Today driving on the highway, I was going 65 and hit a crack in the lane and my jeep started bouncing up and down violently like someone was playing basketball with it and it all of a sudden jerked to the right almost causing me to soil my pants. I felt like I had no control whatsoever. It was in the front suspension. I pulled over and checked everything. It all seemed tight and nothing seemed broken. Has anyone had this issue before. Also I started driving home again and the same thing happened shortly after. Only when I go over bumps at a higher speed.

 

Do a search for DEATH WOBBLE

 

sounds like you have just got your first taste of death wobble

 

I thought I was going to roll her and die. I had to sit for a few to regain composure. I didn't enjoy that moment of my life.

 

And that would be where the name "Death Wobble" comes from. Makes you feel like you're gonna die.

Best of luck sorting it out. It can be a challenge to correct. Likely culprits are worn control arm bushings, worn out track bar and/or incorrect caster but it can be a number of things or a combination of them.

 

Good advice is hard to come by so the more interesting you can make your thread title, the better your chances of quality responses.

Any other info you can give us on your XJ? Is it lifted? Was that lift installed yesterday? Have you checked your tire balance? What is the condition of your shocks? What size tires?

"bouncing up and down like a basketball" is not Death Wobble and more indicative of a bad shock absorber causing an increasing oscillation when your Jeep reaches a speed that matches the frequency of the highway expansion joints. Death Wobble is a violent, side-to-side shaking that will literally rip the steering wheel out of your hands.

 

courtesy of tjwalker.



My understanding of “death wobble” is this. Somewhere in the vehicle, one or more components is worn beyond tolerances, and when oscillation initiates from a suspension “traumatic” event (hitting a bump or a pothole) or also when a vibration reaches a certain point and harmonic at a certain speed, it causes theother 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. It 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. 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 possibly 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 and the root cause is not always obvious and it can often be caused by a combination of things! 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 and 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





Tom Walker

 

Better answers, more facts about your XJ needed...............really none given.