Death wobble, already!
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,641
Likes: 507
From: Phelan CA
Nothing has been altered in the suspension or tires. The truck is an XLT with a 6.2. It’s my work truck that is always loaded pretty good with tools & fuel. Trust me I know what the death wobble is! I don’t know what you guys call a violent shake in the front end so bad that it throws everything of your dash and seats. The steering wheel shakes so bad that you can’t hang on to it! All you can do is hit the brakes and slow down to about 25 mph to get it to come out of it, hopefully not getting rear ended in the process! If that isn’t the death wobble please let me know what it is then!
You can demonstrate the effect if you have an actual caster (like a shopping cart wheel). Tilt the stem back toward you and roll it forward. You'll see the wheel steer back and forth rapidly.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 522
Likes: 21
From: Minnesota
How loaded are you? When you load the truck you effectively change the caster, which can cause DW. Loaded trucks experience more negative caster.
You can demonstrate the effect if you have an actual caster (like a shopping cart wheel). Tilt the stem back toward you and roll it forward. You'll see the wheel steer back and forth rapidly.
You can demonstrate the effect if you have an actual caster (like a shopping cart wheel). Tilt the stem back toward you and roll it forward. You'll see the wheel steer back and forth rapidly.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,641
Likes: 507
From: Phelan CA
I have air bags in the rear and keep my ride height within about a half inch of what it was stock. I measured it the day I brought it home before I put anything in the box. The front is down about a half inch and so is the rear. I had to install the bags or I couldn’t drive down the road with my headlights on without getting flashed!
Give the dealer three chances to fix, then if it still isn't resolved, a new housing may be needed. A competent dealer will measure both radius arm angle and inner C caster angle and compare to factory specs.
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Elder User
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 522
Likes: 21
From: Minnesota
You may have a defective axle housing. Death wobble shouldn't be caused by worn steering stabilizers or worn joints, and certainly on a brand new truck. I have a 2006 that I let go on front end maintenance for some time (that was 100000 miles ago) and the truck never even hinted at death wobble. Basically same three link design.
Give the dealer three chances to fix, then if it still isn't resolved, a new housing may be needed. A competent dealer will measure both radius arm angle and inner C caster angle and compare to factory specs.
Give the dealer three chances to fix, then if it still isn't resolved, a new housing may be needed. A competent dealer will measure both radius arm angle and inner C caster angle and compare to factory specs.
Three other of our other company trucks would also have the wobble, one was a 2012, 2014, and a 2016. I guess these trucks aren’t made to work anymore. They are just made look good going down the road. Sorry for my rant but this is frustrating!
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,641
Likes: 507
From: Phelan CA
My 2006 never did any sort of wobble in over 200,000 miles. My 2011 did it every 50-60,000 miles. I find it hard to believe that I was lucky enough to have two trucks with bad axels. The 2011 was at two very competent dealships and one alignment shop, none of them ever found anything out of spec. They all said either track bar ball joint or bushing will fix the problem. I would have both replaced each time and it was good again for the next 50-60,000 miles. That was manageable to deal with every year and a half or so. I’ve only had this truck since the last week of May!
Three other of our other company trucks would also have the wobble, one was a 2012, 2014, and a 2016. I guess these trucks aren’t made to work anymore. They are just made look good going down the road. Sorry for my rant but this is frustrating!
Three other of our other company trucks would also have the wobble, one was a 2012, 2014, and a 2016. I guess these trucks aren’t made to work anymore. They are just made look good going down the road. Sorry for my rant but this is frustrating!
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 162
Likes: 1
From: Bakersfield, CA
For me and my former 2011 F250 SD 4x4 6.7L, the death wobble would generally occurr at higher speeds, around 60 mph plus with the front tires shaking/wobbling violently and uncontrollably. To make it go away, I had to slow down to 35 to 40 mph. Once the lower speed was reached, the shaking would end and I could return to the speed I was at previously. The shaking or wobbling would start when the tires hit a rough spot, pothole or some sort of transition in the road surface. Maybe it was just me, but it seemed this would most often happen while in a slight curve. The bottom line is, it put me in an extremely unsafe position with the other vehicles around me and the need to slow the truck down immediately.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 522
Likes: 21
From: Minnesota
For me and my former 2011 F250 SD 4x4 6.7L, the death wobble would generally occurr at higher speeds, around 60 mph plus with the front tires shaking/wobbling violently and uncontrollably. To make it go away, I had to slow down to 35 to 40 mph. Once the lower speed was reached, the shaking would end and I could return to the speed I was at previously. The shaking or wobbling would start when the tires hit a rough spot, pothole or some sort of transition in the road surface. Maybe it was just me, but it seemed this would most often happen while in a slight curve. The bottom line is, it put me in an extremely unsafe position with the other vehicles around me and the need to slow the truck down immediately.
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Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 10,121
Likes: 655
From: NH
The TTB is nothing like the standard IFS you see in modern vehicles. None of the half-ton trucks will ever exhibit the death wobble, and none of the modern GM HD trucks will exhibit it either. Nevertheless, I love my solid front axle and would not want IFS on an HD truck.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,441
Likes: 8
3/4" ratchet wrench. Mines made to accept pieces of pipe. Usually it's about 3 feet long. Combined with every bit I can pull or push. There's only one bolt, so it's not like a cylinder head gasket is going to fail if you don't use a torque wrench.
GM express vans death wobble, and they ain't even 4wd.
Check out the track bar joints and torque, pitman arm (some have been defective and cast out of soft cheese), caster, damper, tire condition, shocks. In that order.
GM express vans death wobble, and they ain't even 4wd.
Check out the track bar joints and torque, pitman arm (some have been defective and cast out of soft cheese), caster, damper, tire condition, shocks. In that order.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
Steering stab. will not cause death wobble. In fact it is not even needed if steering is set up correctly. I have 38" x14.50 wide toyo MT's, no steering stab. Goes straight down the road, over railroad crossings, no death wobble. To the O.P., I can almost guarantee that if all your steering components are tight it is the weight of your load causing a caster issue on the front end. Airbags are to control your load at the factory payload specs. They do not endorse overloading with the use of springs be they air or otherwise.