pstrman

I am new to the jeep world as I purchased a 89 CHerekee Larado. It is lifted 3" it looks like and I just put new 32 x 11.5 x 15 tires. I have checked the ball joints and they are tight and I have tightened the steering box, but still have a wobble in the front end as I drive. It tracks straight and when brakes are applied there is no pulling in either direction.

Steering dampner? bushing? Tie rods? I don't know where to start as everything looks ok.

Any ideas please....thank you

rackem

you sir are experiencing death wobble.

search for it, you will find what your looking for..

but in a nutshell.

trac bar. replace it with one of quality.

pstrman

Any maker better than others? How often does this need to be done?

rackem

ironman makes a fine one.

just like anything else, they only need to be replaced when the joints wear out.

rtralabama

Rock Krawler adjustable track bar. Problem solved. I thought I gotta cow in the mail cus how beefy it is

holycaveman

They call it death wobble for a reason. Its because your front end shakes so violently you think you are going to crash and die.

And it won't stop until you stop.

Check track bar for play. Any movement at all replace it. Otherwise move on to something else.

cruiser54

　
　
　
My understanding of "death wobble" is this. Somewhere in the vehicle, one or more components is worn beyond tolerances, and when oscillation initiates from a suspension "traumatic" event (hitting a bump or a pothole) or also when a vibration reaches a certain point and harmonic at a certain speed, it causes theother components to react. This is called the "multiplier effect", where one component affects one or more other components as the event travels through the front end of the vehicle.

Death wobble is not uncommon with the XJ. It is even more common with a lifted XJ. Finding the worn component or components is not always easy. It can sometimes be downright difficult. Sometimes it’s obvious. other times everything appears to be okay when you perform an inspection on a hoist, but getting the vehicle up in the air and going over everything with a fine tough comb is always a good first step. It is very helpful if you know exactly how to perform a comprehensive inspection of every single front end part, looking for abnormal wear and or play in that hardware. If you do not know how to do this type of inspection, pay an experienced professional to do it. Be sure to ask them if they are familiar with "death wobble", as not all technicians are versed in this…..

Check out the below link if you would like some extensive reading on "death wobble" causes and cures. From my research, Kevin (the author of this tutorial) is possibly the best in the business with tracking down root cause of death wobble. He does offer hardware for sale that can help resolve death wobble, but even if you don’t buy any parts from him, you can still get some excellent ideas on what to look at in resolving your death wobble.

http://www.kevinsoffroad.com/how-to-...-death-wobble/

Possible causes of death wobble are listed below. Isolating death wobble is a process of elimination and the root cause is not always obvious and it can often be caused by a combination of things! From my personal experience, I would first concentrate on the track bar and the control arms and associated bushings.
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-Front tires out of balance (try swapping fronts to rear and see if symptoms change)
-Tire pressure. Don’t laugh. It’s not a root cause but can exaggerate the problem. Experiment with lower tire pressure to see if it helps
-Improper lug nut torque on wheels
-Front alignment out of spec
-Loose track bar
-Worn track bar bushings
-Worn track bar (check for play!!)
-Bad control arms and associated bushings
-Worn/damaged steering stabilizer (not generally a cause in and by itself)
-Worn/damaged shocks
-Worn/damaged tie rod end
-Bad U Joint
-Bad ball joint
-Loose frame mount
-Steering box loose
-Bad front hub assembly
　
　

Tom Walker

pstrman

Mine must not be to bad yet as it's not quite a wobble, but feels more like the front end is shifting from side to side. Sounds like the track bar to me. Thanks for all the help. I can't wait til it's ready for some dirt.

rtralabama

just a little comparison

http://motionoffroad.wordpress.com/2...kbar-shootout/

cruiser54

Make sure your steering box is tight as well as your track bar bracket on the driver side frame rail. This means putting tools on the bolts and tightening them. No just gandering at them.

rtralabama

if ya need a new steering box spacer, dont get jcr offroad...they have horrible quality control, if they even have any. they cant even get a simple little steering box spacer right, itd hate to see their bumpers... it was a pain in the *** for me to get that damned thing on