How to Find and Cure Death Wobble Jeep XJ, ZJ, TJ, and more

I have a 96 zj Cherokee and I need some help putting a good lift on it, I'd love to bring it to you and you could run a video on a pretty clean 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo build. Thanks Donnie not walberg.

Yeah, I would like to see you do that if you haven't already.

Thank you, Great editing

Someone said that using a type of great to drive those bushings in can then lead to squeaks. What's your experience? Do you think that's just a bunch of crock? I have some squeaky suspension and was about to grease up some joints.

Thank you so much for the video it really helps

Interesting video and great info.
We have a 2 wheel drive Cherokee XJ (1991 w/227K miles) and we have the same issue over about 55MPH, but it doesn't always happen. It only happens if you hit some kind of bump to set it off when doing over 55MPH. Not sure where to look because the 2 wheel drive Jeep has a different layout in the front end...
Phil
Jersey Shore Area.

The way the bushings are built means that either the rubber bushing twists inside the outer tube or the inner sleeve twists inside the rubber bushing or even both. This means the bushing acts like a slide bearing. The OEM bushings don't do that because there the bushings can't move inside the outer tube and also not on the inner sleeve because they are laminated together. For this reason the OEM don't akt like a slide bearing because all the movement happens in the rubber itself.
Don't you think the bushings acting like a slide bearing is one huge misunderstanding and a faulty design.
With Heim Joints or johnny joints of course it's clear that the movement happens like inside a slide bearing because they are designed for it.

Thank you!

Could I do this on a budget with a Flux core welder?? For my wj

How do you get voice to work

Hey Martinbuilt , love the video. My first experience with death wobble scared the living hell out of me in heavy 5 oclock traffic. Almost had to come to a complete stop for it to stop and it went away until a week later, hit another bump jus right again and it happened again. Considering how long it's been since you posted the video, i don't know if your still making any parts but if you are I would love to buy what I would need to raise my Jeep. Not sure if 6in or 4in lift is what I would need but would love to chat and get your opinion. Thanks

I wish I would have known you back in the days whenever I was dirt track racing. Hey building cars from the junkyard fabrication was one of the biggest things for Street stalker UPS truck never drop anything off for me

Would you happen to know where I could find a good rear track bar bracket “axle side” for a 95 jeep grand Cherokee zj

Bought an XJ with the typical 3.5" RC lift that includes (extended) tubular lower control arms. Measured Caster at 11 Degrees. Front end was otherwise tight but had pretty severe DW at 51-55mph. Adjustable Uppers and 5 degrees caster makes it impossible to actually DW but I can feel the vibration that would set it off when going over bumps. I'm curious to see what happens when I get the dumb excessive backspacing wheels off.

My DW story... I have a 93 Grand Cherokee. At around 30,000, it started the death wobble. I have a car lift and have done my own mechanic work all my life. So I figured I have this. Up it went and I did everything I have done to hundreds of vehicles for years to check all suspension and front drivetrain. Everything seemed tight and unworn. My wife's dad bought the Jeep new and passed shortly after. Her mother drove the jeep to the store and back till she passed and we inherited it. I know the thing was not put in four wheel drive very many times in it's life. So basically what I am saying is the Jeep was just like new when we got it with less than 20,000 miles. Back to the story of dw. I couldn't find anything wrong so I took it to an alignment shop that I have used for years and have always had good service from them. They couldn't find anything wrong so we drove it up the road. At 45 mph it went into the dw. The guy said he had never seen anything like this. He checked everything and did an alignment on it and it still, dw... After several attempts, he said he determined the track bar was the problem. $180. later he said it was fixed. I picked it up and on the way home it was still wobbling. Went right back and got my money back and found another shop. Same thing, not a clue what caused it but said I needed to replace all my bushings and tie rods. I asked why and they said they were all worn enough that they were all causing the problem. I didn't buy it. Now if I would go from 40 to 60 under heavy throttle, I could get past the wobble and it would run all day. But between 45 and 60 it would almost always wobble and violently!!! Eventually I replaced every part that can be replaced including tires twice because they would wear out fast. 4 or 5 shops tried to fix it and no one knew what to do. After putting up with the problem for several years and spending probably $2,000, I was thinking about what was going on when it was wobbling. I had even stuck my head out the window to watch the tire. What I decided was the toe in was causing the problem. I know it was aligned to specs at least 5 times but something was still not right! I got my tape measure out and a couple of pieces of angle iron and set the toe in to less than 1/8th of an inch. It was over 3/8ths when I first checked it. It has now been over 100,000 miles later and never once have I experienced the DW! I figured out the geometry of these suspensions cause this problem when they get to a certain harmonics. With the toe in adjusted in too far, the left tire will try to go right at a certain harmonic and when it gives in to traction making it slip, then the right tire will be trying to go left and at just the right harmonics the fight for traction gets to be more than the tires can support and they begin fighting and they start the wobble. Don't know if this is a good explanation, but when I took almost all the toe in out of my alignment, it fixed the problem. Even with 31 inch tires the wobble never came back. I now have over 160,000 and it runs and drives like a new one.... Almost.... lol...

My grand Cherokee started doing this. Looks like I’ve got a fun project tomorrow.

100ז%

Great video! This has happened twice to me on my pristine 01 WJ. One time on the original/factory steering damper(90k)- I replaced it with a shit after market. And a second time, 50k miles later- again steering damper and right lower tie rod. THE CURE:
RANCHO damper and all tie rods replaced with MOOG product.
Thank again

very nice work Sir

Got to get my XJ fixed. It cranks but won't start, and when I put it in reverse before it quit starting, it had a really bad clunking noise. I've put a ton of money into it, but I will NEVER give up on it. Love these XJ's

DOnt have an XJ, have 2 Grand Cherokees - 2002. Still love getting info on these Jeeps -Good Job!

I have same for my Honda pilot 2015 I spend all my money.. But still not fix ..now I am selling my truck

Im planing on buying first jeep got 2 options, XJ 4.0i or ZJ with 5.2 v8, wich one do u suggest i should get, im just planing on doing some trail riding, bit mudding, towing with friends. And really want to beat friends Terrano II 2.7TD and Pajero 3.5 v6. I heard that ZJ has some transmision problems. Wich one do u suggest i get.

Are you hiring I could help

Hi
My friend some time be aware of these rubber bushes
Most stearing n suspension bushings should be made from spcial materials like polyurethane bushings which can last the lifetime of the vehicle. The bushings will need to be re-greased every few years.. Without proper lubrication, the bushings can squeak, and wear prematurely

How many Jeep you have Martin?

Thank you so much for the vid!! I just traded my Acura for a 2006 Wrangler X that definately has the death wobble. I got screwed bad on the deal. Took it to a mechanic and he said the WHOLE front end needs rebuilt...having a hard time accepting that. I think since I'm female all mechanics think I know nothing about vehicles. They are mistaken. I learn every day more and more and enjoy working on my own vehicles.

OK. question. I have replaced everything they say that causes a death wobble. But i still have the death wobble??? and no one can figure out why its still doing it??

Just bought a 2001 XJ today. Coming home I had the death wobble seriously horrible death wobble. Previous owner put it in a brand new track bar a week ago one of his selling points. I look under and hells bells to me I believe he had put in the wrong part. I now own it so I’ll fix it. He had put in 2” pucks up front and a helper spring in back. I’m going to buy 2” longer coils and a new set of leaf springs, he said shocks are new they look it but who knows. I experienced the death wobble some eight times coming home from Scranton pa to Syracuse Ny. I know why it’s called the death wobble for fact.

Those big tire are your main culpret, they'll tear the whole front end all to hell eventually !

What would you charge to build a track bar?

Martin I have used hand soap to install rubber bushings, slides easy and does not deteriorate the rubber.

Yourve lucky with your case, when I had a loose trac bar bracket, hitting bumps in the road a certain way would shake my wheels and steering so intensly I couldn't control it and they would chirp and only stopping the jeep would stop it

My jeep cherockee wobbles as I am changing gear why???

My wj eats Bushings on the front end, hate it

well shit. maybe someday i'll be able to do this. till then i think i just need a new car.

Finally, after tons of videos, THIS made it comprehensible. Thanks!

Шикарно.)

Is that grease compatible with that rubber?

Never even thought of just reaching up and turning the steering shaft. I've watched dozens of vids on how to solve death wobble. As soon as you turned your steering shaft I was look at the play in that track bar. Thank you for this info.

I’m not a Mechanic but I’m very sure this is what’s going on with my 1994 Jeep Cherokee Laredo. Can you let me know more or less how much on the price range it would be to take to a mechanic to fix. So I’m not looking clueless. I’m researching allot about my Jeep. So I know what it may need or to do. You really know what your doing & very authentic. Thank you

Fix it?!? Just call ecology… they’ll pay you like $75 and take that death wobble off your hands. Lol.

How do we know what should or shouldn't be moving. Having never done this lol

Wow thank you sir for your videos I was driving down the road and it’s done it before but dang this last time was a bit concerning. Because of your detailed information I was able to pin point the issue and resolve it thank you amen

I am not a mechanic....at all. Fill the gas tank, changing oil....that's about the extent of my knowledge. I bought a 2000 jeep Cherokee to learn how to work on a vehicle. I've changed out the rad, heater core, shocks, front brakes, wheel hubs, ball joints (fml....fun), and u-joints. I now have the death wobble when hitting @ 50mph but only when traveling in a straight line. If turning at that speed, no problems. Your video is great bro! Thanks for taking the time to make and upload this!

Ineed one

Thank you sir for your help 👍

That was AWESOME. Im thinking of getting an XJ. I love turning a wrench, but good watching a pro. Well done, thank you.