ok so as most of yall know im new around here...
ive got an xj that shakes ( a heck of alot) especially around 30 or 50 mph...but when im going alittle faster it's not bad...nothing near to whats going on in the lower speeds
i just got an alignment on friday and it did nothing...i understand that when they did it they did it to original specs but i figgured that is would be some kind of better...the tires arent out of balance either...keep in mind guys that im not only new to this site im also new to 4x4s and dont know tec. terms for things...im like that thing here and that thing there
sorry i wanted to try one of those out hehe
get somebody to sit in the drivers seat and turn the wheel back and forth while you look at all of the joints etc on the front end. pay close attention to the tie rod ends and the trackbar ends for any slack. bad wheel bearings or ball joints could also cause some shaking. also check that the bolts holding the steering box on are tight and look over the "frame" rail real well in the steering box area for cracks
Contact murphey (apark) on the board. he can tell everything you need to know about bump steer. We replaced all his tie rod ends, ball joints and added hydro assist and it went away. hahaha. He will be able to walk you through what to do step by step. he is the XJ man. well him and Twisted.
Is it lifted? How much? What kind of lift? Control arms adjustable? What tire pressures are you running? Sounds like you have what is commonly known as "Death Wobble". I've had it. An Adjustable track bar and adjustable lower control arms fixed mine...but it's returning slowly. Now I need all new steering linkage and ball joints. Do a search for cherokee death wobble and do alot of reading. There are multiple causes and fixes...different for everybody. Start with the cheap stuff, and go from there.
Just read this on another forum. Good information to hang on to.
It happened to be in the XJ topic of discussion too.
Quote:by 99Greenmachine: DEATH WOBBLE: ALL YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW...AND THEN SOME
FRONT END CHECK
-Check your Tires
1. Out of balance tires can cause shaking in the front end, which can lead to Death Wobble. A tire/rim that has been balanced can still have internal defects that lead to DW.
2. Make sure all of your lug nuts are tight, (Sounds elementary but it happens to the best of us)
-Make sure you have a good alignment
1. After you get an alignment done, have them print out the numbers for you. An XJ should have a 7* positive caster angle. A lifted XJ can’t always have that high of a number because the pinion would become out of alignment with the front driveshaft. Pinion angle takes precedence over caster.
2. Make you sure you go to a place that will adjust the caster if necessary (either by shims in the frame side of the LCAs, or adjustable LCAs).
-Check your Track Bar
Play in the track bar can cause the axle to shake.
1. Bushings - check to see that they are not worn. Looks for cracks, and excessive play)
2. Angles - this angle should be the same as your draglink. Use an angle finders you can get at sears to determine this, don’t just eye-ball it.
3. Bolts – Make sure all bolts are tightened down to spec (some lift components have a different torque spec then)
-Check the Axle, your mounts may be worn
1. Check the axle mount. Here is a good write up on a wallowed out bolt hole
http://www.jeepin.com/features/trackbarfix/index.asp
2. Check your Universal joints, a binding or lose U-Joint can cause DW
3. On the frame end if you still use the conventional Tie Rod End or (TRE) make sure that there is no play in this, as play can cause DW.
4. Look/Check for worn/torn boots on ball joints/tie-rod ends.
-Check your Frame
1. Small cracks in the frame can cause the steering box to feel loose, Shaking from DW can only make this worse. 33’s and larger should have some form of Steering box brace, or frame brace in.
2. If you have upgraded your frame mount, make sure its cranked down nice and tight. (best to use an impact gun)
3. A busted Frame Mount can cause play in the front end causing DW (Keep a watchful eye on the welds as welds in sheer can break over time.
-The more adjustable parts the easier it is to tune in your lifted suspension.
1. Adjustable Track Bar
2. Adjustable Upper and Lower Control Arms (upper ones above 4” of lift). Not only are they adjustable, but they are stronger.
-Things to remember:
1. After any lift, get your Jeep professionally aligned, this is a REQUIREMENT, not a suggestion.
2. A Steering Stabilizer (SS) is not a quick fix for DW.
3. Make sure that the lift you purchase comes with all the required parts for a safe driving vehicle. (as long as its going to be a DD)
4. PLEASE ALWAYS DRIVE WITH YOUR FRONT SWAY BAR CONNECTED!
Entire list of everything that can cause death wobble:
-Front tires out of balance
-Front alignment out of spec
-Loose track bar
-Worn track bar bushings
-Worn track bar end
-Needing an adjustable track bar
-Bad bushings/joints in control arms
-Worn/damaged steering stabilizer
-Worn/damaged shocks
-Worn/damaged tie rod end
-Bad U Joint
-Bad ball joint
-Loose frame mount
-Steering box looseness
-Need drop pitman arm
-Driveshaft(s) not balanced
-Bad front hub assembly
Torque specs:
Item .........................……......Torque Ft. lbs. .............. Nm
Lug nuts (1/2 X 20 w/ 60* cone) .... 85-115 .............. 115-150
All tie rod ends .....................…..... 55 ...................….. 74
Steering (both ends) ..............…..... 55 ................….... 74
Shock absorber upper nut .............. 16 ................….... 22
Shock absorber lower nuts ............. 17 ................….... 23
UCA frame end .....................…...... 66 ..............…..... 89
UCA axle end .........................….... 55 ................….... 74
LCA frame end ......................…..... 85 ...................... 115
LCA axle end .........................….... 85 ...................... 115
Track bar frame end ..............…..... 60 .................…... 81
Track bar axle end .................….... 40 ..................…... 54
Track bar bracket bolts ..........…..... 92 ...................... 125
Track bar bracket nut .............….... 74 ....................... 100
Track bar bracket support bolts ...... 31 ....................... 42
Hub bolts (3) ............................…. 75 ....................... 102
Hub- axle bolt ..........................….. 175 ..................... 237
Alingment specs (stock):
Angle ............. Preferred ........... Range ............. Max R/L diff.
Caster ............ +7.0* ........ +5.25* to +8.5* ......... 1.25*
Camber ........... -0.25* ....... -0.75* to +0.5 ........... 1.0*
Total Toe-in .... +0.25* ....... 0* to +0.45* ............. .05*
Thrust angle .... 0* to ± 0.15*
That would be good to post as it's own thread, so we can find it in the future. I could sticky it and we could add our own personal experiences to the topic.
Be sure to give credit to the author or source.
Reserector Wrote:That would be good to post as it's own thread, so we can find it in the future. I could sticky it and we could add our own personal experiences to the topic.
Be sure to give credit to the author or source.
x2. I think a death wobble thread should be a sticky in the Jeep section, or the suspension tech section (since other vehicles get it, too).
It's ready to be stickied or stuck or whatever it should be called.
SpoiledRotten Wrote:It's ready to be stickied or stuck or whatever it should be called.
Where did you put it?
