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Need help, death wobble, can't drive much longer.....

Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

does anyone run a trac bar TRAC BAR ??


and what would happen if you punched it instead of braking ?

i love being 18 with not much else on my mind but gm trucks ....tired smile ...
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

DW SUCKS and I think your on the right track about the stock D-60 tie-rod flexing back and forth after getting set off by a bump or dip in the road at slower speeds. You can flex it by hand fairly easy so Im sure a heavy pair of tires should, once it gets started it keeps going until you do something to stop the energy like cut the wheels or stop.
Im interested to see if anyone with the rockrod has had the DW! My Blazer started to get the wobble after a couple hundred miles on a complete D-60 overhaul, with new 37s and always on the same dip in road at about 30mph on the way to work. I checked everything out and the toe was at 1/8" in where I set it but the new Rancho stablizer was junk, it had a dead spot right in the wheels straight position where you could push it in and out about 2" with no resistance. I got another stablizer and it hasnt done it since but I did put the rockrod on shortly after.

RGF
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

this is great info guys , i've had DW since i put in my 60. so just last weekend i put in the rock rod and 2 heckthorn stabillizers. this seemed to cure the problem, but i only took it on a 3 mile test so i'm just not sure if it really did fix it.I also have the crossover setup and that idea of putting the stabillizer on the drag link is cool. hey if one is good 2 is beter would 3 or 4 steering stabillizers be great. ?????? (yeah i hate band-aids but i'm at my wits end)
as far as the spec for the caster angle i was told that i should be under 4 degrees , right now i'm at 4.53 , i think i'm still going to get some 2 degree shims rather than the 4's i have now , that should put me at 2.5*. does anyone know why as stated a few posts back that the k30 is 8* and the 1/2 tons are 4* , cause going up to 8* sure would help with the drive shaft.....
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

this is great info guys , i've had DW since i put in my 60. so just last weekend i put in the rock rod and 2 heckthorn stabillizers. this seemed to cure the problem, but i only took it on a 3 mile test so i'm just not sure if it really did fix it.I also have the crossover setup and that idea of putting the stabillizer on the drag link is cool. hey if one is good 2 is beter would 3 or 4 steering stabillizers be great. ?????? (yeah i hate band-aids but i'm at my wits end)
as far as the spec for the caster angle i was told that i should be under 4 degrees , right now i'm at 4.53 , i think i'm still going to get some 2 degree shims rather than the 4's i have now , that should put me at 2.5*. does anyone know why as stated a few posts back that the k30 is 8* and the 1/2 tons are 4* , cause going up to 8* sure would help with the drive shaft.....
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

actually 8 is harder on the shaft angle
no way i would want caster that shallow
spec is around 7-8 on my alignment sheet
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

this theory makes the most sense to me.
the length of the tie rod could be the trigger
most vehicles(excluding straight axle) have tie rods and centre link so all component lengths are relatively short
do any of those types steering come with a stabilizer?
I cant think of any
just for kicks I think I will make my tie rod out of 1.25"-0.219" wall tubing rather then the thin wall stock
though I have changed too many things to prove theories.
if that is the problem area, a hydro steering setup that uses a double ended ram would solve it
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

when my d60 on my K30 gets the DW, i know its time to replace my stabalizer shock.

I only have one stabalizer shock to control my 36s and i dont have a problem.... they just wear out real fast. i replace my shock about 3 times a year, its just a cheapo auto parts one ($15-20) but it has a lifetime warranty. so i have only purchased 1 in a year and a half, but the auto parts guys dont like me!
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

I have a Rock Rod on mine and I still Get the DW. I am going to install a dual stabilizer this week so I will let you guys know.
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

just for more info....i have a 3/4 ton Dana 44 HD, that has everything BRAND NEW, including all tierods, and i first noticed the DW when i got back from Tellico and hit a manhole cover that was raised up 4" because they had stripped all the asphalt off. this was with 35"BFG muds. upon closer inspection, i noticed that my tierod adjuster sleeve was bent, as was the tierod, and there was a small dimple in my diff cover ( unnoticed carnage from rock bashing). i also noticed that my swaybar was still disconnected. i replaced the tierod, checked the stabilizer, but it still did it. it really got worse when i put the swampers back on. THEN i remembered the swaybar and reconnected my disconnects. now, when i hit those same bumps, it feels like it will start to DW but then stops.

conclusion: i dont think its so much the cross over steering, but the fact you cant have a sway bar with th CO
steering.
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

I have experienced the DW in a stock and modified truck(s).
My 1988 V30 crew cab had it from time to time with new 235/85R16s on it. I chased funky steering (intermittent) since it was purchased with 42K miles. I was also experiencing fatigue failure of the spring over the kingpin.

LONG story made short---axle shaft u-joints were starting to freeze up. One had rust coming out of the cap so it was replaced early on, DW gone, handling good. Several months later started to come back, found other spring compressed, further investigation found u-joint freezing up. Been 8 monts since and no ill handling.

On the big trucks it was mainly tires. Th 44" hawgs on 16.5x14 steel wheels were the worst. The rims were deflecting, noticable from paint flaking off around lugs. The 38.5 gumbos weren't too bad on 9.75" wheels. Never had crossover steering and always removed the sway bar.
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

OK so now its not the caster angle,its not the tie rod thickness,its not the steering stabilizer,its not the sway bar and its not the rock ram's,so we are left with nothing.There is practically no reason the front axles on our trucks should do this! And what gets me is that it happens to stock k30's it happens to 1/2 and 3/4 ton chevy's with dana 44 's and it happens to the guys that have every steering mod out there so my question is NOW WHAT??????????????
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

I'v had the same problem with 33's and 35's. I've done most everything from replacing steering components to having the rotors turned and still the problem resurfaces from time to time. Some is bumpsteer (I don't have crossover steering) but sometimes it seems to resonate to a point where it is uncontrollable. One thing I have noticed and it may have been mentioned, when I pull a trailer the DW is much worse. The weight that is removed from the front wheels because of the tounge weight of the trailer makes the problem worse. If you lift the vehicle off the ground by the frame and let the axle hang, you might be able to find where the play in the system is. Any other thoughts?
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

Now what?
Convert to IFS. Really, because Wobbles and Shimmys are just part of the game with a solid axle suspension, It's a disadvantage to haveing the tires interconnected with a soilid link.

At best, you can just hope to cancel-out the bad vibrations, understanding that it's probably not going to eliminate them forever.

Good and tightly mounted suspension joints (bushings).
A good steering dampner/steering stabilizer.
A thicker, stronger tie-rod.
and some luck.
Thats about all you can really do.
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

I think Twiztid summed it up pretty good, After I installed my D60 from Boyce, basicly brand new, I installed a rock rod in the stock location without the stabilzer shock and had DW really bad, I put the stabilizer shock on and had none. I now have the tierod above the springs without the stabilizer and DW is back the same as before, I am going ram assist so this may eliminate DW again, the ram is supose to ba an excelent stabilizer, I will let you know.
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

In reply to Nice try but no go. What are you talking about? Enlighten me.

Show me a stock truck with death wobble that doesnt have a worn stabilizer.

Its kinda funny getting advice from a guy whos truck never leaves the driveway, but oh well. Have you done crossover steering? Do you have a D60? Give us some feedback thats worth a nickel.
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

first show me the nickle
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

why do you think you need toe in?
on an IFS it is to account for the rubber control arm bushings deflecting
on our trucks there is no rubber bushings that will deflect to toe it out under load
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

Several of us have experienced the same death wobble. Its not your tires, frame, caster or anything. Its Crossover Steering

<hr></blockquote>

hmmm, where is the stabilizer in this theory?
many have posted DW troubles without cross over, I also have experienced the DW with out the benefit of cross over.
claiming CO steering is the root cause is incorrect.
I am betting it is the 'harmonics' or whatever in the long tie rod which is the reason a 'damper' damps it away
now go boo hoo hoo to someone else if you cant handle me disagreeing with your theories.
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

Didn't cost me a nickel! Woo Hoo. Anyway, Im not disagreeing with you totally, I think you do have a valid point with the Death Wobble in Non-Crossover trucks. Ive never seen it, but Im not going to say you haven't. I just needed some sort of explanation for your disagreement with me. Thanks for the response.

Now, I happen to be basing my theroies on several real life situations. My K5 and another both experienced severe Death Wobble after installing Crossover Steering. The only thing I did with my Tierod is flip it over for the earlier style Knuckles. Both trucks have been to alignment shops. One truck has a Rock Rod, major frame bracing, and will not stop the wobble unless we park them (like you) or add a stabilizer. So, can anybody explain this without using the Tie Rod Theroy. What about Heim Joints, would they react differently?

There is a difference between a full time 4wd shimmy (with larger than stock tires) and the Death Wobble we are talking about. My K5 would always shimmy a little when getting on the gas out of a corner. Is that what you are talking about M_J? Just wanting to clarify what we are talking about.
 
Re: Need help, death wobble, can\'t drive much longer.....

I am not discounting crossover being a contributing factor.
after all it adds another long unsupported link to vibrate uncontrollably.
you stated it to be the root cause, that I do disagree with.
would be interesting to test different tierods to see if stiffer/heavier would move the frequency to where we wouldnt notice it.
 
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