the dreaded Death Wobble!
03-17-2009, 03:28 AM
#21
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I guess I was lucky. My cause was easy to spot. The track bar relocation bracket aided in tearing the factory welds completely off the axle. It was a long 9 or 10 miles back to town with a top speed of 5 mph. A little welding and new adjustable track bar and problem solved..
03-17-2009, 05:47 AM
#22
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I had a 4" full lift kit from fabtech. that was installed by a 4x4 shop and had terrible death wobble about a year after it was installed. They couldnt fix it, the dealership couldnt fix it, I wasnt able to fix it with my limited knowledge at the time. So I was forced to sell it. Not just cause of the DW but I had a baby on the way and I didnt want him to not have a father so it went. I now have a 2009 JK Sahara with 33" tires. I am so afraid to put a lift on this thing with all the DW issues I have heard lately. I need a dependable vehicle that I can drive everyday and cant have any downtime with problems. I cant afford to have a 4x4 shop install a kit, and I am no mechanic. I am not sure what to do, should I give it a try. Is it really possible for a newb to install something like a OME lift kit successfully and safely with only limited knowledge. I just dont know what to do
03-17-2009, 05:56 AM
#23
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I hear ya....but I just started trying to fix. Should I give up after two days?
03-17-2009, 05:59 AM
#24
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03-17-2009, 06:03 AM
#25
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if there is a pattern here, it is that just about every single one of these DW cases were on jeeps that had BB's installed by newbies or by dealerships who probably have no idea what they are doing. i have personally installed maybe a dozen or so BB's on jk's and i don't know a single one of them who is having DW issues. plain and simple, a budget boost WILL NOT cause DW but improper installation or improper reassembly of components CAN and WILL. needless to say, you almost never hear about people having DW on a jk with a complete lift kit but more times than not, these are installed by experienced jeepers and/or qualified mechanics.
You would certainly know better than me, but I haven't noticed so much of a trend with BBs. In fact, I went on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website and searched their complaints. It is littered with death wobble complaints. Granted, they don't always say what modifications, or not, were done, but I can't believe that every one of those folks is a newbie with a BB installed. I got the impression that a lot of them were bone stock. The trend I noticed was that this death wobble issue started occurring around 20,000-30,000 miles, the dealership always blames and then replaces the steering stabilizer, and then nothing else can be figured out.
Last edited by Finn; 03-17-2009 at 06:11 AM.
03-17-2009, 06:06 AM
#26
JK Super Freak
So, what exactly do you think us newbies are doing incorrectly? Not torquing the trackbar? Anything else?? I have heard this before but nobody says exactly what could be installed incorrectly. I'd like to know so that I can look for it. I followed your instructions exactly as written and had no problems for 7 months.
03-17-2009, 06:09 AM
#27
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So, what exactly do you think us newbies are doing incorrectly? Not torquing the trackbar? Anything else?? I have heard this before but nobody says exactly what could be installed incorrectly. I'd like to know so that I can look for it. I followed your instructions exactly as written and had no problems for 7 months.
i should also note that i make it a habbit to check all my suspension bolts after every 2-3 hard wheeling trips. experience has taught me that even with everything tightened to spec, wheeling WILL loosen things up and checking them should be a part of routine maintenance.
03-17-2009, 06:10 AM
#28
JK Super Freak
so in other words you highly recommend preventative maintenance?
Not to be a d1ck I understand this is frustrating and DW is scary as chit! BUT there is always a cause... so it is just a matter of process of elimination.
Not to be a d1ck I understand this is frustrating and DW is scary as chit! BUT there is always a cause... so it is just a matter of process of elimination.
03-17-2009, 09:46 AM
#30
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Question: does a bigger lift screw up the factory warranty?