LongTimeListener
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
Here's a super boring, yet super important, topic: bolts. The JK guys might remember a guy named planman, who wrote what is still the definitive post about death wobble.
The long and short of it is this: On the JK, Jeep used slightly undersized bolts for the front track bar. The hole was English and the bolts were metric. And it turns out that 14mm isn't quite 9/16" (it's actually 14.3mm). This allowed the bolts to move ever so slightly in the hole when the suspension cycled. Eventually, the hole would wallow out and the bolt would start moving a lot. This introduced instability into the suspension, which would eventually cause DW and damage other parts.
One fix for this is to use properly sized bolts. (You should also be checking your torque specs at every oil change.)
Northridge offered a "Grade 8 Bolt Kit" that replaced all the suspension bolts with properly sized Grade 8 hardware.
Well, it turns out they just started offering the same kit for the JL. Here's a link: https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/hardware/jlgr8-1-northridge-4x4-hd-grade-8-bolt-kit
Now, I realize this might not work for the JT's rear suspension components (or it might; I don't know). But it will work for the front track bar, which is the part that needs it most, and it'll work for the front control arms.
If you're worried about DW, upgrading the factory bolts offers some cheap insurance. Just make sure you torque them correctly and keep checking the torque throughout the life of your JT.
DW isn't a steering stabilizer issue. It's a matter of loose suspension components, starting with your track bar. It's never to early to stop the damage from starting.
The long and short of it is this: On the JK, Jeep used slightly undersized bolts for the front track bar. The hole was English and the bolts were metric. And it turns out that 14mm isn't quite 9/16" (it's actually 14.3mm). This allowed the bolts to move ever so slightly in the hole when the suspension cycled. Eventually, the hole would wallow out and the bolt would start moving a lot. This introduced instability into the suspension, which would eventually cause DW and damage other parts.
One fix for this is to use properly sized bolts. (You should also be checking your torque specs at every oil change.)
Northridge offered a "Grade 8 Bolt Kit" that replaced all the suspension bolts with properly sized Grade 8 hardware.
Well, it turns out they just started offering the same kit for the JL. Here's a link: https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/hardware/jlgr8-1-northridge-4x4-hd-grade-8-bolt-kit
Now, I realize this might not work for the JT's rear suspension components (or it might; I don't know). But it will work for the front track bar, which is the part that needs it most, and it'll work for the front control arms.
If you're worried about DW, upgrading the factory bolts offers some cheap insurance. Just make sure you torque them correctly and keep checking the torque throughout the life of your JT.
DW isn't a steering stabilizer issue. It's a matter of loose suspension components, starting with your track bar. It's never to early to stop the damage from starting.
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