[Chrisjeep7]

OK so i spent the day out in the driveway trying to get my DW & sloppy steering to go away. first i put a couple of spacers under the kingpin springs. second replaced all the bushings on the springs (the shackles are in the front not reversed) and hangers. third i added a few trusses to th rear spring hangers (thinking they might be wobbling)

i test drove it, no dw up until about 30-35 mph. then i could be on one of them chocolate milk commercials. :flipoff2:

this is next up on my list of fix/make better.

my box is a new CJ box with a waggy pitman arm. replace with wangler box and steering shaft to get rid of my worn out bell joint. (could a worn bell joint be causing dw?)

then if that dont work throw on some hydro assist.

then if that dont work you think a panard bar would help?
or going to shackle reversal?

any comments on what i should do different?


my tires are unbalanced 39 TSL's

 

[Azzy2000]

Im in the same boat as you man...

Horrible death wobble at about 35 mph unless i power through it to about 50.. I need some help with this too.

Heres my specs.. dana 60 front, leaf springs shackle forward, no trac bar, 42x15x15 TSL's on TR beadlocks , unbalanced..

I was hoping a single ES2000 steering stabalizer would clear things up , but it didnt help at all.. All of my steering linkage is tight, no slop, kingpins are freshly rebuilt and the caster is fine..

Im guessing that the combo of a heavy frontend , bout 500 lbs, and leaf spring susp w/ no trac bar combined with unbalanced 42's is my problem.

Can anyone back me up on this ? Anyone had similar problems ?



Thanks

 

[Maine Jeepah]

how is your steering box mounted?
stock brackets? (probably flexing if you are using them)

using a brace?

I know mine right know with stock bracket has a serious dead spot in the center of the steering travel while at speed...while sitting you can move the steering back and forth and watch the bracket do a dance. Actually broke the mount on one end of my 5/8 solid rod steering brace too. (38" TSL's balanced with BB's)

Before the mounting bracket started to give out it drove great SOA, with no steering stabalizer...no bump steer really...definitely no death wobble...and I wouldnt call the bracket being worn, or the steering joint that I know is worn a little a death wobble effect...

MJ

 

[Chrisjeep7]

yes it is braced it aint moving an inch....

 

[Chrisjeep7]

here is a shot of my setup...

i think the worn bell joint has somthing to do with it. when the wheel is locked and the front is jacked off the ground i can more the tires back and fro about 2 inches, all steering shaft slop....

 

[Azzy2000]

Mine is factory TJ mounted to the frame... with a steering brace. No movement from what i can tell.

 

[Maine Jeepah]

all I can tell you on the balancing issue is that my 38's with BBs balance fine unless you do something drastic like cut the wheel to avoid something at speed, or brake HARD and then accelerate HARD all in one shot.

This gives and unbalanced cndtion to one or more tires and CAN effect steering and cause somewha of a wobble...still wouldnt call it death wobble like in a coil sprung rig but it can scare ya...

I would balance your tires just for shits and giggles and see of that helps...better than changing your underwear all the time.

HTH
MJ

 

[Azzy2000]

all I can tell you on the balancing issue is that my 38's with BBs balance fine unless you do something drastic like cut the wheel to avoid something at speed, or brake HARD and then accelerate HARD all in one shot.

This gives and unbalanced cndtion to one or more tires and CAN effect steering and cause somewha of a wobble...still wouldnt call it death wobble like in a coil sprung rig but it can scare ya...

I would balance your tires just for shits and giggles and see of that helps...better than changing your underwear all the time.

HTH
MJ

I think ill go ahead and balance them... but im still wondering if a track bar is necessary on this heavy front axle ? Im thinking that it may just aggrivate the situation when the tires start to shake...

oh well, one step at a time.. thanks

 

[Chrisjeep7]

you cant put weights on a 15" wheel when it is up against a d60 caliper. i would not think that balancing would cause a violent side to side shake...maybe up and down kinda wobble...

 

[Azzy2000]

you cant put weights on a 15" wheel when it is up against a d60 caliper. i would not think that balancing would cause a violent side to side shake...maybe up and down kinda wobble...

Im not really sure man, but its my only guess as to what could be causing my troubles, everything else is in great shape or brand new.. If my tires and wheels are waaay out of balance i have a feeling it could cause the axle to want to shake back and forth because of no track bar, but what do i know

As far as your situation.. i think you already named it, the steering shaft flex joint.. if you have 2" of freeplay it seems that could cause your problems. Good luck

 

[Chrisjeep7]

yeah i think that has somthing to do with it.


who all is running a trac bar in the front with leaf springs? does it help with steering? i would think it should.

 

[Maine Jeepah]

you cant put weights on a 15" wheel when it is up against a d60 caliper. i would not think that balancing would cause a violent side to side shake...maybe up and down kinda wobble...

Just speculation on my part...

Does sound like you should get a new steering joint/shaft though....

I'm sure really bad out of balance LARGE HEAVY tires could cause all sorts of weirdness...no experience with that other than what I stated above though..


LOL Azzy I just realized you had a TJ...yeah might need a tracbar....IMO

MJ

 

[Azzy2000]

I'm sure really bad out of balance LARGE HEAVY tires could cause all sorts of weirdness...no experience with that other than what I stated above though..


LOL Azzy I just realized you had a TJ...yeah might need a tracbar....IMO

MJ

Its got leafs up front though... nothing TJ left up there.. But im hoping a track bar will help.. it could explain why my newly added stabalizer didnt do jack $hit It is mounted from the axle tube to the tie rod, so if the whole axle is wobbling back and forth with the steering, it wouldnt make much difference eh?

 

[BootsntheJeep]

Obviously I don't know anything about big tires or flexy suspensions, but I DO know that way back in the day, I had so much ice and snow frozen on my rims that it unbalanced them. Was fine all the way up to about 35 MPH, and then the thing felt like it was gonna shake apart. Drove 35 on the highway all the way to work (fortuneatly only 3 miles) parked it in the heated garage bay and took at it with a pressure washer. Removed the ice and snow and it was fine...

I'd try balancing the tires.

you cant put weights on a 15" wheel when it is up against a d60 caliper..

That's why Maine Jeepah used BBs.

 

[Azzy2000]

I'd try balancing the tires.

That's why Maine Jeepah used BBs.

Im sure that this has been covered before, but were on the subject

Im interested in the BB thing, id rather not have 10 lbs of sticky weights taped to the inside of my rim! So, how many/much BB's do you use? thanks

 

[Maine Jeepah]

[hijack] do a search with the term balancing, you find tons of info to gleen through...

My 38's on 15"steelies took 20 oz a piece (I just guessed) and they are good up to around 50 mph...with the weird side effects I stated above..but otherwise VERY driveable.

To be honest I am afraid to drive faster than that until I replce my steerign bracket and build a new brace (this weekend weather willing )

Not sure how you would determine what weight to use...i suppose with access to a balancing machine you could play around.....

MJ

 

[Azzy2000]

[hijack] do a search with the term balancing, you find tons of info to gleen through...

My 38's on 15"steelies took 20 oz a piece (I just guessed) and they are good up to around 50 mph...with the weird side effects I stated above..but otherwise VERY driveable.

To be honest I am afraid to drive faster than that until I replce my steerign bracket and build a new brace (this weekend weather willing )

Not sure how you would determine what weight to use...i suppose with access to a balancing machine you could play around.....

MJ

Gotcha , going to search now.. thanks

 

[Dust Puppy]

i dont know if my opinion matters but here we go

conditions:
97 tj
dana 60
hi steer inverted t wierd ass setup
king pin

i did not have DW until a few weeks ago here is what i found...

the alignment is off to begin with so thats not being taken into consideration. front tires unbalanced when DW began.

dw started..... did the following

changed the track bar heim joint cause it really needed it. got rid of the DW from 10-35 mph when cold

added bbs to the tires at the same time.

dw still present at 40 or so.

replaced tie rod ends, problem solved.

also adding ram assist next week.

cause of the fast wear of the tie rod ends.... drag link goes to pitman arm slightly behind the tie rod causing some twisting on the ends and premature wear. (happened with old axles and other steering setup as well)

Hope that may help someone.

DP