Death wobble or death from uhaul

[wv_gladiator]

Looks like the load on the trailer should be moved as far forward for more tongue weight. Check your bolts again.

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[kevman65]

If the video represents what happened, then you don't have Death Wobble.

The trailer and the way it was loaded got unstable and started whipping around, no matter what that is going to make the tow vehicle unstable.

 

[mcd2484]

Possibly however the shake in the wheel was not a sway. That insulated pvc weighed maybe 150lbs so the trailer was almost empty which may have been worse.

did check the bolts bushings and I took some pics of my control arms and bushings and sent them to Bds/core 4x4. Nothing that can be diagnosed through pics but I do feel maybe the front axel is too far forwaed. Idk drivers great but like the front shocks lower is close to the shock tower. All my arms were set to speck I know I’m reaching.

springs look great little bow outward on drivers side but seems to be common and my track bar is at the right length. Does seem like the sway bar is closer to the frame on the passengers side than the left. I feel like my front disconnects are angled different than most I see.

 

[bd100]

150lb in the back can be enough to induce sway.

 

[mcd2484]

Absolutely also the pipe was across the top of the trailer and was not helping me stay put… granted the steering wheel shaking violently means there were other forces at play however never had an issue prior to the uhaul. Tires are crap too I have new 315’s/wildpeaks in the garage was just trying to get the summer out of the westlakes as I wanted new tread by the time winter rolls around. Tires have been rotated with oil changes however have needed to be balance/re balanced 3 times and they are only 6 months old. Granted these things are aggravating factors not causes.

 

[Jaxmax]

I have lived with death wobble on my company F-250, the steering wheel shakes violently back and forth, people next to me on interstate would move away even onto the shoulder as I was slowing down, hitting the brakes made it more violent. Sway of the trailer could start the truck swaying but your truck looks to have a lot of rake more so then factory. The trailer is setup terrible you should have about a four inch drop hitch, so the trailer frame is level and toe in of trailer tires will control sway, your high hitch just about eliminates the trailers toe in. Others have said chains are too low but more importantly they need to be crossed under the hitch to support the trailer tongue if trailer separates from truck. I agree the sway of trailer might have helped induce the death wobble. I do not think the load position is all that bad, looks that perhaps you could move it front about a foot or so, but 150 pounds is nothing height or weight wise….Jack

 

[sass JT]

Just a fyi tip. You should paint pen all your nuts and bolts that’s on your suspension and steering components, especially ones that were touched when doing your components. Just helps keep a visual track of what’s choking on with them. Cheers

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

Possibly however the shake in the wheel was not a sway. That insulated pvc weighed maybe 150lbs so the trailer was almost empty which may have been worse.

did check the bolts bushings and I took some pics of my control arms and bushings and sent them to Bds/core 4x4. Nothing that can be diagnosed through pics but I do feel maybe the front axel is too far forwaed. Idk drivers great but like the front shocks lower is close to the shock tower. All my arms were set to speck I know I’m reaching.

springs look great little bow outward on drivers side but seems to be common and my track bar is at the right length. Does seem like the sway bar is closer to the frame on the passengers side than the left. I feel like my front disconnects are angled different than most I see.

Looks like your pinion angle is off- your spring is bowed in the second photo.
If the pinion angle isn’t off- check and verify the length on driver and passenger side…… one side might just be a hair shorter than the other.


Get a magnetic angle finder and level ground and check your pinion angle. - this is a contributor to DW. This is important for drive line vibration (& life of the u-joints). The upper needs to be extended to correct the spring bow- but your lower might need to be extended as well to correct the angle. They both need to be checked together- make an adjustment and recheck everything…

Next check your toe- usually 1/16” out is good- sometimes needs a bit more.

Ensure the track bar bolt is torqued to spec not just “tight” check with a torque wrench. They can be tight, and still be loose enough to cause the bolt to wallow out the mount hole (axle side most of the time).


My money is on the control arms given that your spring is bowed just a bit.

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

I thought the orange control arms looked familiar!!!! Looks like you got the axle centered and the track bar extended.

 

[mcd2484]

Track bar is extended for the center axel I was 1in off to the drivers side and now I’m within 1/4 inch on both sides. I agree with the pinion angle as I did have to shorten the upper control arm. The springs were pressing against the upper bump stop tubes (previous forum issue lol).

 

[mcd2484]

@jacxmax very good point. The Bds lift is 1.5 rear and 3in front so it’s sort of a level and lift kit.
So without the drop hitch thus having a terrible rake I’m thinking I removed just about all the weight off my front axel and released all the gremlins?

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