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Nephew had an 04 Ram 2500 that did it. had replaced tie rod ends, ball joints and I don't remember what all. Never could cure it and sold the truck.
I had and issue with my 90 3/4 ton doing it. Turned out it was the tires I had with what was determined as radial run out. BFG A/T's had 30k miles on them . No more problems with it after I put new tires on.

GB2

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Flimsy truck frames and fkn stamped sheet metal control arms cant help the situation.

Back in the early 90s when the big three were still in the dark ages, Toyota brought about a phenomenal coil over solid axle set up on the 80 series landcruisers. Having personally driven and owned a half dozen of them each with over 200,000 miles, non of them had death wobble even with sloppy ball joints. This coming from a guy that aint no Toyota fan boy.

Solid metal control arms, massive, press fit control arm bushings, proper axle pinion angle, yada yada yada.....

Fun fact:
Dodge is the mechanical equivalent of AIDS.......it left the factory with HIV.

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First time I experienced it was in an 89 F350 4wd. Bad track bar bushing was the culprit.

Second time was in my 79 Bronco. Same problem and same cure, track bar bushing.

My 2019 and my dad’s 2018 Super Duties were both blessed with the defective steering shock. His was worse than mine but they both got it. New steering dampers and neither has had an episode since.

But yeah it’s a thing with any solid axle 4x4. You can either have the durability and easier to work on with a Ford or Dodge solid axle or you can have the wimpy CV joints and A arms on a GM as far as HD pickups go. Both have their pluses and minuses.

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Originally Posted by TheKid
First time I experienced it was in an 89 F350 4wd. Bad track bar bushing was the culprit.

Second time was in my 79 Bronco. Same problem and same cure, track bar bushing.

My 2019 and my dad’s 2018 Super Duties were both blessed with the defective steering shock. His was worse than mine but they both got it. New steering dampers and neither has had an episode since.

But yeah it’s a thing with any solid axle 4x4. You can either have the durability and easier to work on with a Ford or Dodge solid axle or you can have the wimpy CV joints and A arms on a GM as far as HD pickups go. Both have their pluses and minuses.



Or,
Buy the Toyota the salesman claims is 3/4 ton.
But Toyota won't rate as such!😂


Parents who say they have good kids..Usually don't!
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DW twice.
One was a ZJ in good shape, steering dampener took a chit. New one and all was well.
Other was a well worn lifted and beat up ZJ.............ball joint upper drivers side.

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My old
Company truck f450 diesel
Would do that horribly
Was at about 35 mph. Never did it any faster
Had it looked at several times nothing bad in the front end
I figured it was somthing to do with tires
Never had a Chevy do it

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Originally Posted by rainierrifleco
My old
Company truck f450 diesel
Would do that horribly
Was at about 35 mph. Never did it any faster
Had it looked at several times nothing bad in the front end
I figured it was somthing to do with tires
Never had a Chevy do it


GM's lack of solid front axle since the late 80's means no death wobble. It also means no solid axle either.


I can walk on water.......................but I do stagger a bit on alcohol.
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I recently had that happen on a 88 F350, the first time it was track bar bushings, replaced them and it was good.
Then the next time it did it I replaced a couple tie rod ends and a drag link, it didn't fix the problem. I then realized it may be the tires, I took them in and one of them was separating, new front tires and problem solved.

I had the same issue on a 85 chevy k30...new tires fixed it.

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When did the term 'death wobble' show up? It used to be called a shimmy. Years ago I bought an old '52 Ford pickup from my uncle that did it bad. He told me it did some funny things with the steering sometimes. He wasn't kidding.


“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell

It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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ball joints....
like with u-joints having a zerk fitting makes a huge difference.
$1 difference in the retail price of the part...


-OMotS



"If memory serves fails me..."
Quote: ( unnamed) "been prtty deep in the cooler todaay "
IC B3

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Reading this thread reminded me of a motorcycle video I saw back in the 70s when I used to ride. A bunch of us were lured in my the local community college to view riding safety films but the real draw was to watch a special film on "King Kenny" aka Kenny Roberts.
The riders in the dunlap tires film entitled Wobble and Weave impressed the hell out of me. Go directly to footage 2:20 to see it the first of many examples. A death wobble in a four wheel vehicle takes on a new level of terror with only two wheels! The weave footage is pretty wild too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3OQTU-kE2s

Last edited by Azshooter; 09/06/21.
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Death wobble is a shimmy on +P steroids.

And then take it another step or three to las’ “jumper” truck. 😳


If you take the time it takes, it takes less time.
--Pat Parelli

American by birth; Alaskan by choice.
--ironbender
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Happened to me with my son, on the interstate, in my less than 30k miles 2019 F250. Got really lucky we weren't in an accident, scared me pretty bad with him in there.

Didn't want to deal with the headache at the dealership, and refused to take my wife or kid on the interstate in it again. Traded 2 days later for a half ton Chevy.

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I had an old '66 chevy 1/2 t long bed that the steering sector and front end was wore out. Get above 35ish, hit a bump, and it would wobble bad. Almost take the steering wheel out of you hand. Hit the brake, slow down to under 35, and it would stop. Drove it back and forth to work until I save money for a down payment on a new truck.


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I bought a new 1998.5 dodge diesel. In the first year it almost threw me off the side of a highway with that ferocious wobble/shimmy. Colorado Springs dealer was useless. I figured out the steering stabilizer was bad, replaced it with a heavy duty after market, fixed it. 24 years later no problem.

On the other hand, it has always had the “DWI wandering” making it a little difficult to stay in the lane on the highway. From what I’ve read it’s due to flexing of inadequate metal support of the steering box. $150 kits are available to stiffen the gear box support , I just haven’t taken the time to get the kit and install it. This wandering disappears if the truck is loaded and/or is towing a trailer.

Last edited by Dumdum; 03/28/22.
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Get the kit. Rough Country steering stabilizer, something like that.

I used to go 55 mph and both hands on the wheel, white knuckled.
Installed one on 96 Dodge 2500 4wd, cummins with 275,000 miles.

Now I can go 70 mph and answer the phone.

Made a big difference fot me

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I hit a pretty mild RR track across the highway in my K5 and it got my right front into some phase where it hopped violently. Slowed down, went away, never happened again.

Had a worn ball joint on a Jeep ZJ that got somr shake at 45 mph. Changed it and fixed.

Was not what Id call DW.

I did get that on a ZJ when steering dampener went.
Bout shake your ass out of the vehicle.

New one fixed it.

Buds kid did a lift on an XJ, 33s and all new suspension. DW scared the hell out of em both.

Told em retighten everything. Said they did. DW remained.
Said tighten everything, claimed they did.

After a few more of me telling him that new stuff shouldnt do that and his kid aint a mechanic, they went back and tightened everything again and the DW was gone.

I ran 4.5 " of lift on two old XJs w 31s. New lower c arms and and it was one finger at 80 on highway, w no sway bars.

Tighten that chit up. Dont use cheap parts ( I liked Rubicon Express back in the day ).

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I added steering box reinforcement on my XJs
Mild wheeling will crack frame if ya dont.

Track bar bolts popping off are fun too LOL.
Had my offset brackets welded on after that BS

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The old Isle of Man TT tank slapper vid


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Had a CJ 7 that would do it, when I first bought it, out of MD(no inspection).
Took it for our inspection, the mechanic who normally would give me a sticker and
let me fix stuff later, told me the tie rod and drag link ends were shot.
"I wouldn't drive it much, fix them and I'll give you a sticker".

When I went to unscrew the end from the drag link, it fell apart.
Glad that didn't happen during a wobble!

New ends helped, but it would still do it around 85mph.
Even at 22, I soon realized a 15 year old CJ-7 with mud tires didn't need to go 85!


Parents who say they have good kids..Usually don't!
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