TJ Death Wobbles again, any more ideas??

[Rosie]

Well it's on again, death wobbles as soon as i get to around 80km/h and I'm debating just selling the TJ this time, I'd stopped driving it for months but my brother rolled his Rodeo and is using my daily so I'm back in the Jeep. I'm just sick of it.

For those who don't know my TJ I'm running a 4.5" Short Arm kit with 1" spacers to compensate barwork and winch and 35"s. Now I'm not talking about a little wobble, I'm talking full death wobbles, have to come to almost complete stop or snap second and hope that throws it out.

Another issue I'm having is the Panhard TRE comes loose Weekly no matter how much I tighten it and has flogged the chassis end out to the point I have to run a washer under the nut now so the castleated nut works.

I have gone through and replaced everything I can think of in the front end and nothing was worn when I replaced it.

• Currie Upper and Lower Control Arms
• All 4 Tie Rod Ends
• New Drag Link
• Panhard Bush
• Ball Joints
• Wheel Bearings
• Upper Control Arm bushes (in the diff)
• Steering Dampener
• Steering Box
• Diff Straightened
• Wheels Balanced
• Wheel Alignment (tried many variations of Caster and Toe)

Does anyone have any suggestions for anything I could have missed or know of a place in Perth who would be willing to have a crack at it? Any advice would be great.

[smallfry]

How are the front uni joints? I'm just throwing it out there.. Maybe check and make sure that your front axles aren't bent or maybe the axle bearings?

Have you tried changing the rims? I know it's a bit sketchy, but disconnect the rear tail shaft, put the front on stands, put it in 4wd and see what the fronts doing as it spins, obviously making sure someone stays inside the car incase it jumps the stands...

I'm sure someone is going to tear me a knew one for recommending that haha..

[Morgs]

Rosie I'm feeling for ya mate. I have had the death wobbles on 33's due to some slack in the diff end of the panhard. Mine was a simple fix by drilling out the metal sleeve in the bush by a fraction and getting a bigger bolt. As I was on the way back to Brisbane from Jambo in Melbourne the real fix didn't happen until I got home so I had three seperate sets of DW which raises what I really think is your problem. After 3 sets of DW the chassis cast mounting whole got flogged out but not to the same extent as yours.

I think the best way for you to reduce future death wobbles is to actually get your cast bracket back to actually holding the TRE on the panhard tight. If it is flogged out to the degree that you have to use a washer to keep the nut tight the hole would be flogged out in mostly a side to side not front to back fashon. The only way you will get that TRE to sit tight again would be to take you jeep to an engineering shop and ask that they drill the hole back to a round conical shape to match the TRE bolt and then get them to make up a conical spacer (hardened) to fill the bigger whole and go in between the TRE bolt and where it recesses.

The whole job should not cost that much. I had a complete axle end and a weld on bearing hub machined up from scratch for a little over $120. I think that without making the conicial hole in the bracket perfectly round again no matter how much you tighten it it will continue to flog out as the panhard rocks left to right with your high centre of gravity and 35's. Once things are made up tighten the hell out of a new TRE bolt but don't go too crazy that you weaken the bolt, just a bit extra to stop the bolt moving. Mate I hope this helps.

[Rosie]

Thanks for the ideas so far guys, it's sending me insane!

If I have to get the conical hole fixed I'll just cut the entire bracket off and fab up a different setup to take a heim joint and will drop it 2" to match a drop Pitman arm. I was just trying to avoid this as much as possible in case I get yellow stickered. I'm also really hard up for time at the moment.

The only other option at the moment was to go for the Blackjack Panhard drop but i really didn't want to spend that much without being 100% sure it'll fix the problem.

[GoldenEagle]

Iv given mine a little bit of 'toe-out' in the wheel alignment
It causes ur tyres a bit of pain but it definarly helps i know its not a proper fix but i went through everything uv just talked about and my car literally got up and ran if i hit a bump at 70
Have u talked to vic from blackjack? He seems pretty cluey with alignments and the geometry set ups on the jeeps

But yeah an RTC dampner and toe out basically fixed my car for a good year or so
Now it back to its old self
But the brakes r knackered the tryes have flat spots and everything is loose and needing grease...

[rocsolid]

Hi Rosie

Here are some ideas for you.

1. Try his http://www.goferitoffroad.com
2. http://www.teraflex.biz/tapered-slee...k-knuckle.html

Just as long as they are the same taper. I ended up going for a hemi joint on mine and its on its side so i can get full movement out of it. I did get a yellow at one stage and went of the pits with and had no problems with it.

Hope this helps.

[Rosie]

Thanks guys. As for Toe I've experimented way up to 6mm of Toe Out with no improvement at any stage.

Rocsolid: Thanks mate, these look like a good option, I actually think Wooders might have something like this so will give him a call tomorrow.

Going to try drilling out the hole on the Diff end and using a bigger bolt over the weekend just in case that is the problem.

Very tempted to buy new tyres and decent quality rims and try that too, i'm getting desperate.