Death Wobble

[chupa]

I'm no longer a "Death Wobble" virgin! I experienced my first CUCV M1028 death wobble last Saturday while braking for a red light. It felt akin to seven of 8 lug nuts falling off the left front rim or what driving on a square tire might feel like. It certainly gets your attention. My dog looked scared too.

 

[Westech]

Well get to fixing it. It does not get any better.

 

[sarge1]

I've got a nasty one too when I hit bumps just right going 30-45mph. I haven't looked into the tools needed to fix it yet but I do know the steering stabalizer and kingpin assembly are on the list I need to replace. First time it happened I stood outside my truck for about 5 minutes just positive I wasn't really seeing my wheel still attached and seemingly unfazed by the event.

 

[budman67]

I am not familiar with this wobble,is it common for this vehicle?
I have a 79 GMC 3/4 ton 4x4 and haven't had anything like you
guys mentioned in the 20+ years I have driven it.

 

[sarge1]

Count your blessings. It is pretty common on CUCV's from what I've seen on here. Do a quick search for death wobble and quite a few threads come up. The stabilizer and kingpin bushing and spring I mentioned seem to be the common culprits outside of tire/wheel integrity.

 

[bubba_got_you]

Well get to fixing it. It does not get any better.

Ya its not one of those things that “gets better with time” lol

 

[goldwing2000]

I've owned an '89 Blazer (non-CUCV) for about six years. I ran 35x12.50-15 BFG Mud Terrain tires on it since I bought it and never had a single death wobble.
I switched over to 36x12.50-16.5 Wrangler RTS Hummer tires (the bias ply ones) and now I get it all the time between 25 and 35 mph. Brand new stabilizer and all new tie rod ends and ball joints. In fact, the axle has been completely rebuilt, so I know there can't be any worn parts.

 

[sarge1]

I don't know much about tire construction, but the bias ply tires seem to have this issue a lot.

 

[budman67]

I don't know much about tire construction, but the bias ply tires seem to have this issue a lot.

But that is the part I don't get,that is all I run on my pick up.
32/7.50-16 cooper bias ply lug tire.

 

[goldwing2000]

I don't know much about tire construction, but the bias ply tires seem to have this issue a lot.

Yeah... I'm learning that. I switched to 16.5" wheels so I could get cheap surplus tires but now I'm second-guessing the smarts of that decision.

I think I'm going to have to either switch to the 37" MTR on the Blazer or just make it a trail rig and use the Deuce for all my road work.

Here's a pic I took today next to an H1:

Hmm... guess I'm too much of a noob to post inline images.

 

[goldwing2000]

But that is the part I don't get,that is all I run on my pick up.
32/7.50-16 cooper bias ply lug tire.

That's a fairly small and narrow tire. The bigger the tire gets, the more likely to death wobble. I had an '80 K-10 with 33x12.50-15 General Grabber MT tires and never had an issue in the almost 10 years I owned it, either. Count your blessings that you're never felt it. It's pretty unnerving.

 

[budman67]

When I bought it,it came with 33/12.5-16.5 goodyear AT and the
16's had 33/??-16 GY AT.Both were near bald and a no go for a safety.
I like these bias ply tires,even the cold bump bump doesn't bother me.

 

[docfarmall]

foot on the floor and hang on for dear life

 

[Milbikes]

Be glad you never experienced it on a motorcycle! It's called a speed wobble, which rapidly can progress into a tank-slapper (When the handlebars hit the tank). Raises the blood pressure quickly!

Here's a high-pucker recovery from a wobble:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fa0GmdSN4A&feature=related[/media]

And here's one that ended in a spill:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmtoOmq3ppw&feature=related[/media]

 

[Cucvnut]

I've owned an '89 Blazer (non-CUCV) for about six years. I ran 35x12.50-15 BFG Mud Terrain tires on it since I bought it and never had a single death wobble.
I switched over to 36x12.50-16.5 Wrangler RTS Hummer tires (the bias ply ones) and now I get it all the time between 25 and 35 mph. Brand new stabilizer and all new tie rod ends and ball joints. In fact, the axle has been completely rebuilt, so I know there can't be any worn parts.

you dont have a king pin style Dana 60 you have a ball joint 10 Bolt.

 

[therealsundance]

Did any of you lift your trucks?

 

[goldwing2000]

you dont have a king pin style Dana 60 you have a ball joint 10 Bolt.

#1: You don't know that for sure. The truck is far from stock.

#2: But you are correct (even though the 10-bolt has been upgraded to 3/4-ton specs)

#3: However, a straight axle death wobble is a straight axle death wobble. King pins aren't different enough from ball joints for it to make much difference. Worn parts are worn parts.

Did any of you lift your trucks?

Mine is lifted 6", all spring, with raised lower steering arm and dropped upper steering arm to mantain stock steering geometry.

 

[kassim503]

Ha yes! the first time I experienced death wobble was while driving a friends truck over to my place for joint inspection because "it handles like garbage" Long story short I hit 50 mph, and wham that thing handled like.....

 

[998Junkie]

Be glad you never experienced it on a motorcycle! It's called a speed wobble, which rapidly can progress into a tank-slapper (When the handlebars hit the tank). Raises the blood pressure quickly!

Sorry for the Hi-jack. Having your wife pick you up from the ER after a tank slapper isn't too good for the blood pressure either. No more track days after that one.

 

[Cucvnut]

Mine not lifted much either