This is a very interesting subject. I've had a rather well behaved truck for almost 80k miles. Never an incidence of DW until ten days ago.

I had reinstalled some 265/70-17 E range Cooper ST because they are studded and with 12 miles of uphill ice to get home, I though they might be better than my unstudded 285-70-17 Destination MT. About the same actually, as the Destinations are siped.

However, all the Coopers are down to 7/32 tread remaining, although the wear is even across the tread.

And so, I'm passing a string of vehicles that are moving about 15mph below the speed limit. I'm doing 10 under until a car pulls out behind me and I know she cannot see the chip-hauler coming the other way, so I kick down a bit to shorten up the run and give her a chance to make it too.

As soon as I kick down, one of the stutter bumps sets up this wicked vibration that does not end until I pull over and left off. All it took to end the vibration was to let off the throttle. No vibration in the steering wheel at all. It simply felt like four or five bricks fastened to the tread of both front tires.

In the past five years, I run several sets of tires. 33x10.50 Coopers that evaporated, Firestone Destination that are wearing pretty darn good, and a Toyo Open Country AT, which are also doing well. Point is, even tire wear has been a sound indicator for problem free suspension during this time.

Okay, I've not had an alignment (except when the ball joints were replaced 700 miles ago) since 2006. But I have that paperwork in front of me know. Caster was set to 5.2 on the right and 4.9 on the left. Toe was set to .14. I'm running 50lb pressure in the front and 40lb in the rear (empty).

Next Wednesday, we're scheduled to put this puppy on the rack and go over it religiously. Something has changed, and we'll find out what.

 

I just had the same problem with my 2006 CTD...except I was accelerating thru 20 mph leaving my neighborhood when I had the death wobble. I thought I had lost my transmission or something cause I was able to limp it back in first gear but found as I approached 20 mph and second gear, the centerline wobble would start again. But when I inspected in daylight the next day, I found my outer tie rod on driver side had completely snapped. Unbelieveable - glad I was not going 80mph on highway. So I am having to go thru the procedures described above (replacing all the parts) to fix. Just wanted to add to the "body of knowledge".

 

OK-add me to the list of DW situations. Last year my 07 2500 started having what sounded like a loose shock in driver side. Took it to dealer who responded that the sterring linkage was loose and needed replaced as well as wheel hubs and ball joints. Extended warranty company disagreed (upon vehicle inspection) on steering linkage saying it was not out of spec but two other items were barely out so they replaced the other items. About the same time swapped stock shocks and stabilizer with Rancho 5000. Currently running the original Michelins (265/70) which have approx. 1/3 tread left. Since that time I have put at least 10,000 miles on truck. Not until recently did I experience Death Wobble. The first was several weeks ago when I cut a corner too tight at about 65mph and went over the edge of the road where the warning tracks are. The truck started shaking and had to pull to side of road (thought I had a blowout as it feels like the tires are bouncing). Second was this past week on way to Vegas. Hit a section of highway that was bumpy and uneven from left to right wheel. DW in this situation was at 80mph. Once I got the truck stopped and off road adjusted the front shocks to a stiffer setting (approx 4 out), cleaned my shorts and off I went again. While I did not have any further DW (which in the last case felt like the left and right tires were bouncing in reverb to each other). The left tire also feels like it jumps to left when it hits a bump solo.

By stiffening the shocks the feedback to the truck is definately felt. I lose all the plush of the ride. I called my tire guy and told him I thought the Ranchos were already worn out and he said that he has had several trucks with the same situation that needed a beefier steering box mount and probably not the shocks. I like the Ranchos on the back so that I can adjust them as stiff as possible when towing our travel trailer but I'm in doubt about the front. The only other thing I will add is that I had bought four new Wranglers in 285 and the truck rode like crap. Front felt great but rear had a bounce at all speeds. Since I put them on I've noticed that the front at high speeds feels like the front tires are bouncing a bit over bumps but not until recently did it have this result

The question is...are the Ranchos just not valved right for a combination of ride and stiffness or larger/heavier tires? Steering stabilizer not good enough to prevent the left pull when hitting square edged bumps? Or shall I get the aftermarket steering box mount? New tires? Any good advice is welcomed. BTW-the loose shock sound is still there at low speeds over uneven pavement-the $1000 in deductibles to do the work last year did not fix it.

 

Productive day under the truck. Found the clunk. Defeated the death wobble.

Dented SS was AOK, just looks bad. Shocks were fine as were Sway bar links. Tie Rod ends at the steering knuckles were fine. Track bar, pitman arm AOK.

The death wobble culprit was a worn TRE at the pitman arm and a down right lie by the dealership that's finally, finally, going out of business.

They did my ball joints (OEM parts - yes I know they're junk, but this was covered under warranty and I'm not going under the truck in -20F weather). Let them knock 70k miles worth of rust off the components. Then in the spring I'll only have 2k worth to remove when the Dynatracs go in.

Anyway, they were supposed to and claimed to have put it on the alignment rack afterward. Did not. Check the toe. Could not induce the wobble and the steering is much improved.

The clunk is the driver side sway bar bushing, which is worn and split. Shove up on the swaybar and it hits the frame - clunk!

 

My tie rod completely snapped. And you cant simply buy the replacement part (just the outer tie rod) - they dont make them anymore. Apparently this has been a big problem - why there was not a recall is a big question. I had to order a whole new set - new pitman arm, new tie rods, new sway bar (the set has one insted of two now). Replaced the whole thing - it drives like a Cadillac now. Id say until you put this new kit in, you'll keep having this problem come up - which is dangerous if you ask my opinion. I think they should have recalled.

 

NAPA supplied the replacement for the above part in about 10 minutes, so I don't know about not available. Also, please clarify the place where you said,

(the set has one instead of two now). Two of what?

 

I will take a picture and post so you can see what my problem was and the fix. I mis-spoke - I meant steering stabilizer above - not sway bar. Basically, rather than replace just the outer tie rod, I had a whole new kit put in - I didnt want to just replace outer rod and have it happen again - that was pretty scary to have tie rod go out while driving.

 

I think there is a TSB with a number of updated parts that come as a 'kit".

 

Ya, I found the TSB blog on here and thats what got me leaning toward replacing the whole thing rather than just trying to find an outer tie rod. It steers like a Cadillac now...

 

Ah, yes, there was a steering issue TSB that started in late 2005 and went through 2008. I did get a recall on that and when inspected, was found not to have the problem parts in my truck.


What the heck happened to my signature?????

 

Wish I'd found this thread a few years ago when I first joined DTR! My truck is the poster child for Death Wobble! First one- 1 week after purchasing as a used vehicle, 23,000 miles on it. Downhill on a mountain road doing 70. Oh yeah. love that adrenaline. I'm guessing I know why the first owner traded it in on a new Dodge within a year! Since that time almost 4 years ago the truck goes back to the dealer every 6 months or so for DW. (bought the extended warranty!!) They've replaced darn near everything and checked just about everything. It's happened with OE tires, and two different kinds of AT tires, stock size. It's happened at high speeds and at low speeds. Single steering dampener and dual. New track bar, new ball joints, new steering linkage. Every time they say it's something else that caused it but nothing fixes it. Usually happens when changing lanes or going around a bend at speed- but not always. Been around and around with Dodge. Have had two different senior techs tell me it is a design flaw in D/C front ends and affects the Jeeps too. And has- for decades! It's amazing to me that no one has been killed yet. The frustrating thing is that other than this I really like my truck! But it scares the snot out of me to drive rough road at higher than 55mph. (and where I live almost all the roads are rough) I think the dealer and I have reached the end of the road and they're now contacting Dodge asking for direction now. FOUR YEARS of DW and they are just now deciding that maybe nothing will fix it!!

Anyone think a class action suit might be the permanent solution?

 

Hell yes!
I've told my better half that if anything ever happens to me while driving my Dodge resulting in my death to print up every post that you can find re: death wobble. I've went the same route as you and I believe and have all along that what we are dealing with is a serious design flaw. I for one am tired of dumping money into a dead horse with this update and that new and improved part. Fixing something that should have never broke in the first place must be a Dodge thing. Most people just won't understand.

 

Yep. AND I am always amazed that they can look at me with a straight face and say stuff like "You can't put M/S tires on the truck" or "You can't drive it on a dirt road" or my favorite "ALL big trucks shake like that". With the first two I'd consider it a serious breach of contract if Dodge doesn't make you aware of those two issues BEFORE you buy (and they don't, because it's BS). As to the last- are they freakin kidding me? Do they think I've never driven any other big trucks?...right....idiots.

We have the same agreement here- anything happens to me the info I've collected on DW and all the repair invoices go to a lawyer immediately. Sick that we have to do this.

 

This whole thing really bothered me. Replaced the whole thing...new pitman arm, steering stab, tie rods...whole new kit. It drives great now, but I still worry about it. I am still shocked that Toyota can recall entire year groups of cars for a floor mat, and we have a major documented drivability problem and you have to dig and forums like this to find any information.

 

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Rod:

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