Violent shudder at 85mph

[Bucephalus]

Driving slow on Florida Interstates is not an option, unless you want to get run over or run off the road.

FACTS!

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[PeterGriffin]

...anyone suggesting the OP to slow down hasn't looked at what other vehicle's he owns...that IS slow for him!

I hope the dealer can get the issue to repeat when they test drive it, otherwise it'll get kicked back with "problem not repeated" or similar wording. It sounds like death wobble for sure, which people think is exclusive to Jeeps which it's NOT. It happened to my '17 Gobi JKUR and turns out it was a bad/leaking steering stabilizer (which I upgraded to a OME unit instead of a stock replacement one). There's a number of issues that could cause it and with the OP's vehicle being bone stock it actually helps eliminate some of the potential causes.

It does need, obviously, to be fixed immediately as the more it happens the more it wrecks havoc on other suspension parts/tires, not to mention potentially killing you in the process! Mine first happened when I was doing about 35 and the steering wheel was ripped out of my hands and whipped violently back and forth. I initially thought I was losing a tire and (re)torqued my lug nut but as soon as I saw the oil weeping from the steering stabilizer I was reasonably certain that was the issue, replaced it and never had the issue again...

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[IamPro2A]

ok, gotta say it, 90MPH and you're worried about a wobble? Hell, you're lucky the entire thing didn't fall apart. Jeeps are governed at 96MPH so you're pushing it's limit every day.

No, THIS is pushing the limit, heh:

Although, if there is a 96mph limiter, why does my build sheet say this?

 

[WK2JT]

No, THIS is pushing the limit, heh:

Although, if there is a 96mph limiter, why does my build sheet say this?

You got the ////////M package.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

No, THIS is pushing the limit, heh:

Although, if there is a 96mph limiter, why does my build sheet say this?

Must be the trim level.....this is mine -

 

[RodRecket]

Just regeared and my shop told me they noticed loose steering (I must be numb to it). Turns out my drag link and tie rod both have a bit of play in them...less than 20k miles!

They said it's the 3rd JL/JT they've seen this issue with. One JTR has 2800 miles on it when the drag link/tie rod started loosening up!

Since your stock I'd go to the dealer. That may be a place for them to start. I am not going to have the same issues with the same parts in another 10k so I'm biting the bullet and upgrading to teraflex components.

 

[FLGladiator]

...anyone suggesting the OP to slow down hasn't looked at what other vehicle's he owns...that IS slow for him!

I hope the dealer can get the issue to repeat when they test drive it, otherwise it'll get kicked back with "problem not repeated" or similar wording. It sounds like death wobble for sure, which people think is exclusive to Jeeps which it's NOT. It happened to my '17 Gobi JKUR and turns out it was a bad/leaking steering stabilizer (which I upgraded to a OME unit instead of a stock replacement one). There's a number of issues that could cause it and with the OP's vehicle being bone stock it actually helps eliminate some of the potential causes.

It does need, obviously, to be fixed immediately as the more it happens the more it wrecks havoc on other suspension parts/tires, not to mention potentially killing you in the process! Mine first happened when I was doing about 35 and the steering wheel was ripped out of my hands and whipped violently back and forth. I initially thought I was losing a tire and (re)torqued my lug nut but as soon as I saw the oil weeping from the steering stabilizer I was reasonably certain that was the issue, replaced it and never had the issue again...

Good luck and keep us posted!

If they kick it back, wouldn't he be able to provide video of the repeated incidents? Death Wobble happens in certain roads that techs can't repeat either. Either way crazy shit.

 

[NachoRuby]

No, THIS is pushing the limit, heh:

Although, if there is a 96mph limiter, why does my build sheet say this?

Only the ones that come with mud tires are limited at 97MPH. It's to keep it within the speed rating of the tires. So Rubicons and Mojaves, if factory equipped with mud tires, and maybe Willys's too. Your Max tow came with highway tires, so you get a higher speed governor. That being said, I think I'd soil myself if I hit 97 in the gladiator, and I've owned plenty of fast cars before. But on the Gladiator, I hit 85 in it once. That was more than fast enough for the Gladiator on mud tires and Rubicon suspension. I bet your Max tow is more stable at that speed though.

 

[yolo]

The speed limit on my stretch of highway is 80 and you will get past up by just about every other make/model of car, truck, and semi known to man. This is not the 1980's.. we can go faster than 55 now.

And if your Gladiator feels unstable at 85, something is wrong.

 

[NachoRuby]

The speed limit on my stretch of highway is 80 and you will get past up by just about every other make/model of car, truck, and semi known to man. This is not the 1980's.. we can go faster than 55 now.

And if your Gladiator feels unstable at 85, something is wrong.

Nothing is wrong. But Pennsylvania roads are really really really bad. Pa and Michigan have the worst roads in the country. You don't want to hit a Pennsylvania pothole at 85 mph. Texas roads are also largely straight. I know, as that's my original home state. Ours are curvy and mountainous, with heavy traffic (even compared to dfw). You can't tell me a gladiator takes a mountain pass like an m3. Driving here is not the same as driving in TX at all.

Semis aren't going up these steep hills at 85. They are in the far right lane lane struggling to go 55. As I said, I've owned plenty of fast cars, nimble cars. Also, if you hit a pothole at 85+ on one of these with the live axles, your front wheels leave the ground, which isn't fun while you're turning. The gladiator is great at a lot of things, but it's not nimble or fast. I'm fine with that at this point.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

Nothing is wrong. But Pennsylvania roads are really really really bad. Pa and Michigan have the worst roads in the country. You don't want to hit a Pennsylvania pothole at 85 mph. Texas roads are also largely straight. I know, as that's my original home state. Ours are curvy and mountainous, with heavy traffic (even compared to dfw). You can't tell me a gladiator takes a mountain pass like an m3. Driving here is not the same as driving in TX at all.

I saw a local news team doing a morning story on a pothole near Pittsburgh once. The thing coulda swallowed a car, not even exaggerating.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Nothing is wrong. But Pennsylvania roads are really really really bad. Pa and Michigan have the worst roads in the country. You don't want to hit a Pennsylvania pothole at 85 mph. Texas roads are also largely straight. I know, as that's my original home state. Ours are curvy and mountainous, with heavy traffic (even compared to dfw). You can't tell me a gladiator takes a mountain pass like an m3. Driving here is not the same as driving in TX at all.

Semis aren't going up these steep hills at 85. They are in the far right lane lane struggling to go 55.

Have you driven around Indianapolis? The pot holes are the size of a Prius tire and the chunks that came out of them are still on the highway. The speed limit on the freeway around town is I think 50 - and I'd not want to go over that around that city.
I was headed from Iowa to Columbus, OH - the route took me around Indianapolis, I was driving my Silverado pulling a car hauler with car and I was spooked on that road. I mean I hit one of those pot holes and the whole thing shook bad and I thought I blew a tire it hit so hard.

 

[NachoRuby]

Have you driven around Indianapolis? The pot holes are the size of a Prius tire and the chunks that came out of them are still on the highway. The speed limit on the freeway around town is I think 50 - and I'd not want to go over that around that city.
I was headed from Iowa to Columbus, OH - the route took me around Indianapolis, I was driving my Silverado pulling a car hauler with car and I was spooked on that road. I mean I hit one of those pot holes and the whole thing shook bad and I thought I blew a tire it hit so hard.

I have. Indiana and Illinois don't have the best pavement either. I think it's really anywhere where there's a lot of snowfall, due to the roadsalt that eats everything. But then I've been to NJ and NY plenty of times, and their roads are much better than ours.

 

[u-joint]

If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour you're going to see some serious shit.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I have. Indiana and Illinois don't have the best pavement either. I think it's really anywhere where there's a lot of snowfall, due to the roadsalt that eats everything. But then I've been to NJ and NY plenty of times, and their roads are much better than ours.

I was in Reading in about 2007............ the roads we took then weren't bad but I don't remember details. I recall some rough roads around Reading, but the thing I remember most is that you couldn't turn a bicycle around on some of the narrow streets. Getting my F250 through with that big flatbed I had back then - we had to unhook and jack the trailer around and reconnect at one point.

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