Help! Major JK Death-wobble with TeraFlex 3" Lift
08-01-2011, 11:34 AM
#11
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Thanks for the ideas
First off, thank you everyone for your input. I'll have to spend some time under the Jeep again tonight to see if I can figure something out. This is just a frustrating problem. For the last month or so my girlfriend has developed the feeling of the start of death wobble even from the passenger seat.
I last checked the torque on everything maybe two weeks ago. I've also looked for any signs of ovalling and don't see any (that was the first cause on my old XJ). Also been rotating the tires about every 4-6k miles, last done a couple weeks ago. Perhaps I'll see if I can get them balanced again this week to see if that helps (last done in May). I'm just over 32k miles total on the ball joints, tires, and every thing else the suspension system didn't replace...I somehow blew out a steering box at around 1000 miles (warranty) so that is a little newer than everything else.
I last checked the torque on everything maybe two weeks ago. I've also looked for any signs of ovalling and don't see any (that was the first cause on my old XJ). Also been rotating the tires about every 4-6k miles, last done a couple weeks ago. Perhaps I'll see if I can get them balanced again this week to see if that helps (last done in May). I'm just over 32k miles total on the ball joints, tires, and every thing else the suspension system didn't replace...I somehow blew out a steering box at around 1000 miles (warranty) so that is a little newer than everything else.
08-01-2011, 01:12 PM
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Originally Posted by GearWhore
First off, thank you everyone for your input. I'll have to spend some time under the Jeep again tonight to see if I can figure something out. This is just a frustrating problem. For the last month or so my girlfriend has developed the feeling of the start of death wobble even from the passenger seat.
I last checked the torque on everything maybe two weeks ago. I've also looked for any signs of ovalling and don't see any (that was the first cause on my old XJ). Also been rotating the tires about every 4-6k miles, last done a couple weeks ago. Perhaps I'll see if I can get them balanced again this week to see if that helps (last done in May). I'm just over 32k miles total on the ball joints, tires, and every thing else the suspension system didn't replace...I somehow blew out a steering box at around 1000 miles (warranty) so that is a little newer than everything else.
I last checked the torque on everything maybe two weeks ago. I've also looked for any signs of ovalling and don't see any (that was the first cause on my old XJ). Also been rotating the tires about every 4-6k miles, last done a couple weeks ago. Perhaps I'll see if I can get them balanced again this week to see if that helps (last done in May). I'm just over 32k miles total on the ball joints, tires, and every thing else the suspension system didn't replace...I somehow blew out a steering box at around 1000 miles (warranty) so that is a little newer than everything else.
08-01-2011, 01:30 PM
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I'm in the same boat wish you luck finding the problem. We are still trying to fix ours too
Somebody told us to loosen everything and jump and down on the front bumper than retighten. We are going to try this tonight. The thread I started is a couple down from yours. titled "death wobble AGAIN" some tips are in there if you want to look.
Somebody told us to loosen everything and jump and down on the front bumper than retighten. We are going to try this tonight. The thread I started is a couple down from yours. titled "death wobble AGAIN" some tips are in there if you want to look.My problem ended up being the ball joints at 36,000 miles.
08-01-2011, 01:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Turbo
I believe the solution you mentioned, loosening and bouncing, is for flighty steering and not death wobble. But you may luck out and tighten a loose bolt somewhere that will fix the problem anyway.
My problem ended up being the ball joints at 36,000 miles.
My problem ended up being the ball joints at 36,000 miles.
08-01-2011, 02:28 PM
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my ball joints checked out okay. They were checked when the alignment was done.
08-01-2011, 03:38 PM
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You may want to have them checked anyway. Many auto techs do not know how to properly check ball joints. I would call a few off road shops and ask who they trust to check ball joints in a Jeep. Be sure to tell them that you have DW.
08-02-2011, 12:13 PM
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Last night after work I did another tire rotation and checked the torque on every bolt from the back of the F control arms forward. Nothing was out from where it should be. Also checked the ball joints and they are all fine. Rode the moto into work today though so not sure if there will be a difference or not. Hopefully I can get the Jeep in to get the wheels balanced sometime this week... 
08-02-2011, 06:31 PM
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I am having the 3" Tera installed as we speak matched with Tera steering stabilizer and new 35" inch Mickey MTZs, which will be married to Mickey classic 17" black alloys. Obviously with everything being new and installed by my 4WD dealer I would hope I don't have a problem. But this does worry me. It seems though this is more about a new lift with older tires that don't have proper alignment and/or were not originally rotated enough and are out of balance. Not sure what else it could be if you say the lift was properly installed and the springs etc are properly bolted at the right places and aren't binding.
Worrying though this is not cheap upgrade for Tigger.
Worrying though this is not cheap upgrade for Tigger.