• 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.

HELP ! Death Wobble. Caster angle ?

The FSM calls for a front pinion angle between 1/2 and 1 degree.
Something isn't right, you should have some caster left when the pinion angle is set to 1 degree.
Offset ball joints can add up to 2 degrees of caster.

Check out this site article on how to set the alignment on a lifted XJ.
http://gojeep.willyshotrod.com/HowtoAlignment.htm
Great website full of XJ stuff.
http://gojeep.willyshotrod.com

Beside the alignment issue, you probably have loose parts somewhere in the suspension or steering, or both, that's allowing the death wobble to occur.
It's time for a complete inspection.
Have you had someone sit in the driver's seat and rock the steering wheel back and forth while you get under the front end?
Look and use your fingers to feel for movement in bushings, ball joints and tie rod ends.
Track bars are especially prone to problems, tighten the track bar frame bracket and the rest of the front end hardware to FSM specs.
_
 
I have a 1999 with about 4.5" lift with RE springs, RK long arms, WJ knuckles and one-ton steering.

I only recently developed severe DW last week. Just like you, everything is "tight" and all parts are new given the wj swap was last year. However, my TB bracket on the frame side wallowed out some holes because I haven't gotten around to fabbing up a brace for it yet, and apparently finally got to the point where it allowed enough movement to start the chain reaction that is DW.

I think you've missed everyone's point here that you can have all the bolts tight to where they don't move, but once you get someone cranking the wheel, you will realize just how much things can move when tight.

Have you had someone jacking the wheel while you lay under and watch everything? Steering box? pitman arm? Draglink? tie rod? Trackbar at both frame side and axle side? Stabbing brakes and watching the control arm joints? Everything can be new as in my case, but wallowed out, and castor, camber, toe, can mask or unmask those things. In my case its probably a combo of the TB bracket moving, and a worn axle side control arm joint, and once I fix those, if its persistent I'll start checking the castor, and everything else.
 
Back
Top