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HELP Death wobble or WTF? *** NEW QUESTION***

K5MONSTERCHEV

K5MONSTERCHEV

1/2 ton status
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Location
Castro Valley, CA
OK, I put stock size tires on my blazer the other day, today I drove it out to my grandpas house. Not even a tenth of a mile away from my house, the truck started jumping around, and the front tires were bouncing back and forth CRAZY. I pulled over, checked all the lug nuts, then drove it again, it seemed fine. About a mile later, it started doing it again. It did it the whole way out to my grandpas house, it would occour at even slow speeds, I would have to stop and start the whole way out there.

I have Dana 60 outer and crossover. No front shocks. Everyhtings new, and this never happenned with my 38s.

I never really read much about the Death Wobble issue because I didnt have a need to (no 60), now I wish I had. Or is it BAAAD bumpsteer?

If this is whats going on, how do I fix it, put my stabilizers on? OR what. I hope it doesnt happen when I put my 42s back on.

Thanks for your help in advance!
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

[ QUOTE ]
No front shocks

[/ QUOTE ]

/forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif your problem right there, don't know y it wouldn't do it with your 38s /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
No front shocks

[/ QUOTE ]

/forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif your problem right there, don't know y it wouldn't do it with your 38s /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

More unsprung weight with the bigger tires...
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
No front shocks

[/ QUOTE ]

/forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif your problem right there, don't know y it wouldn't do it with your 38s /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

More unsprung weight with the bigger tires...

[/ QUOTE ]

Well I dount know. My buddy doesnt have front shocks with his 38s either, and hes never had this problem. /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

Thanks for the input. Anymore? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

I had swapped out a set of tires, and started getting killer death wobble. Swapped back the original tires I had on it, and it went away. Went and had the truck professionally aligned, and found one of the drag link ends was loose. They were brand new, I guess I just didn't tighten it enough. Tightened it up, slapped on new 35's, and haven't had the prob since. Worth a look.

John
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

Here's the list I used when I had DW.

Put on front shocks
Put on front stabilizer
Draglink ends
Tie rod ends
Kingpin springs and bushings
steering box slop
steering coupler slop
wheel berings
alignment
tire balance
front leaf spring bushings

Death wobbles isn't an easy one. My first time was with a 10 Bolt. It turned out to be a bad tire, but I replaced a lot of components before I figured it out. 2nd time was with a Dana 60. I replaced the steering stabilizer, kingpin springs and then the tierod ends. The tierod ends seemed tight to me, but that's what fixed it. I felt a little better that time, only replace 2 items before getting the correct fix.

Good Luck,

Eric M.
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

[ QUOTE ]
Noone else has anything to say about this? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

If you're looking for a quick fix, forget it. Here are some links I pulled up when dealing with my DWs.

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=blazer4x4&Number=343233&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=blazer4x4&Number=365499&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=107274

Good Luck,

Eric M.
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

Well my question wasnt really answered. Is it shocks? Or DW?

No, not a quick fix. All my stuff is new. If I have to put my shocks on Ill just do it, but I need to make hoops first. I just dont understand why it only did it with stock tires.

Well see what happennes tomorrow with the 42s on it.

Oh thanks for the links! The second ones VERY informative! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

I had a fresh D60 under the front of my K5, with a set of 29" tires (My Swampers weren't mounted yet)...I got DW really bad about 3 times on that first trip out of the driveway.

I don't know what it was about the "small" tires that exacerbated the problem, but once the 38s were installed the DW went away (mostly...)

Adding the hydraulic assist seemed to help minimize the occurences of DW. Keep in mind that DW appears to be a resonance problem, so anything you can do to "dampen" the resonance, or to move the harmonics around will help to eliminate the problem.

I'll bet you that people with linked suspensions DON'T get death wobble, and I've got a suspicion that people with a panhard bar up front don't get it either.... /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

I bumped my tie rod on a wheeling trip this year. I hadn't been running a stabilizer shock. That's when I got the DW after just driving over a bump in town. Quite frightening, isn't it? I bent the tie rod back into place and installed a stabilizer shock, and haven't had a problem since.
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

I was just about to post this same question.

The second link above was very informative. I'm sure the larger tires (33 changed to 37") plus a bent streeing link are major contributors on my beast. At least I know what is affecting the wobbs.

thanks
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

Well I drove it with the 42s on, it still does it, only at slower speeds, fast it goes away and slowing down it comes back.

Ill put my front shocks on and see what happens.

This is irritating, I wish it could have shown up a few months earlier, i dont have time to fix it.
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

The top springs and bushings are really cheap. My new springs were about 1/4" longer than the old worn out ones.
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

Nothin' get your woman in your lap faster than the death wobble /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif . My DW is with an 86 K5 with 10 bolts and 33s. But I'm pretty sure my problem comes from the fact my frame is bent to hell and my alignment is screwed up.
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

Your right about that one. I never had a problem with the 10b (with bad ball joints) and my 42s.

Got my front shocks on, still does it. Ill rig up a beacket for my stabilizer, see if that helps.
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

Good luck man. I've been chasing down my DW for a while now..
I completely rebuilt my D60 before i put it in, drove around for the first couple weeks with no hydro assist or steering stabilizer to make sure it had no DW..
About 5,000 miles later I started developing death wobble.. this is even with the hydro ram on.. I bashed my tie rod in good so the toe in was part of my problem.. I also tightened the hell outta my front ubolts and that helped.. I also had a split bushing in my front leaf spring shackle... that contribuited a little bit also..
For a while, without my hydro ram my truck was un-driveable. I would get deathwobble from 20mph and above.. even on the freeway at 55 or 65. Talk about scary.
With my K5 being my daily driver, i had to adjust things and fix it as the DW comes.
When i bolted on the hi steer arms and greased up the front zerks, it improved.. I took off the ram and the DW seemed to be gone.. but it was there a few weeks later.. so i put the Hydro Ram back on, and it seems to absorb the DW vibes when i hit a bump right now.. If i hit a HUGE pothole, it will get DW but not as severe as without the ram.. i don't have to come to a complete stop to get it to stop..
Last time i went to hollister i bolted on my 38's and got death wobble bad the whole way there and back. (i have a ton of mud caked on both sides of the rims.. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) When i got home i bolted back on my 35" mud terrains for my street tires and the DW is gone.
So it seems like i do need a different toe in setting between my radial mud terrains and my bias ply swampers.
 
Re: HELP Death wobble or WTF?

Man Ryan, that sucks. Im never gonna get to drive a whole tank of gas through that TPI.

I almost wish id never took of my 38's, or left the 10b in.
 
OK so I got 1 stablilzer on. It still does it. Is 1 enough or will adding the second one hepl? I think that 2 is better, but ive heard here that one is all you need.
 
I predict hydro assist is in your future... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif


Dude.. you gonna be death-wobblin' your way over to the pleasanton goodguys show this weekend with your k5?
 
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