Attention: TDR Forum Junkies Howdy, I was a member of the TDR for many years and five Dodge CTDs. When I retired in 2014 I dropped my membership as a cut-any-extraneous-frills measure, i.e. satellite radio, TDR, and so forth. The CTDs I've owned included a 98 12v, 2002, 2004 dually, 97 dually, and finally my 98 quad cad dually, aka "the keeper". All 4x4s. For $35 I thought I would rejoin the TDR and seek some advice that I regard as will be worth the $35 investment. So, I am soliciting advice on where do I go from here. Is there life after death wobble? Does it become a futile effort of throwing money at a hard to fix problem? Have you had a continual battle with death wobble? Have you satisfactorily fixed your death wobble, and how? Did you immediately go out and trade your CTD in on a Duramax or Power Stroke? Frankly, this is what I am thinking of doing. I really do not want to have another such experience.
A couple of weekends ago, after five CTD trucks and approximately 500k miles pleasurable driving, I had my first experience with death wobble. My 98 quadcab dually has 140K. I have had it for eight years and it has been my favorite CTD. A dually with an aluminum flatbed, I typically use it only for hauling loads, my travel trailer, a car hauling trailer, or a 25' gooseneck deck over beaver tail flatbed. When I first got it I put a DSS steering stabilizer and converted to a 3 Gen trackbar with a lazersmith bracket. It has been unquestionably the best driving and steering CTD I've had. No steering wander. In fact the day the death wobble struck was thinking how very pleased I was with this particular truck. Tires are 235 85 16s. Not stock, but not phat tires by any means. No lift, no problems, just a pleasure to drive.
Nonetheless, I had dropped a gooseneck trailer load of construction materials off in Corvallis, MT and was heading back to Bozeman to pick up my Kubota L345DT backhoe/loader. I hit a via duct on I-90 immediately before the Phosphate exit and BOOM. The bridge is somewhat skewed so that the left side dips, followed by the right side, and therefore kind of slews the truck to the left (after action review on my next trip to Corvallis). The truck shook so violently that all I could think was hit the brakes and steer for the side of the road.
After I had slowed to a stop it quit shaking and having read that folks who experienced death wobble just kept on driving, I too kept on driving...for another ten miles. Then it happened again and immediately again. I spotted a pull out that I could get the truck and trailer well off the road. I thought I would drop the trailer and nurse the truck home. However, when I looked under the truck I could see the lazersmith 3 Gen trackbar mount was busted off. I was DOA.
After spending a considerable sum to load the truck on the trailer and haul both home to Bozeman. Lazersmith sent me a replacement for the bracket (apparently it was an older model bracket). I had to have a broken bolt hole ear on the truck frame welded and added some modifications to the Lazersmith bracket at a local renown custom car building outfit for a princely sum. I had to have my trailer and TLB hotshot hauled over to Corvallis (by a 2012 Dodge CTD) so I could get to work.
Causes? I know the steering dampener was leaking and I have a suspicion that the 3 Gen bracket had either worked a little loose. I really think if the bracket wasn't loose it was definitely loosened by the first death wobble and consequently broke. I replaced the steering dampener, the trackbar bushings (albeit they seemed good), and the sway bar bushings. The ball joints, U joints (king pins), and control arm bushings, and steering linkage seem to be solid.
Just soliciting some advice and commiseration.
A couple of weekends ago, after five CTD trucks and approximately 500k miles pleasurable driving, I had my first experience with death wobble. My 98 quadcab dually has 140K. I have had it for eight years and it has been my favorite CTD. A dually with an aluminum flatbed, I typically use it only for hauling loads, my travel trailer, a car hauling trailer, or a 25' gooseneck deck over beaver tail flatbed. When I first got it I put a DSS steering stabilizer and converted to a 3 Gen trackbar with a lazersmith bracket. It has been unquestionably the best driving and steering CTD I've had. No steering wander. In fact the day the death wobble struck was thinking how very pleased I was with this particular truck. Tires are 235 85 16s. Not stock, but not phat tires by any means. No lift, no problems, just a pleasure to drive.
Nonetheless, I had dropped a gooseneck trailer load of construction materials off in Corvallis, MT and was heading back to Bozeman to pick up my Kubota L345DT backhoe/loader. I hit a via duct on I-90 immediately before the Phosphate exit and BOOM. The bridge is somewhat skewed so that the left side dips, followed by the right side, and therefore kind of slews the truck to the left (after action review on my next trip to Corvallis). The truck shook so violently that all I could think was hit the brakes and steer for the side of the road.
After I had slowed to a stop it quit shaking and having read that folks who experienced death wobble just kept on driving, I too kept on driving...for another ten miles. Then it happened again and immediately again. I spotted a pull out that I could get the truck and trailer well off the road. I thought I would drop the trailer and nurse the truck home. However, when I looked under the truck I could see the lazersmith 3 Gen trackbar mount was busted off. I was DOA.
After spending a considerable sum to load the truck on the trailer and haul both home to Bozeman. Lazersmith sent me a replacement for the bracket (apparently it was an older model bracket). I had to have a broken bolt hole ear on the truck frame welded and added some modifications to the Lazersmith bracket at a local renown custom car building outfit for a princely sum. I had to have my trailer and TLB hotshot hauled over to Corvallis (by a 2012 Dodge CTD) so I could get to work.
Causes? I know the steering dampener was leaking and I have a suspicion that the 3 Gen bracket had either worked a little loose. I really think if the bracket wasn't loose it was definitely loosened by the first death wobble and consequently broke. I replaced the steering dampener, the trackbar bushings (albeit they seemed good), and the sway bar bushings. The ball joints, U joints (king pins), and control arm bushings, and steering linkage seem to be solid.
Just soliciting some advice and commiseration.
