Update on My death wobble

[Oglebuck]

I got my 14 PW back from the dealer. They change a tie rid end and two links on sway bar. Realigned truck. When I first started driving I noticed steering felt tight so I just thought maybe the new parts tightened up the steering. Well today I made a 200 mile trip and had the death wobble 3 times after hitting small pumps in road.
Has anyone here had the DW problem in the 14 models and was able to repair the issue. If so what did y'all do to fix the death wobble. ??

[Oglebuck]

I forgot to mention this truck is 100% stock. No extra lift and running factory tires and wheels.

[adeluca73]

No, none.

Document every instance very carefully: weather, road conditions, location, load, speed etc., then start now pursuing the dealer & Chrysler CS for a lemon law case.

[JBM Power Wagon]

My 14 has been great to drive, suspension feels way more sure footed compared to my 11. Like adeluca said, document everything.

[leo72987]

Me being a 2005 I know I have a different suspension design than you but I thought I would offer another possibility. The only time I have ever experienced death wobble with my truck was due to incorrectly balanced tires.... The dealer I brought the truck from never re-balanced them after putting new tires on.... My death wobble would happen every time I hit a darn bridge.... Once I had them re-balanced death wobble was gone.

[2011TXPowerWagon]

I had never suffered from the death wobble until this weekend after I let about 15lbs of air out of each of my tires. I had been running them at 64psi since I purchased the truck almost a year ago. After dropping down to 49-50psi and driving on the highway to the beach I noticed a much higher probability for the wobble to start. Seems like every over pass seem would cause a slight shake to start.

[Oglebuck]

I really like this truck other than the death wobble. I don't want to have to give up the truck if there is any chance on fixing the death wobble.
Have any of y'all used to parts from Kevin's off road web sight ? He sales aftermarket track bar, steering stabilizers, steering box brace as a kit and claims to eliminate 95% chance of death wobble. ??

[TwinStick]

Here we go again. Sorry for your troubles

You got some decisions to make.

IMHO, death wobble happens because of a combination of crappy cheap parts from the factory. That is what makes it so hard to diagnose---usually---no SINGLE part is so worn that the tech can point & say "there is your problem right there". Usually no one part fixes it. This unfortunately means a few things: Do you argue with dealer to fix it again with stock crappy cheap parts & keep playing the game, or do you fix it the right way, ONCE, so you have a reliable truck & pay big time out of your pocket ?? Only you can decide.

All TRUCKS have their issues...ALL of them.

Start with the simple things first.

air pressure
shocks
tires
steering stabilizer
front axle u-joints
control arms/bushings
track bar/bushings
tie rod ends
steering gear box stabilizer
steering shaft
alignment
upper & lower ball joints
unit bearings

etc...

Some trucks have done the DW in as little as 1800 miles. Mine never actually had the DW but it was still so bad, at 18,000 miles, i could not keep it in my lane while towing our 10,500 lb camper. They refused to acknowledge a problem at all while it was under warranty. They offered to "look at it ($$$$$)" when it was off warranty & on my dime !!! I made the decision to keep the truck & fix it right, once. $5000 in parts & labor later, it was fixed. Glad i did. I love my truck.

Hopefully you will have a dealer that will fix it. But you will have to keep "fixing it". At some point, it will be on your dime. It sucks, but that is the reality of it.

ALL trucks have their issues though. Some are engine related, electrical related, drivetrain related, etc. , ours are the front end.

[Will]

I'm in need of new upper ball joints and possibly a track bar bushing, very small amount on play with the wheel off the ground, almost can't see it move. Fortunately I have not had the DW in this truck so far and I have almost 120K on it with all but the first 35K or so on 35" tires or taller. However, here recently, I have noticed it a little looser when going over rough spots in the road or an interstate bridge or something like that. I mean looser by the wheel will follow the bumps crowns more than usual and move back and forth ever so slightly like the demon wants to peak it's head up at you. From what i understand it's very small things that matter and once it actually goes into the DW, it's a chain reaction and there it goes. I had a 79 Ford that would do it if you hit a bump just right at 55mph and the only thing you could do was stop. I never did figure it out on that one but it was so rare I didn't worry about it. Good luck and I hope you get it figured out, these are awesome trucks.

[Takingatrip1]

I found mine went away with the wheels ballance right the tie rod and ends replaced. Since you're got new steering parts it Might be worth getting your wheels ballanced again

[Oglebuck]

I called 5 different dealers today. 2 had never heard of DW 2 said they only felt with DW on jeeps and 1 said it could or couldn't be fixed and that I may never find what's causing it. That's not the answers I wanted to hear.
When I take it to a dealer I have to allow them to repair what they think is the problem so it's covered under warranty and no charge.
If I take it to a local shop I trust they will do what I ask but at my expense.
This sucks. Thanks a lot Ram !

[TwinStick]

Yup, not the answer i wanted to hear either. It sucks, but it is what it is.


That's why i took a pro-active approach. I replaced the steering shaft with a Borgeson # 0951, Carli off set control arms, Carli track bar, PSC steering gear box brace, new MOOG HD tie rod ends, Carli X-treme upper & lower ball joints, Spicer triple lip seal front axle u-joints & an alignment. Also the rear d-shaft u-joints. Has been good ever since. I do need a new upgraded steering gear box though & i still have the old y-style steering set up. If you "trade up", you may loose your butt. All 2500/3500/4500/5500's have these issues.

I have the luxury of working with 400 people, many of which have trucks.

I have a friend who was a die hard GM man. He finally got sick & tired of all the issues, many of which they knew about but kept repeating year after year, decade after decade. He switched to Ford. He is on his 3rd one now & all of them also had issues. He laughs & says "what do i care, it's under warranty", but my time is worth money just as a mechanics time or a dealers time is worth money.

I want my truck to be reliable. I feel i have accomplished that to some degree by doing what i did.

Do what is best for you.

[04Ram2500Hemi]

I remember someone else with a 2014 having this issue. After having the tires properly balanced and the front end aligned it seems to me the problem went away.

[fbenross]

I don't get where your going with this. I would just keep hammering on the dealer to fix it. It's under warranty right ? I would be stirring up so much shit with them, I'd have a loner cus It's unsafe to drive. They are throwing parts at it, let them keep doing that until they stumble on the problem. Call Dodge-get tuff.

[Cactus Red]

The factory alignment may also be contributing to the problem. Have them lay the axle back to near 5 degs or slightly more, and that should help stabilize things.

The stock tires suck too...

Dennis Miller "You can't order black coffee anymore. It's un-creamed..."

[AceMan]

FYI, a steering stabilizer, new Carli track bar, and shocks, took care of my DW back in 2009. It hasn't returned since. Solid as a rock, even when the tires were way out of balance and shaking badly at 65.

[Stickman]

I had never suffered from the death wobble until this weekend after I let about 15lbs of air out of each of my tires. I had been running them at 64psi since I purchased the truck almost a year ago. After dropping down to 49-50psi and driving on the highway to the beach I noticed a much higher probability for the wobble to start. Seems like every over pass seem would cause a slight shake to start.

This is what mine has been doing lately aswell, and I've been running 55 front and 50 rear for the last 6 months or more. Never noticed it until a few months ago and now it only does it over every hard straight edge bump (highway expansion joint, bridge joint, etc.) but it only does it for a few seconds afterwards, maybe 3-5 and it's gone, don't have to slow down or anything to get it to go away either.

[R0NAN]

I don't get where your going with this. I would just keep hammering on the dealer to fix it. It's under warranty right ? I would be stirring up so much shit with them, I'd have a loner cus It's unsafe to drive. They are throwing parts at it, let them keep doing that until they stumble on the problem. Call Dodge-get tuff.

X2... Warranty is rolled into final price of a new vehicle. In a sense, you've payed for the repair and they owe it to you to fix it. The cost of them providing a loaner car should give them incentive to fix it quickly. Take one of the mechanics with you to test it before you take it home and give the loaner back.

[AceMan]

I don't get where your going with this. I would just keep hammering on the dealer to fix it. It's under warranty right ? I would be stirring up so much shit with them, I'd have a loner cus It's unsafe to drive. They are throwing parts at it, let them keep doing that until they stumble on the problem. Call Dodge-get tuff.

X2... Warranty is rolled into final price of a new vehicle. In a sense, you've payed for the repair and they owe it to you to fix it. The cost of them providing a loaner car should give them incentive to fix it quickly. Take one of the mechanics with you to test it before you take it home and give the loaner back.

I agree. Take the tech with you on a ride to show him or her what's going on and you demand it to be fixed.

[azracer]

The factory alignment may also be contributing to the problem. Have them lay the axle back to near 5 degs or slightly more, and that should help stabilize things."

This is what they did to mine and it stopped, all but the rarest incidence of death wobble over very bad off camber RR tracks and such at speed. Once I put on my Thuren arms and my King 2.5" shocks I put the alignment back to factory specks and the death wobble stayed completely gone. My Thuren track bar is a great addition and tightens things up even more.

[TwinStick]

I hit some double RR tracks at 70 mph while bringing our camper home. Wife was not happy. Truck & camper did fine. No issues. Truck & camper did great. Stayed straight with no wobbles. Truck is about due for new shocks though.

[azracer]

I should say that they set mine to 5.5 caster to help with DW then back to 4.5 factory specks once I got my Thuren parts on. The 5.5 really did help though.

[jmarsh]

On my previous truck, 3500 dually, I developed the DW. It was severe, had to slow to about 35 to get it to stop. I installed new shocks, new tires and had it aligned. None of this worked. I talked to the dealer and Dodge had a "kit" for $700. It included all new heavier tie rods and ends as well as different angle steering arm and new steering stabilizer. It seemed pricey but it worked. The dealer said it was a combination of things that seemed to cause the DW from play in the worn tie rod ends to flex in the stock tie rods themselves. Just wish I could have set it up like the older Dodges with the single straight tie rod. Might have a little bump steer but no DW.

[Mexican Import]

I don't know if this helps but my '13 was getting serious death wobble above 65 mph when I hit a bump just right, a few months ago. I know your truck is a bit of a different animal suspension wise, but I found the problem was the seal on the steering stabilizer seal had gotten dirt in it and leaked all the goodies out. It may just be worth a look see, it was a free fix at my local dealership, but then the turds told me the leaking pinion seal on my front diff wasn't leaking, just seeping and didn't warrent a new seal there , guess I better keep my truck out of the dirt so I can keep my fluid levels where they ought to be.

[Juday]

Well, I just experienced this in mine today on the highway going about 65-70 mph. Steering wheel slightly turned to the right and a small bump in the road. I guess that's one way to fully wake up on a Monday morning....

Now comes the fun part of trying to find out what caused it....