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16th October 2017, 04:11 PM
#1
Death wobble at 70km/h
Hi Everyone,
I have a been a longtime follower of the forum and you have all helped me through the NAD's install, identifying pesky factory intercooler cracking being the cause of overboost issues and a whole raft of other mods....so thanks everyone for your posts!!
Now I'm going to apologise because I'm sure there has to be a thread on this topic but I'm not having any luck finding the answers.
I have a 2010 GUVII CRD Wagon around 35,000 I started getting the death wobbles around 70Km/h. Soon after (40,000) I installed a TJM suspension kit with 2" and the Foam Cell Shocks (rough as guts BTW) and steering dampener which didn't make any difference at all to the death wobble scenario. At about 45,000Km I put on a set of Mickey Thompson BAJA ATZ P3 (285/70 R17) which I love, but again no difference to the death wobble. Took it to a couple of local steering specialists with no luck or any idea of where to look next.
In the meantime I found that running high pressures 42psi has helped reduce it, but this isn't doing the tyres any justice and since pulling the pressure back to 36psi, its driving me insane!
I have started investigating the issue again and all i seem to get from the guys that supposedly know their stuff is:
1. Its your tyres....I don't believe this, it did it on the originals and the new ones without any noticeable change
2. Its a Patrol, they are renowned for it....I don't believe that all patrol owners drive around with this and accept it.
I have read a few posts about similar issues and shimming, but most people recommend against this.
So, to everyone out there, can anyone point me in the right direction to try and solve this problem?
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16th October 2017 04:11 PM
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16th October 2017, 04:18 PM
#2
Patrol God
Easy stuff first: check that your wheel bearings and swivel bearings are not loose. Visually inspect all of the bushes in the front end. Get a crow bar or suitably hefty lever and test all of the bushes to see if there is movement. The panhard bushes, and steering damper bushes are some of the main culprits. I have a GQ, but all of the swivel bearing shims were removed before I got the vehicle. I believe that was to correct the death wobbles. Had the vehicle for 5 years without steering problems, so far.
Last edited by mudnut; 16th October 2017 at 04:26 PM.
My advice is: not to follow my advice.
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16th October 2017, 05:59 PM
#3
Legendary
My problem on the maverick was the panhard Rod bush , get someone to lightly turn the steering wheel left to right and get under the front and see if anything is moving more than it's supposed to .
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16th October 2017, 06:06 PM
#4
Legendary
Yeah i had death wobbles to not long ago and replaced panhard bushes, probably a good point to start. Also give all tie rod & drag link ends a grease to tighten that up a bit and check wheel bearings are right too.
Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk
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16th October 2017, 07:38 PM
#5
SkippyGU
Mine is the same mine comes in to wobble around 75-90 km/h then gets almost unnoticeable at 100km/h. Had my steering damper replaced, had my wheels balanced numerous times had new tyres put on. I don’t know what it is.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Currently own a ZD30 2000 GU patrol with a dead injector pump
about to start a build on a TD42 motor to go in the car and basically rebuild the whole car into a machine of a rig
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16th October 2017, 07:49 PM
#6
Travelling Podologist
Mine didn't get 'death wobbles', but it had started to get just a small degree of 'shimmy' at around 80kph & a feeling like the brake discs had warped during light (but not heavy) braking. I just lived with it for a while, but after getting my tyres rotated just prior to our current travels, the tyre place rebalanced all four on the car & those symptoms disappeared. Have done almost 10,000kms since then & still symptom free.
A previous wheel balance (when tyres were new) didn't stop the symptoms. I can only conclude that there are tyre balancers & tyre balancers! I'll be giving the last mob my business in future.
2006 4.2TDi ex-Telstra Remote area Camper. 425w roof mounted solar, 360Ah Aux batts, BCDC1240, Onboard hot & cold pressurised & filtered water, (25 litre hot water calorifier), ARB fridge, ARB freezer, Built in kitchen, heaps of easy access storage, 240v, 3” Genie exhaust + dynotune, 2” lift, 3900kg GVM upgrade, second glovebox, ROH Blaktrak steel wheels, Bridgestone D697's (now Toyo RT's), Redarc gauges/pillarpod, Hema HX-1, Icom 450 CB, dual rear view cameras, Onboard 30amp Victron mains charger, second glovebox, dual seat conversion, TPMS, Boss PX7 onboard air with 9 litre tank, 350w inverter, Steel bullbar, Harrop Eaton diff lock (front), Warn winch, Snorkel, Dual spares , 160 litre water tank, 180 litre fuel in two tanks (approx 1200km range) 2010 Tvan Tanami. (incl another 70 litre water tank) with matching wheels/tyres (& 3rd spare)
A Nomadic Life (Blog)
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16th October 2017, 08:17 PM
#7
Patrol God
Originally Posted by
Cuppa
Mine didn't get 'death wobbles', but it had started to get just a small degree of 'shimmy' at around 80kph & a feeling like the brake discs had warped during light (but not heavy) braking. I just lived with it for a while, but after getting my tyres rotated just prior to our current travels, the tyre place rebalanced all four on the car & those symptoms disappeared. Have done almost 10,000kms since then & still symptom free.
A previous wheel balance (when tyres were new) didn't stop the symptoms. I can only conclude that there are tyre balancers & tyre balancers! I'll be giving the last mob my business in future.
My local tyre place have much experience with 4WDs. Had a bad wobble when I got new tyres fitted. They just rotated the tyre 180 degrees on the rim then re-balanced it. I suspect other fitters would try and use a heap of weights to correct the problem.
My advice is: not to follow my advice.
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16th October 2017, 08:17 PM
#8
I've posted a number of time regarding the same issue. I've had it from new on the original tyres & mags. I've still got it with the 33" BFG muds on steel rims. It nearly got to the point of me selling it because I believe it shouldn't happen on a new 2014 vehicle. Anyway ..... I still have it and enjoy driving it, at times. After doing all the normal checks I've come to the conclusion that it has something to do with the tyres, but I could be wrong.
If I haven't been driving it for a week or so, I can get in it and drive it at any speed with no wobbles what so ever. However, if I get back into it that afternoon, the wobbles are back, and continue happening until "parked up" for a while again. The wheels have been checked for round and the tyres rotated & balanced many times, along with many wheel alignments. ?????????????????
Last edited by bazzaboy; 17th October 2017 at 09:24 AM.
2014 Titanium Y61 with all the fruit ................
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16th October 2017, 09:28 PM
#9
Get front wheels balanced ON car... cheers
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16th October 2017, 10:18 PM
#10
Thanks for all the reply’s!
@grumpyBUM literally had the tyres balanced again last week
@bazzaboy, it’s funny you mention how yours comes and goes after being parked up. If I leave mine parked up for a week or so it is ten times worse and feels like it gets a little better after it “warms up” for want of a better description.
I’m very interested in @mudnut comment re rotating the tyres on the rims, this makes some sense for this issue.
I’m going to check all the bushes and everything again and then give rotating tyres on the rims a go.
I just want this fixed, love jumping in my patrol but every time I hit 70km it just gives me the sh*ts!!!
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