Death wobble

tj02green

New member
Why do guys at your local shop seem to be completely unaware of what the death wobble is!? If I'm bringing it to you to fix obviously I don't know how to fix it.
 

tj02green said:
Why do guys at your local shop seem to be completely unaware of what the death wobble is!? If I'm bringing it to you to fix obviously I don't know how to fix it.

Take them for a ride;-)

[☠]lllllll[☠] 89 YJ ...SOA +6.5...44"Trxus' I Love my dirtYJeep! [☠]lllllll[☠]
 
For your edification and enjoyment..

As for the repair shop, if they claim to do alignments and front end work and don't know what "death wobble" refers to I would take my ride to another shop that has qualified ASE mechanics.


Phil, I'm moving to San Diego in a few months. Any recommendations on where to take my 2007 JK (not lifted, all factory parts except new tires) to get the death wobble looked at? I'm in the early stages of the death shuffle, but will need a good mechanic and would like to put the wobble to rest.

Thanks!
Meghan
 

Welcome to San Diego. Do you know what part of the county you will be living in? San Diego County is huge at about 110 miles North to South and 160 miles East to West. It looks like you're in the Navy so one could assume you'd be along the coast somewhere but that's not necessarily true since there are roughly 16 significant naval and military locations located throughout the county.

I don't have an immediate recommendation because my '03 Rubicon has only been to two dealerships since I bought it and I would not recommend either one of them.

Let me know your location and I'll see what I can come up with. Also, anyone else here in San Diego that has a preference...please chip in and let Meghan know.
 
Thanks for replying, Phil. I'll be down near Big Navy/Balboa. I am unfortunately wary of the dealerships and looking for an independent place where they know Jeeps.

Any advice out there would be appreciated!
:)
 
When my 96 jeep had what i called the death wobble it was the steering stabilizer. I replaced alot of things before i learned that.
 

I understand the delima you're in without having a garage and the tools to do some of the work yourself. Also, if warranty is still an issue it is best to have certified mechanics do the work. That being said and while we do have several Offroad Warehouse and 4 Wheel Parts locations, I've never been too impressed with either. Personally, I'd start by taking a look at a company called M.I.T. Drivetrain Specialists. Their contact info is:
E-Mail
MIT4x4@SBCGlobal.net

Office / Store
(619) 579-7727

Fax
(619) 579-2307

1112 Pioneer Way
El Cajon, CA 92020
M.I.T. Drivetrain Specialists
I'm sure there's gotta be other shops that folks have had good luck with, I just don't have personal experience with any. Maybe others will post up some additional information and suggestions for you.​

 
anyone know why there hasn't been a class action lawsuit against Chrysler for the death wobble. Everyone I have spoken to from the service departments to customer care to the warranty departments are very aware of the problem and not willing to fix it. Let me know if you're interested in organizing a class action lawsuit. send me a note on my website UndiscoveredEarth
 
The only problem with going after chrysler is that the death wobble is a big problem with all 4x4s, I had the same problem with my 99 f-350. It's not just a problem with jeeps.
 

shaggnasty86 said:
The only problem with going after chrysler is that the death wobble is a big problem with all 4x4s, I had the same problem with my 99 f-350. It's not just a problem with jeeps.

I agree with shaggnasty. I think a lawsuit will lead to government involvement and ultimately the demise of solid front axles. Call me paranoid but I would hate to see one of the last remaining solid axle 4x4's turn independent. Don't get me wrong, ifs works, but I'll take a solid axle any day.
 

Thanks for the information, Phil! I will be moving there this summer and I'll let you know how it goes with MIT Drivetrain. :):):)

-Meghan
 
I agree with shaggnasty. I think a lawsuit will lead to government involvement and ultimately the demise of solid front axles. Call me paranoid but I would hate to see one of the last remaining solid axle 4x4's turn independent. Don't get me wrong, ifs works, but I'll take a solid axle any day.

I agree. This is why we got the yj. A few sue happy people were driving their CJs like sports cars and flipping them. Then govt. got involved.
 

There's plenty of off-road shops in San Diego area that would know exactly what you're talking about when you say "Death wobble". Personally, I'd stay away from 4Wheel Parts because they're just as bad a dealership (my opinion). I'm pretty surprised to hear that the new JK's still suffer from DW........You'd think they'd have fixed it by now. Way to go Chrysler!
 
I totally agree, if you go to an alignment shop and they say they dont know what the death wobble is, holy crap! Drive away!
Ive been a front end mechanic for about 28yrs and its a no brainer! New front track bar and a front end alignment,plus a good grease job and your good to go. See ppl dont realize how important it is to keep all the grease fittings GREASED!

Im anthony and im sending this message using my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Jeepz
 
OK, just tossing this out there for anyone that just can't find the catalyst for their death wobble. I had taken my 2007 Wrangler to 3 shops, the last one being a 4WD place that specializes in 4WD with lift kits, oh, mine is lifted 4 inches. The 5th time to the 4WD shop after checking all of the stabilizer bars, tie rods, alignments etc. on the front end. The mechanic finally checked in the back, it turned out to be a loose shock in the rear, it would always act "nervous"(shaky) on cement highways or even on cement at all, but being my first Jeep I figured it was normal. After the mechanic tightened the rear shock, that "nervous" feel is gone and the death wobble is gone.
Now if I could get the weatherman to be right more often I'd be in good shape! (left my top down reading it wouldn't rain until afternoon today, it was storming at 5am, oops!) Anyway, I hope this helps one of you out there, that wobble is annoying and sometimes scary. Keep on Jeepin!
 

????? Rear shock? While I'm really happy you fixed the problem,It just seems hard to believe a "rear" shock would be the fix for a shakey death wobble issue. Anyone else have any thoughts ?
 
I have a thought.....there is no way a rear shock would cause a "true" death wobble. Im not doubting you had a shake by any means.......it just wasn't the death wobble. You'll truly know and will be well aware that your goin through it..........trust me!!
Just my thoughts
 
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