What is a death wobble?

A death wobble is when your car shakes, wobbles or vibrates while you're driving. It's used to describe serious shaking and vibrating that occurs particularly at high speeds.

What causes the death wobble?

Generally, death wobble is caused by several worn-out steering or suspension parts, although out-of-balance tires, bent wheels, loose wheel bearings, a bad alignment, low tire pressure, a bent tie rod, and more can all contribute to or cause death wobble.

What does the death wobble feel like?

Death wobble happens in Jeeps, 4x4s, and trucks when rapidly rotating steering wheel components cause your steering wheel to move rapidly from side to side. This causes your vehicle to feel like it's about to fall apart and you want to hold onto the steering wheel for dear life.

What trucks have death wobble?

It's as scary as the name sounds. The death wobble is a violent shaking that happens to the front end of many Ford F250 and F350 Super Duty trucks. It typically occurs at speeds over 50 miles per hour. It can also happen after going over bumps or grooves in the road.

Are death wobbles common?

It's a known issue with Jeep vehicles, and although rare, it's called the “Death Wobble.” According to the NHTSA, there are only 600 reports in the last 20 years. The actual instance is described as violent, frightening, uncontrollable shaking of the entire vehicle.

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Can I drive with death wobble?

Let off the gas and allow the vehicle to slow down naturally—don't speed up or hit the brakes. If you experience death wobble on the highway, let off the gas and move to the side of the road.

Do all Jeeps have death wobble?

There's a common misconception that death wobble only occurs on lifted or modified Jeep Wranglers. However, this simply isn't the case. Wrangler death wobble can occur on stock vehicles because of the nature of its suspension setup.

Do all trucks get the death wobble?

The death wobble can occur in any vehicle that has a solid front axle and coil spring suspension. Today's models with this setup include Dodge Ram and Ford F250 and F350 trucks, and most Jeep models. Lifted trucks have increased death wobble incidents.

Why does my truck shake violently when I hit a bump?

If you feel a slow shake, it's likely that your wheel was bent to the point it can't drive straight. If you feel a fast, vibrating shimmy, hitting the bump may have knocked your vehicle's weight off, and now a tire is out of balance. Either way, now your vehicle's parts are out of sync.

Did Ford fix the death wobble in 2021?

Ford now offering repair for the so-called 'death wobble'

Do new Jeeps have death wobble?

Death wobble does not present on a new Jeep.

What year Jeeps have death wobble?

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) found only two accidents caused by death wobble between 2005-2010 despite close to 400 reports. Keep your cool, and neither you nor your Jeep should die from the death wobble.

Why do trucks get the death wobble?

The cause of the death wobble is usually poorly installed, damaged, loose, or missing suspension or steering components. The death wobble is more frequent in modified vehicles. Improper installation of aftermarket parts can increase your risk of a death wobble.

Does steering stabilizer stop death wobble?

Often referred to as a steering stabilizer, the steering damper helps absorb unwanted secondary vibrations that can trigger death wobble. A steering damper is not a fix for death wobble, but it's still an important part of the steering system that should be checked regularly.

Can Ford fix death wobble?

The Ford "death wobble" causes certain trucks to shake very strongly at high speeds. Drivers have been experiencing this issue for several years. While Ford has not recalled the involved vehicles, the company has offered free repairs for certain model years.

Why does my steering wheel shake at 25 mph?

A bent rim can cause the front end to shake and smooth out as the speed increases. If the tires are good and have no issues, then the suspension may be loose cause the front end to move around on the bumps from the road way.

What causes car to wobble at high speeds?

The most common reason for a car to shake is related to tires. If the tires are out of balance then the steering wheel can shake. This shaking starts at around 50-55 miles per hour (mph). It gets worse around 60 mph but starts to get better at high speeds.

Why does my steering wheel pull when I hit a bump?

You are almost certainly experiencing bump steer. Because suspension geometry is imperfect, the toe of each front wheel will change in response to vertical displacement (suspension travel). On especially bumpy roads, this will become very noticeable, as you've observed.

How do you stop death wobble while driving?

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.

Do Ram trucks have death wobble?

While it is absolutely true that many Dodge and Ram truck owners have experienced death wobble, the issue effects every vehicle with a solid front axle.

Why does my lifted truck shake at high speeds?

The most common cause of vehicle shakes at 50 mph or higher is tire balance. Again, transmission or drive lines can cause this, but the tires should be the first thing to have checked.

Will Jeep fix death wobble for free?

The fix is free for owners.

Jeep will replace the steering damper – a stabilizer – with a new piece designed to mitigate better any vibrations that come through the front suspension.

What Jeep has death wobble?

The Jeep Wrangler has one of the longest heritages of any vehicle in the industry. Despite its history, it seems the Wrangler still has a few kinks to work out. For years, owners have dealt with the “death wobble,” a violent shaking in the SUV's front axle that can occur if the vehicle hits a bump at high speeds.

Why does my Jeep shake at 55 mph?

In these cases, one of the most common causes of the Death Wobble appears to be the Jeep's front track bar. While the bar itself isn't really at fault, the bolts that hold it in place and the supporting bushings can cause the vehicle to vibrate and shake.