Another Death Wobble post

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Another Death Wobble post

Post by 2011TXPowerWagon » Wed Sep 06, 2017 12:22 pm

I know I know, there are 12 pages that contain something about DW, I figured one more can't hurt... So about 2 months ago I started to get the DW pretty frequently while on the expressway and going over and "overpass". Today again, i was on the expressway and it has gotten worse. After a lot of reading, here and elsewhere it seems common to start with the track bar. I just want to make sure that seems to be the consensus. I am planning on getting my tires balanced and rotated again just to eliminate that and then purchase a Thuren track bar.

Any suggestions to try something different first....

If this duplicate post bothers you, i apologize in advance.

Sorry just some background,
other than the 37's my truck is completely factory stock.
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by DamageWagon » Wed Sep 06, 2017 12:53 pm

DW can be weird. I had a blown Trackbar, super worn tie rod and drag link, super worn BJ's and 1.25" of toe, and never had death wobble. Truck had all stock parts with 140,000 on it.

Replaced Trackbar and drag link, steering was way better but no DW yet. Replaced tie rod and set toe to 0 and I had tires coming off the ground DW. That's when I found out the BJ's were bad, swapped those and all was good.

My takeaway is that the Trackbar can be a cause of DW according to other people, and can likely be relaxed on its own. Drag link and gearbox has no affect on the story. Tie rod and ball joints are big parts of the story, and if you're doing either one of those, just plan to do both.

Before buying parts, do the usual test. Have a buddy turn engine on and turn the wheel back and forth repeatedly and watch every joint on Trackbar and tie rod to see if they move AT ALL. That will tell you what needs replacing. It is always better to do the parts all at once rather than one at a time - if you still have DW with new parts, you'll just trash the new parts too.

No matter if you have DW or not, the Thuren Trackbar is way better than stock on our year of trucks and makes it a lot nicer to drive.

Currently running:
Thuren Trackbar
EMF ball joints
EMF drag link
NAPA tie rod

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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by 2011TXPowerWagon » Wed Sep 06, 2017 4:04 pm

Thanks for the input. Sounds like a good place to start. DW is a funny thing... you can hear all about it, read all about it and even see it on youtube. I was still make excuses for the slight but growing worse shake. Experience it 1st hand and holy crap its time to fix something.
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by Mike-H » Wed Sep 06, 2017 5:15 pm

On some of our fleet trucks at work we ran into DW issues. Even when they were fairly new. Tires play anroll also. The only way we fixed two trucks was to change to a stiffer tire. Once we did that, no more issues. All the normal parts were replaced first, trackbar, tie rods and ball joints.

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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by 2011TXPowerWagon » Wed Sep 06, 2017 5:46 pm

My tires are a couple years old but not very many miles. I am running them at about 45 psi, I started to think maybe they are too stiff and are "bouncing" around. Maybe not though if you had to go to a stiffer tire.
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by stubiePW » Wed Sep 06, 2017 7:43 pm

I just had my round with this. I put on 37s 2 years ago, no problems. When I put my Thuren goodies on, I did the track bar then with no sign of DW. I started to develop it a couple months ago. I did my who tie rod assembly (easier to me than buying just the ends). It has improved it, but my ball joints starting to go too. I just need to fork up the $$ for good ball joints. I think I'm going Carli ball joints.


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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by Ducky's Dad » Wed Sep 06, 2017 11:14 pm

On the early 3G PWs, the DW was tied to the BFG AT/Ko Load Range D tires, and there was a Dodge TSB to that effect. When I bought my '05, KORE told me to switch the tires to LR-E for additional sidewall stiffness, so I went with Toyo 35s and have never had DW on the PW. I put the the BFGs on my old GMC Z71 w/ IFS and got DW on that truck after the tires were well worn but not nearly worn out. Replaced all the front end components with quality aftermarket stuff and still had DW. Got rid of the BFGs and the DW went away. Now I run only LR-E tires on the GMC (on second set of Nittos) and the DW has not returned. So, check the tires.

On some earlier threads about DW here and on the old DT PW forum, a lot of guys were fiddling with their steering dampers and damper pressure to cure DW and some had reported success. My PW has a Carli damper on it now, but I have changed so many things on the truck that I couldn't tell you whether the damper itself made any difference. I also have a Carli track bar that will go onto the truck when I get a chance.

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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by DamageWagon » Wed Sep 06, 2017 11:27 pm

Ducky that's a good point, referring to the steering dampers. When I replaced my tie rod I left the stock damper off, I thought it wasn't doing anything as it was leaking like a sieve. After having gnarly DW I put the damper back on and never got DW after that. I only drove it one night with the damper on to a friends place to do the ball joint install, but that blown stock damper got me over 100 miles on average California freeway with no issues. Couldn't make it down the street at 35 before that.

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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by MSCH2112 » Thu Sep 07, 2017 12:51 am

Ducky's Dad wrote:On the early 3G PWs, the DW was tied to the BFG AT/Ko Load Range D tires, and there was a Dodge TSB to that effect. When I bought my '05, KORE told me to switch the tires to LR-E for additional sidewall stiffness, so I went with Toyo 35s and have never had DW on the PW. I put the the BFGs on my old GMC Z71 w/ IFS and got DW on that truck after the tires were well worn but not nearly worn out. Replaced all the front end components with quality aftermarket stuff and still had DW. Got rid of the BFGs and the DW went away. Now I run only LR-E tires on the GMC (on second set of Nittos) and the DW has not returned. So, check the tires.

On some earlier threads about DW here and on the old DT PW forum, a lot of guys were fiddling with their steering dampers and damper pressure to cure DW and some had reported success. My PW has a Carli damper on it now, but I have changed so many things on the truck that I couldn't tell you whether the damper itself made any difference. I also have a Carli track bar that will go onto the truck when I get a chance.
bfg tires exactly. through bunch of parts at my 05' pw per the dumb dealers recommendation to no effect. replace tread torn bfg's and i was good to go. when it happened again, replaced crap bfg's and i was good to go again. took me a couple times to learn my lesson but it was the bfg's all along.

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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by yooper68 » Thu Sep 07, 2017 8:55 am

I saw DW on a non-PW 2500 on a recent trip to Montana; was going 80mph+ on I-15 north of Great Falls with my mini-van and went to pass a Dodge/Ram 2500 when his front tires started the Death Wobble.
I could see his front tires shaking rapidly from side-to-side and could even see the steering wheel shaking!
Don't know if he was nervous, but needless to say I backed off very quickly and gave him plenty of room. After he slowed down it looked like it quit shaking.
Neither of us stopped and I soon passed him and went on my way.

I have never experienced DW myself and I know my ball joints are starting to get worn. However I rarely have opportunity to drive over 55 mph with my truck.

Had a very bad shaking on a trip this summer but that was due to a broken valve spring; lots of engine miss-firing isn't very fun either.
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by 2011TXPowerWagon » Thu Sep 07, 2017 11:41 am

It is definitely not a fun occurrence. I, like you, do not do much driving over 45 mph so i have been able to avoid it usually. However the past few months i have been doing more freeway driving and every time i come to an overpass, i get really anxious that its going happen again. Not fun at all. Parking my truck and carpooling with my wife until i can get it figured out.
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by verdesardog » Thu Sep 07, 2017 12:19 pm

I run 315-70-17 bfg at/ko on my 06 CTD, never had death wobble at pressures from about 30 up to 55. My truck did have sloppy steering though. It now has a carli track bar, carli bj's, rancho9000 shocks and a rancho steering damper and a BD steering brace. Now steers almost as good as my Miata!
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by RustyPW » Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:34 pm

DamageWagon wrote:Ducky that's a good point, referring to the steering dampers. When I replaced my tie rod I left the stock damper off, I thought it wasn't doing anything as it was leaking like a sieve. After having gnarly DW I put the damper back on and never got DW after that. I only drove it one night with the damper on to a friends place to do the ball joint install, but that blown stock damper got me over 100 miles on average California freeway with no issues. Couldn't make it down the street at 35 before that.
People may argue over the steering dampener. But it plays a major part in stopping DW.
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by Limamikemike » Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:59 pm

I had a 06 cummins with the front end worn out as well, never death wobbled once in 180k mi i put on it, as well as an 04 hemi 2500 that needed Ball Joints and no wobble.

Currently I have one of the supposedly immune to DW 14+ trucks. I replaced the Damper and front coils with Thurens parts and had massive death wobble. Removed the coils and replaced with stock, still DW, Removed the Damper and replaced with stock no DW. Spoke to Don and was recommended to check the track bar, had 3/16 of movement in the frame bushing end.

In this case the king damper brought out DW with the loose trackbar. Changed over the trackbar to the Thuren bar and reinstalled the damper, so far so good.

My truck has 19K mi, When Don says that the stock track bar is good for 20K in the 14+ he means it. Watch it closely as miles pile on.
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by DamageWagon » Thu Sep 07, 2017 4:22 pm

Yeah the 14+ trucks are in no way immune to DW. They have the same exact parts that can go bad as the earlier trucks do. Radius arms only eliminates the rarest form of DW (wobble due to huge caster change when a heavy payload is placed on the rear and the front lifts up, leading the short arms to reduce caster due to the different upper vs lower arm length)

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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by Colibri » Thu Sep 07, 2017 4:30 pm

No solid axle truck is immune to death wobble
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by Rodeoflyer » Sun Sep 10, 2017 1:06 pm

I have a 2016 model and have a problem believing Ram would install a part as essential as a trackbar that wears out in 20k miles. I replaced mine with a Thuren bar at 45k and noticed no difference at all. No firmer steering, no difference in handling, nada. I'm sure it will last longer and probably articulates better with less binding at max range of motion. I did remove the damper completely and took the truck up the road to see how it felt, something I wouldn't recommend it. Death wobble started at around 40mph the first small pothole I hit.

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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by FirerescuePW » Sun Sep 10, 2017 7:17 pm

The stock bushing will flex. Maybe that is "worn out" to some?

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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by Limamikemike » Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:43 pm

The movement was in the bushing, I'm surprised that the bushing is as soft as it is. So am I assuming 3/16 of movement in the bushing is considered normal? I realize it's not a poly bushing and some movement is acceptable but is the movement I mentioned within limits? Don didn't think so and I hope it wasn't a line just to sell me a track bar lol.

I had no DW with the factory parts. Only with the Thuren Damper.

Anyway I think I'm hijacking someone else's DW thread.
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by RustyPW » Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:53 pm

Limamikemike wrote:The movement was in the bushing, I'm surprised that the bushing is as soft as it is. So am I assuming 3/16 of movement in the bushing is considered normal? I realize it's not a poly bushing and some movement is acceptable but is the movement I mentioned within limits? Don didn't think so and I hope it wasn't a line just to sell me a track bar lol.

I had no DW with the factory parts. Only with the Thuren Damper.

Anyway I think I'm hijacking someone else's DW thread.
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by Ducky's Dad » Sun Sep 10, 2017 10:34 pm

I remember when these forums would be all death wobble, all day. This is like deja vu all over again.

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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by 2011TXPowerWagon » Mon Sep 11, 2017 4:13 pm

Ducky's Dad wrote:I remember when these forums would be all death wobble, all day. This is like deja vu all over again.
what i should have included was "what is the largest tire i can fit stock? Any pictures?" :lol: :lol:
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by Bluchalk » Thu Oct 19, 2017 9:56 pm

RustyPW wrote:
Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:34 pm
DamageWagon wrote:Ducky that's a good point, referring to the steering dampers. When I replaced my tie rod I left the stock damper off, I thought it wasn't doing anything as it was leaking like a sieve. After having gnarly DW I put the damper back on and never got DW after that. I only drove it one night with the damper on to a friends place to do the ball joint install, but that blown stock damper got me over 100 miles on average California freeway with no issues. Couldn't make it down the street at 35 before that.
People may argue over the steering dampener. But it plays a major part in stopping DW.
Fox steering damper from Thuren will make a big difference. Mine had the wobble with factory tires, bilstien steering damper, and Thuren parts. Put on 37” R/T’s and still had an occasional wobble. Put on Thuens’s fox steering damper and no more wobble. 50,000 miles so far
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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by Reloaderguy » Thu Oct 19, 2017 11:09 pm

This thread is giving me death wobble.

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Re: Another Death Wobble post

Post by 2011TXPowerWagon » Tue Nov 28, 2017 11:05 am

Dealership said that a dual steering damper will solve the death wobble issue. I am a little skeptical, but optimistic... waiting on price quote. On a side note, dealer also said gear box was leaking oil and i have a couple broken exhaust manifold bolts. They want about 750$ for each of those repairs. Funny thing is they mentioned that my 37's could be a cause for broken exhaust bolts but not factor in death wobble.....
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