Something is really really wrong!

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A couple of months ago I was riding on a pretty bad country road and i hit a bump with my left tire and the tires started to oscillate kinda felt like when you are on a road that need grading. i let off the gas and it stopped and I thought maybe there was a series of bumps and it just felt like that.

It happened again this weekend. I was going around a curve on a two lane road and hit this pot hole and the tired started to oscillate and it kept increasing I mean it felt like the truck was going to come apart. I had some cups on my seat and they were shook all over the floor it was scary. What is this????

Anybody else experienced this?

It happened a third time on level ground even worse man it is dangerous. I have to bring it in and I know i am going to get a bunch of bull because it only does it when you hit a bump or hole. If I drove around long enough to find one I could make it repeat

 

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If it's a 4x4 I would replace the steering dampener. I dunno about the ifs on the 2wd.

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2001 HO 6 speed Regular Cab SLT 4x4 3. 54 anti spin 2500. Used for the daily grind and sneaking away to some secret Baja beaches toting a cabover

 

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I would bet it is your steering damper. My truck had the shaking similar to what you described. My truck hit a rutt in the road and started bouncing so bad I could hardly keep it under control. Replaced the damper and haven't seen the problem since. If you remove the damper it should be obvious if it is toast, as it will move in/out with little resistance.

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95 12v, Auto, Stock - but not for long...

 

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Read This thread. https://www.turbodieselregister.com/ubb//Forum5/HTML/000702.html

 

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I have a 2001 ETH/DEE Reg Cab 4X4. Steve St. Laurent suggested that it was not the death wobble but a harmonic vibration. It feels like just the tire that hit the bump is continuing to bounce up and down harder and harder.

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2001 ETH/DEE ST 4X4 SPACE SHUTTLE

 

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I have posted several times regarding this issue - due a search by author.

The link below outlines what I've had done on my '96 360 V8. The biggest change/improvement was realized when I increased the caster (done myself - no idea how many degrees).

Check for the obvious broken/worn out parts - track bar, factory steering stabilizer etc. Adding the second steering stabilizer is a band-aid to cover up a problem in another component. My steering shimmy did not appear until ~41k miles.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/ubb//Forum17/HTML/000053.html

 

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This may not be the safest thing to do, but, next time it happens, lean out the window and look at the tire. If it's turning, it's death wobble, if it's going straight up and down, it's most likely something with that wheel/tire, or possibly bearings. I posted my experiences, as well as opinion of Dodge's front end design, in the link listed above (Has anyone else experienced death wobble).

Pete

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'97 2500 CC 4X4 5spd Sport
'83 K5 Blazer 350 TBI (ex 6. 2), 39. 5 TSLs, 3" lift, Dana 60/GM 14 blt, Detroits

 

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Al Gore (Forest Gore) said it happened to him... . yea I had it happen on the freeway in my 94 (4X4). I had 60K miles on the vehicle and replaced the shocks and stabilizer. Never had another problem. My 98. 5 has 65K and it has not occurred. But I expect it will. Too cold now to change shocks, what with all that snow and ice dripping.

 

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I had this happen @ 3000 miles, because I installed 2" coil spacers, and they threw the alignment off. A good alignment corrected it and it hasn't happened since. Scary stuff!

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Y2K 2500 4X4 5-spd Reg cab... Dark Garnet Red... Towing, Camper & Snowplow pkgs. Blaupunkt AM/FM Cass. & 12 CD Changer, Clearance and Tailgate I. D. lights
2" Daystar Front Coil Spring Spacers, 35x13. 50R16 M/T Baja Claws, 16x8 black Rockcrawler wheels,
Bushwhacker Extend-a-Fender flares. Thinking of adding a Skyjacker 5" double flex lift system.

 

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If your truck (or any car) has more than about 200 miles on it, and you are still running the OE shocks, they are bad! Change them and the steering bar and the problem goes away! There have been several threads on things like this from shocks, tires, etc. . that the OE parts are nowhere near the quality of the over the counter replacements we can buy. Cheaper is better, right DC?

 

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This sounds like what's known as "bump steer". Its part of every front end. The engineers spent a lot of time trying to get rid of it or reduce it. The arc the wheels travel on the solid axle travel thru a series or arcs, and the closer these are to the same the less, or lack of, bump steer will occur. If you alter the front end geometry by adding or changing (by bending) we will experience increase of bump steer. If you look at the steering it is in more than one piece, I believe, three. It has an idler arm also. This was done to eliminate bump steer. I would check the idler arm to see if you have any movement, like a loose bolt. Pull on it directly. If bad you'll be able to tell. The steering damper helps reduce the vibration, but it has to be something in your steering. Check the steering until you find problem. If you want to expierence a real "death wobble", you need to have an old drag link steering drag car. When you let off at 130 or so, the arcs change and fun begins. Sorry for long windedness. Only my 2 cents worth.

 

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Jponder- I had exactly the same thing happen to me on my 95 4X4 ext cab long bed. It was the steering damper. HTH

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1995 2500 Auto 4X4 Ext Cab, Sun Coast torque converter, Trans Go shift kit,Jacobs E brake,BD Auto Lok,Prime Lok fuel filter relocate, Boost/EGT and transmission fluid temp gauges, and Mag-Hytec transmission pan/rear end covers

 

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When I had my '97 it was because I had actually BROKEN the hub bearing. It did it when I made hard turns. I would get that checked pronto.

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'01 BLK QUAD-CAB, ETH, 6-SPEED, HX-40, DD BOOST MODULE, STAGE III INJECTORS, ATS MANIFOLD, 4" EXHAUST, BED LINER, CLARION PPD KICKER FOCAL STEREO

 

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I have a 1995 and a 1998 1/2 . Both are 2wd. I need (want) to find a steering stabilizer for them . I can't find one . Can any of the group point me in the right direction. I can find them for 4wd but not the 2wd. Whats the difference and would they work? What would I have to do ( modify / weld) on my 2wd to make it work?

Thanks
Ken

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1998 1/2 24 valve 2500 automatic 3. 55

 

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Another thing to check would be the front shocks, either for broken parts or blown seals. From what I have experienced, bad front shocks will cause this problem,which if not corrected promptly will cause some serious tire cupping
Don

 

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Ken Tenpenny,
Why do you need a steering stabilizer? Are the wheels out of balance, something broken or are the roads you drive so beat up that you need one?

Brian