Hello All,

Been fighting the DW for the past month or so now, have read many post and searched everywhere but am at my wit's end with this thing. PLEASE HELP ME, I am desperate to get this solved and it only seems to be getting worse..

So, '97 XJ Sport on 2.5" spacers in front and blocks in back. Have checked everything in the front end for "play," nothing is loose/wobbily/etc. Had my front tires remounted and balanced just the other day, then the front end aligned. Shop checked all my ball joints and said we're good.

Right before I had all this done, installed a JKS adjustable track bar and centered the front axle as it was 2 inch out towards the driver side with the stock track bar. The alignment confirmed that it is exactly centered and I am on new wheels in the front that are perfectly balanced.

However, after each of these attempts to "fix" it the problem is only getting worse. Guess because I am taking out all the play and isolating the problem, now if I could only figure out what that is.

Used to only happen on certain bumps on the highway at 60+ mph and there was no wobble in the steering at 55. After track bar, more and more bumps set it off. Now after alignment can't even go above 50mph or it will start wobbling. Even if it doesn't right at 55 you can feel it starting in the steering wheel with some left to right bouncing.

Have checked the steering box and mount and it seems solid, can yank/jerk/wiggle the pitman arm and there is NO PLAY. Could it be the caster angle since I am on the stock control arms? But really, with 2.5" of lift that many things should not need to be replaced..? Also, one of the U-joints right behind tranny into driveshaft is slightly shaky/bad could that really be causing all this?

PLEASE, I cannot deal with this as this is my DD and everything I try stiffens things up but only makes the problem worse. Tired of throwing parts and money at it just to make things worse. I searched every post out there and read everything, posted on the Kevin guy's site and went with the adjustable track bar as he suggested. Don't just post this has been covered time and time again, I have checked all the common things and NOTHING HAS HELPED!!!

Also, has new steering stabilizer (I know doesn't cause or cure DW), all 4 shocks are new, Shop went through steering components when aligning and everything was "good"??????????

 

Don't take people's word that your front end is "good." Obviously something isn't. Get under there and start shaking around your tie rods. One of my tie Rods had the smallest amount of wiggle in it, and I mean small, which was the culprit for me.

These front ends are extremely picky and everything needs to be 100% for no DW, especially with your coil spacers

 

Are you running stock control arms?

 

I replaced all of my rod ends and fixed everything. check my build thread

 

Check the lower control arm to sub frame mounting bolt. That hole will egg shape and let it move around. Look at all your control arm bushings also. No shaking them side to side doesn't mean they aren't bad. I had a 96 with both of these problems and the combination of them was DW central

 

X2
any joint that can get loose, will get loose. the control arm bushings take a lot of beating.

 

I didn't just take their word for it, before I ever went to them I have shook/pulled/grabbed and twisted everything under there. I cannot figure it out and neither can they, obviously something is loose but I really need pointed in the right direction.

 

Tell us about the tires? How are they lookin. How where they balanced?

 

BFGoodrich All Terrains, 235/75R15 about 50% tread left. Balanced at the shop on the machine. Had them pull off the front wheels when I was getting the alignment to check the balance as I know this can be part of the DW.

Balance was good but driver side wheel was bent/tweaked so it was slightly wobbly. Had them take tire off it, mount the front tires on 2 other jeep wheels I had at the house. Threw the bent rim away and am using the other one that came off as my full-size spare.

Sad thing is, the DW was better (not as prevelent/common) with the bent rim and axle off center. Everything I find wrong and fix seems to isolate and amplify the DW. So frustrating.....

 

Was the hole that the track bar bolt goes into perfectly round (not wallowed out)?

Did the trackbar come with a new mount? If not, is the hole that the tie rod end of the track bar perfectly round (not wallowed out)?

How are your ball joints? Done the hole jacking up your XJ and used a pry bar to check for play?

How are your axle ujoints and hub assemblies?

Your control arm bushings are in good shape? Stock arms are fine at 2.5"

A worn out ujoint in your front driveshaft would cause a vibration. Would not be intense as death wobble.

 

Well this is getting pretty detailed lol. If your running stock, stamped steel control arms you don't have to look any further. They're junk and they twist easily once you lift.

 

Find another set of tires. Use them as a test.

 

OK, hold on a second. Bad tires or steering components cause a steering wheel vibration, this is NOT death wobble. If your tires start bouncing up and down at speed (sometimes violently) you have death wobble. Tires and steering DO NOT keep your tires on the ground, suspension and control arms do that. Now what exactly is your front end doing?

 

Violent Front end shake, frame wobbles side to side, can feel it bad and have to slow down to 35-40 to get it to stop. Starts right at 55 or you can push past up to 60 and will be alright as long as road is smooth, but one right bump and it sets it off......this is the quintessential DEATH WOBBLE!!!

 

That is death wobble, tires and steering don't cause it. Look at everything that holds the axle in place. You already handled the track bar, spacers aren't the greatest but 2" isn't terrible, I would look at the lower control arms, once you lift the stock arms will actually twist left to right because they're stamped steel. If your not going to lift any higher you can get fixed length arms for under $100.