2008 JKU sahara, 188k, 1''-2'' level kit, 285/70R16
Its my wifes daily driver, bought new in 2008, original parts for the most part, never really been off road....been having some death wobble lately, theres a road on her way to work that triggers it.....i replaced the track bar about a year ago with the Crown auto one along with the grade 8 bolt...cant really see any play in ball joints, tie rods or drag link....had the alignment done yesterday and I have 3.3 degrees caster....Ive read to have around 4.5 degrees.....do(can) tie rod ends and ball joints really last 190k? my ultimate question is should i replace tie rod/drag link and/or HD adjustable track bar? or geometry correction brackets AEV or metal cloak to add more caster? Thanks in advance

 

I'd put my $5k on ball joints. How are you testing those to determine play or not?? The top most common causes of DW would be 1) bad TB joints (unlikely with the newer TB you put on), 2) undertorqued TB bolts (they should be 125 ft lbs), 3) wallowed out holes in the TB brackets, and 4) bad ball joints. Other things can come into play but those are the top things. To be honest, with 190k miles on it, the TR and DL ends probably could use new joints as well, but I'd still put my money on shot ball joints.

Jack up the front axle so tires are a couple inches off the ground. Support with jack stands. Put a shovel under the tire and step on the handle using it as leverage to create upward pressure under the tire. Inspect for the knuckle moving up and down .....focussing on the gap between the knuckle and C by the upper ball joint is the easiest place to see this IMO. You may see some "flexing" of the knuckle which is fine, but you should not see clear up/down movement and you certainly should not hear any "clunk".

You can also easily inspect the TB health. Have a helper turn the steering wheel back and forth with the engine off (it will obviously not move a lot but it will be enough). Focus on the TB at the frame-side joint. You should not see any real movement there.

Keep in mind that having DW even once can really wear other aged components. If you plan to keep that jeep for a while I'd resolve the DW culprit and then freshen up the DL and TR just due to age and mileage.....normal service wear and tear/maintenance.

Obviously, your caster is a bit low. That is not causing or making the DW worse. If you did correct caster with some Geo brackets your driving experience would improve in general, but that is a totally separate thing. I'd fix your issue first and then if you wanted to do that go ahead.

A heavy duty TB isn't really needed unless that crown unit is shot. If for some reason that Crown only lasted a year (don't think that is it due to the bushing they use) then we can suggest a couple to look at, but I don't think this is necessary for your particular situation.


BTW - I'm just on the west side of Fort Worth. Not sure where you are located around Dallas. If you're absolutely not able to troubleshoot this and are desperate for help, I'm always willing to help folks that want to drive out my way.

 

Thanks, I am in dallas. Appreciate the advice. Ill thoroughly check ball joint tonight. Ill keep in mind if I need some expert help

 

Listen to resharp, these guys know what they're talking about. I recently purchased an 07' with 140k miles that had DW and was all over the road. It was scary. I replaced the track bar, tie rod and drag link myself. That helped the steering but still had DW. Got new BJ's installed this week and it's locked to the road now. No more concern about DW or being afraid to drive it. I went ahead and did shocks and LCA's while freshening it up. The ride is amazing now.

 

That is good news to hear. I've had a couple DW experiences in the past, luckily not in situations that were life-threatening, but I totally know the white knuckle uneasiness that comes along with being forced to drive around with constant worry of it rearing its ugly head. I live around some cruddy roads so I don't have to go out of my way, but I intentionally hit bumps or potholes occasionally just to test any feedback in the steering system. You're almost always going to start feeling some adverse feedback or signs that something isn't right well before things progress to the state of DW.