Jeep Death Wobble observed

[4wd]

Usually worn parts exasperated by big tires and/or more offset and/or a lift. Guys will put 35 or 37 inch tires on new wheels with a 4-6" lift without upgrading the steering components. Even without offroading the stock parts are overpowered and get sloppy. And guys doing the lift in the garage don't always get the front geometry right. CW is scary.

I modified when younger - it never ended. That made for an easy choice. The Rubicon came with 285’s - but bumped up to 315’s with OEM suspension - if anything it drives the same on the road - but noticeably better in sand. Don’t even air down …

Not going down the modification vortex - already have boats and RV’s to waste money on

 

[AZjeff]

No, lifted with the Mopar 2.5" lift and upsized to 35" tires. Done by the dealer, but death wobble doesn't discriminate.

A friend bought a new 2018 JLU Rubi and had that lift put on and 35s then went to 37s a couple of years ago and has over 85k on it with no DW (yet). It doesn't see dirt much.

 

[Cruisin'n5thgear]

A friend bought a new 2018 JLU Rubi and had that lift put on and 35s then went to 37s a couple of years ago and has over 85k on it with no DW (yet). It doesn't see dirt much.

The aftermarket lifts may be better than the Mopar ones, to be honest. And the JLs need less lift to take bigger tires, too. Best wishes for many wobble-free miles.

 

[wtd]

Years ago, I saw a Jeep Wrangler that was experiencing the death wobble as it drove down the road. It was wild to watch. A friend of mine had it happen to his then fairly new 2017 Ford F350. They replaced the stabilizing shock which fixed it.

 

[D60]

My old '90 Bronco did it, but it was SAS'd with a KP 60 front and leafs. Preloading the KP springs with 3/16" washers seemed to help.

My '11 F350 did it bone stock, esp with a trailer unweighting the front a bit. New Bilstein steering stab cured it 100%

My '19 JLUR did it bone stock. I skipped the V41 recall and installed a steering stab from a 2nd Gen Ram. Problem solved.

Of note, it doesn't have to be high speed violent -- but it usually is. There was a dip in my small town that would set it off at 25mph EVERY TIME in my JLUR, and that was more like a dog wagging his tail at medium speed.

Few understand IFS can experience similar but for very different reasons. KL Cherokees can be terrifying at highway speeds with blown (and I mean blown) front struts. As the wheels pogo stick vertically, steering wheel feedback is inevitable and it gets into a cycle of near self-perpetuation. First gen (95-04) Tacos get massive bumpsteer with blown front struts.

The world's a scary place I guess

 

[Astro14]

I was driving down the highway today when I saw a Jeep Gladiator suddenly dart over to the shoulder after experiencing what I assume was the "death wobble." I watched the front end violently shake in my rearview mirror. A few minutes later, the same Jeep caught back up to me, and it happened again right next to me. I'd heard about death wobble but I'd never actually seen it in person. I was honestly surprised by how violent it was. The whole front end was shaking so hard it looked like the driver was barely able to keep it under control and thankfully, no accident occurred. I can only imagine how scary that must be from behind the wheel. The tires looked to be larger/wider than OEM.

So, has death wobble.

Pulls over.

Resumes going fast in order to catch you.

Has death wobble again?

Talk about a flat learning curve! Must be a Jeep thing…

 

[demarpaint]

So, has death wobble.

Pulls over.

Resumes going fast in order to catch you.

Has death wobble again?

Talk about a flat learning curve! Must be a Jeep thing…

I'm thinking it's a can't fix stupid thing......Opinions will vary.

 

[BC1]

My old '90 Bronco did it, but it was SAS'd with a KP 60 front and leafs. Preloading the KP springs with 3/16" washers seemed to help.

Very surprised by this. First I have heard of DW with leaf springs. Researching years ago, the coil spring oscillation was the reason it continues to get worse until you slow down.

 

[KrisZ]

The guy must have a super heightened survival instinct, similar to this sheep I bet

 

[D60]

Very surprised by this. First I have heard of DW with leaf springs. Researching years ago, the coil spring oscillation was the reason it continues to get worse until you slow down.

It's all about caster.

 

[Samurai1225]

My 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee blessed me with the famous err infamous "death wobble" after I ran over the base of a traffic cone on the expressway. It can be and was quite terrifying. That Jeep was one of the worst vehicles that I have owned - A complete money pit.