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Death Wobble after WJ knuckle in stall...

89xjgrey

89xjgrey

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Columbus, Ohio
I've done a lot of research on this before I did the installation, and read that I have to raise the track bar at the axle end. Here's a pic of what I have and the angles. My question is do I need to raise the track bar up, or can I put the stock pitman arm back on to bring the drag link angle up? The steering is WJ steering, but shortened. The thing wobbles so bad over bumps it's hardly drivable.

SSPX0521A.jpg


Thanks...
 
Bumpsteer is caused by the trackbar and draglink operating on different planes, which can also cause DW.
Track bar and drag link angles need to match. Not a fan of the dropped pitman arm fix. To do it right, the axle mounting point for the trackbar needs to be move up.
There are lots of varaibles that cause DW, if you've set the toe-in properly and the caster angle is accurate, balljoints are new, unit bearings are properly seated and torqued to 175 lb/ft...........gnight.
 
i would say treat it as one would normally treat DW, go thru the checklists and get if fixed...
bumpsteer can be lived with.... dw, not so much.
 
what ever it takes to make those lines parallel, is that a stock TB? more reason to upgrade to something better and ditch the TRE, and a nice drop mount frame side.
 
Tires balanced? Ball joints good? Did you use WJ lower BJ? Unit bearings ok? Track bar and bracket tight? Alignment? CA bushings ok? Caster?

My old TB and steering looked like that, but never gave DW, just bumpsteer, which was delt with, just a trail rig.
 
89RockHeep said:
what ever it takes to make those lines parallel, is that a stock TB? more reason to upgrade to something better and ditch the TRE, and a nice drop mount frame side.
Click to expand...

Actually it is a Rock Krawler track bar. New WJ lower ball joints and everything is tight.
 
I do think it has something to do with the geometry angles. The DW did not start until after I did the WJ knuckle swap.
 
89xjgrey said:
I do think it has something to do with the geometry angles. The DW did not start until after I did the WJ knuckle swap.
Click to expand...



What year is the rig? What unit bearings did you put on with the swap?

Did you do the .250" spacer?

Did you do new balljoints?
 
cal said:
What year is the rig? What unit bearings did you put on with the swap?

Did you do the .250" spacer?

Did you do new balljoints?
Click to expand...

It's a '99 with '97 bearings for the different offset. Yes, I used the spacer from JKS and new WJ lower ball joints.
 
are all the TRE in the WJ steering new? any one thing with bad angles can cause some nasty wobble.
 
builder said:
Put the stock pitman back on and raise the trac bar axle side to match drag link. problem solved. sounds like everything else is goos to go.
Click to expand...


No it doesnt. Bad angles don't cause deathwobble, just bumpsteer.


Something else is wrong.
 
Well apparantly due to all the air hammering, pressing, and torching of the ball joints...the vibration broke the nut zerts for the bolts on the bottom of the frame side track bar mount. Never thought of that. Thanks for all the input guys...
 
that'll do it. something "hard" (not poly or rubber) loose with bad-ish angles. the bump steer will compliment the vibration in a downward spiral, especially if it's to do with the bad angles.
 
I did the WJ knuckle swap on mine and raised the trackbar mount on the axle and had perfectly parrallel angles, brand new hubs, upper and lower ball joints (with WJ ones on the bottom) and new TREs. Had wheel alignment done, toe set everything perfect, but had bad DW (running without steering damper). Couldn't understand why as I've read numerous times that if everything is new and setup up correctly no steering damper is needed. In desperation I bolted on the steering damper and never had an issue since.

IMG_7426_lines.jpg
 
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