So i got death wobble for the first time on my XJ tonight and for the record i used the search function already to research this before making this thread lol. i have a little bit of knowledge now but im posting this thread in hopes that someone may be able to chime in and help me better diagnose and see where the best place to start in fixing it would be before i go dumping a lot of money into it for no reason. first of all my mods include a Rubicon Express 3.5'' superride lift with short arms and full leafs (not that i think the rear suspension matters) and bilstein 5100 shocks that are all about 8 months old, and 33'' tires. I have a stock track bar, stock steering set up, and stock axles. i currently have 235k miles as well. the issue started tonight when i was doing some offroading and got stuck in a mud hole in freezing weather. i was stuck due to the whole right side of my rig being very deep in a hole and the left side of my truck still up on a dirt road that was covered in a sheet of ice. i tried rocking myself out cutting the wheel back and forth all the way as much as i could. after i got myself pulled out, my power steering felt like it wasnt there when i cut the wheel in both directions. i started driving on pavement cutting the wheel back and forth slightly until my steering returned, but once i hit 35mph, the death wobble began. took my jeep to the carwash and sprayed out the under carriage for about 25 minutes trying to get all the mud and ice out of my suspension components. on my way home i could go about 45-50mph until the death wobble returned. my alignment feels a little off as well. when i cut the wheel to the right the death wobble is worse and my steering has a lot of play but when i cut it left it has no play and the wobble is minimal. from a dead stop if i cut the steering wheel slightly either way my power steering pump has a little hum until i continue the turn further in either direction. so with this information, does anyone have any idea as to where i should start? hope someone has a little better information concerning my situation and can chime in. Thanks all.

 

Start at the place everyone else does that gets dw.

 

Start by doing a visual inspection of every vital front end component such as ball joints, drag link, tie rod and most importantly, your track bar.

I have the same lift but initially used my factory track bar which required redrilling of the axle mount (I'm assuming since you said yours is stock, your setup is the same). I would get death wobble at a higher speed until I got new and balanced tires. Then, I'd get some shimmies at 60ish. Then, I got a double shear track bar and now I feel like my XJ is a corner carving rally car.

My money is on something being damaged or just wornout. Check that track bar man and best of luck.

 

Oh, and check this video out as well as his part 2.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gVJx8buTE8I

 

All good information but when I first had it on mine I added an Adj track bar then had an alignment. One or the other fixed it.

YMMV

 

Here's a decent write-up. http://www.jeepz.com/forum/suspensio...s-how-fix.html

 

you cleaned your suspension/steering but did you also clean out your rims? it's amazing the wobble a little snow or ice stuck inside a rim can make

 

^^ I know this 1st hand with mud.

 

yes i have the same setup with my track bar, i plan on doing a thorough inspection of the suspension tonight

im hoping that would be all it would take to fix it, any recommendations on a track bar?

thanks ill check it out

yes i cleaned out my rims as well, even cleaned off the whole body of the jeep, figured why not haha