Imagine you’re driving down the road, all is well, and then you hit a bump or hole in the road. Suddenly, the front end of your truck starts to wobble and feels loose. You can’t seem to keep control, and you wonder if this is how your life ends. You have just experienced the so-called death wobble. Does it sound familiar? If so, you may want to take your car in for maintenance before this becomes a bigger problem.
The dreaded death wobble is a behavior of Dodge Ram trucks that dates back to the early 2000s. As early as the 2003 model year, well before Dodge and Ram separated in 2009, consumers were experiencing the death wobble regularly. Numerous consumers were driving along in their Dodge Ram, hit a bump, and their vehicle began to violently shake like the scenario above. The Jeep death wobble also became a nuisance in 2015 to 2018 Wranglers.Â
At first, it seemed like an abnormal occurrence, and narrowing down the cause of death wobble was unclear. These days, it’s still difficult to pin down what causes death wobble, because every vehicle is different. Still, there are a few reasons why death wobble can occur in some SUVs and Ram pickup trucks.
What causes a death wobble?
There are a number of components that can cause you to experience the dreaded death wobble. More often than not, several parts have degraded to the point that the whole vehicle feels a little loose. Mismatched tire pressures and uneven tire wear are sometimes the culprit, and these issues are the easiest to fix. That’s why learning good driving behavior can help you get the most miles out of your tires, as well as avoid the death wobble.
The easiest things to diagnose if you are experiencing a death wobble are tire pressure, tire balance, and vehicle alignment. These are three things you can get done at any car service shop for a little routine maintenance. Under-inflated or over-inflated tires can trigger a little wobble, and it gets even worse on uneven or bumpy roads. Another easy-to-fix issue is tire balance. When was the last time you had them checked? Tires need to be rotated every 3,000 to 6,000 miles. Making sure they’re balanced when you get an oil change won’t hurt, and will help keep your tires from wearing out early.
The last easy checkup is vehicle alignment. Suspension components are a major trigger of death wobble wear down over time, which can mean that even a slight bump will pull the front-end out of alignment. Getting your car properly aligned can help get you back on the road safely. While we’re on the subject, get your wheel bearings checked, too.
The tough issues that cause death wobble
If those issues don’t solve your death wobble problems then we need to dig a little deeper into the components, starting with the track bar. A track bar connects the axle to the frame, and if some worn-out bushings knock a bolt loose, you’re going to feel the shaking of the death wobble soon. On that note, check the bushings on the sway bar, as well as bushings of the control arm or leaf spring. Once again, loose bolts here can allow for excess movement you don’t want.
Worn out tie rods can also be a problem. This vital piece of a vehicle connects the steering knuckles, a component in the car that links the wheel hub to the suspension and the driver to the wheels. These are essentially well-greased ball-and-socket joints, so make sure they’re properly lubricated. While we’re at it, check out all the ball joints. They’re critical components of the steering and suspension system, and aren’t just keeping the tie rod in working order.
We also need to look at the steering. Although a steering damper may not fix death wobble, they can wear out quickly from a vehicle with large tires, such as those found on lifted trucks. The steering damper helps to absorb unwanted vibrations when driving, so you should check this out regardless. Lastly, the steering box could be the problem. Often overlooked, the steering box can already be a little faulty from the factory. As their internal parts wear out, this can cause sloppy steering and increase the effort needed to turn the wheels and keep the vehicle driving straight.
