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Just when I think I have my steering bugs all worked out...

mr.smartass

mr.smartass

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Death wobble... damn it. Everything is brand new. When I did the axle swap I installed crossover and I mean everything is brand new. I don't even know where to start. It only does it at low cruising speeds. If I'm sitting at like 35mph constant, it starts. If I'm accelerating it never does it. When it starts I can accelerate out of it or brake and come almost to a complete stop before it stops... Any ideas?:confused::(

'89 K5, 3/4 ton axles from a '73 K20.
 
What does the pinion angle look like? Does the pinion point up some? As I understand it, death wobble occurs from incorrect pinion angle. Did the spring packs have shims them in them?
 
Check toe.

Make sure you didnt bend a center pin on a spring.

Make sure you have a good caster angle. I realize now how much of a common mistake it is to install pinion shims backwards. Pinion shims are not meant to turn your pinion up. That gives you truck very bad tracking and steering return. The thick part goes back. Just something to look at.
 
i had it so bad the truck was undriveable. when it first started i got the dual shock stabilizer... softened it like 65% when it started to get bad again i had the tires ballanced. that took care of if for a while too. started doing it again about a few months ago reallllllllly bad. i did the 1/4 inch of washers on the king pins inside the cap. that fixed the problem but made the steering all wierd.

i eventually fixed the problem by buying some small 33inch radials :laugh:
 
As others mentioned, alignment is probably the culprit.

Either caster (the angle of the ball joints, kinda like the angle on the forks on a bicycle that allow you to ride with no hands) or toe (the tires need to be angled in just a little bit to account for deflection in the tires when you're going down the road, usually 1/16"-1/8")
 
have someone sit in the truck and cycle the steering wheel around


-look for movement near your steering box, tie rod, steering arm, leaf springs ect. Its a nice way to find a problem quickly, check this witht he wheel on the ground.

-as mentioned check your toe

-then with the axle up and the wheels off the ground check the wheel for movement up/down or for wobble. You may not have your wheel bearings or locking ring seated all the way or correctly???????

-u-bolts..check em

-front springs rear shackle, do you have some longer ones? when you cycle the steering wheel do they lean over a lot?



last resort, start looking into you tires, your did sit for some time are they radials? beat up swampers, are they balanced?
 
I'll get to checking stuff today, I'm the only person I know who has this much problem with DW on a D44.:(

What's the best way to check toe and caster? Toe I can check with a tape and set with the tie rod right? What should it be at? Not sure about caster...

I don't remember if the front springs came with shims or not... I'll take a look.

I'll throw the torque wrench on the ubolts again.

Thanks.
 
aww, ur not the only one, mines a d60. my death wobble is so bad, i almost put the truck in the ditch after first test drive. and that was the last day i drove the truck :haha: about a year ago. been thinkin abt ditchin the truck and sas my 03 silverado since its paid off :D pointless post i know.
 
get a tape measure and measure the front of the front tires from one tread block to the equal tread block on the other front tire. write down your measurement.

Now do the same thing on the rear of the front tires, it should be 1/16-1/4 wider in the rear.

It can be a be a pain but you will get it
 
Yeah I did the toe thing before but I'll check it once more. After I adjusted it myself I even dropped it off at an alignment place and let them check it as well.

Think I found the culprit though... I just put a new steering box on it new bolts and everything, with ord steering brace, lock tight on the bolts and apparently they still backed out a little... causing the wobble.:eek1:

If lock tight doesn't keep them in I'm kinda out of ideas, I don't want to tack them in because it'd be a major pain to get the box back off.:(
 
mr.smartass said:
Yeah I did the toe thing before but I'll check it once more. After I adjusted it myself I even dropped it off at an alignment place and let them check it as well.

Think I found the culprit though... I just put a new steering box on it new bolts and everything, with ord steering brace, lock tight on the bolts and apparently they still backed out a little... causing the wobble.:eek1:

If lock tight doesn't keep them in I'm kinda out of ideas, I don't want to tack them in because it'd be a major pain to get the box back off.:(
Click to expand...

do a light tack, any 1/2 inch ratchet should break it loose.
 
track bar.....I know it sucks but its reality, only way mine would stop wobbling and mine was BAD just like yours. As soon as the track bar went on, it stopped 100% ,out of everything that is the best upgrade by far on my truck.......do you happen to have 52's in the front?
 
I'll also echo supersize's tires comments. If the box doesn't make it go away check the tires.

The 36" HMMWV bias plies I had on Big Ugly a few years ago gave me BAAAAAD death wobble. Just old, not round, and crappy. Put on my Michelin radials (which funnily enough weigh a LOT more) and it's smoooooth sailing.
 
Nope just 4" lift springs stock length... when the steering box is tight it doesn't wobble as far as I've seen.:crazy:
 
check the frame bushings that the shackles connect to....... i had a death wobble on my 1 ton blazer...did and checkd everything, washers in kingpins, tires, alignment, bearings, gear box, pitman arm, .....ended up welding the shackles together and fixed it...then looked at the frame bushings and they were shot. i have longer shackels in the front, did half of the 52" swap, move the shackel hangers forward and madelonger shackles, to get mor travel out of the stock length springs.....havnt had a chance to drive it to see if the new bushings fixed it,...
 
chriskayer said:
track bar.....I know it sucks but its reality, only way mine would stop wobbling and mine was BAD just like yours. As soon as the track bar went on, it stopped 100% ,out of everything that is the best upgrade by far on my truck.......do you happen to have 52's in the front?
Click to expand...
bandaid

that is more of abandaid to control it, just like a steering stabilizer. I have run trucks with 38's, 41s, 37's..none with either and plenty of those were not even balanced.



Don't over thinks it and you will get it, as mentioned boxing the shackles can help too as well as the bushing in the frame.
 
mr.smartass said:
I'll get to checking stuff today, I'm the only person I know who has this much problem with DW on a D44.:(

What's the best way to check toe and caster? Toe I can check with a tape and set with the tie rod right? What should it be at? Not sure about caster...

I don't remember if the front springs came with shims or not... I'll take a look.

I'll throw the torque wrench on the ubolts again.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
I got a 10 bolt and have mad death wobble always have i have just delt with it and tried to fix it. Im now doing cross over and all new ball joints and then having it aligned by a pro.Mine does it at the same speed as you're truck and it always seems people drive the perfect speed to cause it. Best trick i have done run less air in front it helps a ton. My pinion points down and i think it does to much i herd 3 to 5 deg is the correct caster. But i dont really see a good spot to check I.E. why im going to take it to a pro and then buy the right shim and install it.
1. I tried new shackles and the bigger frame bushings also nothing has worked except the air pressure.
2.Also different springs in front
3.New tie rod
4.New drag link
 
Yeah even with the box tight, you can still feel it wanting to start the DW... and yeah you're correct about people driving the exact speed to piss it off.:haha:

All ball joints are new, drag link is new, tie rod is new. Everything on the axle and steering are brand new.

This didn't start until I swapped the D44 and cross over in, so it has to be related to them. The 10 bolt I took out never had an issue. I'm going tear into this weekend hopefully. Just take the knuckles off and retorque everything maybe I missed something the first time around.:crazy:
 
Keep us posted im doing my cross over and new balljoints tom hope it help..
( side note i changed my cross member (twisted engenering) and drove it today and the death wobble seemed alot less only one time. My cross member had started to crack have you checked yours. I am going to do a track bar also in the near future.
 
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