I find this hard to believe......
CK5
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Any cure for "death wobble"?
- Thread starter highrlr
- Start date
highrlr
1/2 ton status
Thanks again for all the suggestions everyone! I am sure soft springs have alot to do with it, I am running 4" HD rough country's. They flex very well, and work good off road, but I dont think they are the softest of springs out there. I am going to my shop tonight, I will throw a couple washers in each side and weld some rod between the shackles, and see if that offers any releif!
My buddy is running 36" TSL's on his '85 K5, 1/2 ton running gear, and he gets the ocasional death wobble. Another freind of mine is running 37" Boggers on his '87 K5, also 1/2 tons, and he has never experienced DW! And finally, another freind of mine is running 39.5" TSL's on his K5 with one tons, and he also has no DW!? And none of these trucks have the quantity of new parts up front that my truck does, they are mostly all running used/junckyard condition parts since they are primarily mud trucks. Its wierd, but hopefully I can smooth it out. Summer is commming, and I would like to be able to pimp around town with the top off, without people yelling to me that my tires are falling off! lol.
Oh, and about the DW on link suspensions. My girlfreind has a '00 Jeep Tj, lifted 4" with 35" MTR's, only 22k miles on it, and the lift was just done last summer. She had a run in with DW while doing 60 down the highway, it was enough to almost scare her from driving the thing again! So, I do beleive it must be possible regardless of the suspension style given the right conditions.
My buddy is running 36" TSL's on his '85 K5, 1/2 ton running gear, and he gets the ocasional death wobble. Another freind of mine is running 37" Boggers on his '87 K5, also 1/2 tons, and he has never experienced DW! And finally, another freind of mine is running 39.5" TSL's on his K5 with one tons, and he also has no DW!? And none of these trucks have the quantity of new parts up front that my truck does, they are mostly all running used/junckyard condition parts since they are primarily mud trucks. Its wierd, but hopefully I can smooth it out. Summer is commming, and I would like to be able to pimp around town with the top off, without people yelling to me that my tires are falling off! lol.
Oh, and about the DW on link suspensions. My girlfreind has a '00 Jeep Tj, lifted 4" with 35" MTR's, only 22k miles on it, and the lift was just done last summer. She had a run in with DW while doing 60 down the highway, it was enough to almost scare her from driving the thing again! So, I do beleive it must be possible regardless of the suspension style given the right conditions.
do you gota go to dealer ship to get the fender washers? or would just some 3/4 in washers from ace hardware work or is it because a fender washer has a bigger diameter hole and thats why those are so highly recomended???. i put those ace harder 3/4 inch washers under my kp springs and it still had the death wobble until i welded the shackles together.....
chevysmithz71
1/2 ton status
Roaming through the Depot today and checked out those fender washers and they were 2" neoprene(rubber) washers.
Is that right?Rubber??
or Is it supposed to be steel??
Is that right?Rubber??
or Is it supposed to be steel??
Look for 1/2" "Fender washers" at Home Depot. 2" overall diamter, 1/2" hole and 1/16" thick. plated finish.
Rene
Rene
Man up and stomp on the gas when you first feel the shimmy start up front. 
If you gas it hard from 25-45mph you'll accelerate through it.
haha. i've done this before. sucks when youre driving through downtown hollister if its a 35mph speed limit, i'm either doing 25mph impeding traffic, or gassing it up to 45mph and hoping i don't see the cops.
If you gas it hard from 25-45mph you'll accelerate through it.
haha. i've done this before. sucks when youre driving through downtown hollister if its a 35mph speed limit, i'm either doing 25mph impeding traffic, or gassing it up to 45mph and hoping i don't see the cops.
highrlr
1/2 ton status
Man up and stomp on the gas when you first feel the shimmy start up front.
If you gas it hard from 25-45mph you'll accelerate through it.
haha. i've done this before. sucks when youre driving through downtown hollister if its a 35mph speed limit, i'm either doing 25mph impeding traffic, or gassing it up to 45mph and hoping i don't see the cops.
Lol, that is exactly what I have been doing for over a year now! Makes me wonder what people think as they see this big beast roaring right up on their ass, and then hammering the brakes as I get too close to them. All of this combined with some wicked scary looking DW in between the WOT to hard braking transition! haha.
Anyway, picked up some 2" diameter fender washers last night. The install was very easy! Also went through and made sure all bolts and hardware were tight up front, which other than my pitman arm bolt, they all were. All the bushings look good as well. I didnt take it for a test drive though, since my buddy had his mustang parked in front of my K5, and I didnt feel like backing it out onto the ice covered parking lot, and then not being able to get it back in the shop. Damn rear wheel drive cars, their hopeless!
I was going to weld a rod between my shackles, but after looking at them, I will have to go out and cycle the suspension and see how much room I have to work with. not as much space between the fram and spring eye as i was thinking there was.
WJACKSON11X
1/2 ton status
This will defintley solve your problem with DW. I put two washers under each cap, and no longer have any problems.
chevysmithz71
1/2 ton status
Why not just one washer that is 1/8" thick???Just curious.
WJACKSON11X
1/2 ton status
If you can find one that size then it won't be a problem. I had to grind my washers down a bit due to my steering arm being aftermarket and made a little smaller.
highrlr
1/2 ton status
Yep, the washers worked like a charm! Thanks everyone! Now, I cant beleive I put up with the DW for over a year! The ol girl drives like a Caddi now!
chevysmithz71
1/2 ton status
Did you use 2-1/16 washers on each side or just 1-1/8 on each?Glad to hear it worked. WOW a year with DW, that would suck.
BlackBourbon
1/2 ton status
Wow!!! This is why I love forums haha. Was up till 2am lastnight getting the Burb FINALLY all put together with the 1tons and 39's. Hop in this morning and start down my road. About the time I hit 30-35mph I hit a bump and nearly sh!t myself when the truck starting throwin me around like a mechanical bull
hahaha
came on here and searched "death wobble" because that's the only way I could describe it lol. Fender washers will be installed tonight! Thanks again CK5
hahahacame on here and searched "death wobble" because that's the only way I could describe it lol. Fender washers will be installed tonight! Thanks again CK5
FRIZZLEFRY
1/2 ton status
Yup,the washers do the trick.I had rebuilt kingpins,hydro assist,un balanced bias 42s,and bad DW.One washer per side fixed it
dominic
1/2 ton status
I had that problem on my truck and replaced the worn strerring stabilizer shock and it solved the problem,I also agree with Greg,its like the hole front of the trucks suspension is going all over the place,you need something to make the front sterring/suspension more stiff,most the time the stabilizer shock those the trick,"stabilizer"the name says it all.
