Death wobble on the highway, wow!

[AZjeff]

This was on a smooth 4 lane loop road at the exit we use. The tracks started instantly and probably went straight for 100 yards before I could get a pic, here the vehicle was getting off the highway. Both tires were leaving skidmarks as dark as the one right in front of the hood for a long ways. Bet new underwear was needed. Wow

 

[KGMtech]

I would have thought that talking about skid marks could be dangerous here?

 

[AZjeff]

Hopefully the bots understand the skidmarks referred to were on the highway but there were likely some elsewhere.

 

[Kira]

So, those marks were made by a chattering, violently oscillating trailer?
Was this caused by uneven brake application? I'm thinking cheap, rusty brake parts binding and grabbing.

 

[AZjeff]

I suspect it was the front wheels of a jeep or truck with worn out steering. Death wobble is a thing with lifted Jeeps on big tires if everything isn't tight.

Like this but worse.

 

[daves87rs]

Yikes!!

 

[Kira]

if everything isn't tight.

So lifting is stupid to do, right?

edit, after reading posts 8+9: Lifting on an UNREALISTIC BUDGET is to be avoided.

 

[dbias]

My BIL brand new F250 had this problem from day one. I put a steering stabilizer upgrade on it and it hasn’t done it since.

 

[02SE]

So lifting is stupid to do, right?

It's more about worn, or out of spec components. As I've had stock trucks with live axles exhibit 'death wobble', if parts are worn, the vehicle is out of alignment, tires with an imbalance, etc.

I had a '95 Dodge Dually 4wd that exhibited death wobble once. It was all stock. I went through the front-end to make sure everything was within spec, replacing whatever needed to be, and installed a stiffer steering stabilizer. It never exhibited 'death wobble' again after that.

 

[Kestas]

I'm inclined to believe what Kira said, that is was an unstable trailer. I can't imagine a vehicle throwing itself that far side to side. But I've seen trailers do weird things like this, especially if the load is placed too far back and not tucked forward.

 

[AZjeff]

The frequency is too low for death wobble like the Jeeps have and too high for normal trailer sway problems. Maybe a big commercial truck?

 

[Pterostylis]

If I saw that on the road I would have presumed with that amount of side to side it was from someone doing a burnout.

 

[MVAR]

This was on a smooth 4 lane loop road at the exit we use. The tracks started instantly and probably went straight for 100 yards before I could get a pic, here the vehicle was getting off the highway. Both tires were leaving skidmarks as dark as the one right in front of the hood for a long ways. Bet new underwear was needed. Wow

View attachment 265352

Last time I came back from Oregon there was an F150 with a short trailer oscillating like this. He was driving WAY too fast on the downhill side of I5 near Mt. Shasta. My cruise control was cycling between 65-67 and this guy went by me probably around 75-80mph with the trailer swaying quickly back & forth. When the decent steepened a couple miles later, he was then over in the slow lane with his emergency flasher on. I didn't get to see what finally made him slow down but it likely had to be enough to pucker you up.

 

[JHZR2]

It's more about worn, or out of spec components. As I've had stock trucks with live axles exhibit 'death wobble', if parts are worn, the vehicle is out of alignment, tires with an imbalance, etc.

I had a '95 Dodge Dually 4wd that exhibited death wobble once. It was all stock. I went through the front-end to make sure everything was within spec, replacing whatever needed to be, and installed a stiffer steering stabilizer. It never exhibited 'death wobble' again after that.

I e heard my dodge trucks if that era should do it. Fortunately neither has. I know my 4wd one has some worn rubber bushings.

Scary stuff.

 

[ripcord]

I've had a couple of vehicles that developed a death wobble. Neither left skid marks on the road.

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

I've been behind a trailer that took off on a wobble and if I recall it made marks alternating between left and right tires.

 

[AdmiralYoda]

Death wobble doesn't really leave tire marks and happens at a much higher frequency than that noticeable back and forth in the picture.

My vote is that someone was doing a weak burnout and when the weight transferred from one side to another it took the weight off of one of the tires, leaving less rubber on the road.

Or someone's trailer brakes were locking up and the same thing applies.

 

[RaymondP]

This series of posts got my immediate attention as just last week a family member and owner of a Jeep Wrangle (Rubicon?) was playing/exploring the gears while parked, engine off. Ater when driving the vehicle had difficulty cleanly engaging the transmission and eventually started veering all over the road and out of control. They pulled off and then after stopping for a while proceeded very slowly home. Vehicle was taken to the local dealership. Informed there was some kind of linkage failure - $4,000 repair.

Recognizing one shouldn't be playing with the gear shifter while the vehicle is parked and "off", would expect there to be some kind of lock-out mechanism for safety. How can this happen, and how can the repair be so costly?

 

[Lubener]

I am surprised their isn't a soiled pair of britches on the side of the road.

 

[2005jettatdi]

I suspect it was the front wheels of a jeep or truck with worn out steering. Death wobble is a thing with lifted Jeeps on big tires if everything isn't tight.

Like this but worse.

I remember that scene in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.