Death wobble? Steering wheel shakes

[Richard79]

I think I found my issue it looks like it’s my tie rod end and drag link end on passenger side. I can wiggle both of these and there is play. Seems crazy they’re both bad at under 50k miles. Are there replacement ends I can buy or are these one pieces

What kind of play? If it’s just that u can twist it back and forth that is normal but side to side play or up and down is no good

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[LiftedrubiconJT]

What kind of play? If it’s just that u can twist it back and forth that is normal but side to side play or up and down is no good

I can only twist them back and forth.

 

[Richard79]

I can only twist them back and forth.

Look up planman death wobble on YouTube and do those tests, at 50k my guess would be worn balljoints, very little play there can cause it

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

I think I found my issue it looks like it’s my tie rod end and drag link end on passenger side. I can wiggle both of these and there is play. Seems crazy they’re both bad at under 50k miles. Are there replacement ends I can buy or are these one pieces

I’m going off screen name- lifted rubicon. What size tires are you running? Larger tires wear parts quicker… 37”+ I’d recommend getting larger ends…. If you off road at all- aluminum tie rod is the way to go….. unlike steel when you bump a rock stump etc the aluminum will bend back- metal memory (most of the time)…

https://doetschoffroad.com/products...2018-jeep-jk-25-ton-2in-7075-aluminum-tie-rod

If you want to stick with the same size:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/jeep,2021,gladiator,3.6l+v6,3446677,steering,tie+rod+end,7428


edit- just saw the more recent posts….. ? back on the hunt.

Checking components helps if you have someone sit in the jeep and turn the wheel side to side slow while you look at each joint…

 

[LiftedrubiconJT]

I’m going off screen name- lifted rubicon. What size tires are you running? Larger tires wear parts quicker… 37”+ I’d recommend getting larger ends…. If you off road at all- aluminum tie rod is the way to go….. unlike steel when you bump a rock stump etc the aluminum will bend back- metal memory (most of the time)…

https://doetschoffroad.com/products...2018-jeep-jk-25-ton-2in-7075-aluminum-tie-rod

If you want to stick with the same size:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/jeep,2021,gladiator,3.6l+v6,3446677,steering,tie+rod+end,7428


edit- just saw the more recent posts….. ? back on the hunt.

Checking components helps if you have someone sit in the jeep and turn the wheel side to side slow while you look at each joint…

I’m only running 35 inch tires and the mopar 2 inch lift. Never been off roading. It’s a mall crawler.

 

[Darkspeed]

So Jeeps come factory equipped with a problem masked by a steering stabilizer?
You'd think 21 Century engineers could do better.

That’s not what I meant. I think when steering components start to wear, the stabilizers job gets harder and begins to mask the problem. Worn steering components will greatly shorten the life of a stabilizer. However I do think new unworn components properly adjusted won’t quickly wear out a steering stabilizer.
A stabilizer is designed to slow down the reaction time of a wheel end initiated force. Without a positive centering force they really aren’t designed to keep you going straight.

 

[kennyglm]

something is not right as in not torqued

i just went out and re torqued all the front suspension components and found nothing to be out of torque specifications and everything seems tight. so just for shits and giggles i topped off the tires at 40 pounds and actually like how it rides better , so we shall see but if it happens again its going back to the dealer

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

i just went out and re torqued all the front suspension components and found nothing to be out of torque specifications and everything seems tight. so just for shits and giggles i topped off the tires at 40 pounds and actually like how it rides better , so we shall see but if it happens again its going back to the dealer

So this sucks- but some times disassembly of everything to see if the bolt holes are wallowed might be needed.

 

[kennyglm]

So this sucks- but some times disassembly of everything to see if the bolt holes are wallowed might be needed.

it only has 3600 miles on it highly unlikely

 

[Blade1668]

A "curse" is having stuff torqued without the weight of vehicle on suspension short term no problems but long-term torn out bushings and excessive and accelerate wear leading up to D.W. in some cases. "Lessons learned by many" I found it on XJ's that and excessive angles on parts too. I replaced tie rod ends and heim joints 3-4 times a year due to wear. Control arm bushings too especially with after market ones factory ones was sheet metal and flexed... on TJ's, XJ's and MJ's, I think on ZJ's and WJ's too.
Tire balance and wheel back spacing contributes to the problem too let alone moving the hub load outside of design parameters wearing ball joints with many aftermarket rims. Leverage can be a bitch.
None of this will probably help you out but maybe someone else or give others more to think about.

 

[bd100]

Less air pressure makes sidewalls more flexible, which may explain falling temperature finally pushing things over the edge into DW.

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

it only has 3600 miles on it highly unlikely

I don’t know that I would say that…. If your chasing death wobble at 3,600 miles I would start with the basics…

track bar mount holes can wallow quickly… like few hundred miles quickly….The steel on the factory mounts is pretty weak sauce.

 

[MrJeep]

Less air pressure makes sidewalls more flexible, which may explain falling temperature finally pushing things over the edge into DW.

Have to agree here. My TJ with larger than stock tires is very air pressure sensitive when doing highway speeds, has to be above a certain threshold or I get DW.
PS is probably right that both this and steering stab are Band-Aids on the true problem but if it works, it works. ?‍

 

[kennyglm]

So lately when I hit certain bumps steering wheel will shake back and forth for a few seconds. 2020 rubicon with 46,xxx miles . 2 inch mopar lift and 35s. What would cause this?

so did ya get it figured out ?

 

[Orange01z28]

Ok what do you guys think here

I was starting to get some DW and I figured some components needed tightening and maybe some stuff was going bad

however I rotated the tires today and now it’s awful. The tires need a rebalance, right?

im still going to crank down some bolts and I have some parts to replace soon but I can barely drive between 40-50 mph right now

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