"Howdy y'all!"

Got a fun one! Hoping someone might have had similar experiences.

Coupled with a bit of steering shimmy I am noticing that my OME suspension is a bit firm. Will be loading it up to see how it performs this weekend (i'm sure i can find some crap to put in the back) but I suspect that will only test the back end and not the front where the issue seems to occur.

Anyway I'll try and describe it. You know when you hit a bump, you can usually feel it and the wheel is meant to go back onto the ground and not bounce back up again? Yeh, well if I hit a rough bit of road (say, corrugations in bitumen from trucks), the wheel which hits it will hammer away at the road even once its flat. Basically, the shock has NO control over what is happening to the spring/wheel. Seems to be more on the front end than the rear. Steering and brakes do nothing during this time as the wheel is physically bouncing on the road, can lead to hairy situations with a tap dancing JK.

I am using OME 618 and 619 coils with ARB front and rear bars (and an auto diesel), so the coil loading should be OK if not a bit on the firm side. Have coupled these with the OME N196L and N198L.

So basically what I'm asking, who has found the OME N196L and N198L to be valved too firmly for the 2dr? In every other condition I find them to be firm but OK. I think I need to go for a softer shock?! What out there is of a decent construction and a bit softer than these I wonder? I notice on ARB USA website their guide does not suggest fitting the Long shocks with their coils, which seems odd but I wonder if they are not valved to suit the springrate of what I have fitted to my vehicle)

Am going to try the factory front shocks again this weekend and see if that changes the situation as well as loading it up a bit. I'd like to be able to narrow it down to the shocks for certain though (my gut feeling says they are the problem).

PS: And no, more unsprung weight (ie: bigger tyres/wheels) is not an option to "fix" it. And I am already down to 32psi on the tyres (stock 17")

Thanks

(i should mention i have stock rear swaybar in place and stock front swaybar with JKS disconnects adjusted so the bar is sitting horizontal to ground, so i dont think it is tension from this).

 

Sounds alot like you are getting Death Wobble. Before spending more money I would get the JK on a secure level surface, with the vehicles full weight on the tires I would loosen and retourque all the front suspension components (control arms, track bar, etc). I would also ensure the front track bar is torqued to at least 135ft/lbs.

 

Sounds like death wobble. Its an oscillation in the steering that occurs when the front suspension goes over bumps. Loose components(ie not torqued to spec, loose/worn bushings, etc) cause it all in almost all cases. This link should help you a bit. Its in the faq setion at the top of the modified forum page.

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...90&postcount=7

As for the harsh ride quality. The 32psi your running in them may be the biggest contributor to your rough riding suspension. I run 25psi. Did with the stock 255/75/17 BFG MTs that came on my Rubi and I run the 35" Baja Claws at the same. HUGE reduction in ride harshness just by dropping my tires from 35, so I'd give that a shot as well.

 

I have experienced death wobble with this vehicle. Its a very different sensation to what I am feeling with this one.

Will post results once I've swapped shocks.

 

So you're saying that the steering wheels stays where it's supposed to, unlike DW, but the tires and wheels seem to be hopping up and down in a straightline? Like if you were to take a ball and bounce it on the ground? If so, I'd take a look at the air pressure in your tires. If you've recently had your rig in a tire/wheel shop, or an alignment shop, they'll usually bring the air pressure up to what the sidewall says, which is way too much for oversized tires. You should be running about 28-30psi in 35's. Also, what are the load ratings on your tires. If you have a 2dr with load range D tires, that may be aggravating the problem. Sorry I couldn't be of more help on this one.

 

Another thing to check: are the wheels still balanced. Maybe you lost / threw a weight.

-Randy

 

I believe the 618/619 combo is the spring set for the HD Unlimited kit not a HD 2dr.

 

Hey fellas,

yes I believe this is probably the case as well. I don't think I've really been sold quite the right springs. But thats OK, the ride height is fine and the ride itself is fine - it just doesn't handle closely grouped surface variations like corrugations very well at all. With the swaybars off the ride is sublime for a solid axle shorty. I could actually get away without them I reckon, just be dragging the door handles on the bitumen like a series 1 rangie. hehe. this sort of furthers my suspicion that the shocks are simply too firm as the swaybars in the JK seem to be massive so they could get away with soft shocks (you americans have strange taste in ride quality, i have to admit :P) - alot of the jap 4wds we have here really need stiff shocks to help control body roll/pitching.

I should note i don't have 35s. I am still on the stock 17" rim and 32" goodyear AT tyre. Anything less than 32psi on my vehicle and the tread wear is going to suffer. 35's will probably "fix" the problem with the extra unsprung mass.

 

i think it's more a problem of bad shocks. it's the job of the shock to keep the tire/wheel from doing that exact bouncing you described. i've had a shock go bad on one of my trucks years ago and it was doing the same thing. i'd think that if the shocks were valved too firm it would simply jolt you when you hit a bump rather than oscillating like you described.

 

OK, well before i went and changed shocks I thought I'd retorque all the front suspension components again, just in case.

Undid everything, wiggled the whole car and then torqued everything up again. Even used loctite. Did everything up very tight (dont have a torque wrench which measures to 150lbs, so just used a breaker bar and my legs. Fook knows how I'm going to undo the panhard bolts without it being on a hoist. Panhard is VERY weak compared to my last vehicle. might save a bit more cash and get the adjustable panhard to eliminate it as a problem. Oh, panhard = trackbar.

Regardless the issue is still there. I added 1mm of toe in over factory (whatever it was, hasn't changed since I bought it) and that improved it heaps. Am going to add another mm, shouldn't hurt the tyre wear at all.

Steering dampner is completely shagged. Has stopped leaking and I have bent it. Would probably mask the shimmy I still get with a new one.

Still jackhammers over short fast bumps though...Can't find enough weight to really test it.