Fixing Jeep Death Wobbles - Doin' The Zombie Dance

Rod Ends/Tie Rod Ends
For starters, check to make sure the cotter pins that hold the tie rod mounting nuts on haven't come out and allowed the tie rod end to start backing out of the taper. If you're running rod ends, check for excessive play, slop, or cracks in the body or ball and make sure your jam nuts are tight. Have a buddy saw the wheel and watch for any play in the ends themselves or in the mounts. Rod ends should have double-sheered mounts (shown above) that support the mounting bolt from both sides to prevent wallowing of the mounting hole.

Righty-Tighty
Sometimes simply checking that your nuts, bolts, and connections are tight can eliminate a wobble. Check your track bar bushings and mounting bolts for play or slop and make sure your steering box bolts, pitman arm, and adjuster bolts are tight. Older Jeeps with cam-and-lever type steering linkages have spring-loaded adjustable bearings. Tightening the adjusters on worn linkages of these types can sometimes regain lost preload and stave off death wobbles for a while.

Alignment
There are two schools when it comes to alignment. Too much caster and too much toe-in can induce death wobble. Too little caster and too much toe-out can cause wandering. Identify your symptom. If the tires start oscillating and hopping violently, you've got death wobble. Increasing the toe setting to as much as 3/8-inch toe-out (yes, readers toe-out; no misprint) has been known to help, or if possible, dialing the caster back to 3-4 degrees positive (bottom ball joint in front of top). The larger your tires, the less caster you should need.

Balance and True
Bigger, heavier tires take more weight to balance. Even if you've had your tires balanced, just one off-roading trip may allow the tires to spin slightly on the rims throwing them out of balance again. Consider also if the wheels are true or if they are warped or bent. Most tire shops can check this on a tire balancing machine. Finally, bias ply tires have a tendency to flat-spot, which can be perceived as death wobble until the tires warm up and actually become round again.

Suspension and Axle
If you jump your Jeep or severely bind your tires into rocks, there's a chance you've bent your axle housing since your last alignment. You should also check your suspension links and link ends in a coil-sprung Jeep for any play or slop. Leaf-sprung Jeeps should check for excessive play in the shackles, shackle bushings, make sure the axle U-bolts are tight, and check for cracked or broken leaf springs.

Shocks
It's not common, but a set of weak or totally-blown shocks can exacerbate a death wobble problem. While shocks won't really cause death wobble, a weak or blown shock can't eliminate tire/wheel oscillations or harmonics before they amplify and manifest as a death wobble. In some cases, a fresh set of front shocks can help keep the tires from chattering and wobbling.

Ball Joints and Hub Bearings
Worn ball joints or kingpin bushings or hub/unitbearings are a big cause of death wobble. Jack up the vehicle and grab the top and bottom of the tire and see if there is any lateral play in the ball joints or wheel bearings. TAG Motorsports in Escondido, California, has noticed a rash of prematurely-worn JK lower ball joints, but it can happen on any axle. If you've got an axle with serviceable wheel bearings, you can adjust the bearing preload. Unitbearings will need replacement since they're not adjustable.

Steering Stabilizer
Like shocks, a steering stabilizer isn't a cure for death wobble. It will nip the cause in the bud before the oscillations amplify to the point of becoming death wobble. Regardless, if you do run a steering stabilizer go for a non-pressurized unit. Gas-charged-versions can impart some pull into the steering and handling. One of the best early eliminators of death wobble is a ram-assist cylinder since it basically acts like a steering stabilizer on steroids.