the dreaded death wobble
03-31-2007, 03:18 PM
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the dreaded death wobble
well i hoped it wouldnt happen but it did the death wobble is killin me. This is crazy i knew it was bad but wow. So i know i'm gonna address the track bar, i got a luks link to put in it, what else should i look at?
03-31-2007, 08:12 PM
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Make sure alignment shop gets close to these specs also.
http://dodgeram.org/tech/specs/00_steer_specs.html
http://dodgeram.org/tech/specs/00_steer_specs.html
04-01-2007, 03:31 AM
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I'd just replace everything up front and be done with it. It's not just Dodge with this problem. Once the front end bushings wear out, it will shake. I have it too. Haven't quite gotten around to fixing it yet though. I bought an exhaust instead. 
For me it's between 40 and 50 mph. If I accelerate too fast it'll begin to shake.
BTW, if you get all the tie rod ends as well from Luke's Link, he'll cut $10 off the price of each one. That's what I'm thinking about doing. However, Autozone has lifetime warranty parts for the same price. I'm in a pickle. A lot of people say the Luke's Link has been working great (for 3 years at most). But I want it to last 10 years.
For me it's between 40 and 50 mph. If I accelerate too fast it'll begin to shake.BTW, if you get all the tie rod ends as well from Luke's Link, he'll cut $10 off the price of each one. That's what I'm thinking about doing. However, Autozone has lifetime warranty parts for the same price. I'm in a pickle. A lot of people say the Luke's Link has been working great (for 3 years at most). But I want it to last 10 years.
04-01-2007, 05:50 AM
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Death wobble
If the death wobble that you are talking about is the same one that has happened to me and several of my friends you would know it. It will sometimes happen when you hit a bump or a pot hole in the road. It will make the steering wheel go back and forth very fast and pull it out of your hands, if you hit the brakes it will stop. For me and them if has always been the steering damper.
04-01-2007, 07:59 PM
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I replaced my track bar with a moog brand track bar. I have had to replace it again since I put the first one on but it has a lifetime warrenty. You might also check your tires.
04-01-2007, 11:41 PM
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If the death wobble that you are talking about is the same one that has happened to me and several of my friends you would know it. It will sometimes happen when you hit a bump or a pot hole in the road. It will make the steering wheel go back and forth very fast and pull it out of your hands, if you hit the brakes it will stop. For me and them if has always been the steering damper.
04-02-2007, 02:09 PM
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I kept on changing track bars for a short term fix and found out it was a lower ball joint that was the real culprit. I guess anything loose on the front end will cause this. Steve
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04-03-2007, 07:12 PM
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if you have the time and money, replace everything up front!!! that way you arent chasing bad parts and with your truck being a 97 you have worn out parts! My truck a 96 with 125k had a bad track bar, steering damper, tie rods, shocks. see where I'm going? why not just do it and be done. I did and I'm glad I did it all at one time. the truck rides like new
Oh yeah, do the lukes link on the track bar, nice piece!
lewis
Oh yeah, do the lukes link on the track bar, nice piece!
lewis
04-05-2007, 09:28 AM
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I would love to change everything up front but everything would prolly cost around what like $1500? 
Truck never had this problem till it met a interco thornbird should have know since a buddy just had the same problem. Luks link is definately going in tomorrow. Gonna check into the rest and see what the account will allow.
Truck never had this problem till it met a interco thornbird should have know since a buddy just had the same problem. Luks link is definately going in tomorrow. Gonna check into the rest and see what the account will allow.
04-05-2007, 09:06 PM
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The actual cuse of "death wobble" (aka caster shimmy) is incorrect caster alignment. Everybody has there own beliefs on what causes DW like track bar, balljoints, tie rods, tires ect.... and yes they will make it more evident and happen more often but the true cause is the truck needs an alignment. Best thing to do is to check out all your suspension components then take the truck to a "good" alignment shop and get it aligned.
Read this http://dodgeram.org/tech/specs/00_steer_specs.html then print it out and take it with you and have the shop set your truck to those specs and get a print out so you know they did. You should be all set after that.
Read this http://dodgeram.org/tech/specs/00_steer_specs.html then print it out and take it with you and have the shop set your truck to those specs and get a print out so you know they did. You should be all set after that.
04-05-2007, 09:09 PM
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Oh and incase you need to know how to check out any of the front end components on your front end here is a detailed description I wrote for someone in another thread. This is just about every possible place for play in the front suspension and steering.
1. Ball joints: Jack truck up to get front tires off the ground, grab the tire on the top and bottom by hand and push and pull (do it hard enough to where the tire flexes a little). If you can feel any movement in the ball joints they are bad, you'll know when you feel it. For replacement get good quality (moog or similar). If your good at keeping up on lubing zerks then get greasable ones if not get sealed they will last longer if your bad a remembering to grease them.
2. Tie rods: While the front is jacked get inside the truck and lock the steering column, then get back out and grab the tire on the front and back (3:00 / 9:00 positions), push and pull here just enough so that if the steering wasn't locked you would be turning the tires. If you can feel any "play" (again you'll know it when you find it) then a tie rod end is bad, keep doing this while a helper looks at all the tie rod joints to see which ones have the "play" in them. For replacments on these just get good quality ones (moog or similar)
3. Track bar: Set the truck back on the ground and have your helper get in the truck and turn the key on, but don't start the truck. Have them move the steering wheel side to side from where the wheel gets stiff one way to where it get stiff the other way (enough to almost start turning the tires). While they are doing this crawl under the truck and look at the upper track bar joint where it bolts to the frame. If you can see the joint move (look close it will only be about 1/8th to a 1/4 inch) if the ball socket it self moves at all, right where it bolts to the frame it is bad. Fixes for this include, http://www.lukeslink.com/ , http://www.bellefourche.com/lindstad/ , http://solidsteel.biz/tbk.htm , http://www.thurenfabrication.com/products.html , http://www.dtprofab.com , or a factory type replacement. I highly recomend staying away from the last one though because it will just keep wearing out every 10k-20k miles.
4. Steering gearbox: Have helper continue to "saw" the steering wheel. Lay down under the front bumper and look at the front of the steering gearbox, watch closely at the sector shaft and pitman arm (sector shaft is the splined shaft that goes vertically up into the gearbox and is what the pitman arm connects to). what your looking for is the sector shaft to "rock" side to side within the gearbox. If any movement is found then the sector shaft bearings are worn. If the box is not leaking it might be able to be saved for awhile with a DSS http://solidsteel.biz/dss.htm , as for replacments my first choice is http://www.pscpowersteer.com, next would be http://www.agrperformance.com/ , and last would be a reman from an auto parts store.
5. Steering column: reach under the hool and grab the lower steering column (where the long black sring is) Push and pull (sideways in relation to the column), if any play is found the lower column bushins is bad. Only way to fix this is to replace the column with a new junk dodge one or to buy or make one of these http://rocksolidramtrucksteering.com/
6. Intermediat shaft: (shaft from the column to steering gearbox) Grab on to the shaft at the slip joint and push and pull (just like the column test) any play and its bad also watch the u-joint on this shaft for play while testing. For this there is several option, stock dodge replacment, borgesson shaft, flaming river replacement, or a stainless one from PSC http://www.pscpowersteer.com/
7. Alignment: If everything above is good, steering is tight and a truck still wanders, then its probably in need of a "good" alignment because the caster is pulling one way while the camber is pulling the other way. Here is a link to some info on aligning the dodge ram http://dodgeram.org/tech/specs/00_steer_specs.html . Print it out and take it with you anytime you get an alignment, have them set it to those specs and ask for a print out after they are done so you know they did it correct.
1. Ball joints: Jack truck up to get front tires off the ground, grab the tire on the top and bottom by hand and push and pull (do it hard enough to where the tire flexes a little). If you can feel any movement in the ball joints they are bad, you'll know when you feel it. For replacement get good quality (moog or similar). If your good at keeping up on lubing zerks then get greasable ones if not get sealed they will last longer if your bad a remembering to grease them.
2. Tie rods: While the front is jacked get inside the truck and lock the steering column, then get back out and grab the tire on the front and back (3:00 / 9:00 positions), push and pull here just enough so that if the steering wasn't locked you would be turning the tires. If you can feel any "play" (again you'll know it when you find it) then a tie rod end is bad, keep doing this while a helper looks at all the tie rod joints to see which ones have the "play" in them. For replacments on these just get good quality ones (moog or similar)
3. Track bar: Set the truck back on the ground and have your helper get in the truck and turn the key on, but don't start the truck. Have them move the steering wheel side to side from where the wheel gets stiff one way to where it get stiff the other way (enough to almost start turning the tires). While they are doing this crawl under the truck and look at the upper track bar joint where it bolts to the frame. If you can see the joint move (look close it will only be about 1/8th to a 1/4 inch) if the ball socket it self moves at all, right where it bolts to the frame it is bad. Fixes for this include, http://www.lukeslink.com/ , http://www.bellefourche.com/lindstad/ , http://solidsteel.biz/tbk.htm , http://www.thurenfabrication.com/products.html , http://www.dtprofab.com , or a factory type replacement. I highly recomend staying away from the last one though because it will just keep wearing out every 10k-20k miles.
4. Steering gearbox: Have helper continue to "saw" the steering wheel. Lay down under the front bumper and look at the front of the steering gearbox, watch closely at the sector shaft and pitman arm (sector shaft is the splined shaft that goes vertically up into the gearbox and is what the pitman arm connects to). what your looking for is the sector shaft to "rock" side to side within the gearbox. If any movement is found then the sector shaft bearings are worn. If the box is not leaking it might be able to be saved for awhile with a DSS http://solidsteel.biz/dss.htm , as for replacments my first choice is http://www.pscpowersteer.com, next would be http://www.agrperformance.com/ , and last would be a reman from an auto parts store.
5. Steering column: reach under the hool and grab the lower steering column (where the long black sring is) Push and pull (sideways in relation to the column), if any play is found the lower column bushins is bad. Only way to fix this is to replace the column with a new junk dodge one or to buy or make one of these http://rocksolidramtrucksteering.com/
6. Intermediat shaft: (shaft from the column to steering gearbox) Grab on to the shaft at the slip joint and push and pull (just like the column test) any play and its bad also watch the u-joint on this shaft for play while testing. For this there is several option, stock dodge replacment, borgesson shaft, flaming river replacement, or a stainless one from PSC http://www.pscpowersteer.com/
7. Alignment: If everything above is good, steering is tight and a truck still wanders, then its probably in need of a "good" alignment because the caster is pulling one way while the camber is pulling the other way. Here is a link to some info on aligning the dodge ram http://dodgeram.org/tech/specs/00_steer_specs.html . Print it out and take it with you anytime you get an alignment, have them set it to those specs and ask for a print out after they are done so you know they did it correct.
