2021 gladiator death wobble

[jsalbre]

Tires absolutely can be the problem.

The track bar and drag link not being parallel causes bump steer, not death wobble.

Tires could initiate an existing tendency to wobble by being out of balance or out of round, and can certainly be a contributing factor, but if shake is from only the tires then it will be pretty much entirely dependent on speed. On a vehicle with no other issues tires on their own are not going to be the only underlying cause.

Yes, track bar and drag link being non-parallel causes bump steer, but if it’s bad enough it creates essentially a feedback loop, which is what “death wobble” is.

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[Wheelin98TJ]

Tires could initiate an existing tendency to wobble by being out of balance or out of round, and can certainly be a contributing factor, but if shake is from only the tires then it will be pretty much entirely dependent on speed. On a vehicle with no other issues tires on their own are not going to be the only underlying cause.

Yes, track bar and drag link being non-parallel causes bump steer, but if it’s bad enough it creates essentially a feedback loop, which is what “death wobble” is.

I had a TJ with death wobble caused by the wheels/tires.

Bump steer can excite the wobble, but I wouldn't say drag link/track bar not parallel is the #1 cause of death wobble.

From what I've seen, death wobble is most often caused by out of balance tires/out of round wheels, bad track bar bushing(s) or loose bolts, or bad control arm bushings or loose bolts.

 

[zmax44]

Just curious, is your freedom completely stock?

yes, stock and no issues at all until 14,000 miles then the wooble issue

 

[Daddiator54]

yes, stock and no issues at all until 14,000 miles then the wooble issue

This is concerning for my Freedom trim at 4k miles. Only mods i have are a 1.5” terraflex lvl kit and 35s.

 

[Mjolnir]

This is concerning for my Freedom trim at 4k miles. Only mods i have are a 1.5” terraflex lvl kit and 35s.

Why? lol. I have 51k lifted and 35s and no issues. Hell, i've been driving with no stabilizer for a bit over 30k miles now.

 

[Mudhorn_55]

This is concerning for my Freedom trim at 4k miles. Only mods i have are a 1.5” terraflex lvl kit and 35s.

Hi, new Gladiator owner here, and was curious if you had any issues after your 1.5 Teraflex kit? Did you put anything else one, GEO brackets or anything?

 

[seven30]

My 2021 Mojave just developed the DW this very day! First it happend on a rough right hand curve. Then a few hours later on a right hand two lane highway sweeper in traffic. I had to slow to about 10mph before it subsided.

The JT has 25k on the clock, AT tires and is bone stock.
The funny part is I have a XJ and YJ both with over 200K and neither do this.

I rased each tire off ground independently and cant detect any looseness or play prying around on tire(s). Everything feel tight. Ill check track bar bolts next as I did not do that yet.

 

[seven30]

See if this video of some give in the drag link ball joint is viewable. The stabilizer is clearly leaking but in the preceding couple of weeks I have noticed small but definite increase in the effort to keep the JT on track and was pondering whether the steering box was developing an issue.

The wobble on a nearly new JT is just bizarre to me.

 

[Sazabi19]

I had the exact same thing happen to me (but only once). Luckily enough I have a dashcam and was able to show the video to the techs and they got me my new steering box... and steering damper lol. Hasn't come back at least. I asked to tighten everything down as well, he said they would make sure everything was factory spec.

 

[Geoarch]

Over death wobble, if that's what it really is. That's a fixable solution that can happen on any solid axle vehicle. It's not just Jeeps that have had the problems, even Toyota's owners I know have had the issue. Not saying nothing bad about a Tacoma or Toyota, but it can happen, especially in solid axle vehicles. I 100% doubt your going to force a buy back because of death wobble, and I don't care how good of a lawyer you can afford

For what it's worth, my 73 CJ-5 did it, but not often. Usually when I slowed down it went away. I've owned five Tacomas and never had that problem. Other problems, but not the wobble.

 

[Geoarch]

This is one reason I bought the JT… I’ve had a lot of Jeeps and trucks with solid axles and I love them for their simplicity and durability.

all manufacturers are struggling with quality control. This is a result of decreased labor force, and material supply chain. Many people working in any industry you will find are not happy with their jobs and therefore the quality of work IMOP, has decreased for this reason .

Do some research on issues with Toyota Tacoma and Tundra. There are plenty and if you think the JT is slow… go drive a Toyota Tacoma?… then try putting 37’s in them ?. They are reliable in some regards. That is largely because they haven’t changed much in the past 20 years and they are way under powered which keeps things easy on the drivetrain… hence longevity.

No… IMHOP the Toyota Tacoma doesn’t hold a candle to the JT for many reasons (I have owned plenty of Toyota’s over the years).

That's why I'm looking to trade my 2018 Tacoma TRD Pro for a Rubicon Gladiator. It's a truck. The Tacoma has become a luxury car. The transfer case actuator is a problem waiting to happen on Tacomas.

 

[Geoarch]

Was driving my 2021 gladiator down the highway today doing the speed limit of 70 mph and got death wobble 3 times after hitting bumps on the highway, scared the crap out of my girlfriend. I already tightened the track bar and ball joints from a previous issue with noise while stopping. Going to take it to the dealer tomorrow and fight with them again, probably get the "could not duplicate" crap. Is there a better steering damper you guys use to correct this issue?

I'm considering moving from Tacoma to Gladiator Rubicon. Has anyone done a poll on how many have had the wobble problem? It seems that if it was common enough, since it could be dangerous NTSA would require a recall.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

Hi, new Gladiator owner here, and was curious if you had any issues after your 1.5 Teraflex kit? Did you put anything else one, GEO brackets or anything?

I also did the 1.5” Teraflex level kit. Nothing else other than 33” tires. It drives great and it’s been a bit over 3k miles since the install.

 

[Tuggernuts]

Don’t think death wobble is just a Jeep issue.

Prior to my JT, had F350 dually, and had it to the dealer twice for DW. Ford had issued a TSB for same…..check out the Ford forums. Mine eventually got solved, after one stabilizer and a alignment messing with the camber.

It’s absolutely not a jeep issue. I just turned my Kenworth in because of a severe death wobble. Not fun when you’re pulling two loaded 28’ trailers behind you.

 

[Tuggernuts]

I'm considering moving from Tacoma to Gladiator Rubicon. Has anyone done a poll on how many have had the wobble problem? It seems that if it was common enough, since it could be dangerous NTSA would require a recall.

Trust me, it’s not that common.

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