2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Death Wobble....need new shorts now!

[AFoulk]

Experienced death wobble for my first time today. I was going down hill, on a back road near my parents house, maybe doing around 45 around a gentle left hand bend, and hit a bump mid turn. All heck broke loose after that. The truck shook so bad I could hardly hold onto the wheel, and the truck did not want to turn for the hard right hander that was coming up fast. I finally got it slowed down enough that it stopped shaking and I was able to make the turn. Pulled over and did a quick visual, nothing appeared loose or ready to fall off.



My question is, where do I start looking? I replaced my track bar with SS adjustable 3rd gen style about 9-10,000miles ago, did all 4 balljoints about 12,000miles ago, and personally did the state inspection myself less than 4,000miles ago. I had a slight bit of play in the passenger side balljoints, barely noticeable, a slight bit in the driverside unit bearing, and a descent bit in my passenger side tierod end, but it still passed inspection. I have a Lukeslink to take care of the tierod end if you guys think that could be the cause of it. I've had a clunking in my steering wheel for quite sometime now, which is usually a track bar, but I figured it was just the lower steering columb bushing since the clunking would actually go away in the winter time. Could it be control arm bushings? I havn't really checked them out to good. I thought maybe it was my shocks (i've got a set of bilsteins I havn't gotten around to putting on yet), but I would think they would have to be all but blown out to make the truck shake that bad over a bump. I'd appreciate any advice or help you guys can give me. Thanks.

 

[AKAMAC]

Did you get it aligned after the lift?

 

[AFoulk]

the leveling kit was on it when I bought it. I've had the front end aligned twice in the year and a half I've owned it.



Also checked the front end out a bit tonight. The track bar has about 1/8" play in both bushings, don't know if thats normal or not, and the pass. side tierod end is worse than I thought. I either need to replace it or put the lukes link on it. I'll have to check the balljoints and wheelbearings out tomorrow after work, but I don't think I'll find anything with them.

 

[KBrasch]

Hope you found the problem. if not look at the bolts that hold on the thrid gen bar conversion bracket. I sheared off the upper one once and thought I was a gonner.

 

[vssman]

I know what you're going through first hand. I found that the 'standard' method of checking the front end may not catch all of the play. I used to use a large set of adjustable pliers squeezing each tie rod, etc for movement. What I found was that the joint may be tight vertically but have some side to side slop. With the engine off, have someone wiggle the wheel from side to side just enough to load the steering components. Look and feel each joint for play, track bar included. Ball joints are inspected normally - Raise each wheel about 1-2" and place a bar under it to check for play. For the control arm bushings put the truck in Drive and then Reverse looking for any movement of the arm vs frame. I also had a dead spot in the steering damper that was only able to be found by disconnecting it and sliding the piston over the entire travel. Mine was a bad original type track bar that had been changed maybe 1-2 years earlier. It only had side to side slop in the ball joint end. Once you 'experince' a Death wobble, your life changes... The only positive side of all of this is that I'm sure you knocked off several pounds of dirt caught up between the fenders. :-laf I bounced from the center lane to the outside edge of the break down lane on a 3 lane highway. Next stop was down a steep hill - probably a roll over. Good luck!

 

[fox]

More caster helps.

 

[Missouri Mule]

How old are the shocks ? Are they still good?

 

[chipster]

wobble

You found the problem and don`t know it. the slop in the unit bearings, ball joints and tie rod end is the problem!!!! ANY, AND I MEAN ANY, slop in those items WILL cause the death wobble! I don`t care if it passed the state inspection standards. Any slop in those things WILL cause you to NEED NEW SHORTS in a hurry. The death wobble isn`t applicable to only DODGE trucks. It happens to ALL 4x4 trucks, and the fix is always the same, REPLACE the loose parts! If there is NO SLOP or LOOSENESS in ANY front end steering component, then find a truck tire shop that can spin balance the front tires ON THE TRUCK. Aworn steering stabilizer shock can contribute to the wobble, IF some components are only a little on the loose side(not loose enuf to feel or see, but below their design perameters). the regular shocks will not cause the wobble, in my expierence as a professor of automotive technology for 33 yrs. :-laf

 

[jdross440]

I never had it until I replaced all the linkage on my 2000 with 1999 linkage. I also replaced the gearbox with the 3 turn unit. I replaced the trackbar with the 2003 type using the solid steel mount. First time I drove it, hit a bump at 60 mph and thought it was going to shake apart. I am scheduled to take it back to the alignment shop tomorrow and if they can't stop it, I may put all the old linkage and track bar back in.

 

[Dave M]

the leveling kit was on it when I bought it. I've had the front end aligned twice in the year and a half I've owned it.



Also checked the front end out a bit tonight. The track bar has about 1/8" play in both bushings, don't know if thats normal or not, and the pass. side tierod end is worse than I thought. I either need to replace it or put the lukes link on it. I'll have to check the balljoints and wheelbearings out tomorrow after work, but I don't think I'll find anything with them.

You mention 1/8 inch play in the trackbar. . I had a posted on a thread a few years ago chasing "Death Wobble" and Don Thuren responded to the play I had with "You should have ZERO play in the trackbar... period". Here is the post:



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...ssion-discussions/144154-steering-woes-2.html



dave

 

[jdross440]

Took back to alignment shop and the left side was toed out about 2 degrees. They reset the toe-in left side to . 03 and right side to . 04. So far all is well. They said all the other settings were good.

 

[Dave M]

Took back to alignment shop and the left side was toed out about 2 degrees. They reset the toe-in left side to . 03 and right side to . 04. So far all is well. They said all the other settings were good.

Toe and Caster are very important componets in un-even tire wear and "death wobble" from my experience with both. As close to zero toe as possible and caster 3. 5-4. 5+ seem to be the magic numbers. At least that's what worked for me.