2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Repairs for the DEATH WOBBLE

[SteveH]

They had the truck on the alignment machine rack, I don't really know for sure whether they checked the caster or not. They were only guessing earlier yesterday about the springs, as far as I know they do not have a problem with springs sagging.

I just talked on the phone with them and they put a new drive line in, I will pick it up shortly and see if it cured anything. Will post a little later the results.

Steve H.

 

[NVR FNSH]

Steve - the caster MUST be checked and set to the maximum. Look around for the alignment specs from Brent - people have had very good luck with those settings.



The 'acceptable' range of caster is too large and that is the root cause of the problem.



Brian

 

[SteveH]

Hi NVR,

I did ask about the caster settings today, but the DC shop took the truck down to a local alignment specialists. The DC mechanic that I asked about the caster settings was not the one who took it down and it looks like there was a break down in communications between the two shops today. They did not install a drive line but installed a new carrier bearing in the drive line. Didn't do anything! one good benifit, I guess, is that I'm getting a whole lot of parts replaced with new ones under the warranty. Since they apparently did not check the caster today, I will not have a chance for about 6 weeks to get the truck back to them. Gotta make a jaunt down Texas way and brush up on the hillbilly talk a little. Where can I get the specs on the caster settings? I'm not familiar with Brent or anything he has posted concerning this problem.

Steve H

 

[MidwestMotorman]

alignment specs

Do a search for "Alignment specs. " and you will come up with a very informative thread, number 21792, from Brent. I printed the whole thing out so I can show it to my alignment shop the next time there.

 

[NVR FNSH]

Steve,

Get under your truck and increase the caster yourself - that's what I ended up doing. I increased the caster by one indexing mark & it solved the problem. You can always put it back to the original setting. It will take you about an hour.



Brian

 

[SteveH]

Does anyone know if the specs on the caster settings posted by Brent sometime earlier apply to the 1 ton 4x4? Are the specs the same for my 1 ton 4x4 97 3500, the same as for a 3/4 ton? I would like to know this before I have anything changed. It'll still be about 6 weeks before I can get anything done on solving this problem, be gone for awhile starting the 10th.

Thanks for all the info so far.

Steve H

 

[pedalpwr]

After the dealer installed a new steering damper and I rotated tires, the dreaded axle flopping was still there. Took it back to the dealer and they said everything else was tight and could not replicate the problem. So I suggested the positive castor trick. The tech said it wouldn't work so I would have to pay for it. $40. OK do it. Now it is fixed and the idiots have my 40 but no more flopping.

 

[BPINE]

I suggest that everyone that has the DEATH WOBBLE call DC's 800 # and ***** very loud, I did it again last week. I aligned the front end again last week and did what Ted suggested and the wobble is still there. I know when I replaced the front tires it went away for a while (15k) now it is back. I refuse to replace the whole front-end I want to find the real problem. I have already wasted 325 bucks on a DT track bar because that didn't fix a thing, although mine was worn. The DT track bar is a nice piece and if your track bar is worn I would recommend the DT but it didn't fix my problem. I am going to put a set of 2001 wheels and tires on to see what happens A friend has some new take offs I can borrow so why not. I to will never trust this truck again.

 

[KYOUNG]

DEATH WOBBLE

I had the death wobble and did the tire and track bar bit, no help.

alighnment was right, so i replaced shocks and this cured it . the 4x4 dodge has to have good shock dampening to control the front end. i put rancho 9000 0n my truck, the only good thing about them is the lifetime warranty. they are good for about 30 to40k miles,i am on my 5th set. i would buy something else on the high speed shake on 3500 series my934x4dually shook badly over 70 mph turned out that the rear axle spring brackets were in the wrong position. dodge dealer put some cheesy aluminum wedged in and fixed the shaking, thanthe rear end moved around because the springs werent locked in pin holes. i removed the blocks between the springs and rear axle and machined tne correct angle on them fixing problem permanently

 

[BPINE]

A friend of mine sent me a link to this check it out. I wrote the author a letter to let him know what a wide spread problem this is. http://wheels.mainetoday.com/news/010703trucks_m.shtml

 

[ablakemore]

DC buying back trucks

BPINE your link was interesting. So Maine has some unique road conditions like rutts, rocks and gulleys. What do you buy a 4x4 for. ?? Sounds like a recall to me!!!

 

[Cooker]

Unique road conditions in Maine. I think we have the same stuff in MI.



Interesting to read that DC bought the trucks back.



-Ryan

 

[MidwestMotorman]

of course they bought them back

Of course D-C buys them back. Some dealer can sell them again to someone else.

 

[JCQ]

Something to look at

A friend of mine had a 95 2500 V10 purchased new after about 60K started having problems with wandering and shimmy. The dealers found nothing, tire and front end outfits found nothing. Two weeks later he had the section of frame the tie rod bracket attaches to tear out of the frame almost ended everything for him.

May not be related to your problem but it is worth looking at. I used to have a picture around here somewhere I will look for it.

 

[MidwestMotorman]

holy cow

The death wobble causes tremendous strain on all components. The wobble could have torn it free. Your friend is lucky to be alive, and so were other travellers.

 

[azcummins]

I had this problem with my hummer and I got the tires "trued" What they do is shave the tires of very slightly to make them perfectly round. Before the trueing, the tires are shaped likes eggs and it makes sense why your teeth would shake out.



I had this problem on my RAM and I just rotated the tires and it was gone. I'm sure the tires need to be trued, but I'll wait till that bad tires comes back up front.

 

[MidwestMotorman]

careful on hummers

azcummins---The type of wobble we are talking about is quite violent and is quiet different than a tire shake from being out of round. An out of round tire will certainly cause the death wobble to happen. Hummers are know for chattering your teeth out due to flat spots on the wide tires, when the hummer has been sitting. The bias plys are really bad for the cold flat spotting. I have been in lots of humvees and rams. When the real death wobble happens, you definitely will do anything immediately to stop it. I really have a hard time believing the humvee could develop the real death wobble due to the suspension geometry. My nine years in the Army has netted me no personal experiences with the real death wobble on humvees, and no other mechanics have ever mentioned it. In every case I have witnessed of the death wobble, the speeds were always at 25-40 mph, and lots of military vehicles are driven at those speeds.



Anyone else have any experiences on vehicles other than Rams?

 

[Hummin Cummins]

I've replaced a boat load of front end parts trying to find a cure for mine. It never started until I went from 265 to 285 tires. It started immediately after leaving the tire shop. I went back, they rebalanced, and its still there. Tried another set of 285s from a buddys truck, same result. I'm heading to the alignment shop with those specs. I also have been told my truck dog tracks.



Does the wobble feel like it starts on the right side every time? It feels like that is where mine starts to come on from.



Chris

 

[dslcummins]

I never had a death wobble on my 92 until two years ago. I put a new set of Michelins on in the fall. Everything was fine until the next summer. We went to Montana, we were driving about 30 mph on a back road, I hit a bump and it happened. It happened twice. The rest of the summer it was fine. The following fall, I wasn't comfortable with the tread depth, so I bought a set of Les Schwab tires, this was because Costco never had my size Michelins in stock. This summer, I put the old Michelins back on to wear them out. I was driving down the back road and the death wobble started again. I experimented, I could get it to do it all the time at a certain speed, using the same road and bumps. I moved the two front tires to the oposite sides, still had it. So I went back and put the Les Schwab tires on, that were still like new, I could not get it to act up.



The Michelins did not show any damage at all, on the side walls or tread. They looked perfectly good. This is the first and only set of tires that I experieced the dreaded death wobble.



I still will buy Michelins, I've owned several sets.

 

[JSmith]

Hummin Cummins

I had the DEATH WOBBLE like you would not believe. Hit a bump and the front end shook violently from side to side. The first time I was 100mi from home and doing 75mph on the freeway. To make matters worse, I had my mother and son in the truck with me.



To make a very long story short, I had the front end rebuilt. DW left. Came back in two weeks, but not as bad. Had the tires ballanced and the DW left. Tried to come back, I ahd new rotors installed, trued, and the DW has not reapeared.



From my experience the DW can come from a few areas.

Tires need balancing

Tires out of round

Bad front end.

Rotors warped



To rebuild the front end is EXPENSIVE.



I hope this helps anyone.

Experiencing the DEATH WOBBLE is no fun.



Jeff