2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Death Wooble

[Rangerproof]

I know there are alot of Threads on the DW but they seem to all be from a few yr ago. This just happened to me the other day in my 95 2500 while doing 65mph. I will not be driving it until I get the problem straighted out. I have an 04 2500 aswell. First question is there a no BS fix for this on the 95. Second can it happen on the 04. Thanks

 

[LVJUNIOR]

There are a lot of factors that cause death wobble. You need to start at the cheapest and move forward. I would start by checking tire pressure and shocks. Then use a large pry bar to check for play in your ball joints and bushings. Check the steering box and shaft for play. If you find any play fix that item first. The steering damper has helped a lot of people. If the track bar ball joint is bad I recommend the luke's link for a cost effective rebuildable solution. I have used the Borgenson shaft and the steering box stabilizer and highly recommend both.

 

[LBARTLETT]

don't know about the 04' but on the 95' the threads, even though dated are relevant, there are several causes (either single issues or a combination of issues) that are the causes death wobble



In my opinion you need to start looking at the issues that others felt was the cause of death wobble on their trucks and elimate them either by determining they are not the cause or repair them until the death wobble is eliminated



how many miles are on your truck, is it a 4x4, what suspension mods do you have and what other front end repairs/replacements have you already done?

 

[ASchwartz]

Second can it happen on the 04.

Yes it can, but there is no simple fix. I saw a completely stock third gen do it and was amazed. I then had it happen to my 03 with the new 08 steering. My fix was to get new tires as they were almost bald and to increase the pressure in my dual steering stabilizers. I beleive that I have a lower ball joint out and there is play in one of my bushings on my Thuren track bar. I have yet to fix those items, but have not seen the DW come back.

 

[fox]

After verifying everything is tight and in good shape, put as much positive caster in it you can. 3-4 degrees is not enough, try for 6 to 8.

 

[Rangerproof]

Thanks all for the reply. LBARTLETT my 95 is a 2500 4x4 w/ 144,000 miles on it. I bought the truck back in feb. as far as I can tell nothing on the front has been done so I'd say it is stock. The tires are getting close for inspections purposes and I know I need an alignment but I bought the truck that way and have been driving it since Feb with no issue. I will start checking off those things that have been mentioned to check and get back to everybody with my findings. Thanks to all for the help

 

[LBARTLETT]

please keep us posted on what you find and the progress

 

[GrantP]

I've posted this in other threads too, but I've fixed death wobble two separate times on my truck. The first cause (for me) was a bad track bar. That alone fixed it the first time. A couple years later it came back. . a bad track bar again along with some loose tie rod ends. I replaced the track bar with a new MOOG and switched to the inverted T steering setup. That was more than a year ago and I'm still DW free. I haven't run a steering stabilizer since I made the switch to the inverted T. I think if anything a SS just masks an underlying problem. IMHO, it's not a "solution" to DW.

 

[Grumpy John 4x4]

Suspension

Had ALL my stock suspension removed and had Carli Suspension added to my truck ,also had them add the King bump stops and the full leaf deaver rear springs. Shock towers and cross brace, dss steering stablizer

 

[Regcabguy]

Sounds like about $12,000. Wish I had that much dough.

 

[Mike Ellis]

I only experienced the death wobble one time, and that was on a particularly rough stretch of interstate in Arkansas. The expansion joints on the highway were at exactly the right spacing that it caused my truck's suspension to resonate at the particular speed I was driving, and within seconds it was bouncing like it was going to come apart, with no prior warning at all - scared the dog poo out of me. As soon as I slowed down a bit, it stopped. I went over the suspension and tires with a fine toothed comb and could find nothing amiss.



Since it appears to be a resonance issue, if it happens repeatedly it should be "fixable" by changing the sprung mass / damping response of the suspension - i. e. , by applying different shock absorbers, springs, or wheels / tires. Changes in any one of those components, or driving at a different speed over the problematic stretch of road, might help resolve the problem.



I have seen other vehicles exhibit suspension resonance, but it usually results in violent shuddering over pavement ripples etc at a particular speed that makes the car feel like it has lost road contact. The only time I have run across a front-to-back violent bucking like my truck's death wobble was in a Chevy Blazer that had been lifted with large tires and wheels installed. Those short wheelbase type vehicles always seemed to have a little bit of that front-to-back "bucking feel", but with that particular rig the motion would get pretty violent. I had never experienced similar action on a long wheel base vehicle though, and would not have thought it possible for a truck as long and heavy as a one-ton Dodge dually to undergo similar bucking.



For those who haven't experienced it, suffice to say that the violence of the motion would shock you

 

[DLangford]

All the treads from a few years ago are still relevant.
Many comments here are good. Start with an inspection including all the things mentioned. One of the most important things to do is to get under the front end and have an assisatnt turn the steering wheel back and forth with the engine off but the column unlocked. YOu will see the if any slop there. EVen 1/8" of abnormal movement is bad. In my case I found a bad track bar, a worn tie rod end and a bad steering damper.
I have had the DW three times. The main culprit was the track bar in all three cases. The Luke's link is a cheap fix, but you MUST check it on a schedule because it can and will loosen, potentially causing a repeat of the death wobble. That is what happened to me with incident two and three. (I am surprised Geno's Garage sells it now without this warning in their catalog).
I finally said enough is enough and bought the Solid Steel 3rd gen track bar retrofit kit for the 2nd gen trucks. Rock solid now.

 

[diesel DOG]

Thanks all for the reply. LBARTLETT my 95 is a 2500 4x4 w/ 144,000 miles on it. I bought the truck back in feb. as far as I can tell nothing on the front has been done so I'd say it is stock. The tires are getting close for inspections purposes and I know I need an alignment but I bought the truck that way and have been driving it since Feb with no issue. I will start checking off those things that have been mentioned to check and get back to everybody with my findings. Thanks to all for the help

If it has 144 on it an not had much work you will probably find much of the front end out of spec.

 

[robbiesworld]

My 1995 was the death wobble KING. It would death wobble with no real explination. I know when I put new tires on it the death wobble was a little less prone to happening. I also know that I got completely used to loading the steering before any slight bump or it was death wobble time. Just a common thing while driving absolutley no one else could drive my truck because it was literally that bad.



Listen closely I changed my track bar with an OEM 3rd generation track bar and used a solid steel bracket and also installed the steering box stabilizer the same day. I changed NOTHING else including the fact that the front end is shot and has 331,000 miles on it.



I have yet to have my truck death wobble once since then. Hear me now and believe me later DO THIS FIRST.

I firmly believe that if you don't get your track bar solid you are fighting a never ending battle with DW



SolidSteel. biz - Home of the Dodge Steering Stabilizer



Solid Steel BD Steering Stabilizer Dodge Ram 4wd 94-02:eBay Motors (item 250451784411 end time Jul-24-09 16:12:18 PDT)

 

[tolmsted]

My 01. 5 4x4 quadcab long bed DW only one time and that was to much. I installed the luke's links ends and a NAPA HD Life time warranty track bar and finally a Genos Garage Steering box stabilizer all about the same time. All my problems went away. My baby goes straight down the road with NO fighting the back and forth wander and/or pull to the right. I have about 168,000 miles now and did the fix about 45,000 mile ago.

 

[AClayton]

My 1995 was the death wobble KING. It would death wobble with no real explination. I know when I put new tires on it the death wobble was a little less prone to happening. I also know that I got completely used to loading the steering before any slight bump or it was death wobble time. Just a common thing while driving absolutley no one else could drive my truck because it was literally that bad.



Listen closely I changed my track bar with an OEM 3rd generation track bar and used a solid steel bracket and also installed the steering box stabilizer the same day. I changed NOTHING else including the fact that the front end is shot and has 331,000 miles on it.



I have yet to have my truck death wobble once since then. Hear me now and believe me later DO THIS FIRST.

I firmly believe that if you don't get your track bar solid you are fighting a never ending battle with DW



SolidSteel. biz - Home of the Dodge Steering Stabilizer



Solid Steel BD Steering Stabilizer Dodge Ram 4wd 94-02:eBay Motors (item 250451784411 end time Jul-24-09 16:12:18 PDT)

X2 on the Solid Steel Ind. TB. It is expensive but I guarantee you will never have to replace it again... very stout unit and the frame mount spreads the load over a broader spectrum of the frame. I installed this and then a Kore leveling kit and had it aligned and that was 2 yrs ago... . no problems since!!



Alan

 

[KEdenfield]

It's caused by feedback from an input disturbance to a marginally damped system.



You just rotated your tires, huh?



Do not rotate your tires if the tread wear between the front and rear is more than 1/16th". This means rotate them often so the delta wear does not increase outside 1/16th".



Set the castor full + (i. e. cams full forward both sides).

 

[SRath]

"I know there are alot of Threads on the DW but they seem to all be from a few yr ago. This just happened to me the other day in my 95 2500 while doing 65mph. "

Your truck is "from a few years ago", too. Wouldn't that make those "old posts" relevant to your truck's problem? Or were you asking if there is any new "magic bullet" to cure it that didn't exist until very recently? If that is the case, the answer is "NO". It still requires the same old "lots of money" and "lots of parts" and "no guarantees". No one thing can ever fix so many bad design problems.

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

"I know there are alot of Threads on the DW but they seem to all be from a few yr ago. This just happened to me the other day in my 95 2500 while doing 65mph. "



Your truck is "from a few years ago", too. Wouldn't that make those "old posts" relevant to your truck's problem? Or were you asking if there is any new "magic bullet" to cure it that didn't exist until very recently? If that is the case, the answer is "NO". It still requires the same old "lots of money" and "lots of parts" and "no guarantees". No one thing can ever fix so many bad design problems.

"Thank you. " "Very much. " :-laf

 

[Arctic Taco]

Well so far mine has been attributed to a worn track bar and drag link end, I swapped sway bar links and have urethane bushings coming for the sway bar, I'll install the DSS at the same time-need a socket and the bushings first. But I'm tempted to redo all of the steering linkage as they all felt a bit loose when I was changing the worn stuff. We'll see after this next drive to workOo.