Like I posted in another thread, I’m new to the Jeep world. I’m trying to shorten my learning curve as quickly as possible. What are the brands to consider and any to stay away from? Currently trying to cure the death wobble I didn’t know existed until after I bought a 13 jku....the Jeep has a RC 4in lift. Don’t know much about them but just by looking at it I’d say it’s been on the Jeep a while. Also noticed the driver side rear shock looks a bit more grimy on the exterior than the passenger side. Ride seems to be ok though.....not sure If I should replace them or not?

 

You have the one to stay away from. Metalcloak and Synergy are nice brands to look at. There's a whole slew of mid-tier brands, and then there are the lower end that appear budget friendly, but by the time you've rounded them out with all the parts that you should have anyhow, really aren't much cheaper at all than doing it right to begin with.

 

Maybe you could slow it down a bit and give some better insight on what you are actually thinking. From just a brief glance at both threads, you have a deathwobble issue, but instead of actively investigating and fixing it, it sounds like you are now planning to remove the lift and replace with a better one --> and just assuming the DW will magically go away?

I agree that MetalCloak would be a much better choice if you choose to swap suspensions, but I'd suggest tracking down the actual issue (or issues) before indiscriminately throwing money at it.

If you have not done so already, do a quick google search on "Planman deathwobble". He has a good diagnosis thread with videos and advice on what to look for. It's been copied over to multiple forums by now, so it'll be quick and easy to find.

Beyond what you will see in that thread, do a little reading on 'Drop Pitman' (verify that you do in fact have one installed - but with that lift it's almost a guarantee...) Not that it is the cause of your issues, but if you are in there repairing and replacing it is definitely a good time to consider a swap from the Drop to a Flip.

Also, verify that you do or do not have Cam Bolts installed. If you do, verify that they are not loose (which could allow the axle to shift - which certainly would not help the situation).


And just a last thought, I really should have typed this in your other thread on deathwobble, not this one looking for opinions on brands...

 

This... so much this....

Yes, Metalcloak and Synergy are great companies... But this entire "just spend $3k on new suspension from a company I prefer" model makes no sense... and may not solve the problem.

 

Well after a few hours under the Jeep and a sore back, I believe I’ll be getting new ball joints in the near future. Also the axle was just under 1/4 in off centered so i loosened the clamps on the track bar and centered up the axle. Everything else look to be in good shape and torqued to correct specs....as far as the ball joints, they had the very slightest bit of play using the shovel under the tire method, but enough that I believe replacing them is the right move. the Jeep is a ‘13 model with only 50k miles so I’m guessing they are probably the originals.

 

Teraflex BJ's have been getting fairly good reviews. In the price is no object category, Rare Parts are supposed to be good. And many are perfectly happy with Crown or similar. Lots of options to look at.

Maybe someone can jog my memory - there was a nice writeup/comparison of the plastic factory joints. Good background material for your research if you come across it.

 

Check the track bar connections at the frame and axle, when I was disassembling my '12 JKU I noticed the holes were significantly wallowed out, this was running completely stock. I would remove the nut and push the bolt head out enough to inspect the hole. I ended up welding washers to the outside and its holding up great even with a heavy axle and 37's.

 

I was just going to say as well, the rough country suspension system, while no where near the best quality, is not the cause of death wobble. Never has been. It's due to worn steering parts. I have yet to see a lift kit cause death wobble. Sounds like the ball joints, other steering related parts are worn.

 

Generally agree; however, installing lifts leaves open the possibilities that bolts don't get torqued to proper specs, and usually lifts mean installing larger, heavier tires as well which put additional stress on components. Even stock vehicles can experience DW, but it's definitely more prevalent on lifted vehicles. Not helping matters is the fact that many are running low caster.

The biggest problem with higher RC lifts is their use of a drop pitman arm up front and a lowered TB bracket in the rear. RC shocks are junk and the general quality of other components is shoddy. They have a big following in pickup trucks, they promote heavily through big retailers, and they appear budget-friendly which is why so many of them end up on JKs. That's not relevant to the DW, but still.......