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OH MY GOD MY XJ IS GOING TO RIPP ITSELF APART!!!

no....if you read the 3 pages you would have learned that the steering stabilizer is very smart, and it tricked a dumb ass like you into thinking it fixed it
 
has anyone got an actual video of a death wobble in progress? I just wanna see how badly it shakes from the inside and outside.
 
dogtired said:
has anyone got an actual video of a death wobble in progress? I just wanna see how badly it shakes from the inside and outside.
Click to expand...

first time it happened to me, i thought i had blown a front tire. tried with all my strength to control the wheel as i slowed from 70ish to pull off the side. its pretty crazy, but i doubt anyone took a video, and i doubt it moves more than a few inches. consider that you only need to turn the wheel a little bit to change lanes....

-Tim
 
jeepnuts311 said:
first time it happened to me, i thought i had blown a front tire. tried with all my strength to control the wheel as i slowed from 70ish to pull off the side. its pretty crazy, but i doubt anyone took a video, and i doubt it moves more than a few inches. consider that you only need to turn the wheel a little bit to change lanes....

-Tim
Click to expand...

I seen it happening to an old Bronco on the road before. It looked pretty frekin scary and it looked like more than a few inches.

I had a 2003 Grand Cherokee that I put an Old Man Emu 2" lift on. RIGHT after I put the lift on I had the most horrible death wobble. I was baffled though because it was 2004 when I put the lift on and the vehicle had only 10-15 thousand mines so I knew it was not worn parts. Must have been the steering geometry although it was only a 2" lift.

Now I have a 2000 Cherokee @ 6" with no problems. I do have high steer but I had no death wobble problems pre high steer.
 
The old saw about stabilizers being a band-aid is an internet myth. If the factory thought it was necessary on a stock suspension, it needs to be there when that suspension is fed bigger tires, steeper angles, and more load on the bushings.

Obviously they're not necessary on every vehicle, but a wobble-prone XJ needs all the help it can get.
 
JJacobs said:
The old saw about stabilizers being a band-aid is an internet myth. If the factory thought it was necessary on a stock suspension, it needs to be there when that suspension is fed bigger tires, steeper angles, and more load on the bushings.

Obviously they're not necessary on every vehicle, but a wobble-prone XJ needs all the help it can get.
Click to expand...
No one said stabilizers were bad.
They won't, however, cure DW and not running one won't cause it.
I haven't run one in years and my URF three link front, Airshoxed four link rear, with unbalanced 35" Creepy Crawlers/TR beadlocks runs straight as an arrow at 65 mph.
This is on an XJ that had such bad DW on last years BOTW that getting to the trailhead was far more interesting than the actual trail.
 
i'll get a vid of death wobble this afternoon if the weather keeps up.... waiting on a paycheck so i can pick up some new parts so just living with it for now. on another note does anyone know where the spedo cable links up with the tranny... mine came loose and i need to fiddle with it a bit. i hope i don't need to tear stuff apart to get at it. sigh...
 
tealcherokee said:
no....if you read the 3 pages you would have learned that the steering stabilizer is very smart, and it tricked a dumb ass like you into thinking it fixed it
Click to expand...

Was that insult intended for me? When people stoop to using insults to prove their point, it just shows a lack of maturity. I think you're so hung up on someone saying that a stablizer might be needed in some cases that you didn't really read what I wrote.

1. Some setups are fine without a stablizer. Apparently this includes yours.
2. Some setups are marginal due to larger tires, lift, etc and need a stabilizer to prevent normal vibration from getting out of control. Why else do you think the factory put one there? Why do you think there are people posting here saying that replacing a bad stablizer fixed their problem?
3. A stabilizer won't fix vibration from bad tires or really poor alignment. It might tone it down a bit and keep things from getting to the death wobble stage but won't fix it. I never said it would.
4. I never called the stablizer a band-aid it cureall. It won't fix obviously worn or damaged parts.

I could add another point. If you have true crap-your-pants-scary death wobble, I'm willing to bet your stabilizer is worn out.

I'll even elaborate on my death wobble. I had no vibrations, nothing obviously lose, and the tires balanced fine. I had two occasions of hitting a pothole at 60mph and the resulting shake of the suspension grew out of control into death wobble. Yes it was true death wobble that rattled your teeth and made it damn near impossible to steer. The stabilizer was obviously bad. Replaced it and no more death wobble since. I think I'd call that fixed.
 
tealcherokee said:
x3.......

my trail rig didnt have a stabilizer, drove fine at 80mph, 7" lift, long arms, crossover..... sounds modified to me, i must of missed the "required" note.

oh yeah, and 35x16" boggers, UNbalanced, they were out 12-16oz per side....drove fine, no death wobble, thats for sure
Click to expand...

This your trail rig?
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=255221 (2nd down on the right)
http://ryan.tehbaron.com/THOR/gallery/DSC00007.JPG
http://www.tehbaron.com/ryan/images/chop2/

Nice trail setup. I noticed it has a steering stablizer?
 
ZachMan said:
I've never heard different.

When it happens at 50-55 mph I have never heard someone say it was something besides tires or balancing issue. It could be a hundred different things true, but when he mentioned that certain speed I knew to chime in.
Click to expand...

Now you have. Happened to me at 55mph. I hit a bump and the truck went nuts. Turns out it was a loose (slightly) track bar mount.
 
ZachMan said:
I've never heard different.

When it happens at 50-55 mph I have never heard someone say it was something besides tires or balancing issue. It could be a hundred different things true, but when he mentioned that certain speed I knew to chime in.
Click to expand...
You'd be (almost) right if it were a shimmy or vibration.
A 55 mph vibration is indicative of a balance issue.
We're talking about a whole other beast here, though.
 
dogtired said:
has anyone got an actual video of a death wobble in progress? I just wanna see how badly it shakes from the inside and outside.
Click to expand...

So I was driving to work on the 'ole highway and got a case of the wobbles. After a hit to the brakes and slowing it cleared up and I kept going. Afterwards, some dude pulled up along side me, pacing my speed. He got my attention, did the sign of the cross and drove away. It does feel like my Jeep is going to shake itself apart but I can only wonder what that guy saw...

On another note, no one mentions castor angles. I had, and am still batteling, DW. Factory castor angle shoud be +7 degrees, or so I've been told. Replacing LCA's and UCA's and getting all my adjustments ie, lowering my drag link angles, castor, toe in/out, as close to spec as I can has really helped. I've heard as well how a steering setup should be able to operate w/o a stabilizer but I did change mine, it helped, and I agree with DW originating from a resonance which needs to be controlled. I can't imagine Chrysler would add a part just for giggles rather than being necessary...
 
If you still have problems, look at the lower control arm mounts on the axle, they're easily bent. I almost bought one like this, it shook above 60.
 
lawsoncl said:
Was that insult intended for me? When people stoop to using insults to prove their point, it just shows a lack of maturity. I think you're so hung up on someone saying that a stablizer might be needed in some cases that you didn't really read what I wrote.

1. Some setups are fine without a stablizer. Apparently this includes yours.
2. Some setups are marginal due to larger tires, lift, etc and need a stabilizer to prevent normal vibration from getting out of control. Why else do you think the factory put one there? Why do you think there are people posting here saying that replacing a bad stablizer fixed their problem?
3. A stabilizer won't fix vibration from bad tires or really poor alignment. It might tone it down a bit and keep things from getting to the death wobble stage but won't fix it. I never said it would.
4. I never called the stablizer a band-aid it cureall. It won't fix obviously worn or damaged parts.

I could add another point. If you have true crap-your-pants-scary death wobble, I'm willing to bet your stabilizer is worn out.

I'll even elaborate on my death wobble. I had no vibrations, nothing obviously lose, and the tires balanced fine. I had two occasions of hitting a pothole at 60mph and the resulting shake of the suspension grew out of control into death wobble. Yes it was true death wobble that rattled your teeth and made it damn near impossible to steer. The stabilizer was obviously bad. Replaced it and no more death wobble since. I think I'd call that fixed.
Click to expand...
no it was for atx xj, but you "other point" means we can apply it to you as well

what you have is bump steer, due to bad steering geometry, the stabilizer is enough to BANDAID it....for now

using your words, hitting a pothole (bump) and making it impossible to steer
 
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