It's cold again. Guess who's back? Old St. Death Wobble. (edit-Not true DW, just a big shimmy)

[smlobx]

Why? 25 degrees inside is 25 degrees outside.

It does take longer to cool down than outside, but the 7am temperatures are going to be pretty equal. By the time you go out in the AM, say 5, 6, 7, the temperatures are going to be very close in most cases.
My garage is typically within 5 degrees of outside unless it's in the dead of summer where the heat builds up badly and it's 10 degrees or so hotter in there.
My point is that if it's 20 outside and your vehicle is outside, and it's 25 in the garage and there's a vehicle in there, the water will still be frozen in the morning.…..

An attached garage in any house built in the last 15 or 20 years ago should be significantly more moderate that the ambient temps overnight. In most parts of the country the delta should be on the order of 15 to 20 degrees. So unless it gets below about 10 degrees or so nothing should freeze in your garage overnight. If it does you need to fix this issue…

Now back to our regularly scheduled discussion….?

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[Gvsukids]

It does take longer to cool down than outside, but the 7am temperatures are going to be pretty equal.

An attached garage in any house built in the last 15 or 20 years ago should be significantly more moderate that the ambient temps overnight. In most parts of the country the delta should be on the order of 15 to 20 degrees. So unless it gets below about 10 degrees or so nothing should freeze in your garage overnight. If it does you need to fix this issue…

Now back to our regularly scheduled discussion….?

I was going to say, my garage never gets as cold inside as it is outside.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

An attached garage in any house built in the last 15 or 20 years ago

Who has a house that new? I'd say, I wish - but not with modern construction methods and materials.
I've lived in 6 houses - none had attached garage.
Of the people I know and visit who do have attached garage - you leave the cold or frozen stuff you brought for Christmas dinner in the garage - it won't thaw.

So you are talking a small group of people. Very small if you talk the last 15-20 years. I don't even know anyone who could afford or lives in such a house.
I think people assume an attached, or attached cozy garage is the norm. For new homes, yeah.

I was going to say, my garage never gets as cold inside as it is outside.

Really? You are one of the lucky few. Never had a house with attached garage - and those I do know of, like my neighbor - stuff will freeze out there. When the temps stay in the 20s, his garage will be really close to outside temperatures and his is finished and insulated. There's nothing to generate heat.
Most of us - not so lucky, I guess.

 

[kevman65]

Since this is bound to be a HOT topic again.

First, on your first "cold" (relative to location) morning, check the air pressure in your tires.
Willing to bet you are now low on pressure.

Second, all your metal bits in your steering set up are colder and stiffer than you are. Until you get some heat in it all things are going to be a little different

Third, check all the bolts and nuts in your steering bits for tightness. Expansion/contraction hot/cold and things loosen up.

 

[smlobx]

“ I don't even know anyone who could afford or lives in such a house. …”
@ShadowsPapa you need better friends! J/K ?. There are literally tens of millions of us!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My WJ tires did this even at proper pressures for the temperatures (I am one who adds air with a coming winter to keep pressure where it should be, then if necessary, lets air back out in the spring when things warm up)
Lower or incorrect pressure would make things worse as the tire sits with a larger, flatter, footprint but it happens even when normally inflated.

Second, all your metal bits in your steering set up are colder and stiffer than you are. Until you get some heat in it all things are going to be a little different

He'd have to be really cold for that to matter. If he was approaching 20 below temperatures, sure, but there won't be a lick of difference between 10 degrees and 60 degrees in how it feels.
He's just got tire issues.
There's nothing about suspension that will cause what he's got because it's not death wobble.
He just said after a few minutes it's fine - that's tires.
My vehicles experience extremes and there's never a bit of difference in how they steer or feel - especially with modern EHPS.
When driving straight there's very little force on any of the steering parts. Cold won't matter.
In a recent "coffee with Gene" Tuesday AM hang out at a neighbor's shop, we were talking that very thing - how a friend of Gene's drive his old truck out to the flats a couple of years ago and Gene had to push it to keep up with his friend's 90 mph run getting there. Steady, solid, straight. Then they got to the hotel, parked their vehicles, decided to go back out for drinks and went to take his buddy's truck and in the parking lot, the flex joint gave loose. That brought up the discussion on how little forces there are on a quick moving straight moving vehicle, but in town, it's tougher. Our EHPS is a good demonstration as it's all but off on the highway - the vehicle wants to go straight, the forces are minimal on a good straight road.
So in the case here, it's not cold steel - it's another issue. Cold steel has nothing to do with it. Otherwise we'd all see differences in the winter, especially when it dips down to minus 20 for a week for a high temp.
The steel doesn't warm up or get more limber as you drive - tires do.

 

[kevman65]

Bill, I'll agree to disagree with you.

Have had it happen repeatedly at about 25 degrees and the tires were properly inflated.

Once the steering got a little heat into the flexible bits, things became normal again. Yes I was watching the TPMS and had not increased in pressure at the point the steering straightened out.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Bill, I'll agree to disagree with you.

Have had it happen repeatedly at about 25 degrees and the tires were properly inflated.

Once the steering got a little heat into the flexible bits, things became normal again. Yes I was watching the TPMS and had not increased in pressure at the point the steering straightened out.

You missed where I said I had it happen with properly inflated tires, too. And it was totally tires.
He can very easily diagnose this as I described earlier.
Proper inflation doesn't necessarily mean no flat spotting. Been working with tires a very long time, and have had it happen on my own vehicles. It was the tires that warmed.
I keep the tires properly inflated on all of my vehicles, hot or cold, winter or summer. I even adjust for towing and hauling.
The WJ tires were properly inflated - wobble that disappeared as the tires warmed up. The steel doesn't warm up. Not to the point of becoming more flexible, not in 20 degree weather. It's still cold steel.

Until or unless he does something different with his tires, he's going to have this issue.
If it was cold steel, then many of our Canadian friends would be having problems, Jeeps in Alaska would be in trouble, and a fair percentage of our own vehicles would develop a lumpy wobble in the cold.
What about cold steel will cause a wobble? You want the steering rigid, tight. Steel gets less flexible in the cold (but it takes more than 40 or 30 degrees to matter) People put on more rigid, stiffer drag links, tie rods and track bars all the time. They are rigid as heck, more so than anything stock. Since their drag links and track bars are stiffer than stock, why isn't there a problem?

Doesn't matter - if a tire is properly inflated it can STILL develop flat spots, that's a fact. There's always a part of the tire flat against the ground. There's always several square inches of tire pressed firmly on the floor, there's always a bit of a bulge even on properly inflated tires.
Most won't, but some will flat spot in the cold.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/can-tires-flat-spot-overnight.364932/

Over-inflation is about the only test as they can do this even with correct inflation for the current climate.
Most experts say "proper inflation reduces the risk"........ but no one ever says it removes the possibility. Just that underinflated is more likely.

Tire Rack says:
While there is no way to completely avoid temporary tire flat-spotting, knowing what to expect under different conditions will help minimize its inconvenience.

Meaning - proper inflation can minimize the chances, it can still happen.

 

[Gvsukids]

Lots of opinions without any new data from @Bonanza

“ I don't even know anyone who could afford or lives in such a house. …”
@ShadowsPapa you need better friends! J/K ?. There are literally tens of millions of us!

Iowa must be behind the times.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Lots of opinions without any new data from @Bonanza


Iowa must be behind the times.

Could be - but - how many homes out of all homes in a given state are newer than 20 years old? Median age is around 40 years.
Over 20% were built in the 1950s. That's almost 1/4 of all US homes.

 

[Hootbro]

Who has a house that new? I'd say, I wish - but not with modern construction methods and materials.
I've lived in 6 houses - none had attached garage.

I have own three homes over the years built in the 1960's, 1980's and 2000's. All had attached and well insulated for the time built garages. Temp delta in all of them stayed above freezing from outside ambient unless it got into single digits outside ambient for more than a day.

I can see living in rural Iowa or rural anywhere that Modern new build is going to be lacking but that is not a barometer for everywhere else.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I have own three homes over the years built in the 1960's, 1980's and 2000's. All had attached and well insulated for the time built garages. Temp delta in all of them stayed above freezing from outside ambient unless it got into single digits outside ambient for more than a day.

I can see living in rural Iowa or rural anywhere that Modern new build is going to be lacking but that is not a barometer for everywhere else.

True - but - it may not matter if it's inside.
Maybe "how cold is it where it's parked"

Whatever.

any bets on the situation in this thread, though?
I'm willing to bet on the cause. Pretty clear, IMO.
All information is here, apply logic, physics, science.
Cold weather, goes away, can drive out of it, etc.
There's posts all over the internet about this. It happens to cars, trucks, Jeeps, whatever.

 

[disenhower]

My death wobble started after a 3.5" Skyjacker lift with ADX 2.0 shcks. It's worse in the cold. I have adjustable contol arms, ball joints are good, everything torqed to spec (and again when the weather changed), Tire pressure is good, new steering stabalizer to be safe, adjustable front Track bar is correct.

All that to say, I installed MetalCloak's Front Lower control arm drop brackets and haven't wobbled in 3 weeks. Hot weather, cold weather, and bumps I know cause my wooble. I hit them with a smile now. Give em a shot. Best of luck.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My death wobble started after a 3.5" Skyjacker lift with ADX 2.0 shcks. It's worse in the cold. I have adjustable contol arms, ball joints are good, everything torqed to spec (and again when the weather changed), Tire pressure is good, new steering stabalizer to be safe, adjustable front Track bar is correct.

All that to say, I installed MetalCloak's Front Lower control arm drop brackets and haven't wobbled in 3 weeks. Hot weather, cold weather, and bumps I know cause my wooble. I hit them with a smile now. Give em a shot. Best of luck.

Makes sense as you put some of the geometry back closer to where it belongs. Tall lifts throw things off parallel.
But I still have my money on tires in the other case.

 

[Pilsner]

same. mines a shimmy in the steering wheel though, not the whole truck violently shaking.

metalcloak true dual 3.5" with BFG k02s 315/70r17 on a mammoth wheel 17x19.5 with -6mm backspacing. My jt has 13800k miles.

last time the steering stabilizer fixed my issue, but as soon as it got cold this year, it returned. I jumped my tire PSI from 30 to 36 and it mitigated it for now. Calling the dealer today. I believe it be tire related at this time and im too poor to mount a different set of tires and test this theory, but thats what i want to do. Lower tire pressure the shimy is slower side to side but at greater spans of left to right movement. higher psi makes the shimmy faster but not as far left or right. Im not the most articulate person, I hope that makes sense.

I just dont want you to think youre crazy, I have the EXACT same issue with mine. Second year in row it gets cold and i get a shimmy on uneven pavement that wont go away unless i slow down to under 45mph. Mine happens between 45mph-50mph. I see numerous youtube videos calling it death wobble, but i dont think it is. Temps in the morning have been 40s-50s.

I came here with exactly the same issue. 37s and 4" lift. Shimmy starts at about 50 mph and ramps up on a hurry to uncontrollable. If I can get to 70 without hitting a bump it'll mostly be better. Once it starts, I have to go below 45 mph to stop it. Everything was fine until yesterday morning when it hit the high 30s. It was almost fine by afternoon. This morning at 32 degrees it's worse. Have never had an issue before yesterday. I'll check for toe tomorrow, but I checked most of the front end fasteners already for proper torque. Ball joints are on my list too. Hell I'll replace all the front end suspension if needed, this is undriveable. I took tires down to 20 and up to 30 with no change. Been driving an hour so they're warm.

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