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dodge death wobble please help!!
- Thread starter 73redblaze
- Start date
So you installed the lift 4 years ago and you're just now experiencing this problem? Seems that alone would tell us it's a wear item and not a configuration issue...
My money is on something loose in the front end or tires. Jack up one tire at a time just high enough off the ground that you can get a BIG pry bar under it and pry up. This whole grab the tire and shake nonsense works only if there is an obscene amount of play in something. The pry bar method will show you if you're starting to get play.
My money is on something loose in the front end or tires. Jack up one tire at a time just high enough off the ground that you can get a BIG pry bar under it and pry up. This whole grab the tire and shake nonsense works only if there is an obscene amount of play in something. The pry bar method will show you if you're starting to get play.
rampage
3/4 ton status
This is how I check ball joints, only I put a piece of plywood between the pry bar and tire so I don't damage it. I can also watch the ball joints while operating the pry bar with my foot.
chesafreak
Registered Member
My 03 had this. Scary as hell going 70 on the highway and the damn steering wheel rips out of your hands. Balljoints fixed mine, may want to check them eventhough they are new.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
So you're saying you've never seen an out-of-round radial tire before
Thats not a defect or a broken belt? No. Tires just dont suddenly cause death wobble without there being an inherent issue with them. Whether its severe delaminating from a mega old tire, a broken belt, or what have you. Im not saying that a tire cant be out of round but I am saying that when you're at this point if its a tire something blatantly obvious will be wrong with the tire. Even if you cant see a bad belt in the tire changing the tires front to back completely eliminates that as a cause.
I guess what Im getting at is people are way too quick to look for issues that arent in their front end when the only place a death wobble issue can be is in their front end.
I drove my 87 flatbed for years on the road with 36 TSL radials, crossover, 52s, long shackles, etc etc without a single trace of death wobble ever. Funny thing is I never ever ever ever had a steering stabilizer on it and it still drove dead straight.
y5mgisi
1 ton status
Im sure everyone has driven trucks with insanely worn out front ends and the worst tires and not experienced the wobble while others have seemingly perfect front ends with the best tires and they wobble. Its sure a strange thing.
73redblaze
1/2 ton status
I really can't figure it out. Nothing is lose at all. No movement in anything at all. I'm going to try the tires. If not I'm all out of ideas
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Have you put a big pry bar between the c and knuckle to check the ball joints?
Have you checked the joints/bushings in the control arms?
Also does that thing have inverted t or y steering?
Have you checked the joints/bushings in the control arms?
Also does that thing have inverted t or y steering?
Make sure the caster of the front axle is correct. You said you just had it re-aligned, but when the caster is screwed up it can cause wobble in the wheel like that. Dodges are bad about having caster issues with a lift kit, thats why long arm kits are the way to go, and partly why the 4th gen trucks come with a factory long arm style suspension now.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
This is why I asked if the long arm was adjustable.
73redblaze
1/2 ton status
All bushings are good ball joints are tight it's the y style stering. As far as caster angle. I have no idea how to check. Can someone school me
Stomis
Professional Amateur
You'll need an angle finder. Put the angle finder on the straight section of the frame under the cab and jack the rear axle up until the truck is level 0. Then take the angle finder and put it on something machined flat on the steering knuckle. Whether its the steering arm, flat across the castle nut on the upper ball joint, or even the machined surface for the tie rod.
Check both sides. If you've got more caster on one side than the other I could definitely see that causing death wobble.
You're trying to measure the angle of the imaginary line between the upper and lower ball joints. The lower should be in front or further forward and should be roughly 5-7*
Check both sides. If you've got more caster on one side than the other I could definitely see that causing death wobble.
You're trying to measure the angle of the imaginary line between the upper and lower ball joints. The lower should be in front or further forward and should be roughly 5-7*
Death wobble
I have the cure for your death wobble.This has worked on my truck and 2 friends trucks fixed them without anymore problems.1) Always run E rated tires the give in a lower rated tires sidewall is a good place for deathwobble to start.2)Go to the dealer or other parts place that carries the later mopar conversion kit.It comes with all of the new larger steering components from the 08.5 up Dodge trucks.Dodge had a recall on this where they are supposed to replace these parts for free but good luck getting them to do it.3)Get a adjustable track bar with bushing on one end and heim joint on the other.4)Get a nitrogen charged steering stabilizer it works.I did all four of these to my truck.My friend skipped 3 and the other skipped 4.None of us have had any problems since doing this.My truck started doing it around 250k miles it now has 500k hasn't done it since replacing these parts.Again always run E rated tires.Try these tips they will fix your truck
I have the cure for your death wobble.This has worked on my truck and 2 friends trucks fixed them without anymore problems.1) Always run E rated tires the give in a lower rated tires sidewall is a good place for deathwobble to start.2)Go to the dealer or other parts place that carries the later mopar conversion kit.It comes with all of the new larger steering components from the 08.5 up Dodge trucks.Dodge had a recall on this where they are supposed to replace these parts for free but good luck getting them to do it.3)Get a adjustable track bar with bushing on one end and heim joint on the other.4)Get a nitrogen charged steering stabilizer it works.I did all four of these to my truck.My friend skipped 3 and the other skipped 4.None of us have had any problems since doing this.My truck started doing it around 250k miles it now has 500k hasn't done it since replacing these parts.Again always run E rated tires.Try these tips they will fix your truck
73redblaze
1/2 ton status
Ok thanks guys still trying to save some $ for new parts / tires
