• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

What causes/cures death wobble

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

cnflxj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Eustis, Fl
I just installed a 6" lift and 31 bfg mall terrains on my 87 XJ. I used a set of lower adjustable control arms, rusty's adjustable trac bar, RE sway bar discos, and at about 45-50 mph it comes off of the road. Help! :explosion

Thanks, Chris.
 
The first thing I would look at is alignment. The next real big issue is to get your track bar at the same angle (running parrallel to) as the drag link. This is very important. I am sure if you do a search you will find a lot of good info from people with your exact lift. I had a 6 inch lift with 36" tsl sx's using tomkin, rusty's and rubicon express stuff and was never totaly happy with it. same with a couple other buds until we went to a long arm setup.
 
cnflxj said:
I just installed a 6" lift and 31 bfg mall terrains on my 87 XJ. I used a set of lower adjustable control arms, rusty's adjustable trac bar, RE sway bar discos, and at about 45-50 mph it comes off of the road. Help! :explosion

Thanks, Chris.
Click to expand...

Lower adjsutables are good, but you need upper adjustables or drop brackets. Your caster must be way off, I agree toe is a major player in your alignment, but if your at 6" with your stock UCA's. I would have to say that's your number 1 problem.

Either reduce your lift, because you don't need 6" for 31" tires. Or get Adj UCA's or Drop Brackets. Also make sure those BFG's are balanced. An unbalanced tire will set off that DW.
 
scampbell53 said:
The first thing I would look at is alignment. The next real big issue is to get your track bar at the same angle (running parrallel to) as the drag link. This is very important. I am sure if you do a search you will find a lot of good info from people with your exact lift. I had a 6 inch lift with 36" tsl sx's using tomkin, rusty's and rubicon express stuff and was never totaly happy with it. same with a couple other buds until we went to a long arm setup.
Click to expand...


If your running OEM links how are you suposed to adjust the angle between your TB and Draglink? I understand if you were running custom links, but OEM links should be close enough at 6".
 
Assuming you had the truck aligned after the lift, and that your toe is around zero and your caster at around 5-6 degrees negative, if you still have DW, I would suspect the trackbar. I had it since the day I installed my lift (4.5" from Rusty) and it didn't get cured, no matter what, until I replaced the stupid TRE at the frame-mounting point, with Rusty's bushing end and heavy duty frame mount. If that TRE is bad, don't expect your truck to behave.

Rgds
-------
John SV1CEC
 
Don't listen to any of this stuff. You need to set up an altar to the Jeep gods, and spend time there in silence every day. Death wobble is unpredictable, comes out of nowhere, and stays for as long as it wants.

I've discovered that the Jeep gods find pink to be a very soothing color, but you'll need to be careful with the pig blood, because it stains a nasty brown when it dries, and that doesn't look good on pink velvet.

I think there is a writeup on this somewhere if you do a search. Hope this helps.

Nay
 
DW sucks! I had it like mad when I was at 6", after buying a chromoly tie rod,new ends,hubs,balanced tires,alignment, I finnaly opter for the RE drop brackets, cured it right up! Other people Ive spoke with cure their DW with drop brackets as well!
 
Death wobble occurs when the tires are fighting each other in the way they want to go. Stick you head out the window and look at the tire when it is doing it and you'll see what I mean. I had 8" lift and 35's on for 6 months before it started. I also did the tie rod flip at the same time. I tried everything from new wheel bearings to adjusting the toe and caster, rebalancing the tires, etc. I finally was convinced it was a component, not an adjustment, that was the cause. I put the rod end steering on from Performance Unlimited and it was cured. Never came back. I also put their track bar on and I've never driven an XJ that was this tight. Even from new when I worked at the dealership. Sure, it costs. But I wouldn't let my wife drive it before, now she does.

Although I do find it odd that you put 31's on with 6". Those small tires shouldn't put too much stress on the steering components, I guess stranger things have happened. It's all in the steering linkage, I'm convinced of it.
 
Let's see... I've run with bad alignment, worn control arm bushings, wasted TREs, unballanced tires, awful caster, front d-shaft vibes, loose trac bar components, worn out wheel bearings, blown shocks, loose wheels, and never have had death wobble.
The reason? Pink shag carpet.

Jes
 
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pink shag carpet....nope yah need a thick coat of mud... :greensmok ....ok seriously...I had DW when i first lifted my junk...the prob was out of balance/out of round tires...but you need to be sure nothing is worn out or loose...and the alignment and camber are ok.
 
Perhaps XJ's are like women...you never know what will set them off, but when they go, hold on. :flamemad:
 
I've heard (honestly) that running without doors causes DW.

You haven't been running without doors have you? :spin1:
 
Is it death wobble or bad bump steer. Bump steer can be blamed on alignment, unbalanced tires, a whole number of things. Death Wobble is a result of your control arm angles being too steep. When they are too steep and you hit something it forces the front axle back rather than up with the suspension. The only true fix for this situation is Drop Brackets or Long arms. Contrary to popular belief adjustable control arms dont fix it. They simply put your axle back in the right place. What needs to happen is you need to put your control arm angles back to their original position. Talk to the RE guys and they will tell you the same thing.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

T
Death Wobble Questions (I searched first)
Replies
11
Views
3K
Anak
Anak
C
Tie Rod Roll/Death Wobble with 1 ton Ironman4x4fab steering...
Replies
7
Views
2K
ChuckQue
C
X
The ol' death wobble
Replies
18
Views
2K
xjklmnop69
X
L
What to do: OME too tall, Upcountry too short, Rancho NLA
2
Replies
23
Views
4K
Evan03
E
X
Re-homing my baby
Replies
0
Views
536
x-jay vision
X
Back
Top