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99 1500 Front End Problems

3K views 20 replies 7 participants last post by  Davcruz 
#1 ·
Ok. Every time I drive over 55 and hit a large bump or ditch in a road my truck shimmy's (death Wobble) very badly.
I have replaced the following: All the tie-rods, trac bar, passenger ball joints(drivers side are solid), steering stabilizer.

I noticed when entering a driveway or something similar I get clunking out of the front end. Not really the steering wheel or shaft (although that needs to be worked on, has slight play). I have a leveling kit on it, which once I locate a place to get parts to change the angle on the differential for the front and rear I will do that (I have a clunk in the u-joints when I accelerate from a stop)

I have exhausted my options and ideas. And the truck has been aligned. I have read through pretty much every post that can apply to my problem..but nothing goes further than what I have done so far. Can anyone help me with this. Things to check, things to replace.

Oh, and when the truck is on a lift, the only play in the linkages is at the pitman arm to the steering box(the pitman arm moves slightly side to side) Can that cause this problem..and what about shocks? Could bad shocks cause this problem too?
 
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#2 ·
so.... is it a 2wd like your sig... or a 4wd like the place where you posted the question?

need more info.

if it is a 4wd check your control arm bushings and the cam & bolt.

if it is 2wd....it could be the rubber disk in the steering shaft.... you might want to check your steering box to I have see them crack and move under load.... not on the rack but underload deflect about an inch and half.

a question for you about your avitar ..... could it have been the person behind her? I mean she got rear ended.... right? or did she back into something? lol good times.

b
 
#3 ·
It's a 4X4.. I haven't been on in a while. My old truck was a 2wd reg cab. And she rear ended me, and then I rear ended a Durango. But I am just going crazy with this truck. I will check the control arms..if they are what I think they are (bars going from the axle back to the frame) if so they look like they have been replaced..since dodge doesn't make a red bar. I will check..plus I have a Danna 44 in the front and corporate 9.25 in the rear
 
#4 ·
bro... all I can say is ouch! and sorry to hear about the sandwich. You are correct about dodge never offering red arms. and it only takes one bad bushing to make it shake and sound like someone slapping the floor with a hammer. If you are running after market arms the cam bolts should be gone. Others might have a better way to check them but i use an old body lift bolt just under a foot long and try to deflect it. If it moves more than about 4" they are in need of replacements. I like poly more than rubber. Just thinking about it you might want to check the shock also... but less likely imho.

if you do one at a time you should not need to jack it up just use a dead blow hammer ... well that is how i get mine to come loose...lol my answer for most things is a bigger hammer.

good luck

b
 
#5 ·
You get a "clunk"?
Somethings loose...and since you're getting some wobble, I'd start with the track bar bolt on the pass side. It has to be UBER tight. It's well well over 100 ft lbs, but I can't remember how much.
 
#7 ·
thanks guys..I will try to torque down that trac bar nut tomorrow sometime. I honestly don't think I torqued it that hard when I installed it..also..whats the torque on the tie-rods. And Thril..what exactly should I do with those arms?
 
#8 ·
Ummmm... I'm not talking about the nut, or a Luke's Link.

The bolt on the pass side is 130 ft/lbs, and the track bar nut is 70. TREs are 65 ft/lbs.
 
#9 ·
Thanks dsertdog56...I will look at the torque for that. If it is something as simple as that I would be so happy...but most likely not. I also think my TRE's are not torqued enough. I think they are around 40-45. I will tighten down those to 65 and the track bar nut to 70. See if that helps. I have to replace one tie-rod due to the ball joint failing and throwing it out of whack. I will probably do that over the weekend.
 
#10 ·
Okay...Changed a TRE and center link. Adjusted the steering stabilizer so it had a longer stretch (not much piston was exposed). Aligned..and got better..can do 65 now...but still feels like the right bump is going to make it go crazy. Would worn shocks and bad springs have any effect on this?
 
#11 ·
Worn shocks...maybe.

Did you have your alignment checked?

On the "Y" style steering toe in changes as the suspension cycles and that could cause death wobble if your toe in is off. So loose shocks could create that as well as alignment.

The lower shock bolts have to be real tight too.
 
#12 ·
I just did the alignment. Checked the track bar torque and everything else. It's better..but I still feel like it wants to let loose. I am going to do the shocks within the next 2 weeks. Any recommendations? I have a 3" spacer in the front. Currently running stock springs with rancho 5000 shocks.
 
#15 ·
x2 on the caster...caster shimmy...both cam bolts need to be pointing in roughly the same direction...if not you get a set-back or dog legged axle...i to had this and i adjusted my pass side cam bolt n no more shimmy/wobble or pull to the right
 
#16 ·
caster is correct...it seems to be better now. I think I am down to shocks now. I have been doing as much research as I can for what lift is in the truck. I have an aftermarket lower control arm with a red coil spacer, stock springs, and rancho shocks. I looked at every kit I could find, and it is really a rancho 3" lift. Everything is identical to what I have. So I would assume the rancho shocks are original from the lift kit. Anyone heard of problems with them. and with a 3 inch lift..should I relocate the trac-bar? And if this kit is problematic...I was thinking or either replacing it with a new 3" or going up to a 5" lift. Any recommendations?
 
#17 ·
Rancho 3 inch lifts used to come with upper and lower control arms which were red square tube, then later they also had black. There are lifts that only come out with lower arms to kick the caster back out, but I can't remember them all.
A pic of the arm might help identify it.
If the the track bar is in the stock location, your axle is uncentered with the frame and the axle may be twisted to accomidate that. You should take steps to remedy that and also make sure your track bar and steering linkage a parallel to each other and at a low angle to the axle. Perhaps bump steer is the death wobble you feel, since it occurs when you hit a bump or pothole.
 
#18 ·
http://www.thurenfabrication.com/misc.html

cant mistake a death wobble for bump steer...2 very diff animals...check out the slow motion vid...thats a death wobble right after hitting a pot hole....it called death wobble 4 a reason and it sucks
 
#19 ·
I feel bump steer..hit a bump..and the truck kinda pops over a bit...but I was getting a, for lack of a better term, shutter/shimmy. I would have to slow down dramatically in order not to go off the road..the front would violently "dance" around. I will check that. I thought it was just a leveling kit until I looked into it further. Would I need a trac-bar relocate kit..and whats a good one..or should I just man up and get a good 5" lift kit, go higher and do it right? Any an all input is greatly appreciated. I am also currently running 07' Ram 20's with the stock 275/60/R20 Goodyear HP's. What tire would I have to bump up to with a 5" Lift?
 
#20 ·
I've had wobble from bad and out of balance tires. So have others. You can get it from either a mechanical issue or harmonic one.
In my case the tire, which was always difficult to to keep balanced, had a cord separation in it. 4 different "tire guys" checked the tire, and the 5th, who was a very experienced front end person, found it.
Bent rims...bad hub bearings?
I know you've had all these things checked, but if the same guy is doing that maybe its time for a different opinion. Doing mechanics over the 'net is dicey enough, and as the wise man once said, its probably so obvious you overlooked or dismissed it.
I hope you post up when you figure it out.
 
#21 ·
Not sure what you have for a pitman arm, but 3" of lift is probably enough to get a non-parallel drag link and track bar which can also cause bump steer to be exaggerated and lead to death wobble.
 
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