• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

steering death wobble

landacre

Jr. Member
Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
142
Loc.
Spring Branch, TX
allright, here is my problem. i am getting a terribl death wobble at any given speed, i didn't have the problem with 31 inch tires but witth 33's i do. i have allready swapped the tires around and it didn't help. i had someone turn the steerin wheel while i watched the trackbar and nothing moved. with the front end jacked up the i can turn the front tires about two inches. i noticed the output shaft on the manual steering box would wiggle, so replaced the steering box with another one that was tighter. still death wobble. could it be tie rod ends or drag link? i have checked bearings and kingpins and they are good. any advice is greatly appreciated! sorry so long, just getting very frustrated, about to drive it off a cliff.
thanks
ryan
 

Revelation

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 9, 2004
Messages
4,810
Could be alot of things but since it started with the tire change I would look at the balance of the tires, even swap back to the old ones to see if it still does it.
 

TJK74

Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 21, 2003
Messages
3,154
Loc.
Newark CA
Did you just swap from 31's to 33's or did you add any lift.
Check you toe in usually the larger the tire the more tow in is needed.
 
OP
OP
L

landacre

Jr. Member
Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
142
Loc.
Spring Branch, TX
thanks for the input, i guess i will try to swap some other 33's on and see what happens. what is the easiest way to check toe in and what shouls it be?
 

cgbexec

Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
2,071
Loc.
Naples, FL
I have to agree that it is most likely the tires due that it started after the change. As everyone stated above, check balance and alignment. The other big factor is tire pressure. Low tire pressure causes the tires to be more pliable. Pliable will propogate the harmonic vibration that is the death wobble. Airing down tires off-road is fine, but make sure you are back to pressure on the road.

What size tire/rim combination are you running?
 

MADHATTER

New Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2008
Messages
35
Let me ask you this... were those 33s new tires or used? What are they... make and model...... Goodyear Wrangler M/T tires cup like a son of a bear and most of the time that wabble is due to cupped tires.

Also if your linkage moves 2" your tie rods might be bad. To check the tie rods u jack up the truck and see if the knuckle moves left and right without the steering linkage moving
 

cgbexec

Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
2,071
Loc.
Naples, FL
I just caught the 2" movement that Madhatter pointed out. Did this correct when you changed the steering box? 2" of movement in the steering is very bad! There should be very little movement. I would be unhappy with more than 1/2 of an inch.

Where is that movement coming from?
 
OP
OP
L

landacre

Jr. Member
Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
142
Loc.
Spring Branch, TX
i haven't tried to jack it up and move the tires since the steering box swap. i will try that later. the tires are used 33x1250 bfg muds on factory 96 ford rims. i used to have 33x1250 bfg all terrains and it did fine. so maybe it is the tires, i have swapped front to rear, but i will try a completely different set. after i put the other steering box in it seemed to be even worse though. i am just trying to figure out where to start, i have been trying to figure this out for quite some time now.
thanks
 

Rustytruck

Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 24, 2002
Messages
10,875
Check the track arm especially at the frame end, bad bushings, loose bolts, and wallowed out frame holes are a more common problem.
 

Steve

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 5, 2003
Messages
2,986
Loc.
Grand Junction, CO
Let me ask you this... were those 33s new tires or used? What are they... make and model...... Goodyear Wrangler M/T tires cup like a son of a bear and most of the time that wabble is due to cupped tires.

Uh, no. Cupping on tires is a symptom of a problem. Cupped tires can result from death wobble. Cupped tires won't cause death wobble.

Landacre, check all of the moving parts in your front suspension. That includes:

- Track bar bushings at both ends.
- Tie rod ends.
- Drag link ends.
- Ball joints.
- Steering box.

In most cases the cause of DW is one, or a combination, of parts from the list above that are worn and have some play in them. Going with larger tires may cause those problems to be magnified, giving you DW when it wasn't there before with the smaller tires.

With the front tires on the ground get underneath and watch while someone else turns the wheel back and forth. I'm betting you find where the play is. Fix it and your DW will go away.
 
OP
OP
L

landacre

Jr. Member
Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
142
Loc.
Spring Branch, TX
well, today i put my old 33's backon which i had no death wobble about 6 months ago with. took it for a drive and still death wobble. not the tires. with the front end jacked up, the tires can turn about two inches, it seems to only be play in the gearbox, is that the culprit? the tie rod ends don't seem to move at all. i also noticed the tires lean out at the top, could that do it? it is a dana 30 with 31/2 inch lift correct c-bushings that came with lift kit.
 

Flash69

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 21, 2004
Messages
2,429
Loc.
Southwest Va
You need to check for all the loose stuff with it on the floor not jacked up. How much play is in the steering wheel. If you can move your tire 2" when it is on a jack it sounds like you might have a bad bearing. If it is sideways its a bearing if its up and down its usually a balljoint or kingpins.
 
Top