The Death Wobble: What It Is and How To Prevent It
If you own a Jeep, you may have heard stories of a strange phenomenon known as the “death wobble.” Well, we are sorry to say that the rumors are true. The death wobble is a very real and potentially dangerous issue that plagues many Jeeps. Fortunately, however, there are several actions you can take to reduce your chances of ever experiencing this problem. To learn more about what the death wobble is and how to prevent it, consult this guide.
What Is the Death Wobble?
The death wobble refers to when your entire Jeep starts shaking in an uncontrollable and violent manner. Not to be confused with an alignment issue or a normal amount of road vibration, the death wobble will impact your entire vehicle, not just the steering wheel.
In addition to your steering wheel moving quickly from side to side, your Jeep will feel as though it is shaking itself apart. As a result, the vehicle will prove highly challenging to control, which poses a serious safety threat. If you experience the death wobble, you should slow down immediately and pull over as soon as you can to avoid an accident.
What Causes the Death Wobble?
In most cases, the death wobble will occur when driving at speeds of at least 45 miles per hour and can be triggered by hitting a bump or pothole. Some of the most common causes of the death wobble include poorly installed suspension parts or loose or damaged steering components. If you have modified your Jeep’s suspension or other components, you may be more likely to experience the death wobble. However, stock Jeeps are not immune to such a phenomenon.
How To Prevent the Death Wobble
Now that you know what the death wobble is, here’s how you can prevent it.
- Maintain Proper Tire Pressure: Common triggers for the death wobble include over-inflated, under-inflated, or mismatched tire pressures. To prevent the death wobble from occurring, you should make sure to check your tire pressure regularly and deflate or inflate your tires as necessary.
- Inspect Your Suspension System: As previously stated, a common cause of the death wobble is an issue with your Jeep’s suspension system—particularly the front track bar, ball joints, or drag link. As such, you should inspect your suspension system for any signs of wear and tear to avoid experiencing the dreaded death wobble. If you notice any bent or broken components, have them replaced immediately.
- Make Sure Your Wheels Are Aligned: While misaligned wheels won’t typically cause the death wobble to occur, such an issue could amplify or even trigger it. For this reason, you should always make sure that the wheels on your Jeep are in proper alignment.
Top Lift Pros is committed to helping you optimize your Jeep-owning experience. For this reason, we have created an innovative Jeep Wrangler door removal tool that will allow you to easily take off and store the doors of your Jeep without any hassle. In addition, we also offer a hardtop removal tool to make the process of removing your Jeep’s top on your own simple and safe. To learn more about our industry-leading products, contact us today.