TreyB

I've read about people with lifts and big tires having trouble with this, but I'm running totally stock (17" wheels with 255/75/17 Wranglers) and I've experience the death wobble maybe 5 times in the last two weeks!

It happens when I'm going between 45 and 60 on a curve in the highway after hitting those little groves between sections of pavement. Nothing big.

I brought it into the dealer yesterday for a normal tune up and I mentioned it. They said they couldn't find anything, but that if it happened again I'd have to leave it for a day and they'd test drive it, take apart the suspension, etc.

Anyway, I just wanted to see if anyone else has had this problem. Like I said, I've never heard of it happening with a stock setup. I'd also like to hear some ideas as what it could be from.

And if anyone has any experience with this, what's the best way to handle it. I have to pretty much stop on the highway to get it to quit, and it's terrifying. Am I supposed to break, coast, try to fight it, let it run out, or what?

bly109

Check the front trackbar bolt, it might be loose. That was what always caused the death wobble on my cherokees... well, except for the time I bent a wheel.

wayoflife

Are you sure that you are experiencing death wobble and not your ESP activating? Just to make sure, death wobble is the violent uncontrolable shaking of the entire vehicle to the point where you feel like you are going to crash and nothing short of coming to a stop or close to it will make it go away. Is this what you have been experiencing? If not, the conditions upon which your occurances have been happening would definitely point to the ESP.

TreyB

Oh I'm sure it's the death wobble. The whole vehicle shakes, I can't control where it's going (which is usually just straight ahead), it's really hard to slow down, and it doesn't go away until I get down to about 10 mph. I can also hear the tires chirping. And the ESP light doesn't come on. Also the steering wheel goes crazy in my hands.

fireplace64

Never experienced it yet on the JK (also stock) but had it on my TJ. Likely it was a short term lease and I got rid of it.

Garage replaced the stearing stabalizer and shocks multiple times. Would always fix it short term but it would come back.

Good luck.

wayoflife

Got it - just wanted to make sure. At this point and time, I would check your track bar bolts to make sure they are tightend to 125 ft. lbs. of torque like bly109 said and, I would have your toe checked. If both those pan out, I would check all the other suspension/steering bolt for proper torque. Clearly, something is most likely loose up front and/or off in adjustment.

bly109

Here is the alignment write up WOL did. There are several good pics of the front end with the parts pointed out.

http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-...-end-alignment

Joe923s

How about an alignment? My old TJ got the death wobble exactly the same times as you, turning on a highway, hitting the little bumps, ect... on a 5 hour drive from CT to MD, needless to say it was hell. I stopped at a tire shop who quoted me >$1000 to fix everything that they felt could cause it. I didn't see a problem with anything they mentioned and chose to take it to a different shop and have an alignment... problem solved, no more death wobble although I still cringed everytime I hit a bump for months afterward.

TreyB

I'm hoping that's it. Has anyone else heard of misalignment causing death wobble?

RotorHead

Yes, alignment and loose track bar account for 90% of death wabbles so I'm told. I picked one up after I bent my tie rod causing my alignment to be toed in. Checked the track bar and had it aligned. All is better now.