death wobble

[MikeinColorado]

I watched an absurdly lifted OT vehicle hit a bump in the road and go into a nasty death wobble. I thought he was gonna flip right in front of me.
I pulled up next to the guy and he looked like he needed clean shorts...
So...this got me thinkin....
I want 33s under my wagon....what is the best way to accomplish this and allow me to have a solid driver that will hit the trails in Colorado?
Swap shackles? Experts...I am a noob ready to listen and learn.

[turtlejoe]

I've seen a number of Wag's with 33's and even 35's both on San Juan trails and on the street. Can't think of anyone complaining about death wobble. Quality lift kit, all suspension bits and bushings in good condition, proper alignment, shouldn't be a problem. I've got 33's on my W/T Cherokee and have never once had a problem. I only needed 4" of lift because of the larger wheel openings and wider axles, but still - never had a problem.

[MikeinColorado]

I suppose I should clarify. I know 33s can be done well....the "thing" I saw on the road looked like it was dones 1/2 Great Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley Moogley. And the result was a very unsafe vehicle.... I've only lowered things.. so... best way to get a 4 inch lift on a wagon? What do the experts say.. What is the safest, best method that will give driveability and still handle the mountains...
I mean I don't want a hardcore crawler... I'm lookin for balance here. Like if I want to do some high altitude camping with the family... I am already planning CB radio, with weather band.... maybe gps, good roof rack system.

I've seen a number of Wag's with 33's and even 35's both on San Juan trails and on the street. Can't think of anyone complaining about death wobble. Quality lift kit, all suspension bits and bushings in good condition, proper alignment, shouldn't be a problem. I've got 33's on my W/T Cherokee and have never once had a problem. I only needed 4" of lift because of the larger wheel openings and wider axles, but still - never had a problem.

[turtlejoe]

If we assume a 6" lift to fit 33's on your '88, I would grab a quality 6" all-spring lift kit that will come with 4 new springs, proper shocks, drop pitman arm, and necessary hardware. You'll have to put in new front brake hoses (i.e. longer), and may have to do something about the parking brake cables (again, longer). Don't know if you'll need driveshaft changes or not, but my 4" lift was able to keep the original shafts. Not sure if you have a track bar on the rear axle, but I know some just remove it all together when the lift goes in with no ill-effects that I am aware of. Or, the attach bracket can be relocated so it can still be used.

There are a number of quality kits out there and probably all of them are represented here on this board. Try poking around and/or look in the Tech section, there have been lots of threads on what to use, what is needed, what works.

My recommendation though based on your intended use, is a 4" lift and 31's. Good balance for road and off-road without too many gotcha's. These are just my opinions though, I'm sure others will add their experiences as well. Good luck!

[J20 project]

Opinions are like .....well you know.

Anyway, first,, quality lift kit w/ shocks and everything including drop pitman arm.

Second, as stated opinions....Be very careful purchasing your aftermarket set of wheels. DO NOT buy something w/ a lot of offset(to the outside). Keep them as close to the springs as possible. You will not have death wobble.\
J20

[jeeper54]

A good steering stabilizer seemed to help out when I had death wobble issues on a previous jeep. Only had 3 inch lift, stock rims and 31s'. Neither I nor 2 different shops could find anything wrong. Changed to a HD stabilizer and the problem went away. BTW-the bushings in the original stabilizer were worn out and not noticed previously.

[MikeinColorado]

see the vehicle I witnessed...the wheels were WAY out there... like the axles looked too wide for the vehicle

Opinions are like .....well you know.

Anyway, first,, quality lift kit w/ shocks and everything including drop pitman arm.

Second, as stated opinions....Be very careful purchasing your aftermarket set of wheels. DO NOT buy something w/ a lot of offset(to the outside). Keep them as close to the springs as possible. You will not have death wobble.\
J20

[Blake]

Big tires don't necessarily mean death wobble. They also don't prevent the truck from being a DD.

I had SEVERE DW when I first when SOA on the stock axles and used 42" IROKS. All bushings, tie rod ends, etc where brand new. Everything was tight, but still had DW. Mine was initiated when hitting a bump just right, like a rail road crossing or pothole. I found a local shop that actually knows how to balance tires and POOF! DW went away.

[MikeinColorado]

I was told when you plan your lift, that you choose tire size and build off of that. I just like to research everything really well before I get into it.
Do it right the first time.

[Rocket Dog]

I have 33 on a waggy with 4" spring and a matching dpa. i do have a little bump steer, but it's mostly due to the needed to rebuild the front end becuase of the oil leaks that have eatin' the rubber bushing.

[FallonJeeper]

The Rusty's or BJ's 6 inch lifts are good. I have the Rusty's 6" lift on my 84 J-10 with 35" tires. No death wobble. The trick as indicated above:

1. Good quality lift with correct hardware.
2. Good suspension/steering components including rod ends, spring bushings, ball joints all in good condition. Don't just eyeball it. Often times I see most death wobble posts where everything "looks good" only to find out it really wasn't
3. Make sure all those quality lift/supension/steering components are torqued to specs. after the initial install of these parts they get torqued. Check again within 100 miles.
4. Steering stabilizer is a band aid. If you need one to "help" with death wobble, you have other problems. It's designed to assist when hitting bumps and holes, under normal driving conditions, to keep the steering wheel from ripping out of your hands.

[J20 project]

I had SEVERE DW when I first when SOA on the stock axles and used 42" IROKS

Were they stock wheels?
J20

[Stupified]

If you go with a 6" lift, make sure you extend the sway bar set up. Makes a difference in the DW.

[Tigger4X]

6" lift and all that crazy stuff for 33's


Get a shackle flip kit from TTs Fabworks (Tad on here) and do an SOA. You will need shocks, extended brake lines, and a DPA is a good idea. Check your bushings and such to see if they need replacing, I did it just because I didnt want to have to tear into again later. If you want more lift than that you can get a 2" spring kit from BJs.