Chevyman who makes the 35x14.50x17 your talking about??????
And whats up w/ your sig???

 

A loose or mushy bushinged track bar allows death wobble by allowing a side to side oscillation. If you didn't have a track bar, you couldn't steer. Without it turning the steerin wheel would force the whole axle to shift sideways instead of turning the wheels.

 

Duh...I understand that. But I don't think it is what starts the DW. Anyways...I guess all I really know is how my truck is aligned, how they have been aligned in the past, and the lack of DW I have. If the rubber bushings are prone to "mushiness", why is there not a simple fix of changing them out to a poly base materal?

 

cquestad, what brand of brush bar is out front of your truck?

 

Ranchhand...I need to post some new pics...missing some of my other goodies!

It was a little expensive...$500 or so, but is the best/strongect I have seen other than a full front end replacement..

 

I installed 2" kit and 315x70x17s a while back and have absolutely no problems.

My truck at http://www.GoRowan.com/2004ram

 

Do a google search on death wobble. Also search the Dodge forums for death wobble. There is even a site dedicated to it and many 3rd gen owners are complaining. I have people PMing me in the background about them having the problem.

I called a performance place and asked about it. Fellow does not make a track bar for 04 but said that is the problem. It's due to the coils sprung and trailing link design that forces Dodge to use those sloppy bushings because so much goes on during suspension travel. He said Dodge will not use anything more expensive than standard bushings design... no surprise.

You all may be fine now.... get back to us in a few 10,000 miles. Let me know if you haven't hit that "special" bumpo that set's it off. I'm not waiting for the next time. I'm doing the track bar... and I'll let you all know if I wasted my money.

Cost will be under $300.

Remember... It doesn't occur with me unless I'm doing like 65+ph and I have to hit a bump that knocks the drivers side up and starts a woblle. The speed and oscillation takes over. Only happened to me once. That's enough for me.

 

I'd certainly be interested in what you come up with. I don't have DW now, but I am not interested in ever getting it.

 

I won't have time doing any fixing till the end of August.
Since we will be driving the truck loads of miles it will be interesting. I just discovered lowering the air pressure in the tires seems to have made a significant difference in DW onset..... Drove yesterday for 100 miles on highway and not one bump gave me any type of shake..... Dropped my 315 pressure from 50 to 35 psi.

This is only a temporary fix as you cannot load a truck heavily under those lower pressures.


History....

8500 miles on the ODO.
Had DW one time after installing 2" leveling kit. No occurances since.

 

hoot...
I have about 20k on my lift and have hit a bump or two thousand...just to let you know.

 

I have the same truck as you. Don't know what to tell you. Maybe wheel offset or different tires? I think I'll get an alignment this week to rule that out.

What are we looking at for caster?

Mike

 

I think mine was close to 4.6 degrees. They left and right will be a little different to make your rig track straight. I don't think you will need to go over 5 degrees...

Good luck!

We do have significantly different backspacing...yours is near stock. Mine is 1 inch less backspacing. Maybe that would change something?

 

I have read that you want at least +5 for the caster. I did the T-Rex springs /Bilstein schocks and got the allignment and my caster was already +5.1 (L) and +5.4 (R). No hint of DW, but I do notice a larger amount of "sway".