jodonnal

Hello I recently Bought a '93 Jeep Cherokee 4.0Litre Country and am new to the Jeep world. It has 31inch tires, and a rancho suspension and has a death wobble after going about 40mph. What are some tips or suggestions that would help me fix the Death Wobble problem, Thanks In Advanced

EEVEE

check the track bar that made ALOT of my wobble go away :http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/sk...QFQaAgZU8P8HAQ

But also check your suspension parts and make sure everything is tight as can be. the track bars usually ream the holes out on the bracket side and thatll cause it easily

tjwalker

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…..

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

4WD4EVER

Well said tj. That should be a sticky.

BlueRidgeMark

Yep.

And while I don't disagree with that list, I think it should be pointed out that worn ball joints and tie rod ends are probably the first suspects.

Plenty of videos on Youtube about how to check them and change them. I just did my ball joints and 'rented' a ball joint press from Autozone. Cost me $204 and I get $204 back when I return it within 30 days. Makes it easy.

4WD4EVER

Yes, I was following your progress on that job. Glad you got it sorted out. Lol!

BlueRidgeMark

Yeah, and make sure to watch the videos all the way through!