death wobble and out of ideas
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Model: Cherokee
death wobble and out of ideas
I put a 2" lift on my 2003 Cherokee about a month ago. I started getting death wobble so I read through some threads and checked some common causes.
I ended up replacing a bad tie rod, the track bar, steering stabilizer, and all 4 shocks. I also had the front end aligned. Unfortunately Im still experiencing death wobble. It happens very infrequently and only on certain roads. I've learned to avoid those parts in the road on my way to work everyday.
Does anyone have any ideas or know a good Jeep mechanic on Long Island?
Thanks
I ended up replacing a bad tie rod, the track bar, steering stabilizer, and all 4 shocks. I also had the front end aligned. Unfortunately Im still experiencing death wobble. It happens very infrequently and only on certain roads. I've learned to avoid those parts in the road on my way to work everyday.
Does anyone have any ideas or know a good Jeep mechanic on Long Island?
Thanks
#2
CF Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 2,820
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
I put a 2" lift on my 2003 Cherokee about a month ago. I started getting death wobble so I read through some threads and checked some common causes.
I ended up replacing a bad tie rod, the track bar, steering stabilizer, and all 4 shocks. I also had the front end aligned. Unfortunately Im still experiencing death wobble. It happens very infrequently and only on certain roads. I've learned to avoid those parts in the road on my way to work everyday.
Does anyone have any ideas or know a good Jeep mechanic on Long Island?
Thanks
I ended up replacing a bad tie rod, the track bar, steering stabilizer, and all 4 shocks. I also had the front end aligned. Unfortunately Im still experiencing death wobble. It happens very infrequently and only on certain roads. I've learned to avoid those parts in the road on my way to work everyday.
Does anyone have any ideas or know a good Jeep mechanic on Long Island?
Thanks
#7
Senior Member
Rotate your tires front to rear, or borrow a different set. I had the tires and wheels balanced three time when I first got my 95 ZJ, to no avail. I had a pair of wheels that wouldn't stay tight, no matter what. Was it the wobble causing the wheels to loosen, or the loosened wheels causing the wobble? Regardless, a different set of wheels and tires fixed the problem.
Trending Topics
#8
Seasoned Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Earth
Posts: 337
Likes: 0
Received 19 Likes
on
16 Posts
Year: 1998
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 5.9 V8
Rotate your tires front to rear, or borrow a different set. I had the tires and wheels balanced three time when I first got my 95 ZJ, to no avail. I had a pair of wheels that wouldn't stay tight, no matter what. Was it the wobble causing the wheels to loosen, or the loosened wheels causing the wobble? Regardless, a different set of wheels and tires fixed the problem.
#10
Senior Member
Absolutely believe me, I know what its like when the front end is coming apart underneath you at speed. What it feels like. I had already replaced tierodends, bushings and balljoints. In the end, moving tires front to rear resolved the issue, so those tires and wheels were gone...
I can drive without a steering stabilizer now. But have one for offroad impacts to protect the steering box.
#12
Old fart with a wrench
If you have steel wheels, check for a bent rim. as little as 1/4" can be hard to find and cause problems. Jack it up and spin the tires.
#13
Newbie
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Leicester NC
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1993
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Hey let me know if you get to the bottom of this. I have a 93 cherokee and have survived the death wobble a few times now. At first it only happened when I hit a bump with the right front. Today it happened twice at high speed and man that is a scary thing to go through on the interstate. I don't think I will have it out again until I can jack it up and try to see whats loose. I took it to a couple of shops and they have never been able to find out whats loose. But after today something has to be loose. It shook so hard that the steering will is out about 1/8th of a turn. Sounds like we have a similar problem resulting from several worn out or slightly worn parts contributing to the problem. Unfortunately it may take replacing most of the front end components to fix it.
Thanks
Sonny B
Thanks
Sonny B