Death Wobble 2 (the return)
JK Newbie
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: memphis IN
DW
I am also having the death wobble on both my Jeeps.
My JK has a bad steering stabilizer...it's leaking fluid.
My TJ is because of the BIAS PLY tires and when they're cold it wobbles.It sits too much.
A stock vehicle has a potential for DW, that's why you have the steering stabilizer. But there's almost always something amiss.
Previously my track bar bracket was worn out causing the DW.
I would recommend checking your wheel and tires out. Do you have aftermarket wheels? I've heard of new wheels not being true & I think this happens more than people realize.
The JK quit DW after I rotated the tires, but the stabilizer is still going to need replaced.
My JK has a bad steering stabilizer...it's leaking fluid.
My TJ is because of the BIAS PLY tires and when they're cold it wobbles.It sits too much.
A stock vehicle has a potential for DW, that's why you have the steering stabilizer. But there's almost always something amiss.
Previously my track bar bracket was worn out causing the DW.
I would recommend checking your wheel and tires out. Do you have aftermarket wheels? I've heard of new wheels not being true & I think this happens more than people realize.
The JK quit DW after I rotated the tires, but the stabilizer is still going to need replaced.
JK Freak
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 523
Likes: 0
From: Clarksville, TN - Fort Campbell
hey there, i have had the DW for a long time on my jk. its a 4 door x and all stock. the dealership has done the stabilizer recall, tightened everything and gone through it with no solutions, now they say they are waiting for a superlift stabilizer and there gonna install that. they told me that the tires could be the cause and that they wouldnt warrenty that. i dont get it, all i want is for my jeep to be safe,. nothing is working, im at the point where i wanna take them the keys and stop paying for it.
does anyone have any insight into this...nothing is cracked or damaged...but its got a wicked wobble off of bumps..i have taken them for a ride and they agree but cant seem to fix it, dont i have any options????
does anyone have any insight into this...nothing is cracked or damaged...but its got a wicked wobble off of bumps..i have taken them for a ride and they agree but cant seem to fix it, dont i have any options????
installing a bigger steering stabilizer will only mask the true problem. there is no way in hell a stock jeep should need a bigger steering stabilizer. it is just a band-aid and a cop-out for fixing the real problem.
even a bad steering stabilizer will not cause a true death wobble. ever.
i would not drive that jeep at this point - especially if the bigger steering stabilizer gets rid of the death wobble, because it is just going to cover up the true problem, which will still exist, and can easily become an even bigger problem later on!!!!
you need to be looking at lemon-lawing your jeep and getting a new one or something else.
JK Newbie
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: HESPERIA, CA.
What does my pic have to do with anything? Ever been to Parker, Az. ? All i'm saying is that there are better things to do with your jeep than write down a list of everything that is wrong with it and complain to NHTSB or whoever. The whole point to owning a jeep is to modify it to your own personal likings and become a more proficient shade tree mechanic. I work on all my jeeps(jk is #4) and have never had any issue that I couldn't fix myself! If I wanted a high rated award winning automobile i would have bought a Chrysler 300. So, let me guess, this is your first jeep? Yeah, thought so.
JK Newbie
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: HESPERIA, CA.
As far as the death wobble goes..go over all suspension and steering components with a fine tooth comb and make sure you have everything properly torqued and adjusted, including caster. This can play a huge part in DW issues. I might even go so far as to check your air pressure and make sure your wheels are balanced.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 140
Likes: 0
From: Northern Ontario
I have had 3 cases of DW in the past 3 months, the first wasn't so bad. All occurred in the same area of highway driving 100km/h. The second and third time were scary as hell!
The jeep started jumping and shimmying on the highway enough that the person to the right of me slowed down and pulled to the right, away from my jeep.
Took it to the local dealer after the 2nd time (third just happened today and I am taking tech for a drive tomorrow to replicate) they said there is a manufacturers defect in what was my front tires that they moved to the rear. I had a shimmy in my steering wheel that was gone as soon as they did this. They are replacing my steering stabilizer and replacing 2 of my tires, which I am going to demand they replace all 5.
The jeep started jumping and shimmying on the highway enough that the person to the right of me slowed down and pulled to the right, away from my jeep.
Took it to the local dealer after the 2nd time (third just happened today and I am taking tech for a drive tomorrow to replicate) they said there is a manufacturers defect in what was my front tires that they moved to the rear. I had a shimmy in my steering wheel that was gone as soon as they did this. They are replacing my steering stabilizer and replacing 2 of my tires, which I am going to demand they replace all 5.
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
From: Traverse City Michigan
The dealership experience
My Jeep is bone factory stock, nothing aftermarket on the suspension or driveline. The dealership took the jeep in and said that they checked everything out and everything was solid. They are blaming it all on the steering stabilizer and are going to replace it. The steering stabilizer was completely shot. I am not technically smarter than the machanics that work on this stuff for a living. They said they checked the tire alignment all the links and other suspension components and they checked out fine.
Why do so many people talk about the tire pressure. What difference does the tire pressure make. I am operating the tires below max pressure and the jeep should be able to handle stiff tires. The ride is fine.
As for being able to fix it myself. Sure I could. But I paid 19500 dollars for the thing. I am trying to make a point by making them fix it. If we don't do this they will keep the underachievers that they have designing the new jeeps and won't make the changes necessary to make it the reliable vehicle that all of my other old model jeeps have been. I have also written the company (no response) and filed a report with the NTSB about the safety deficiency. If they can't put out a fix for it then I want them to choke on it. I was driving on a perfectly straight smooth paved road and hit a bump for petes sake.
Why do so many people talk about the tire pressure. What difference does the tire pressure make. I am operating the tires below max pressure and the jeep should be able to handle stiff tires. The ride is fine.
As for being able to fix it myself. Sure I could. But I paid 19500 dollars for the thing. I am trying to make a point by making them fix it. If we don't do this they will keep the underachievers that they have designing the new jeeps and won't make the changes necessary to make it the reliable vehicle that all of my other old model jeeps have been. I have also written the company (no response) and filed a report with the NTSB about the safety deficiency. If they can't put out a fix for it then I want them to choke on it. I was driving on a perfectly straight smooth paved road and hit a bump for petes sake.
Last edited by SpecWar; Jun 10, 2008 at 07:45 PM.
JK Newbie
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: uniontown, pa
i was having similar issues. finally got the dealership to replace my steering stabilizer. my issue is gone, of course i am installing an aftermarket stabilizer soon anyway, but it is under warranty still so i figured why not...
JK Super Freak
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,533
Likes: 0
From: Oxnard, CA
I am also having the death wobble on both my Jeeps.
My JK has a bad steering stabilizer...it's leaking fluid.
My TJ is because of the BIAS PLY tires and when they're cold it wobbles.It sits too much.
A stock vehicle has a potential for DW, that's why you have the steering stabilizer. But there's almost always something amiss.
Previously my track bar bracket was worn out causing the DW.
I would recommend checking your wheel and tires out. Do you have aftermarket wheels? I've heard of new wheels not being true & I think this happens more than people realize.
The JK quit DW after I rotated the tires, but the stabilizer is still going to need replaced.
My JK has a bad steering stabilizer...it's leaking fluid.
My TJ is because of the BIAS PLY tires and when they're cold it wobbles.It sits too much.
A stock vehicle has a potential for DW, that's why you have the steering stabilizer. But there's almost always something amiss.
Previously my track bar bracket was worn out causing the DW.
I would recommend checking your wheel and tires out. Do you have aftermarket wheels? I've heard of new wheels not being true & I think this happens more than people realize.
The JK quit DW after I rotated the tires, but the stabilizer is still going to need replaced.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,533
Likes: 0
From: Oxnard, CA
My Jeep is bone factory stock, nothing aftermarket on the suspension or driveline. The dealership took the jeep in and said that they checked everything out and everything was solid. They are blaming it all on the steering stabilizer and are going to replace it. The steering stabilizer was completely shot. I am not technically smarter than the machanics that work on this stuff for a living. They said they checked the tire alignment all the links and other suspension components and they checked out fine.
Why do so many people talk about the tire pressure. What difference does the tire pressure make. I am operating the tires below max pressure and the jeep should be able to handle stiff tires. The ride is fine.
As for being able to fix it myself. Sure I could. But I paid 19500 dollars for the thing. I am trying to make a point by making them fix it. If we don't do this they will keep the underachievers that they have designing the new jeeps and won't make the changes necessary to make it the reliable vehicle that all of my other old model jeeps have been. I have also written the company (no response) and filed a report with the NTSB about the safety deficiency. If they can't put out a fix for it then I want them to choke on it. I was driving on a perfectly straight smooth paved road and hit a bump for petes sake.
Why do so many people talk about the tire pressure. What difference does the tire pressure make. I am operating the tires below max pressure and the jeep should be able to handle stiff tires. The ride is fine.
As for being able to fix it myself. Sure I could. But I paid 19500 dollars for the thing. I am trying to make a point by making them fix it. If we don't do this they will keep the underachievers that they have designing the new jeeps and won't make the changes necessary to make it the reliable vehicle that all of my other old model jeeps have been. I have also written the company (no response) and filed a report with the NTSB about the safety deficiency. If they can't put out a fix for it then I want them to choke on it. I was driving on a perfectly straight smooth paved road and hit a bump for petes sake.
If you wrote the org you said you did, and wrote it like you did here, then I suspect they might ignore it since it was a "death wobble" "uncontrollable" and therefore you must be writing from beyond the grave. BTW whcih place did you go?
