Death Wobble....my worst enemy.

[CFM]

Hello fellow Mud' enthusiasts,

I have a 94 LC, with 214k miles. The death wobble kinda came out of nowhere, it's very violent when it does occur....Only way I can describe it is it feels like the axle wants to jump out from under the rig. It happens at speeds anywhere from 40-70mph. I did as much re-search here and other forums of others having similar issues, but I understand each rig is different and most of the time the users haven't posted their cure if they've found it. I finally got fed up with it and took it into the shop, it's a very reputable shop and the guys there have always done right by me. Here is a list of what they've replaced, and the issue still lies.

Wheel bearing front inner
Wheel bearing front outer
Wheel bearing race front inner
Wheel bearing race front outer
New re-built Steering gear
Tie Rod assembly
Stabalizer shock




Here's the Cruiser's specs:

1994 Toyota Landcruiser AKA "Slayer" (212,000 miles)

Locked Front & Rear

Gear'd (529's)

35's (Not much tread left)

ARB Front bumper

Hanna Rear bumper

Slee Sliders

Slee 6 in lift


Any help or tips are GREATLY appreciated.... I'm at a loss.

 

[Locked79]

This issue is very hard to track down because what works for one person doesn't work for another. First, check the bushes in the front panhard rod (which ties your diff to the chassis). Any movement here will allow a death wobble to start. Then check radius arm bushes, and drag link ends.

 

[DylanICON]

having dealt with many makes and models of solid axle, the biggest factor in death wobble is the track bar (panhard rod).

with it parked have someone move the wheel back and forth while you look at either end of the track bar. There is some movement of the rubber bushings at each end but it should be very little. (~1/8")

it is also amplified buy how much caster the vehicle has. what's your lift height and castor correction method?

 

[danthman114]

having dealt with many makes and models of solid axle, the biggest factor in death wobble is the track bar (panhard rod).

with it parked have someone move the wheel back and forth while you look at either end of the track bar. There is some movement of the rubber bushings at each end but it should be very little. (~1/8")

it is also amplified buy how much caster the vehicle has. what's your lift height and castor correction method?

This. Jeeps with coils are bad about the death wobble if you cut corners on a lift. My first place I would look is at the track bar as mentioned above. Then steering stabilizer. By chance do you get any bump steer?

 

[gofast]

I just did almost the same thing (no rebuilt steering gear) as you this year in terms of replacement parts. I traced it to dead shocks and stabilizer. They crapped out after 20k miles. New shocks and stabilizer and wobble is gone!

Also rebalanced tires.

 

[mrsleeve]

Yuppers I just ordered all new bushes for all 6 control arms, both panhards and sway bars, to go with all the stuff that shipped already for my fron knuckle rebuild.

I would be willing to bet when you pull the bushings out of the front panhard or control arms your going to find 1 or more of the rubber bushings torn all the way though or very close to it.

 

[cruzercon]

I was getting violent wobble on the way to 4X run.. Aired down to about 12 lbs for trail ride, after trail ride drove on highway and didn't air back up for drive home and no wobble at all! Been driving to work at same air pressure and no wobble! Possible tread seperation? 315/75-16 Cooper on 6" Slee lift???

 

[Pin_Head]

This is caused by excessive play or slop in anything that locates the wheel. Things like wheel alignment, balance and steering stabilizers can influence the speed at which it happens and the intensity, but they are not the cause. There are a very large number of possibile causes, so just replacing things is an expensive and ineffective method of fixing it. You need to get the truck up on a lift and pry and twist all suspension parts with a giant pry bar until you find what is loose. Otherwise you will just be guessing and paying for things that don't fix the problem. You could also use a GoPro to video tape it in action to see what is moving that shouldn't.


Here is a partial list:
Wheel bearings
Knuckle bearings
steering arms
Tie rod ends
Drag link ends
Pitman arm
steering box
Lower control arm bushings
Cracked lower control arm bracket
Panhard bushing
Panhard bracket
Cracked frame