I don't think I'm the first to experience this but my 2003 cummins ram 4x4 quadcab s.b. is starting to shake me out of the cab under certian conditions and I am hoping to find some advice on WHATS UP!
Whats the latest and greatest on fixing this problem... My truck is pretty much totally stock up front, including tires, and it just turned over 100000 miles. I don't tow heavy very frequently and I love the truck otherwise.

HELP!!

Stockdodge

 

Many threads on this problem. Have you done a search yet? There is no single solution to this common problem. Suggest that you first read up on the items in the various death wobble threads and then if you have any more questions, come back here.

 

For me and my 1996 Ram it was the trackbar that was causing my death wobble issue. For others it has been tie rod ends, ball joints...etc. You need to look that front end over really well to determine where the slop is in it.

 

Might also want to check the control arm bushings - they can wear out & loosen up over time, especially if you're running bigger tires/wheels. Basically all the components that locate/support your axle need to be checked, in addition to the steering components mentioned above.

And also make sure caster is set properly. Should be around 5 degrees.

One little trick to identifying the culprit is to have someone sitting in the truck, slowly turning the steering wheel side to side (engine needs to be on). As your helper is turning the steering wheel back and forth, you should be looking at everything to determine what's loose. IF you dont see anything loose, try turning the steering wheel side to side a little bit faster.

 

Thanks Gentlemen,
I did start reading a few threads... i had a little trouble figuring out how to run a search but got it worked out.
I'll keep workin through it till I find it. Then I'll post up my experiences and solutions (hopefully)
Thanks

 

Here's advice worth a lot of money:

Do one thing at a time!!!!

Replace the track bar bushings and drive it.

Set the caster and drive it.

You'll know when you fix the problem then, and that will help the next time.

So many guys pound $2,000 in the front end and say they fixed the problem.

For my truck, I could control DW with balancing and rotating the BFG's as long as they had a lot of air in them. The 'fix' was a new steering stabilizer (even though the old one wasn't that bad, very little slop) and then I replaced the track bar bushings with urethane ones.

 

Have not had the DW for years after it was corrected, but just remembered one thing that helped a lot. Set the caster to max inclination. In other words, move the cam on the lower control arms to the max forward position.
Also, keep your tire pressures at the higher end of the range. Those two items made a big difference for me. Had the DW with factory tires and also when I switched to the larger tires. It was worse with the factory tires.

 

I used the BD Steering bracket and the truck handles like a big sports car. No Wobble at all at any speeds. 20 minute install. Best 200 bucks I ever spent!!! I found a link to one in ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/BD-Steering-Box-...item35ad2db257.

Good luck

 

I do intend to do one thing at a time... The worn out 265/70 michelin street treads are gone and 285/70 toyo open countrys are on as soon as they get here, probably next week. ( I live in a small town and we don't have alot of local resources) That way I'll be setting up for the tire situation I will be running for the next couple years. I think I'll try adjusting the caster and then the track bar & better bushings all around. I've already replaced the stabilizer and I believe the truck had a brand new, factory, track bar when I got it just 35000 miles ago, but who knows.
I'll keep you all posted..

 

Your situation might be caused by out of balance tires. So once your new ones are on, it might go away, temporarily. But, you're never going to be good till you get the '08 steering linkage setup. This is, in my mind, required whether you get DW or not. While you're in there adjust the steering box, set the caster to max and get new track bar bushings.

These are all weaknesses in the '03 design. The stock linkage is really flimsy and the track bar bushings pound out fast. Might as well just do it once instead of leaving one thing weak and fixing another. Besides, it will drive a lot better and be safer afterward.

I don't want to dump too much cold water on you, but it sounds like you are due for ball joints, with 100,000 miles on the clock. That can come later. And don't even consider Moog joints. Of course, when you do do them, you'll find that the axle U joints are shot too. What about the unit bearings? Sheesh. It never ends.

 

Your an optomist ... Right? But I figure your probably correct. What is the difference in the "08" set-up?

 

There is a lot of information on the '08 linkage upgrade. You can search for details and pictures.

The main features are it is made with much stronger parts and it doesn't have the link between the wheels. These two things make it far stronger overall. t definitely keeps the wheels under tighter control.

It bolts right in but requires a new pitman arm and a different model damper. Well worth every cent!

 

When I looked around the site on this it was a bit confusing... is the set-up you refer to the one that was recalled or the one after that in 08?

 

The early version of it was recalled, if I remember correctly.

Just look for the steering linkage for an '08. The corrected version is the only one you can buy. Can't remember the part number suffix for the latest version.

There are three parts needed and it's NOT a kit. The parts are, the linkage assembly itself, the damper and the pitman arm. All for a stock '08.

 

O.K. , In a nut shell... I had the death wobble so bad that on the last day of commute, before repair, it forced me to pull off the road twice in the 20 mile, curvey mountian road, drive that I make 5 days a week to work.

UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Replacing the worn michelin street treads with a new set of Toyo Open Countrys (285x70x17-E) Seem to completely stop the DW. I dont know if it's just because they were balanced better or what. the old tires were ready for replacement but probably had another 10000 miles before actually bald.

Because MOST of the posts I read indicated the track bar as the most likely culprit, I went ahead and installed New polyurethane track bar bushings (from Luke's Links)to hedge my bet for the future but it was not shaking anymore after just replacing the old tires with new, propperly balanced ones.

CONCLUSION!!

The Track bar bushing upgrade is an easy do and so inexpensive that I think it's a worthwhile endevour BEFORE YOU GET THE DEATH WOBBLE.If youir having the DW, EVEN IF IT"S VERY BAD!, start by checking out the easy, inexpensive, possibilities first... tire balance & pressure, trackbar bushings, have the alignment checked and the steering shaken down by a trustworthy source before you start pouring $$ in. I am fully expecting other issues to arize in the future,(ball joints, tie rod ends, etc.) since I am at 1000000 miles plus but the 97 dodge that I sold a couple years back went 220000 miles with very little needed repairs. It even went 185000 miles before needing wheel bearing/hub assy. replacement so don't freak out too badly if you come down with a case of the DW... just start workin it through and check out the GREAT advice available here on DTR.

STOCKDODGE,
aka Nelson