Revisiting The “death Wobble”

I just set my jeeps on a flat level.
Next take into consideration the maximum turn angle allowed with your axle shaft joints.

Bendix 23*
Rzeppa 29*
Spicer 27*

Set adjusters so it gets up to maximum axle shaft turn angle without tires hitting on anything.

I made an angle gauge that fits around my knuckles and it’s set to maximum angle of 29* for the Rzeppa shafts

 

Got a visual with that? Thanks for the response.

 

All the "Super Duty" trucks including the 2000 F250 came with a stabilizer from the factory.

 

Gauge cut from plastic wraps around knuckle and tells me when it’s at 29* angle.

 

thanks for sharing!

 

I went ahead and ordered all new linkage for the front, boot is split and it all looks original other than tie rod ends. I plan 2 hole knuckles and Herm's single upgrade later, but other irons in the proverbial fire at the moment.
So I will replace Ubolts to OEM/Crown, shackle inserts, linkage/ends/bars, new alignment and adjust stops.

 

I read somewhere you can hook a fish scale to knuckle and set king pin pre-load using shims. Resonance is the problem so you need a dampener of some sort. Don't know how well this works if you deviate from stock. I have no wobble is my stock '53 and my others were all saginaw conversions.

 

makes me wonder . if this is the reason . I see so many newer wranglers on used car lots

 

The next to last place in the reliability ratings probably account for a good portion of that. Then you add in the factors most of us early Jeep drivers ignore-wind noise, poor road handling, bad gas mileage, anemic performance, and they become a lot less acceptable to the general population. The infatuation with removable doors/tops and the fold down windshield wears off relatively rapidly. I've said it before but if you are not going to off road a Wrangler, just about any other vehicle made will be more suitable for use-maybe excepting anything fiat/stelantitis has anything to do with which will share that next to the bottom reliability rating.

 

It steers much better with all new TRE assemblies, proper u bolts. I also removed the steering dampener from KW, it had worked itself loose on the TRE bar clamp, I am sure that was binding at various points in the turning radius. I had to cut the u bolts off as the lock nuts locked themselves into place, threw it in the trash where it belongs. The TRE bars appear to be slightly larger in diameter, I wonder if the M38A1's, I'll check with my calipers later.

This should tide me over until I move to a one piece setup once I have all the needed parts on hand.

 

I've shared this before but seems worth watching. This was a F450 with a 1T pallet of ice sitting over the rear axle. When you hit a tall expansion joint the truck would go into DW.
https://youtube.com/shorts/ouss2wsSy8w?si=ctIpt9PdxglSrp5G

 

There is a bright side to low speed death wobble, it's at low speed. Duh right? Well there is such a thing as high speed death wobble in the motorcycle world and that actually will kill you. I'm personally not into the crotch rockets or motard but can understand the addition if your not into dirt.

 

Still encountering low speed DW though it seems to only be when my wheels are turned and the pavement is uneven. Turning into a shopping center, pavement had some pot holes, DW started/ I braked to stop the oscillation.
Checking the steering bellcrank, noticing up and down movement, enough to slide a penny in. All of the steering and suspension was said to have been rebuilt when I purchased 2 years ago with approximately 11K on the build.
I am thinking the heavier/wider 7.50-16 BFG KM3's at 50 lbs each, the added un-sprung weight contributed to accelerated wear on the steering components. Seems logical and plausible.

I will also double check the preload on the axle nut/bearing now that I run NDCC tires at 30 lbs each, perhaps they settled more previously with the heavier weight tires.

Since all of the above are unknown values to me, just word of mouth, no idea of quality of components used etc, I will rebuild/replace the steering bellcrank and draglink, working my way back up the to the box.
My 61' should have the bell crank 7/8 kit/shaft 920556 installed but appears to have the 1-1/8 kit 920556 currently installed? Not sure why? Parts manual says 66' was the change over year?

 

“Low speed death wobble” doesn’t make sense to me. What are you calling low speed?

Lift the front axle off the ground. Turn the steering wheel to full lock. Spin each tire to see if the knuckle u-joints are binding. This could be what you’re feeling.

Also 50 psi is WAY too much pressure.

 

Low speed, less than 10 MPH, never does it otherwise, when coming to a stop or leaving a stop and wheels are turned, ground/pavement is uneven.

You misread, the previously BFG tires weighed 50 lbs each. I run 25-26 PSI in the much lighter NDCC's I now have, which are 30 lbs, WHOLE lot less un-sprug weight. Spinning an additional 20lbs at speed, to me seem logical it would accelerate wear

 

Right!? No such thing as low speed death wobble…

except I don’t get it over 25 mph. I drove faster and didn’t get it… makes me think it’s tire related

 

My bad. Sorry about that.

Yeah, check your u-joints, and make sure your hubs are disengaging if you have locking hubs. That is a symptom of binding joints.

 

This sort of sounds like you're in 4wd and you're feeling the uneven speeds of the U-joints when turned.