jeeper albert

So here I am traveling at 55 mph when suddenly I start feeling a light wobble.
I diagnose it as low tire pressure so I keep going till I reach 60 thinking it would stop (here is where it really wobbles)
Light turns red and when braking the XJ starts shaking as if it's about to fall apart.
I can think of only one diagnosis.. title says it all

Anyone know how to fix this.
I once saw an article about on fb but for yj's
I honestly didn't think this could happen to an XJ

Radi

Sure, it's an easy fix. Just find the worn, loose or damaged part and replace it.

Start by checking the trackbar, it's a pretty common cause. Then all the TRE's.

xgerryx

I like this documentation on diagnosing a vehicle for wobble:
http://www.kevinsoffroad.com/how-to-...-death-wobble/

andrewmp6

Really any solid axle 4x4 can have death wobble.Like said its mostly due to wore out parts check the track bar and tie rod ends first.If it ain't those it can be a lot of other things like ball joints or control arm bushings.

jeeper albert

Thanks guys, I'll start right away.

autosurgeon

And if the alignment has been fooled with or the control arms changed the caster could be near 0 and that will contribute as well.

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…..

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.
--------------------------------------------------------
-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

jeeper albert

I thankyou very much for you help and I do believe that tire pressure can
have play in this.


I was inspecting the XJ yesterday and noticed a skuff on my tierod at the far right.
I didn't inspect deeply because the engine was still cooling down.
Oddly enough it left some sort of a white color.
I felt it but it felt smooth (at first I thought it was a sticker)
I then went on the link you posted and noticed that the tierod on the
picture had the same skuff.
Could this be part of the problem ?

stitch702

Could be numerous things. Have someone turn the steering wheel from side to side and look for any play. Lift your front tires off the ground and wiggle the hub to see if there is any play in the ball joints. I had a similar experience as you described where the vibration came when I was coming to a complete stop. Turned out to be bad ball joints for me.

mikerosa

I have a 2000 Grand Cherokee Limited with a 4 inch lift. I road it off road and on road without an issue.

From all the rough off roading the track bar shifted , got loose and uncontrollable death wobble.

All my front end parts were all fine. It was simply the stock track bar had too much pressure from the 4 inch lift.

Looking at the lift package I bought from Rough Country there were 2 options with the lift kit I did not opt for.

A beefed up heavy duty track bar and a steering stabilizer.

After experiencing death wobble, I assure you I couldn't install those options fast enough.

After installing I had a 4 wheel alignment done. Problem fixed.

I recommend highly these 2 add on's.

F1Addict

Improper tire inflation won't cause Death Wobble but it will amplify the actual cause. When diagnosing I usually do the following. Climb under the front end and watch components while someone cranks the steering wheel right and left. I'm looking for components that are moving more than the wheels/tires or making noises. I then check components not related to steering like upper and lower control arm bushings. Next, I lift the front end and suspend the wheels off the ground with jack stands under the frame. Repeat the right to left steering input and check bearings and ball joints by rocking both front wheels with your hands placed at 12 and 6, there should be very, very little or no movement at all. Finally, driveway alignment. The most important adjustment is the caster angle of your front axle. A lift will often increase caster angle if the stock control arms are used. You can check the caster by placing an angle finder against the diff cover bolts (above and below axle tube). Proper caster for a 4" lift should be 84º or 6º which results in a true caster of 3.0º for a high pinion axle or 6.0º for low pinion. You can use shims at the LCA frame mount to adjust the caster angle.