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HELP! Fixing Death Wobble.

Discussion in 'Wrangler JK (2007-2017)' started by crisjk, Aug 18, 2018.

  1. Aug 18, 2018 at 8:18 PM
    #1
    crisjk

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    crisjk [OP] New Member

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    HI! I have a 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X and I have been experiencing some extreme death wobble for the past couple of years. I have never been able to fix it before because of monetary reasons, but now I am finally ready. I am planning to replace the suspension for a new one(Springs and shocks) and also installing an adjustable track bar, but I have been trying to do some research and I also see by the condition of my ball joints and tie rod ends that everything is in horrible shape. I am not a mechanic and I don't know any personally, so I figured I would ask Reddit to help me a little. I want to completely fix my death wobble problem but I don't want to change a few parts and leaving some undone because I feel like that would just mess up the new parts on an endless death wobble cycle
    So my question now is, what experience do you guys have with death wobble and what should I replace so I can completely fix the problem?
    Thank you so much to everyone that take their time to read and answer this and I hope you all have a great day!
     
    crisjk, Aug 18, 2018
    #1
  2. Aug 18, 2018 at 8:32 PM
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    chris4x4

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    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine Moderator

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    Welcome to the site! This picture pretty much shows what parts could trigger the Death Wobble. What have you don't to the jeep so far?


    [​IMG]
     
    chris4x4, Aug 18, 2018
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    boondoc89, JKBob 25, Bob and 1 other person like this.
  3. Aug 18, 2018 at 10:35 PM
    #3
    crisjk

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    crisjk [OP] New Member

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    Well so far I haven't fixed anything..:( I don't rwally have much money to be honest and I just bought new tires because my old ones were REALLY old, but I am trying to figure out what I need to buy and do to fix the problem before buying anything so I can have it all ready before starting thw job.
     
    crisjk, Aug 18, 2018
    #3
  4. Aug 19, 2018 at 1:55 AM
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    RubiconFreedom

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    RubiconFreedom Seven Jeeps in Forty Years

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    Its a hit or miss issue & one will have to systematically replace nearly every component shown in the image above. An area which the image above doesn't highlight is replacing the ball joints. Also as an added extra, one should upgrade the 14mm control arm bolts to the 9/16 Grade 8 bolts
     
    RubiconFreedom, Aug 19, 2018
    #4
  5. Aug 19, 2018 at 10:35 AM
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    chris4x4

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    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine Moderator

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    I would start by checking to make sure the trac bar bolts are TIGHT. I think they are called out to be 120 ft/lbs torque. Loose trac bar is the most common cause. Might as well start with that.
     
    chris4x4, Aug 19, 2018
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  6. Aug 19, 2018 at 11:09 AM
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    aggrex

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    aggrex Well-Known Member

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    Welcome! Never heard of someone experiencing extreme DW for years thus I agree with your concern that other suspension parts may now have unusual wear and tear due to driving with extreme DW. As mentioned the worn ball joints or loose/worn track bar or loose bolts may have enlarged openings, etc. Since you mentioned money concerns start by inspecting the suspension parts under the Jeep. When you're ready look at the more complete suspension kits that will have upgraded parts designed to work together rather than frankensteining different parts.
     
    aggrex, Aug 19, 2018
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    JKBob 25 likes this.
  7. Aug 20, 2018 at 5:52 AM
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    Prerunner1982

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    Prerunner1982 Well-Known Member

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    have someone turn the wheel back and forth as you lay under the front end and watch every joint so see if there is movement. Hopefully this may help narrow down your choices.
    Good luck Cristian. I completely understand the money woes. A lot of the stuff isn't too difficult though it may require some tools most people don't have, you can rent them at the local auto parts stores for a refundable deposit.
     
    Prerunner1982, Aug 20, 2018
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    DustStorm4x4, JKBob 25, aggrex and 1 other person like this.
  8. Aug 20, 2018 at 7:26 PM
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    JKBob 25

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    JKBob 25 Well-Known Member

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    Welcome to the forum @crisjk. Alot of great advice given up top. I've not had the pleasure of experiencing the Death Wobble. Post up your upgrades, costs, and outcome. This could be an awesome learning thread.
    And don't forget to upgrade those engineer inspired bolts. :thumbsup:
     
    JKBob 25, Aug 20, 2018
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    Billy1234 likes this.
  9. Aug 21, 2018 at 6:18 AM
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    Blue Baby Sound

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    Blue Baby Sound Well-Known Member

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    Blue Baby Sound, Aug 21, 2018
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  10. Sep 7, 2018 at 6:23 AM
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    OFFGRID

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    OFFGRID Well-Known Member

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    If you are going to do it your self, get a Haynes manual for your jeep, and watch lots of videos on youtube. Look at Partsgeek.com for the cheapest price on parts. Their price on MOOG parts is usually Half what the local parts store charges. Being an 07 and haveing had DW for years, I feel pretty confident in saying that you will need to replace EVERYTHING that the others have mentioned above. If you leave omit something the worn parts will cause the new parts to wear out prematurely and you'll be back to square one. I would replace all steering including tierod, draglink and the ends for both. All four ball joints. Track bar. control arm bushings, and swaybar bushings. No need to replace the pitman arm. It doesn't wear. If you paid someone to do all this, I would guess the labor to somewhere around $700-1100.
     
    OFFGRID, Sep 7, 2018
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