Death wobble is not only the shaking of the steering wheels on speed breakers and bumps but it is an uncontrollable movement of the whole jeep that makes you feel like you can lose control of the car at any time. In case you have ever gone through the feelings of jeep death wobble, you must have experienced how horrible it is. Well, you then must have searched online or other forums to look for what it is.
This article would be a great help to you since it contains in-depth and detailed information based on valid research and analysis by our experts on what jeep death wobble is, why it is caused, what to do next, how to fix it, and other relevant issues.
If you have gone through the online platform for help, you must have observed the belief of people who have suffered from this issue that certain types of jeeps from specific years and certain modifications are responsible for making the jeep more prone to death wobble.
Well, we will clear every misunderstanding, including this one, related to this topic and will let you understand each and everything related to it. You have to make sure that you have read the article with thorough attention so that next time you’d be able to manage and fix the jeep death wobble. Let us now not waste any more time and cover the topic as soon as possible.
What Is Death Wobble?
Death wobble is the constant shaking of the steering wheel from side to side, making you feel like your whole vehicle is out of control and it will fall apart anytime in between driving. There are certain preventive measures for the death wobbles that you can take to ensure that you do not have to face this issue again.
Moreover, some solutions and fixation methods of death wobble are also discussed below, so you can understand everything about the jeep death wobble, its occurrence, causes, fixation, and preventions. We will first start with what jeep death wobble is and then will look into the further details.
What Is A Jeep Death Wobble?
The jeep death wobble occurs in those 4×4s jeeps and trucks in which the steering wheel components are rotated unintentionally and very much. In the presence of speed above 45 miles per hour, there are chances that you will experience jeep death wobble explicitly when hitting a bump, speed breaker, or pothole. This results in the abnormal movement of the steering wheel from right to left which ultimately triggers the uncontrollable shaking of the whole jeep.
This uncontrollable type of shaking lets you feel like your jeep or the truck that is facing this issue is going to fall apart anytime in between the driving. This is the situation when you feel like your life is going to end and you just want to hold your life and your vehicle to save yourself from the coming situation. Well, it is just scary enough. Let us now look at what are the causes of jeep death wobble and why it occurs in certain jeeps and trucks.
What Causes Death Wobble?
Most of the time it has been noticed that death wobbling is generally caused by high speed or overspeeding. When you are riding your vehicle above 45 miles per hour there are chances that you will experience the death wobble situation. Not only the high speed but high speed when combined with the hitting of the vehicle with some bump, speed breaker, or pothole results in violent shaking of the whole jeep.
This is the result of disruption in the consistent and smooth flow of the vehicle. This is something different from other issues of the car because it makes you feel like you are going to die because of the uncontrollable shaking during driving and the panicked environment of the jeep. Moreover, this is specifically very shocking and scary because in case you are experiencing this shaking for the very first time, it will make you feel not only unbelievable but also terrifying.
Furthermore, high speed and bumps are not the only cause of death wobble but there are other factors that contribute to the situation. This most importantly includes the steering and suspension issues. In case some part of the vehicle is damaged or broken you have to replace it as soon as possible and should take steps for its replacement and solution.
Moreover, if there is no problem with the parts of the vehicle itself and the problem lies in the installation there are chances that the driver will experience a jeep death wobble scenario. Alternatively, the stock jeeps are not prone to death wobble problems (no authentic sources but yes it is said a lot).
What To Do When Death Wobble Happens?
The first and the most important thing that you have to do is to keep your focus and attention intact in case of uncontrollable wobbling of the vehicle. You have to deal with it without losing your mind. The second most important thing to do when you experience death wobble is to hold the steering tightly. You have to keep your grip on the steering and make sure that you are holding the steering very well.
Do not panic and slow down the car to minimize the wobble by slowing down the acceleration and speed of the car. You can also stop your car to fully stop the death wobble. Well, this is also important for your safety too.
Moreover, always keep in mind that you should not make sudden and abrupt movements like jerking or quick braking because in this case there are chances of flipping out of the car, specifically when the car is in extreme shaking.
Keep in mind all of these instructions to deal with death wobble and come out of the situation safely.
How To Fix Death Wobble?
If you are facing the jeep death wobbling issues more often, you have to look for its fixation methods. The first step in fixing the death wobble situation is finding the exact cause and the reason for its occurrence. Well, this is something not only complex and complicated but also very twisted. It looks like you are solving a puzzle or a quadratic equation.
Since the steering system and suspension system of the jeep are made up of multiple small, big, and middle-sized parts, you have to check all of them one by one. Focusing mainly on front track bar problems and checking them properly firsthand should be the priority. This is because most of the time the imbalance in the front track bar is the major cause of wobbling and uncontrollable shaking.
Moreover, there are many other parts of the jeep that should be assessed and analyzed to sort out the problem of death wobble. Get some professional help and ask your mechanic to help you out with the complications of the jeep and death wobble situations.
How To Diagnose Jeep Track Bar Problems?
I am going to elaborate on some of the important parts that you should focus on if you really want to fix the death wobble condition. These are enlisted below with the description of each.
1. Track Bar Problems
Checking the front trackball is the first form of thing that you should do when you are facing the issue of death wobble. The damaged trackball, the loose track bar, or four installations of the track bar are the most common reasons for engaging your jeep in unnecessary and uncontrollable shaking.
Most of the users have complained about the trackball problems as the major and basic cause of death wobbling in their vehicles. You have to use the torque wrench for this purpose and should check whether the bolts are correctly placed at about 125 lbs/ft. Moreover, always start with a visual inspection and check the bushings and mounting points firsthand. If you are having issues starting your Jeep, please refer to our guide on troubleshooting this problem.
2. Testing Your Jeep’s Ball Joints
For the appropriate testing of the jeep’s ball joints, you have to lift the car up from the front side. Lift the car up with the help of a Jack and try your best to move the wheel with your hands. Concentrate on how much pressure and strength you are applying while rotating the wheel.
This will tell you how poor or how perfect the ball joints of the jeep are! In case the ball joints are very poor and bad in their performance and functioning you have to replace them as soon as possible.
Now if you notice that ball joints are perfectly working and there is no track by the problem in the Jeep you have to move on to the other options such as the checking of tie rod ends and inspecting the control arms and wheel bearings.
How to Check Your Jeep’s Tie-Rod Ends?
In order to check the Jeep’s tie rod ends, you have to take help from your friend. Ask him to rotate the wheel in the forward and backward direction, and you, while he is rotating the wheel should focus on the tie rod ends.
In case you notice that the rod is static and there are the ends of the rod you have to consider the replacement and should look for a new tie rod end, as soon as possible. In case the Jeep-style rod ends are okay, move on to the next step.
3. Inspect Your Jeep’s Control Arms & Wheel Bearing
The poor wheel bearing or warm-out was once one of the major causes of death wobbling. For checking the wheel bearings you again have to take help from your friend. Ask him to lift the front wheel of the car. Now in the same situation hold the wheel from the upward and downward areas.
Wiggle it and focus. Focus on any kind of movement or any kind of noise coming from the wheel. You can feel the movement on the inside of the wheel or can hear a clunking sound. This indicates the bad bearings. This gives you the hint that the wheel bearing replacement is now very important and extremely necessary.
It is important for you to consult a professional worker because there are certain areas of the vehicle or truck experiencing the death wobble that can only be checked by a professional mechanic, with the help of professional tools and in the presence of professional expertise. Here is what to do when your Jeep key Fob not working.
After proper analysis of my experience of death wobble and on the basis of the reviews taken from the people who have experienced the death wobble will suggest you always consult a professional worker or car dealer to sort out the actual cause of the wobbling and solve it as soon as possible.
Do not delay the process nor work on your own because you do not have that much expertise nor do you have those professional tools that can help you diagnose the correct problem in a correct way.
How To Prevent Jeep Death Wobble?
Until now we have gone through what actually is the death wobble and what are the major causes of it. Then we read about what to do in the situation of death wobbling. Now is the time to move on towards the prevention techniques and tips that help you prevent the situation of death wobble.
Following is the list of three most common prevention techniques that can prevent you from getting into the death wobbling condition.
1. Maintenance Of The Adequate Tire Pressure
Poor tire pressure is taken as one of the most common triggers for death wobble. Keeping this in mind, inflation, under inflation, or sometimes the mismatching of the pressure can take you toward the death wobble situation.
To prevent your jeep from reaching the situation of death wobble, you have to make sure that the tire pressure inside the tire is proper and adequate. You should check the tire pressure on a regular basis and should deflate and inflate as per the requirement.
2. Alignment Of The Wheels
Although misalignment of the wheel is not really an issue that can cause death wobble conditions directly yes it can trigger and can provoke the already shaking in the car. Always make sure that the wheels of your vehicle are aligned and are proper in their directions. This helps you in preventing extreme conditions of death from wobble situations that otherwise can result in serious safety concerns.
3. Proper Inspection Of The Suspension System
Proper inspection of the suspension system is another important thing that helps you prevent following into the horrible situation of the death wobble. This is because problems with the suspension system are considered one of the most common reasons for developing death wobble conditions.
You have to make sure that all the parts of the suspension system including the track bar, ball joints, and drag link are working efficiently and properly. Maintain regular inspection and ensure there are no signs of wear and tear in any way.
What Are The Side Effects Of The Jeep Death Wobble?
Well until now we have understood almost everything about jeep death wobble and how to overcome it. We have also learned the methods to fix it and how to prevent it from occurring in the future. But it does not mean that after the fixation of the problem and taking preventive measures, the jeep death wobble will not occur anymore nor will its side effects.
There are some side effects that you have to face after the death wobble has passed. You have to keep it in mind and should read the following details so that you can maintain the proper functioning of your car, without any more complications and complexities. The after-effects of jeep death wobble include the damaging and loosening of some of the important parts in the suspension system. Such as the front track bar.
You should check the suspension system and steering system thoroughly after you have dealt with the death wobble. The violent and abrupt shaking during the death wobble condition, most of the time results in the loosening of the components of the steering system and suspension system. Now keeping it in mind you have to make sure that you are regularly checking the suspension system, steering system, and other bolts and nuts of the car after the wobbling complaints, in order to check whether they are right or not.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the major cause of jeep death wobble?
The most basic and major cause of death wobble is the presence of a malfunctioning or poor suspension system or steering system. Further, if you are riding above 45 mph and some speed breaker or bump is there that you have to cross, the sudden encountering of that bump results in triggering the jeep’s death wobble. To avoid such a situation there are certain preventive measures that you can take. This involves maintenance of the proper pressure, alignment of the wheel, and proper inspection of the suspension and steering system, before taking your jeep out for riding specifically on long routes.
How Much Will My Jeep’s Death Wobble Fix Cost Me?
It depends on what is the problem and the cause of death wobble. You cannot fix and specify the cost of its repair because different parts of the car demand different expenditures for their replacement and adjustments. If it is the problem of a track bar, you have to spend somewhere between $300 to $550. It totally depends upon what brand and quality of the track bar you’re purchasing and how much is the service charge of the mechanic. On the other hand, if you only have to replace the brackets then you just have to spend between $20 to $60 and not more than that.
How common is the Jeep death wobble?
Jeep death wobble is a known condition that occurs in most jeep vehicles and trucks. Well, it is somehow common in all kinds of models of the jeep regardless of what year they are manufactured. According to the official reports, the NHTSA said that they have received around 600 complaints in the previous 20 years in relation to the jeep’s death wobble. Well after looking at this figure, we can say that yes, the jeep wobble is a common situation among jeeps and trucks.
Can bad alignment cause death to wobble directly?
Bad alignment is not an issue that can directly cause the death wobbling condition but yes there are chances that miss-alignment of the wheels can trigger and provoke the shaking of the car. Keeping it in mind, ensuring the proper alignment of the wheels properly prevents you from going into that wobble condition of the jeep.
Can tires or wheels cause death wobble?
Yes, the poor wheel bearing and the poor alignment of the tires can cause death wobble conditions. Well, the bad wheel bearing is one of the major causes of this uncontrollable shaking. If you notice any kind of clunking sound or you observe the movement on the inside of the wheel, you should check the wheels properly with the help of your friend or some professional mechanic, in order to see whether they need replacement or not.
Is the situation of death wobble fixable?
Yes, the situation of a death wobble is, of course, fixable but for this, you have to make sure that you have diagnosed the right cause and have reached the correct reason for its sequence. Then you have to make sure that you are dealing with the problem accurately and fixing it in the right way. I personally will recommend you take help from a professional mechanic or car dealer so that he can diagnose and manage the problem more professionally and in a better manner.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you have gone through the above-mentioned article and have understood everything related to jeep death wobble. Some of the myths related to the death wobbling condition of the jeep are cleared in the above-mentioned description. We have tried our best to cover all of the information we had with our analysis and research related to this uncontrollable shaking and movement of the jeep.
After learning about what exactly is a jeep death wobble, we have gone through the major causes so you are aware of how to diagnose the actual reason for the occurrence of the death wobble. Then we have covered how to fix the situation and what to do as a preventive measure in case you often have to face this situation.
Moreover, make sure that you have understood all of the information written above because a jeep can go into a death wobble condition anywhere at any time, ultimately risking your safety and security very much. So make sure to understand everything mentioned and described above to ensure safe driving and traveling in your jeep.
Hi! Ulberto Williams here, a passionate adventurer who has been driving jeeps all his life. My passion for the thrill of off-roading has allowed me to learn what modern-day jeeps have to offer. Exploring the popular trails and seeking thrills in the unexplored terrains allowed me to discover the true intimacy nature had to offer and become an avid learner of Off-roading with Jeeps. Hence, I decided to create this blog to share my experiences of jeep riding and off-roading with the world. My only goal is to provide the readers with quality reliable information about jeeps.