I have this death wobble or variant thereof that occurs on the highway going over uneven pavement or bump. Most likely to happen above 55MPH. The steering wheel starts shaking you know something is going on, and then you must slow down to 40MPH or less for it to stop. If I hit a manhole cover just right at 40-45MPH in town, I will feel the steering wheel shimmy back and forth a few times, but at that point I'm not going fast enough for it to be a real problem.
I've read that tire balance or out of round can cause death wobble. What I'd like to understand is how bad does the balance have to be for this to occur? Apart from wobble set off under certain conditions, the tires feel fine to me. And I'm pretty sensitive to vibration. Tires are Goodyear Wrangler Radials 235/75R15 on Ecco wheels. Everything in the suspension and steering is pretty recent, except for the steering box. I'm going to check for loose bolts but I normally use a torque wrench when replacing suspension parts like control arms/bushings. I'm also tempted to swap on my old tires and rims to see if it changes the problem. They are 235/75R15 BFG A/T on factory steelies. Only other point worth mentioning is that the rear leafs have a big sag to them. I plan on lifting this Jeep have been putting it off a bit. Would like to be able to drive it on the highway to work without problems before the lift. Interestingly, the problem usually occurs at or very near the office, and especially on the way home. The Northbound and Westbound lanes I take in the morning are arguably smoother. But I also wonder if heat generated by driving doesn't affect the problem.. My trip to the office is 77 miles each way. I only do it a few times a month.
I've read that tire balance or out of round can cause death wobble. What I'd like to understand is how bad does the balance have to be for this to occur? Apart from wobble set off under certain conditions, the tires feel fine to me. And I'm pretty sensitive to vibration. Tires are Goodyear Wrangler Radials 235/75R15 on Ecco wheels. Everything in the suspension and steering is pretty recent, except for the steering box. I'm going to check for loose bolts but I normally use a torque wrench when replacing suspension parts like control arms/bushings. I'm also tempted to swap on my old tires and rims to see if it changes the problem. They are 235/75R15 BFG A/T on factory steelies. Only other point worth mentioning is that the rear leafs have a big sag to them. I plan on lifting this Jeep have been putting it off a bit. Would like to be able to drive it on the highway to work without problems before the lift. Interestingly, the problem usually occurs at or very near the office, and especially on the way home. The Northbound and Westbound lanes I take in the morning are arguably smoother. But I also wonder if heat generated by driving doesn't affect the problem.. My trip to the office is 77 miles each way. I only do it a few times a month.
