“Death wobble”

[rsan09]

FWIW/IMHO:
From someone that has spent a lot of money on Synergy parts, I would suggest going another route.
For very similar money, there are much better end links on the market.
Mine have worn out faster than I would have expected and the adjustments for a wide-track axle are at the very limits of the spec.
I wish I had gone a different route and will likely be replacing all of the front end components in the near future.

What other brand would you go with if not synergy? what is a better brand for the money or similar in price?

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[Wooden_Amphibian_442]

i felt this on my 2020 gladiator within the first few thousand miles. i went to dealer and they go "oh death wobble"
which did not feel reassuring with a kid in the back.
anyway. they did something that fixed it and it cost me 0.

 

[Janster]

Back 20 years ago… the name ‘death wobble’ was exactly that…. you felt like you were going to DIE when you experienced it. Seeing your life flash in front of you while sucking your skivvies up thru a straw into your intestines….

 

[rsan09]

i felt this on my 2020 gladiator within the first few thousand miles. i went to dealer and they go "oh death wobble"
which did not feel reassuring with a kid in the back.
anyway. they did something that fixed it and it cost me 0.

Yes, the last time i experienced it, i had my daughter in the back and she freaked out. Made me realize I need to get this fixed ASAP. Specially because we were only going to drive 25-30 min away from home on the Freeway. Definitely not reliable to drive long distances in the moment.

Everyone behind me slowed down and put the hazards on to warn other drivers. smh

 

[rsan09]

I was hundreds of miles from home when my 2021 Mojave with 75k on it started acting up. Took it to a 4x4 shop in the area and the steering dampener was toast. Put on an adjustable one from Teraflex. Got me home but they said the tie rod and drag link ends were getting sloppy as well so I replaced those with a RockJock Currectlynx setup. Been great ever since.

Thanks for the suggestion. Did you get the combo that come together in a set? If so, how was the installation like? Thinking of purchasing those.

 

[zxd9]

Thanks for the suggestion. Did you get the combo that come together in a set? If so, how was the installation like? Thinking of purchasing those.

Yes, I bought the combo set with both pieces. Installation was a breeze.....I had someone else do it!

rockjock part #: RJ-442100-101
TERAFLEX nexus EF 2.2 stabilizer: 09-02-22-110-000
This only works with stock tie rod which I needed to get me home.
Teraflex 99-01-01-158 Falcon 1-5/8” Stabilizer Tie Rod Clamp was needed to attach to Rockjock

You should be able to buy the stabilizer with the correct tie rod clamp as a set. This should be the right one 01-02-22-110-158 .

 

[Splenda]

The first time I experienced it was on a motorcycle, and we referred to it as a tank slapper. I almost crapped my pants!

 

[rsan09]

Yes, I bought the combo set with both pieces. Installation was a breeze.....I had someone else do it!

rockjock part #: RJ-442100-101
TERAFLEX nexus EF 2.2 stabilizer: 09-02-22-110-000
This only works with stock tie rod which I needed to get me home.
Teraflex 99-01-01-158 Falcon 1-5/8” Stabilizer Tie Rod Clamp was needed to attach to Rockjock

You should be able to buy the stabilizer with the correct tie rod clamp as a set. This should be the right one 01-02-22-110-158 .

Does the stabilizer need to be replaced as well, or the stock will do just fine? I did notice the bundles come with two different brackets.

• Steering Stabilizer Shock High-Mount Relocation Bracket (Axle End of Shock)
• Steering Stabilizer Shock Bracket (Tie Rod End of Shock)

 

[Janster]

Did you feel like you were going to die?? Were your ass checks puckered or did you shit your pants in the process?

No?

 

[Janster]

The first time I experienced it was on a motorcycle, and we referred to it as a tank slapper. I almost crapped my pants!

Probably 20 years ago…. In our YJ on 35’s, dana 44’s….. Driving on the highway - I experienced it…. Not something I ever want to experience again!!

I must‘ve hit a bump cuz the thing started shimmying side to side…. and was rythmically getting worse. Kinda like towing a trailer and the trailer starts to Wag…. It keeps getting worse with every wag until the damn thing flips. That’s exactly what I thought was gonna happen… HOLY &$%@# !!! THIS IS NOT gonna end well while you your white knuckles are on the steering wheel.

It happens so fast and by the time you realize its happening, your heart is in your throat and Yes…. just about shit your pants. Luckily…. I was able to get my foot off the gas and get it under control.

Anytime someone says they have Death Wobble….

Installed a custom tie-rod & drag link after that little episode - worked like a charm!!

 

[zxd9]

Does the stabilizer need to be replaced as well, or the stock will do just fine? I did notice the bundles come with two different brackets.

• Steering Stabilizer Shock High-Mount Relocation Bracket (Axle End of Shock)
• Steering Stabilizer Shock Bracket (Tie Rod End of Shock)

My stabilizer was shot so it needed to be replaced. That change by itself got me home with no issues. The shop recommended I replace the tie rod and drag link due to looseness of those ends. Failure to replace those and letting the stabilizer do all the work would just reduce its' life.

 

[MaximusG20]

I want to thank everyone on this forum for the explanation of the “death wobble” or “steering wander”. I purchased a used 2020 Gladiator rubicon completely stock with 27k miles on it. I have driven numerous jeeps previously but this one has a slight wander when I was driving, no matter what speed I drove. I ignored it mostly until I decided to help a buddy move a couple of his 4wheelers with my 16’ flat trailer. The moment I started driving with the trailer the wandering felt so dangerous I started looking for answers and found myself joining this forum. To make a long story short I had purchased an extended warrant and glad I did, the shop immediately said I needed a new gearbox to the tune of $11,300 and the warranty covered it. So again thanks to all who have written on here explaining what I was feeling with the steering. It has helped tremendously and now I’ve been diving into how I eventually want to set up my gladiator.

 

[kc mojave]

i took my 2022 mojave in yesterday for service, and to look at the the death wobble issue.
i have owned the vehicle for 3 years and have 31,000 on the odometer. only modification is
aftermarket wheels with 35 inch tires. i first noticed the issue a couple of months ago
when going over bumps/potholes at 40 mph. i am still under warranty. dealer ordered
drag link, toe bar and damper. we'll see how it goes? from what i have read ball joints also
seem to be the culprit.

 

[professorkx]

I want to thank everyone on this forum for the explanation of the “death wobble” or “steering wander”. I purchased a used 2020 Gladiator rubicon completely stock with 27k miles on it. I have driven numerous jeeps previously but this one has a slight wander when I was driving, no matter what speed I drove. I ignored it mostly until I decided to help a buddy move a couple of his 4wheelers with my 16’ flat trailer. The moment I started driving with the trailer the wandering felt so dangerous I started looking for answers and found myself joining this forum. To make a long story short I had purchased an extended warrant and glad I did, the shop immediately said I needed a new gearbox to the tune of $11,300 and the warranty covered it. So again thanks to all who have written on here explaining what I was feeling with the steering. It has helped tremendously and now I’ve been diving into how I eventually want to set up my gladiator.

On my 2014 JK, I have adjusted my steering gear box a number of times to get the slop out of the box. Not sure why the newer Jeep boxes seem to have more wear than the old Saginaw boxes I have used on builds for decades. Some folks say adjusting a box is taboo…I’m OK with them buying a new box every few years while I make a slight adjustment to my box and keep the money in the bank…

 

[Smatterchoo]

Hi Everyone,
I Recently experienced the “death wobble” on my 2020 Jeep Gladiator. It's around 43k miles, stock, no lift kit or mods. Anyone else experience this and know what parts need replacing? It's so embarrassing and annoying.
Thanks!!

My 2020 Overland ended up being the steering damper. No problems since, happened at 11,000 miles and no problems since. Now 27,000 miles.

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