For unresolved or continuing DW problems file a complaint with D/C corporate: 1 800 763 8422

They say they haven't gotten enough complaints to do anything about it. (condensed version)

 

At what speeds does the DW happen ?

 

Just before the darn 100,000 mile warranty was over, I finally got Dodge to check my steering. It had seemed to have too much play and I would end up swerving in my lane for seemingly no reason. Back in May I was pulled over by WA state police because my outside duelly touched the outside white line painted on the right side of the rural road. I decided to take my truck into Dodge to have it checked. However, did not get a chance to do that until I got to my next job in NV. WELL, they replaced the steering AND asked if I wanted the upgrade NOT covered under the warranty. I got the upgrade and it cost about $800. They said they did test drive and could not feel any vibrations at around 60-65 mph so it may be my tires. Well, it has significant vibrations between 60-65. Gotta get tires rotated anyway but it is frustrating when one is treated like someone who is clueless.

At any rate, seems all Dodge trucks are having a steering problem. Are there grounds for a class action suit? How many are affected? How many are like me with a lack of knowledge to know when something as important as steering is 'off' and potentially dangerous????

Mary Ann
2007 Crew Cab duelly 8 ft bed and hard to park in the city.

 

I've heard WA police are tough (just moved here), but that's ridiculous!
Almost 90k mi on the 07 now with no DW (knock on wood).
Front end is all original except for Bilsteins.
Ball jts from an alignment at about 70k miles were out of spec for caster (camber was ok and it would hold the toe). Tires are wearing fine and it drives fine. Not a Caddy by any means, it's a straight axle truck, but no issues.
The DW thing is weird and it's not just Dodges.
Guy at work last yr with an 09 F250 gasser 4x4, low miles, 50k?, had DW twice in a month. ******* ship found nothing wrong with the front end?
Saw a couple Jeeps Tj's YJ's with DW last yr as well. One was lifted, big tires, one had stock looking tires.

 

At a risk to sound 'dumb', what exactly is death wobble?

 

Do a search. It's an uncontrollable violent back and forth bounce and shake of the front end that gets progressively more violent by the second. You lose control of the truck, your only hope is to get it slowed down fast!

 

Per request.

 

Here's one from the outside... With oversized tires it REALLY gets shaking and bouncing... Mine would be completely uncontrollable.

 

Good lord, how can something so violent not be cureable ? Man i hope i never have to fight that fight.

 

It looks like it starts at 60mph or so. Does it stop when you slow down then restarts with no warning??? Worrisome!

 

Thanks for the video...I was always curious what it looks like from the outside..I could see how that would destroy tire rods and everything else..

 

There's another video that is closer to the tires and slow-mo that shows how the tires bend under and bounce back up as the shake goes side to side. You can imagine how wider / softer tires would flex and contribute to the carnage.
I had 305 BFG's on and the sides would cup under and bounce back with tremendous force. My tires would leave the road (the other video shows that truck's wheels bouncing up and off the road) and it would get so violent the truck was completely out of control.... If it happens rounding a slight bend and there were traffic coming I believe it could be deadly. I was scared of my truck, and would let nobody drive it.

You can see why Dodge issued the TSB to fill the front tires to maximum pressure. With skinny OEM tires inflated to max I think the worst that can happen is the type of shake shown in these videos. With bigger tires on skinny rims I can tell you it is life threatening.

 

Bigger tires, but not the best video:

 

Ok I have the 03 3500 4x4, I have the dynatrac front end conversion with lockouts, have 160K on her now, last year I replaced everything in the front, ball joints "0 offset" all drag links, tie rod ends, bushings etc, its been perfect for just over 10 months, just the other day it did another death wobble over a bridge that had the right amount of undulations to it, crawled under and checked everything out, found that the Moog DS1464 and DS1463 drag link and tie rod both had loose joints, thats the only thing that moves, when I had my son turn the wheel back and forth the drag link flopped fore and aft like crazy and was easy to move by hand, they also had a clunk in them when the steering wheel was turned, will be replacing under parts warranty this weekend. just wanted to pass that along. I know that all parts have to be tight and that this issue can be blamed on several or all parts that have slop in them but all of mine are newer and these parts discribed above wore out super fast, and yes I have the 2 inch leveling kit which does not help, I will match up the parts in the driveway, and reinstall so as not to get another front end alignment. To sum up, I think that in my case, everything related to steering is within 10 months old except the box itself, but that appears to be tight and the truck doesnt drift, I believe that the slight loosness of the inner drag link and tie rod "the drag link that the damper bolts to" contributes to the fore and aft free play and with the right amount of bumps in the road and cause this to start shaking, when new my bar is tight but it doesnt take long to loosen up.

 

I would delete this if I knew how but pulled the track bar bushings that had been in for 10 months from MOOG and they were trashed, relpaced them and now no wobble, I will be replacing again soon with the offset ones for the leveling kit.