Superlift track bar has worn out pretty much entirely. I guess I just need some guidance on this because my JK is my dd.

 

Is the shake felt in the steering wheel or in your seat?

A speed-sensitive wheel shake is typically the sign of needing your tires properly balanced. I would try this first...

 

The shake is mostly felt in the steering wheel, but I do feel it through the drivetrain quite a bit...when it's shaking the most, my 6 speed knobby is flying all around.

Now to check the tire balancing, do I need to just go to a tire shop or is there a way to check it without paying someone else?

 

Sounds like a balance issue to me also. You can take it to any dealership, tire shop, etc to get your wheels balanced.

If you wheel it, make sure you tell them to use the sticky weights and not to hang any on the outer lip of the wheel...you'll tear them off when off-camber.

 

To check if it is the heim joints or steering, let someone (I know it is difficult to let someone else in the driver seat) get in and start the engine. You get in front on the ground and have them turn from left to right and you look at all the components for loose components.

How is your steering stabilizer shock? Have you smashed it on a boulder like I have done?

I had someone change my heim joints and they did not realign the wheels. It was off by 3/4" on the shaft and would shift lanes and was real squirmy!

Chido

 

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I think I have the same issue with my '09. 15k miles. 35" rubber. Just got back from EJS at Moab. When I swapped my stockers I had on for the road drive back to my 35's, I now have a shake at about 35mph. The steering wheel shakes about an inch or so, and I can see the front wheels shaking. Not bump related... just normal accelerating. Swapped on a buddy's stock stabilizer and no change. I'm gonna swap the tires to the rear and maybe have the balancing checked. Just weird there was no issue before Moab and even on the drive home with the stock size tires on. My ESP lights have been on for a few months and my steering wheel is crooked. I straightened it out. Started driving. After the first turn, it's off again. WTF?

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Check your steering stabilizer. I just replaced mine with a TeraFlex one because the stock one was shock (could move the shaft in and out about an inch with zero resistance). 1000% improvement with the new one (better than brand new stock at that).

You have all adjustable arms and such. So it should not be a caster issue. Did you have it aligned ever?

To check the ball joints, jack up the front end, grab the top and bottom of the tire, and push and pull in opposing directions. Dont do it side to side and the steering will let it turn.

But as others mentioned, have a shop check your tires for balance.

 

i've got the same thing going on, at times when i do hit a bump it actually comes close to the death wobble a few times, but otherwise just normal flat driving i have a shake/wobble. Sometimes are worse then others.
Today i rotated my tires and i can now feel it jumping up and down in the rear, so i know i have a balance issue, but i still have a smaller wobble, i need to get them rebalanced before i go and spend $ on an alignment i may not need.
i've had my Terra's on my jeep for over 32,000 miles and haven't have them realigned since they were put on, and i wheel it every month or so, but the wear and tear on the tire could alter the balancing, especially if i've knocked off weights, or even slipped when aired down. It may not matter but in the siping of my tires i have a ton of little tiny rocks and stuff, i'm sure that couldn't help matters either.

 

Put your front tires in the rear and see if it changes, easiest way I know of checking balance. Next I'd look at your trackbar.

 

My 07 JK does the same thing at the same speeds as the rest. I have the four inch superlift kit and 33" Pro Comps I have wondered what the cause is and gone on a suspension goose chase replacing front end components as money provides. I have the Tie Rod and Track Bar replaced and my next outlet is probably going to be control arms. The Steering Stabilizer solution seems affordable, but everything i have read about it either in magazines or online debunks it as placebo and nothing more. Then again for less than a bill, maybe its worth a try. I have also thought about maybe investing in a Hi-Steer kit from AEV or Teraflex, but thats going to be sometime in the future