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dodge death wobble please help!!

73redblaze

73redblaze

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Im losing my mind with the death wobble on my dodge. Its the worst wobble I have ever experienced. it only happens when I hit a bump but the wheels shake right to left so bad that I can barley keep it in my lane. its a 2004 dodge 2500 straight axle with coils. 5" lift with 35s. now iv replaced the ball joints, bought a dual stabilizer kit, replaced draglink and tie rod (ends are welded on one side, had to buy new) replaced the track arm bushings. I had it aligned and had the wheel bearings checked. I even put in the kit that says it will stop dodge death wobble. it wraps around your steering box and ties the frame together, no luck. The ONLY thing I can think of is the tires are at about 30%. my tire guy says it would shake all the time if that were the case, not when I hit a bump. Does anyone have any ideas before I drop another grand in tires? please help!!
 
This is a good read. http://www.kevinsoffroad.com/how-to-fix-your-own-death-wobble/

Basically, death wobble affects vehicles that use a multi link suspension. Jeep, Dodge, Ford, and even IFS Chevy's can and do suffer from death wobble. Do not just throw money at the issue. Check for worn parts first. Lifting a vehicle accelerates the wear on those components. Track bar, teack bar bushings, and the frame holes forthetrack bar should be looked at. I have heard of wheels and tires causing it as well. Eliminate the impossible, and whatever is left, however improbable, must be the solution. Do not think that just because you replaced a part that cannot be the culprit.

LT.
 
What balljoints did you use? I've had tires cause that before. Rotate and see if you can get a combination of placement that doesnt cause the shake if everything else is good. I just went through this myself. New joints, rod ends, and track bar finally sorted it out.
 
When you did the lift did you get a kit with longer control arms or a longer trac bar?
The trac bar is one of the most common issues on those dodges especially once their lifted.

This won't dolve death wobble but it does help and it also tightens up the steering but look into a steering cross brace. Few different ones out there but they essentially add a bushing and a crossmember to the steering shaft to keep it from loosening up. Definitely a worth while investment especially with bigger tires.
 
I installed a cross brace that tightens up the steering box but no luck. I installed the lift 4 years ago with longer track arms and control arms. I can't find any play in any components including the steering box. I can't find any play anywhere. The control arms arnt adjustable. I swaped the rear tires to the front and it seemed to help for a little while but now it's just as bad
 
Have your air pressure checked in your tires and have them re-balanced again and see if that helps before spending more money at it.
 
While I've never had to deal with it on a Dodge, (albeit mine has a terrible, hood shaking vibration at 75+, but it's not through the steering wheel) My friend has a 97 C2500 that he was supposed to have sold a week ago. Anyway it you hit anything bigger than a quarter the front end starts shaking so bad you have to drop down to less than 10 MPH for it to go away. I'm not sure how this happened, but now the steering wheel is sideways.
He put new tires on the front but that made no difference, this truck has so many issues already I doubt he'll put anything else into before he gets rid of it.
 
I'm ready to sell it but how can I sell it when it shakes every time I hit a bump?
 
Everything I read says it happens to lifted stright axle coil over trucks but it happenes to leaf spring trucks all the time. What gives?
 
The company I work for has a fleet of '12 F-350's and half of them have issues with death wobble. They are all stock and have no loose parts. You can't even drive one of the trucks faster than about 40 mph.

Anyway, the ones with DW have the original tires still and besides the DW, drive smooth. Most of the trucks that don't experience DW have had the tires replaced.
 
USSkoval said:
The company I work for has a fleet of '12 F-350's and half of them have issues with death wobble. They are all stock and have no loose parts. You can't even drive one of the trucks faster than about 40 mph.

Anyway, the ones with DW have the original tires still and besides the DW, drive smooth. Most of the trucks that don't experience DW have had the tires replaced.
Click to expand...

That's really what I'm hoping it is. I'm ready to be done once and for all with this
 
Be easy enough to check anyway. Jack up one front at a time, one hand at 12 o'clock and the other at 6 o'clock or any place that is opposite of each other and start pushing and pulling to see if you get any movement.
 
73redblaze said:
Does anyone think it might be the wheel bearings?
Click to expand...

This front end is a unit bearing with a nut on the axle shaft correct?

Its sounds like the last place to check is that an axle shaft nut has backed off and is allowing the bearing to separate slightly. That nut is what holds the bearing together.

Once again its my age old adage on death wobble. You gotta fix the problem not mask it.
 
Wheels have no play in them so I went ahead and ordered tires and rims. Gonna have them balanced and the truck aligned. Check them out.

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