"Death" Wobble?

Over the weekend I bought some home improvement materials from the local DIY
place and while bringing them home in a trailer on my 1994YJ 6cyl I started
to feel the DW at about 50 mph. Slowed down and it went away. I was too
chicken to try again to see if it was the road (ie. rough, pot holes, ect..)
or if it was inherent in the design. I'd like to know since I haul firewood
with the same rig but usually don't make it over 40 mph when I'm doing that.
What is the general consensus on the DW?
Thanks
H-S-F

DW is sometimes difficult to cure but at least do the two initial
suggestions which commonly cure that situation. Get the tires balanced
PERFECTLY and then see if anything is loose on your YJ's front-end. I
don't recall if a YJ has a front trackbar but if it does, make sure its
mounting bolts are tight. An out-of-balance tire or bent wheel is a
common trigger for DW.

Jerry

help-slip-franklin wrote:
> Over the weekend I bought some home improvement materials from the local DIY
> place and while bringing them home in a trailer on my 1994YJ 6cyl I started
> to feel the DW at about 50 mph. Slowed down and it went away. I was too
> chicken to try again to see if it was the road (ie. rough, pot holes, ect..)
> or if it was inherent in the design. I'd like to know since I haul firewood
> with the same rig but usually don't make it over 40 mph when I'm doing that.
> What is the general consensus on the DW?
> Thanks
> H-S-F
>
>

--
Jerry Bransford
PP-ASEL N6TAY
See the Geezer Jeep at
http://members.cox.net/jerrypb/

Agree with post,
Also (credit to Bill) after all checked out, it was the steering
stabilizer...yes it was recently replaced, but there was a dead spot where
there was no shock absorbtion, about 1 inch where the wheels would be
straight.
Buy from advanced auto, not NAPA, they sold me the wrong one...
At least it worked on my XJ...

Tom
"Jerry Bransford" > wrote in message
news:gN%Qe.6918$ct5.3336@fed1read04...
> DW is sometimes difficult to cure but at least do the two initial
> suggestions which commonly cure that situation. Get the tires balanced
> PERFECTLY and then see if anything is loose on your YJ's front-end. I
> don't recall if a YJ has a front trackbar but if it does, make sure its
> mounting bolts are tight. An out-of-balance tire or bent wheel is a
> common trigger for DW.
>
> Jerry
>
> help-slip-franklin wrote:
>> Over the weekend I bought some home improvement materials from the local
>> DIY
>> place and while bringing them home in a trailer on my 1994YJ 6cyl I
>> started
>> to feel the DW at about 50 mph. Slowed down and it went away. I was too
>> chicken to try again to see if it was the road (ie. rough, pot holes,
>> ect..)
>> or if it was inherent in the design. I'd like to know since I haul
>> firewood
>> with the same rig but usually don't make it over 40 mph when I'm doing
>> that.
>> What is the general consensus on the DW?
>> Thanks
>> H-S-F
>>
>>
>
> --
> Jerry Bransford
> PP-ASEL N6TAY
> See the Geezer Jeep at
> http://members.cox.net/jerrypb/

help-slip-franklin wrote:
> Over the weekend I bought some home improvement materials from the local DIY
> place and while bringing them home in a trailer on my 1994YJ 6cyl I started
> to feel the DW at about 50 mph. Slowed down and it went away. I was too
> chicken to try again to see if it was the road (ie. rough, pot holes, ect..)
> or if it was inherent in the design. I'd like to know since I haul firewood
> with the same rig but usually don't make it over 40 mph when I'm doing that.
> What is the general consensus on the DW?
> Thanks
> H-S-F
>
>

Did you feel what you thought was a death wobble, or the trailer
snaking? A reasonably heavy trailer may well behave under 40mph, but
misbehave terribly over 45mph. My (2T) trailer was a real scary thing
over 45mph until I fitted a stabiliser. That's not the cure, since
something else is causing the trailer to be unstable. Front or rear
suspension issues are the problem I think, in my case, but you should
be checking tongue weight and trailer issues first if you were
actually experiencing snaking.

--
Regards,
Danny

http://www.gaggia-espresso.com (a purely hobby site)
http://www.dannyscoffee.com (UK advert for my mobile espresso service)
http://www.malabargold.co.uk (UK/European online ordering for Malabar
Gold blend)
swap Z for above characters in email address to reply

DW is NEVER caused by a bad steering stabilizer, all a steering
stabilizer does is to mask the symptoms caused by something else. As
soon as that stabilizer wears out from fighting the true root cause of
your DW, the DW will return. My other suggestions on checking the tire
balance, looking for a loose/bad ball joint, or a loose/bad trackbar
bushing or bolt.

Once again... and this is a problem I know well... replacing the
steering stabilizer to "cure" DW is like placing a band-aid on a
melanoma skin cancer. You can't see the cancer but it's still there.

Jerry

TF wrote:
> Agree with post,
> Also (credit to Bill) after all checked out, it was the steering
> stabilizer...yes it was recently replaced, but there was a dead spot where
> there was no shock absorbtion, about 1 inch where the wheels would be
> straight.
> Buy from advanced auto, not NAPA, they sold me the wrong one...
> At least it worked on my XJ...
>
> Tom
> "Jerry Bransford" > wrote in message
> news:gN%Qe.6918$ct5.3336@fed1read04...
>
>>DW is sometimes difficult to cure but at least do the two initial
>>suggestions which commonly cure that situation. Get the tires balanced
>>PERFECTLY and then see if anything is loose on your YJ's front-end. I
>>don't recall if a YJ has a front trackbar but if it does, make sure its
>>mounting bolts are tight. An out-of-balance tire or bent wheel is a
>>common trigger for DW.
>>
>>Jerry
>>
>>help-slip-franklin wrote:
>>
>>>Over the weekend I bought some home improvement materials from the local
>>>DIY
>>>place and while bringing them home in a trailer on my 1994YJ 6cyl I
>>>started
>>>to feel the DW at about 50 mph. Slowed down and it went away. I was too
>>>chicken to try again to see if it was the road (ie. rough, pot holes,
>>>ect..)
>>>or if it was inherent in the design. I'd like to know since I haul
>>>firewood
>>>with the same rig but usually don't make it over 40 mph when I'm doing
>>>that.
>>>What is the general consensus on the DW?
>>>Thanks
>>>H-S-F
>>>
>>>
>>
>>--
>>Jerry Bransford
>>PP-ASEL N6TAY
>>See the Geezer Jeep at
>>http://members.cox.net/jerrypb/
>
>
>

--
Jerry Bransford
PP-ASEL N6TAY
See the Geezer Jeep at
http://members.cox.net/jerrypb/

wrong
don't believe it take it off on your jeep and go for a ride on a bumpy road

Jerry Bransford wrote:

> DW is NEVER caused by a bad steering stabilizer, all a steering
> stabilizer does is to mask the symptoms caused by something else. As
> soon as that stabilizer wears out from fighting the true root cause of
> your DW, the DW will return. My other suggestions on checking the tire
> balance, looking for a loose/bad ball joint, or a loose/bad trackbar
> bushing or bolt.
>
> Once again... and this is a problem I know well... replacing the
> steering stabilizer to "cure" DW is like placing a band-aid on a
> melanoma skin cancer. You can't see the cancer but it's still there.
>
> Jerry
>
> TF wrote:
> > Agree with post,
> > Also (credit to Bill) after all checked out, it was the steering
> > stabilizer...yes it was recently replaced, but there was a dead spot where
> > there was no shock absorbtion, about 1 inch where the wheels would be
> > straight.
> > Buy from advanced auto, not NAPA, they sold me the wrong one...
> > At least it worked on my XJ...
> >
> > Tom
> > "Jerry Bransford" > wrote in message
> > news:gN%Qe.6918$ct5.3336@fed1read04...
> >
> >>DW is sometimes difficult to cure but at least do the two initial
> >>suggestions which commonly cure that situation. Get the tires balanced
> >>PERFECTLY and then see if anything is loose on your YJ's front-end. I
> >>don't recall if a YJ has a front trackbar but if it does, make sure its
> >>mounting bolts are tight. An out-of-balance tire or bent wheel is a
> >>common trigger for DW.
> >>
> >>Jerry
> >>
> >>help-slip-franklin wrote:
> >>
> >>>Over the weekend I bought some home improvement materials from the local
> >>>DIY
> >>>place and while bringing them home in a trailer on my 1994YJ 6cyl I
> >>>started
> >>>to feel the DW at about 50 mph. Slowed down and it went away. I was too
> >>>chicken to try again to see if it was the road (ie. rough, pot holes,
> >>>ect..)
> >>>or if it was inherent in the design. I'd like to know since I haul
> >>>firewood
> >>>with the same rig but usually don't make it over 40 mph when I'm doing
> >>>that.
> >>>What is the general consensus on the DW?
> >>>Thanks
> >>>H-S-F
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>--
> >>Jerry Bransford
> >>PP-ASEL N6TAY
> >>See the Geezer Jeep at
> >>http://members.cox.net/jerrypb/
> >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Jerry Bransford
> PP-ASEL N6TAY
> See the Geezer Jeep at
> http://members.cox.net/jerrypb/

I think Jerry is right. Mine has leaked out all its oil, and I've not got
round to replacing it yet - no wobble at all. I can't see logically why it
would do anything other than mask vibrations caused by worn components.

Dave Milne, Scotland
'91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ


"tim bur" > wrote in message
...
> wrong
> don't believe it take it off on your jeep and go for a ride on a bumpy
road
>
> Jerry Bransford wrote:
>
> > DW is NEVER caused by a bad steering stabilizer, all a steering
> > stabilizer does is to mask the symptoms caused by something else. As
> > soon as that stabilizer wears out from fighting the true root cause of
> > your DW, the DW will return. My other suggestions on checking the tire
> > balance, looking for a loose/bad ball joint, or a loose/bad trackbar
> > bushing or bolt.
> >
> > Once again... and this is a problem I know well... replacing the
> > steering stabilizer to "cure" DW is like placing a band-aid on a
> > melanoma skin cancer. You can't see the cancer but it's still there.
> >
> > Jerry
> >
> > TF wrote:
> > > Agree with post,
> > > Also (credit to Bill) after all checked out, it was the steering
> > > stabilizer...yes it was recently replaced, but there was a dead spot
where
> > > there was no shock absorbtion, about 1 inch where the wheels would be
> > > straight.
> > > Buy from advanced auto, not NAPA, they sold me the wrong one...
> > > At least it worked on my XJ...
> > >
> > > Tom
> > > "Jerry Bransford" > wrote in message
> > > news:gN%Qe.6918$ct5.3336@fed1read04...
> > >
> > >>DW is sometimes difficult to cure but at least do the two initial
> > >>suggestions which commonly cure that situation. Get the tires
balanced
> > >>PERFECTLY and then see if anything is loose on your YJ's front-end. I
> > >>don't recall if a YJ has a front trackbar but if it does, make sure
its
> > >>mounting bolts are tight. An out-of-balance tire or bent wheel is a
> > >>common trigger for DW.
> > >>
> > >>Jerry
> > >>
> > >>help-slip-franklin wrote:
> > >>
> > >>>Over the weekend I bought some home improvement materials from the
local
> > >>>DIY
> > >>>place and while bringing them home in a trailer on my 1994YJ 6cyl I
> > >>>started
> > >>>to feel the DW at about 50 mph. Slowed down and it went away. I was
too
> > >>>chicken to try again to see if it was the road (ie. rough, pot holes,
> > >>>ect..)
> > >>>or if it was inherent in the design. I'd like to know since I haul
> > >>>firewood
> > >>>with the same rig but usually don't make it over 40 mph when I'm
doing
> > >>>that.
> > >>>What is the general consensus on the DW?
> > >>>Thanks
> > >>>H-S-F
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >>--
> > >>Jerry Bransford
> > >>PP-ASEL N6TAY
> > >>See the Geezer Jeep at
> > >>http://members.cox.net/jerrypb/
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > Jerry Bransford
> > PP-ASEL N6TAY
> > See the Geezer Jeep at
> > http://members.cox.net/jerrypb/
>

So take the useless thing off.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/

Dave Milne wrote:
>
> I think Jerry is right. Mine has leaked out all its oil, and I've not got
> round to replacing it yet - no wobble at all. I can't see logically why it
> would do anything other than mask vibrations caused by worn components.
>
> Dave Milne, Scotland
> '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

The death wobble on my 92YJ was caused by a worn drag link joint and a loose
track bar mount on the frame side. First thing I did was have the tires
rebalanced and replace the steering stablizer. DW remained. I finally took
it into a good shop and they were able to pinpoint the cause. Be careful of
some so-called "mechanics". I had many recomendations, to include taking
off the track bar and the steering stabilizer. Don't take anything off.
Everything is on there for a reason.

Good luck.
Terry


"help-slip-franklin" > wrote in message
news:Uj_Qe.14293$k32.3883@trnddc08...
> Over the weekend I bought some home improvement materials from the local
> DIY
> place and while bringing them home in a trailer on my 1994YJ 6cyl I
> started
> to feel the DW at about 50 mph. Slowed down and it went away. I was too
> chicken to try again to see if it was the road (ie. rough, pot holes,
> ect..)
> or if it was inherent in the design. I'd like to know since I haul
> firewood
> with the same rig but usually don't make it over 40 mph when I'm doing
> that.
> What is the general consensus on the DW?
> Thanks
> H-S-F
>
>



Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com