hi

im new to trucks, new to dodges, new to this forum, but not new to diesels.
i just bought a 91.5 1ton power ram. it only has 68k miles on it, and the engine and transmission are sound as could be.


suspension feels good, brakes feel good, steering feels tight


the only problem is that it has a pretty rugged speed wobble. iv done a bit of research and found a bunch of seemingly dodge specific literature on the 'death wobble'. maybe theres already a bunch of threads here on that subject so my apologies if thats the case.


it sounds like the root of the problem frequently lies in the track bar, which is a totally new piece of hardware to me. it also sounds like this becomes even more of a problem in the second gens.


i have equalized all the tire pressures to the original specs for my specific tires and load, with no perceivable difference. the truck has no lift that i am aware of, its a dually, and with no modifications other than a flat bed, it was originally bought as a chassis cab.


the symptoms are: everything is perfect until i hit about 40 mph, where i get hints of a wobble. truck tracks fine, no pulling to the side ever, with or without brakes. past 45, the truck goes back into feeling smooth and rides great, all the way up to about 61mph.


Then, an alarming transformation happens at 62 mph. Midnight strikes, and the truck starts turning into a ware-wolf. the onset of the wobble is rapid, sensitive to half a mile per hour, it worsens at a seemingly exponential rate. at 63mph hour a deep groan sets in, the only thing i have to compare the sound to is a broken axle or shot bearings on a road bike. metal on metal is all i can think of, but no squeaks, nothing high pitched whatsoever. at 64mph hour the mixture and culmination of sounds and vibrations is so intense and varied, and overlaid with an increasingly violent wobble, that its very hard to start to imagine what is taking effect, not to mention seeing and driving!


this experience is so mortifying that i dont dare trying to find a calm sweet spot beyond those speeds, so 61mph has become my comfortable max cruising speed where the truck hums graciously and steadily down the highway.


from your experienced dodge truck owner's perspective, what do you do next?

 

Firs thing I would do is have the front end aligned. It could be as simple as toe adjustment. Also if the truck has been sitting in one spot the tires likely have flat spots. If the truck has that low mileage there shouldn't be much wear.

make sure BOTH hubs are unlocked. some people think it is funny to lock one as they walk by.

 

You might want to start here. https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...s-t248980.html

 

1out of balance tire
2out of round tire
3uncentered tire (dually)
4bent rim
5bad shocks
1,2,and 4 can be checked for on a balance machine at once.

 

Because you said power ram, I'm guessing 4wd? could also be ball joints/king pins, tie rod ends, pitman arm, steering box, steering shaft, steering box plate.

You don't have a track bar like the 2nd gens and up do, my guess is something out of whack on the rotational assembly or wheel alignment. The posts above are great starting points

 

so if im not mistaken,

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...er=156541_0_0_

these atermarket conical lugs will automatically center all my wheels? what i noticed in the 'bouncy dually fix' thread was that 4 of the holes are concave, and 4 are convex, alternating. im assuming the conical lugs wont fit onto the convex holes.

i would feel hesitant to go to the local tire shop with a list of instructions. but if i must do, would i order a handful of those conical lugs and tell them when they align balance and rotate my wheels to install the new nuts first wherever they will fit, and to keep the original flanged ones where the conical ones wont fit?

 

You only use the conical ones to center the rim on the hub. Once the flanged ones are in place and torqued, you go back and replace the conical ones with the flanged ones. The conical ones are only used as an alignment tool. That procedure is outlined in the factory service manual. It would not be the first time I have had to "train" tire shop personnel.

 

im finding conical lugs with 60 degree and 90 degree conical seats. how do i determine which ones to buy? the finder on autozone's website says they both fit my truck. does this mean 90 is for the front and 60 for the rear or vice versa?

 

I'm thinking you have a tire separating. Jack them up off the ground and spin them by hand while looking at them straight on and from the side. Look for a bubble/high spot or a spot where the tread makes a sudden shift and then comes back in line.

 

And after you do that, get them spin balanced. If they run true and are balanced you are good to go.

1st gens are a far cry from the third gens as far as DW is concerned. Be careful you are not getting bogus advice on here that is related to another model.

 

I'm thinking he's in the right spot:
There's more to first-gen duals than 3rd.