Front end shimmy with 2in level

[DPlenzig]

I've got a 2004 2500 long bed with 2in spacers. Today for the third time I will be cruising down the highway about 70mph and the front end will shimmy out of control when I hit a bump or ripple in the road. Anyone else had this problem. I've been thinking about doing the pro comp front lift with all the arms and parts to retain the stock alignment.

 

[rbattelle]

This is the dreaded "death wobble". There are several good threads about it. Do a search in the 3rd gen forum. What parts does the pro comp system use?

 

[Spooled-up]

I recently read that this may be caused by the stock shocks not having enough travel in one direction. This somehow causes some oscillation once you hit a bump. The shock can't dampen it in one direction so the oscillation continues.

 

[DPlenzig]

The pro comp kit comes with upper and lower control arms, spring spacers, pitman arm, bump stops, sway bar lowering blocks and 4 front and rear mx-6 shocks.

 

[Borush]

Have you done an alignment since installing the spacers? The toe adjustment will be too far in. Mine was off by 1/2". You can get it close by yourself with a tape measure.





Boyd.

 

[rbattelle]

Be careful with this thing, DP. I agree with Borush that you should get it re-aligned right away (before getting the pro comp kit, if that's what you're going to do). There are a number of theories on where the death wobble comes from, and as Spooled mentioned the stock shock length is one of them. Here's a couple good threads to look into:



Death Wobble



Clwilliams' Trouble

 

[XJSuperman]

Death wobble can come from a few different sources... but I doubt seriously it is from shocks being only a couple inches too short... there is no reason a shock that is slightly too short wil cause this to happen.

Front end alignment and/or track bar issue will cause it... shocks being too short (unless WAY too short. . uh-uh). Even if a shock(or shocks) is bad it will more or less cause the vehicle to sway front to rear or even side to side especially under braking conditions... and it can cause the individual wheel to "hop" up and down as the supsension cycles, BUT again slightly shorter shocks will not cause this severe of a problem. . no way. The shock will still have its full range of travel with a 2" lift kit.

 

[MPassaro]

I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM BUT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE. I DO HAVE 2" LIFT ON THE FRONT AND HAVE NEW RS9000 SHOCKS. SO IT IS NOT THE SHOCKS WHATS NEXT. PS AS HAD A FRONT END ALIGNMENT DONE BY THE DEALER

 

[CoastyAV8R]

We had this problem on a 02 Jeep after we lifted it 2 inches with coil springs. In the end, a front end alignment fixed it. They explained it to me as even though it's a solid front axle when you lift it, the dynamics of the front end change. Anything out of the norm will be amplified and on ours the toe in was way off. It got to the point where I would let my pregnant wife drive it anymore and the guys at Jeep couldn't figure it out for a month. It was like a new vehicle after the alignment, I felt like an idiot...

 

[wsurf]

My two cents. Had a Rancho lift on a Ford. With numerous front end alignments to settle it down. But after that it was always wheel balance. I could tell when I needed a "real" wheel balance because the thing would shimmy right out of my hands. I would go get a precision balance and it would go away.

 

[MPassaro]

I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THEM TO CHECK THE ALIGNMENT AGAIN AND THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE WAS OUT 43 DEG. PLUS. NOW I HAVE NO DEATH WOBBLE BUT I SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON SHOCKS, STEERING STABILIZERS,AND BAL. TIRES AND ALL IT WAS THE DEALER DID A BAD ALIGHNMENT. I HOPE I CAN SAVE SOME OF YOU A LOT MONEY. GET THE ALIGNMENT CHECKED AGAIN.

PS I AM A FIREMAN AND GOT A CALL SAT. AND GOT MY TRUCK UP TO 95 MPH NO DEATH WOBBLE NOW.