"Death Wobble"

[KHo]

...had the "pleasure" of experiencing this yesterday in my '08 JK and have made an appointment at 4 Wheel Parts for Thursday morning. Over the phone I was told it could be fixed in a few minutes for a few bucks or it could take several hours and not so few bucks. My limited research somewhat validates this comment as it appears this can be caused by one of many things or a combination of several things. I am hoping it is simply an alignment and a tightening exercise. Anything I should be leary of...i.e. I don't want to get taken advantage of. Thanks in advance.

[jkg2003]

I have the same thing on my 07 dodge 2500, it only started when I put 35's on my truck, but more than likely it is alignment, but could be as bad as ball joints and tie rods which can get costly, how many mile you got on your truck and is it lifted

[KHo]

jkg2003 - thanks for the input...some of the things you mentioned are what I read about and what the technician mentioned over the phone as well. My Jeep has ~52K miles and has a 2" spacers installed along with 33" tires.

[Randy]

My Dodge has done it twice. Ball joints each time.

[KHo]

My Dodge has done it twice. Ball joints each time.

Any remedy or it is something I should "expect" from time to time?

[Randy]

Not sure what to tell you. They say my problems are due to that heavy *** cummins engine up front.

[KHo]

Thanks again Randy...I guess they can't use that excuse for a light weight Jeep, huh?

[Randy]

Now that I think about it.

My samurai had the wobble back a few years ago. I reached up under the front and grabbed the center link and wiggled it and it had all kinds of play in it. I could tell the tie rods were worn out. The drag link was bent in the middle figured someone tied onto it to pull it out of the mud.

Anyways I got another drag link and centerlink at a wrecking yard cured my wobble. I was going to replace the tie rods but the ones on the new part felt pretty good and so far no wobble.

I bet youll be alright. Alot of good cheap Jeep parts out there.

[KHo]

The technician said that it may just need to have everything "tightened" up - which sounds similar to what you describe above...hopefully it won't need replacement. With the problem somewhat fixing itself since it occured, I am leaning to a bit of tweaking is all that is needed.

[Joey~AP]

First thought would be a ball joint.

I have read that some spacers are not true. The fact that they are 2" will greatly exaggerate any imperfection and make the front tire un-balance and give you....the death wobble. Water from an undrained air compressor will also cause this effect.

[KHo]

I have read that some spacers are not true. The fact that they are 2" will greatly exaggerate any imperfection and make the front tire un-balance and give you....the death wobble. Water from an undrained air compressor will also cause this effect.

I didn't realize this about the spacers. I guess a true lift would have been a better - initially more expensive - option? As for the water in a compressor - NEVER would have thought of that but it makes perfect since. Matter of fact, after the tires were rotated last, there was a little wobble, but I discounted this thinking uneven tire wear, but it could have been water in the tank... Good info Joey.

[Jerryg]

My buddy had it on his jeep cherokee and he fixed it by putting a heavy duty stearing stabalizer...

Jerryg

[Joey~AP]

We are talkin about wheel spacers and not body lift.

Right?

[KBroyles]

Glad it isnt just my dodge..my 1500 had done the wobble a few times and it was always the tires going bad but you couldnt see anything wrong with the tire till they went flat and were pulled off it was way on the inside. And it only does it with my 20s on didnt with my factory tires

[KHo]

We are talkin about wheel spacers and not body lift.

Right?

When I bought it, they called it a spacer kit...this is the creature which the website calls a "leveling" kit: http://www.4wheelparts.com/Lift-Kits...9333&t_pl=7140

"... Polyurethane coil spring spacers mount to the shock/strut towers, raising the vehicle by lowering the shock/struts, which in turn allow you to mount a one or two tire size increase..."