towing safely with known death wobble?

[nixit]

hello all our first camping trip is coming up, and within the last 6 months, my tow vehicle, a 2020 jeep gladiator sport w/max tow package, has developed the death wobble, and the (recalled) factory part is on indefinite (maybe aug/sept 2024?) back order through the dealer. I've done all the other required suggestions to help alleviate the death wobble.


I have a couple of questions, which I hope answer will relieve some of my 2024 camping season anxiety.


1) should I be concerned/is it safe to tow a travel trailer (2020 geopro 19qb) when the towing vehicle is know to have the death wobble?


2) any suggestions/tips on towing through the PA, WV mountains, like speed/rpm while driving up and down the mountains?


thanx for any info.

cheers,
--nixit

Sponsored

 

[Jefe1018]

Don’t do it until you fix your truck, pay out of pocket if you need to. Use a good 3rd party shop if you need to, but do not tow with death wobble. The $1,500 out of pocket now will look small if you lose your truck, trailer, loved ones, legal troubles etc. Some might say you’ll be fine, but I take life safety seriously.

Then, watch your oil, trans and coolant temps and act accordingly.

 

[PuddleJumper]

DO NOT TOW! and wdym recalled part isn't available? cus if they just trying to give you a new steering stabilizer, they still aren't fixin anything. Track bar bushings, tierods, CA bushings, ball joints and bad or imbalanced tires are the only true culprits. What is the part they are looking to replace? Odds are we can can find it.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Like they've already said. Don't.
If that thing went into a true death wobble, you'd likely not have the electronic sway control and you could be in trouble. Since you need to slow way way down, or even stop, to get out of DW - you'd have to try stopping quickly with a trailer behind you.

once fixed and you start towing -
Don't sweat the RPM. If it takes downshifting and running the RPM up to 3300 or 4300 for example, let it.
Speed - keep to a max of 65 is my rule - it used to be the towing speed limit in a lot of states when I first started towing all sorts of stuff.

You'll have trailer brakes, I assume, and a trailer brake controller - if you get into a sway situation, use the button on the controller to apply trailer brakes only to help pull out of it. The truck will have its own methods of sway control and it should all work, but if all else fails, use the trailer brake controller button to apply trailer brakes only.
Never apply the tow vehicle's brakes (using the pedal) when in a sway - that can make it worse, and the truck will be using the brakes to try to mitigate the sway if it happens.
Sway is when the trailer is literally going faster than the tow vehicle, so follows an S type trail.

 

[nixit]

DO NOT TOW! and wdym recalled part isn't available? cus if they just trying to give you a new steering stabilizer, they still aren't fixin anything. Track bar bushings, tierods, CA bushings, ball joints and bad or imbalanced tires are the only true culprits. What is the part they are looking to replace? Odds are we can can find it.

it is a steering stabilizer, I can't remember what it's called, and I'm trying to find my notes. I reached back out to my case officer asking what it is. from what they say, the part is on backorder until at least august 21, 2024. the local jeep service center also "claims" it will fix the issue.

why does this happen on many jeep vehicles?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

why does this happen on many jeep vehicles?

The cause is varied. It can be
loose parts (not properly torqued to the specs, for example),
worn parts,
lifts that change geometry,
tires,
and more.

You are correct on the name - steering stabilizer, or steering dampener, for example.
The primary purpose is to control bump steer, but it's often used to mask or mitigate death wobble sort of like aspirin is used to mask the pain of a broken bone that really should be fixed.

 

[nixit]

The cause is varied. It can be
loose parts (not properly torqued to the specs, for example),
worn parts,
lifts that change geometry,
tires,
and more.

You are correct on the name - steering stabilizer, or steering dampener, for example.
The primary purpose is to control bump steer, but it's often used to mask or mitigate death wobble sort of like aspirin is used to mask the pain of a broken bone that really should be fixed.

thank you for responding..

steering damper, that's it!

ugg, so that's not going to fix the issue.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

thank you for responding..

steering damper, that's it!

ugg, so that's not going to fix the issue.

Wellllll.............. it will mask it at least.

 

[Josh00333]

it is a steering stabilizer, I can't remember what it's called, and I'm trying to find my notes. I reached back out to my case officer asking what it is. from what they say, the part is on backorder until at least august 21, 2024. the local jeep service center also "claims" it will fix the issue.

why does this happen on many jeep vehicles?

As Papa said it will mask it. Steering stabilizer has zero, nothing, little, none, nada, zilch to do with the cause of DW.

As Puddle said above, those are the cause of DW. You need a dealer who actually understands the front end, ie a suspension shop that works on solid axle rigs. Your rig in warranty? if not stop taking it to the dealer they are usually the worst shops around. Who can root out the actual cause, and keep this in mind it may be a culmination of ALL the things listed. Or may be 2 of the items.

How many miles on your rig? Lifted? Spacers? What tires you run?

May be time to look at upgrading components vs just replacing factory for factory.

Example the stabilizer, you can get a nice upgrade one from AVE, Meta cloak etc. that will be a better product and in stock.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

What have you looked at or done so far? Maybe we can suggest other things to check and ways to look at things.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

As others have stated, don’t tow until you have it fixed. I had the same issue 3 weeks or so before my cross country move which included towing through WV, PA, etc.

You don’t wanna lose control of the steering wheel going down a WV mountain with thousands of pounds behind you….neither does anyone sharing the road with you (no offense).

 

[nixit]

As Papa said it will mask it. Steering stabilizer has zero, nothing, little, none, nada, zilch to do with the cause of DW.

As Puddle said above, those are the cause of DW. You need a dealer who actually understands the front end, ie a suspension shop that works on solid axle rigs. Your rig in warranty? if not stop taking it to the dealer they are usually the worst shops around. Who can root out the actual cause, and keep this in mind it may be a culmination of ALL the things listed. Or may be 2 of the items.

How many miles on your rig? Lifted? Spacers? What tires you run?

May be time to look at upgrading components vs just replacing factory for factory.

Example the stabilizer, you can get a nice upgrade one from AVE, Meta cloak etc. that will be a better product and in stock.

thanx all for the response, info in my rig:

2020 stock gladiator sport with max tow package with ~22k miles
should be under warranty
no lift
no spacers
standard bridgestones that came with it

I'll have to look into it and take it to front end shop, I think there's one about 15 minutes away. how do I know if they are using better quality parts?

I LOVE the gladiator, HATE the DW that the dealer has no clue to fix.

 

[Josh00333]

Man 22k miles?

Take it to the shop, sucks to having to pay to solve this but better than the issue continuing.

Keep us posted after they check it out.

 

[Jefe1018]

thanx all for the response, info in my rig:

2020 stock gladiator sport with max tow package with ~22k miles
should be under warranty
no lift
no spacers
standard bridgestones that came with it

I'll have to look into it and take it to front end shop, I think there's one about 15 minutes away. how do I know if they are using better quality parts?

I LOVE the gladiator, HATE the DW that the dealer has no clue to fix.

If that doesn't work a good 4x4 shop will take care of you.. solid axles may confuse some who aren't familiar, but they were around for a loooong time.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

thanx all for the response, info in my rig:

2020 stock gladiator sport with max tow package with ~22k miles
should be under warranty
no lift
no spacers
standard bridgestones that came with it

I'll have to look into it and take it to front end shop, I think there's one about 15 minutes away. how do I know if they are using better quality parts?

I LOVE the gladiator, HATE the DW that the dealer has no clue to fix.

What shape are your tires in? Even wear? Have they been rotated lately? How many weights on your front wheels?

Sponsored