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Death wobble

TxTrail956

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Have a 21 gladiator with a 4.5 in lift on 37s x12.5x17 and recently installed adjustable control arms due to my axle not being aligned. Everything was normal till after a tire rotation. Is it possible my rear tires were probably out of balance and now caused death wobble that their in the front?
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THE SANDALORIAN

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I had my tires road force balanced and that resolved the issue I was having with signs of death wobble in the 45 to 50 mph range. I chased down all the other typical issues (track bar loose, ball joints, control arms torqued, etc) and none were the culprit.
 
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TxTrail956

TxTrail956

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I had my tires road force balanced and that resolved the issue I was having with signs of death wobble in the 45 to 50 mph range. I chased down all the other typical issues (track bar loose, ball joints, control arms torqued, etc) and none were the culprit.
Thanks, I’ve already gone over all the possible causes, everything is perfectly normal, I’ll go get my tires checked and see if that resolves my issue
 

Lunentucker

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If you have the tools and abilities one of the first things you should do is check all of your components for proper torque, especially ball joints and wheel bearings. Looks like you've got quite a bit of poke in the profile picture and that can mean earlier than normal wear and failure to parts like ball joints wheel bearings, etc.
Your scrub radius is likely well out of spec.

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...-wobble-shimmy-wander-drift-bump-steer.68302/

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/?-2020-2023-jt-gladiator-torque-values-all-of-them-in-one-place.67915/
 

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If you have the tools and abilities one of the first things you should do is check all of your components for proper torque, especially ball joints and wheel bearings. Looks like you've got quite a bit of poke in the profile picture and that can mean earlier than normal wear and failure to parts like ball joints wheel bearings, etc.
Your scrub radius is likely well out of spec.

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...-wobble-shimmy-wander-drift-bump-steer.68302/

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/?-2020-2023-jt-gladiator-torque-values-all-of-them-in-one-place.67915/
You beat me to it.

and recently installed adjustable control arms due to my axle not being aligned.
Control arms set caster, not align the axle - unless you mean it was sitting too far back and needed to be moved forward.
 

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Lunentucker

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You beat me to it.



Control arms set caster, not align the axle - unless you mean it was sitting too far back and needed to be moved forward.
I wonder if they meant that one side was adjusted in or out father than the other. Different lengths on each side. Never mind. Re-read it. Yeah. That makes no sense.
 
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TxTrail956

TxTrail956

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You beat me to it.



Control arms set caster, not align the axle - unless you mean it was sitting too far back and needed to be moved forward.
Yes, passenger side was sitting further back and causing my spring to bow forward. But wobble started after I took in for an oil change and got my tires rotated. That’s why I was wondering if tires can be an issue, this is my first 4x4 and dealing with aftermarket stuff.
 

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Yes, passenger side was sitting further back and causing my spring to bow forward. But wobble started after I took in for an oil change and got my tires rotated. That’s why I was wondering if tires can be an issue, this is my first 4x4 and dealing with aftermarket stuff.
Yes, tires can - either a bad tire, balance issue and so on.

Who installed the adjustable control arms - and are you saying it was off BEFORE or after they were installed???
 

Lunentucker

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Yes, tires can - either a bad tire, balance issue and so on.

Who installed the adjustable control arms - and are you saying it was off BEFORE or after they were installed???
I think he's saying that he had the standard axle shift associated with a lift.
You'd think a 4.5 inch lift would include adjustable control arms.
 

ShadowsPapa

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I think he's saying that he had the standard axle shift associated with a lift.
You'd think a 4.5 inch lift would include adjustable control arms.
I'd agree, but............. he said passenger side was sitting further back (assuming he means than the left) and that's just not possible with stock control arms and if adjustable were installed and it ended up that way, the installer messed up bigly.
I get it if it was the whole axle setting back - but to put on that big of a lift and not install adjustable control arms, and actually, correction brackets for that tall of a lift, someone didn't do a good job.

This is the part that got me - the right side was sitting further back. How is that even possible.

Yes, passenger side was sitting further back and causing my spring to bow forward.
 

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TxTrail956

TxTrail956

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Yes, tires can - either a bad tire, balance issue and so on.

Who installed the adjustable control arms - and are you saying it was off BEFORE or after they were installed???
Got them installed at a 4x4 shop, it all started because I went from 3.5 in springs to 4.5, shop that installed the springs told me it was fine that I wouldn’t need anything else to accommodate the taller spring. Took it out of the shop and noticed the bow out and the tech said it was normal for some bow out so took it to another shop for a second opinion and adjustable control arms were recommended to fix the issue.
 

Mojojojo

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Have you checked the torque on the lug nuts after the tire rotation?
Was the air pressure adjusted?
 

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I'd agree, but............. he said passenger side was sitting further back (assuming he means than the left) and that's just not possible with stock control arms and if adjustable were installed and it ended up that way, the installer messed up bigly.
I get it if it was the whole axle setting back - but to put on that big of a lift and not install adjustable control arms, and actually, correction brackets for that tall of a lift, someone didn't do a good job.

This is the part that got me - the right side was sitting further back. How is that even possible.
it can be, There is enough slack in the mount holes and the stock bolts don't fully fill. which means if your not careful you can end up having a full 1/2in of difference between both side. you can either upsize the bolts DIY from McMasterCarr or a kit for MC, or you can be super attentive and make sure both sides measure equal before you torque em down. This is why its recommended to do one arm at a time on the ground rather than lift and let the truck hang. I went from stock to the Mopar 2in lift extended arms and made this mistake and wondered why no matter the alignment my truck tracked left and the dumb dealer tech said my cross caster was just off. Which it can't be unless the axle is bent cus thats a welded in spec. After enough headache i decided to redo and see if i missed something, lo and behold the passenger side was all the way forward in the frame perch and the driver was all the way back. so i loosend both and got a 2x 2in 33k rachet straps and pulled it as tight to the rear axle as possible till both sides sat in their perch equal. then i retorqued and the truck tracked straight again.
 

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After being in and around Jeeps my whole life, you are right on thinking that it is caused by the tire balance. If the tires were all perfectly balanced, you would have zero oscillations to throw the Jeep around. As you said, when the rear tires were moved forward is when the wobbles started, that's really one of the first diagnostic steps I always recommend, is rotating the tires.

Loose or worn parts do not cause DW, only allow it to continue and amplify. Steering stabilizers only mask the issue, and neither cause or solve DW.
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