Shake, shimmy, death wobble at what speed?

[CCottrell]

I'm wondering if there is a common range of speeds that our trucks tend to get the shakes, shimmies, and death wobble?



My wobble seems to be worst between 40-45 MPH. It is also shakes more if I hold it at about 42 MPH in 5th gear. If I run it at 42 MPH in 4th gear, the wobble is not as bad. And sometimes it does not wobble at all.



It will also wobble (sometimes violently) when I am braking, but I do not feel the brake pedal pulsating. So, I am guessing the rotors are probably ok. I think I would feel the brake pedal pulsate if the rotors are warped?



I have the parts to rebuilt front end including kingpin kit, u-joints, wheel bearings, and spindle bearings. Just have to get the time to do it.

 

[Makaio]

I'm wondering if there is a common range of speeds that our trucks tend to get the shakes, shimmies, and death wobble?



My wobble seems to be worst between 40-45 MPH. It is also shakes more if I hold it at about 42 MPH in 5th gear. If I run it at 42 MPH in 4th gear, the wobble is not as bad. And sometimes it does not wobble at all.



It will also wobble (sometimes violently) when I am braking, but I do not feel the brake pedal pulsating. So, I am guessing the rotors are probably ok. I think I would feel the brake pedal pulsate if the rotors are warped?



I have the parts to rebuilt front end including kingpin kit, u-joints, wheel bearings, and spindle bearings. Just have to get the time to do it.

That sounds about right. My death wobble would happen around 35-40 only after hitting a bump or pothole in the road. It could be a small one at that and it shook violently. Although not the correct way, a steering stabilizer will cure the wobble. Rebuilding those kingpins is the answer. Loose components are the culprit. Kinda like the bad shopping cart with that front wheel that wobbles. Some will say bad alignment is the cause. I also read somewhere about 'not enough caster' will cause the death wobble. A local alignment shop argued this to be false. After I rebuilt my kingpins, it never happened again.

 

[DISLSMOKE]

I had the same thing. Just finished replacing all the componets you listed 2 weeks ago. Pretty straight forward job. Make sure you have some good punches and seal and bearing cup installers. I used sluggs of round stock steel to seat the cups. I took my time, 4 hours a night after work for 3 nights to remove, clean up, paint, and 8hours saturday to install everything. Just take your time. Its a pain when you have everything together and forget something stupid.

 

[BGore]

I had this problem ONCE, probably 10 years ago. Jacked 'er up and wiggled and jiggled everything I could on the front end to try to find something wrong somewhere. No luck.



Eventually I put a steering stabilizer on it anyway, but I ran it for 6-7 months before that and never had it again.