Hi guys I have a problem. I bought a stock 2000 xj with 155,000 miles few months back. Its been driving fine I have done some highway driving. few days back I drove in full time 4wd around town due to a snow storm. I now notice a very bad wobble when I drive on the highway at about 60miles. It is so bad I have to slow down to about 40miles. Feels like the jeep is falling apart. Can anyone help me out what may be causing this. I know this can be a problem on lifted xj's

 

This could be your ball joints. I had a death wobble on my 6.5 inch long arm and we replaced my ball joints with synergy ball joint. That cleared up the problem for me. Also why you in there, check to see how stiff your tie rod ends are. Should be some resistance.

 

Your best option is to search thru the forum. Simply type death wobble in the search bar. There are so many threads on this. Not trying to be rude at all. But there is so much information on here about death wobble.

 

My understanding of “death wobble” is this. Somewhere on the vehicle, one or more components is worn beyond tolerances, and when oscillation initiates from a suspension “traumatic” event (like hitting a bump or a pothole) or also when a vibration reaches a certain point and harmonic at a certain speed, it causes the other 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 and 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. Have a friend turn the steering wheel back and forth full travel as you perform the inspection. 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 one of 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; the root cause is not always obvious and it can often be caused by a combination of things! Always chase and resolve death wobble because if it is not resolved, it is such a violent event that it has the potential to seriously damage front end parts. 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; 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

 

I have a small leak in the power steering pressure hose but have have been making sure my fulid is topped. Could that cause that wobble

 

No.

 

MY last few Death Wobble issues, 87 XJ 3" lift, and 2000 XJ bone stock came from the Track bar.
Check for any play at all in the track bar bushing, and the ball joint at the other end.
If there is any any at all replace it.

 

Obviously worn parts, but check for ice/snow in/on wheels also

 

Look at all your tie rod ends and see check your steering stabilizer. The leaky hose won't cause it but replace that. How's your steering gear? I'd start with the tie rod ends first though. I had the same problem with my 89 and had to replace the steering gear, tie rod ends and steering stabilizer. After all that, no more death wobble.

 

I had some bad high speed wobbles when I first got mine.
To track it down my mechanic got under the front end while I turned the wheels to look for play in the steering components.
Turned out to the the bolt that held the panhard rod in wasn't a snug fit which cause a bit of play and went ballistic at high speeds.

I also read that suspension is a common cause of wobbles on xjs when I was researching. So i replaced all of that with a new lifted suspension system.

Also replaced the control arms , ball joints and panhard rod aswell trying to get to the root of my problem.

Good luck