Serious 4x4 vehicles and the "Death Wobble" syndrome.









So you believe that a serious 4x4 must have a "live axle" in the front because of the better articulation e.t.c., e.t.c..

I mean something like this:


But, it seems, that you have to do some serious compromises:
























Jeep "death wobble" leaves drivers shaken




February 16, 2012 7:34:01 PM PST

Imagine driving down the highway and having your car suddenly start to shake violently. It's been happening to Jeep owners across the country. The ABC7 News I-Team has been looking into it and has the results of its investigation. 
  The shaking is so violent and shocking that many Jeep owners call it the "death wobble." The I-Team knows of no one who has died, but we've obtained public records that link the problem to some serious accidents. 

It is a scary experience -- a violent shaking in the front end of the car that usually hits at highway speed when you make a turn or hit a bump. 

Videos from YouTube show how frequently it happens to some Jeep owners. It's become so common it has a nickname -- the "death wobble" -- because it is so jarring. 

"The whole font end of the vehicle shakes back and forth," Jeep owner Christopher O'Halloran said.
"It literally feels like the front end of your vehicle is going to shake apart," Jeep owner Jeri McNeill said. 

McNeill and O'Halloran are two Jeep owners from Oakland who say it's happening so often they've started documenting their wobble. 

    

 

McNeill and O'Halloran aren't alone -- I've experienced the death wobble on my own 2007 Jeep Wrangler. It would hit right as I would get on the Golden Gate Bridge. There's the bump and when the shaking starts it's so intense it's hard to keep it in the narrow lane and you are worried about breaking with someone right behind you. 
 
Just days ago, an ABC7 producer's 2006 Jeep began shaking after he hit a bump at about 50 mph on Highway 101 in San Francisco. The steering wheel vibrates violently. Beneath the car, the wheels wobble. It stops only when the driver slows down. 

Chrysler owns Jeep and declined a request to go on camera, but Corporate Communications Chrysler Group LLC spokesperson Mike Michael Palese issued a statement saying, "...vehicles equipped with a solid axle can be susceptible to this condition." 

When asked if she would have bought the Jeep if she had known about the problem, McNeill said, "No, absolutely not. I drive my son to school and this is my primary form of transportation for my son and I." 

Jeep said in a statement, "most reported incidents in all manufacturer vehicles equipped with or without a solid axle are often linked to poorly installed or maintained after-market equipment." 

But no aftermarket modifications were made to the Jeeps belonging me, the producer, McNeill or O'Halloran. They all went into the shop just as they left the dealer show room.
Jeep says the problem can be fixed. 

"It is routinely corrected with a change of tires or installation of a simple steering dampener," Palese said in the statement. 

"They were willing to change the steering dampener on the vehicle because they expected this problem to occur," McNeill said. 

However, just days ago the I-Team drove with McNeill when the death wobble hit again. 

O'Halloran replaced the dampener and was hit by the wobble again. The dealer told him he had bad tires.
"There is no reason that my vehicle should be unstable when it's got 20,000 miles of wear on tires rated for 50,000 miles," O'Halloran said.
McNeill and O'Halloran say Jeep needs to do something about the problem.
The I-Team analyzed the complaint database of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Since 1995, the I-Team found more than 600 complaints about Jeeps wobbling or vibrating -- mostly Wranglers since 1997. No deaths have been reported, but at least five people report being injured. 

In South Carolina, a driver complained, "The vehicle with several passengers crashed upside down in a 10 foot storm water waterway." 

In Lakewood, Calif., another driver "...had to veer off the road across several lanes of freeway traffic, almost causing an accident." The driver sprained her wrist. 

Jeep denies that these injuries were related to the death wobble, stating, "This is not a safety issue, and there are no injuries involving Chrysler Group vehicles related to this allegation. Indeed, the name you've given to this condition has no basis in fact. " 

The NHTSA would not go on camera either to talk about the death wobble, but stated in an email it is "aware of the condition and is reviewing consumer complaints as they are received. The agency will continue to monitor the issue and will take action to address the problem as necessary." 
 
The NHTSA says because the problem is intermittent and predictable, that the vehicle remains controllable, "and that the vibrations can be mitigated by applying the brakes." 

"Because I can slow down my front end won't fall apart, but every time I do that I am risking causing a pile up on the highway," O'Halloran said. 

"This is something that I purchased to drive at freeway speeds; there was no waiver or disclosure at the time associated with it that I should have to be concerned driving it at normal speed," McNeill said. 

"I think it's extremely dangerous if it's not fixed," 4x4 And More owner Eric Forbes said.
Mechanics say the problem is real. 

"I am actually surprised that there hasn't been more occurrences of people, you know, resulting in injury or fatality because of it getting rear ended or getting hit," Forbes said. 

Forbes, a Scotts Valley mechanic, specializes in Jeeps. 

"I cringe when I'm test driving a vehicle that I think might have a death wobble because I can feel it before it starts to do it," he said. "I've experienced it hundreds of times, even to this day, the heart, you know definitely pounds." 

Forbes has seen the death wobble mostly on the Wrangler, but mechanics say they have seen it on other Jeep vehicles as well, including Grand Cherokee and Cherokee models. They all have one piece of metal in common -- it's called a track bar. It is a key part of the vehicle's steering mechanism.
Mechanics the I-Team spoke to, as well as off-road enthusiasts, suggest replacing the stock track bar that came with the vehicle. It can run anywhere from $200-$400, plus labor. 

"The stock stuff is OK, it's just not great," Kevin Fell said.
Fell run's KevinsOffRoad.com, a popular website for those who've experienced death wobble. He's experienced it himself and has had thousands of people reach out to him for help with their own. He's come up with his own modified track bar to fix the problem.
"If you upgrade to aftermarket products, which are thicker, beefier, stiffer, that sort of thing, then often times that will eliminate the problem completely," Fell said. 

McNeill and O'Halloran say the dealership never mentioned the problem might be the track bar. They say they are frustrated that they continue to experience the death wobble and mechanics say they are not alone.
"With how many occurrences I have seen, and how much of an issue it's become, I think that Jeep for should be liable for at least some reimbursement costs," Forbes said. 

Chrysler says its "vehicles meet or exceed every applicable government safety standard and have excellent safety records." 

But some Jeep owners might disagree with that, the I-Team wants to hear from you. Call the tip line at 1-888-40-I-TEAM. 

Written and produced by Ken Miguel"

 http://abc7news.com/archive/8547340/




"Why is this Problematic in Jeeps?

A couple main reasons this problem is mostly isolated to Jeeps: first, many Jeeps are coil-sprung with a track bar setup and secondly, a lot of Jeep owners get their Jeeps lifted or modified or have after-market track bars installed. Jeep models affected by this design are: the Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Wrangler. If it's any consolation (I know it's not) this problem also occurs in some Ford and Dodge trucks, especially older Broncos."
http://www.jeepproblems.com/trends/death-wobble/



But is this only in Jeeps?


Land Rover

 
Mercedes G500



"Hi Guys,

Wobble at 50MPH+ when it's cold. Seen it before, fixed it all, nothing works.

Car: 2003 Mercedes G500

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. First of all, I've seen and read all the threads in regards to the 50MPH "death wobble" that some of us seem to be experiencing on our Gs, and I have it. It's weird and I'll try my best to explain what it is and what I've done to fix it.

1) between 50mph-60mph when driving, if I hit a bump and/or i slightly turn the steering wheel, the car shakes violently - I feel like I'm going to die. This appears to only happen when it is cold outside.

2) this happens on both OEM wheels and aftermarket wheels

Steps I've done to fix the problem:

1) alignment & wheel balance

2) bought new tires

3) bought new rims after I thought the wheels were bent

4) changed inner and outer tie rod ends

5) the other tie rod bar thing (name escapes me, the one the steering damper is connected to)

6) change steering damper from "upgraded w463" to the "bilstein" solution

7) taken it to 10+ shops all of which cannot even feel it (it only happens when it's cold, and I'm in Florida so it's only in the evening/night right now

What else could I be missing? I'm at a loss here, I don't know what it could be. A million people seem to have this issue, I have the EXACT same issue as the others with the same wobble, however, changing the stabilizer bar did not solve it for me, nor did any of the listed above."


 G300, in its beginning.


 
Dodge Ram, (terrified woman driver).

Dodge Ram  II

 
Suzuki Jimnny

Toyota Land Cruiser.


And the, inevitable, comparison to the, (Syncro), t3's front suspension:
(Did you say Swiss Watch?) 


Certified for on/off road use, at any speed, having no speed limit, as rwd or as 4wd.

Syncro t3, the front suspension.

Mirage 




Which means...

Absolutely symmetrical power transmission, and...

...with correction assistance mode.

Accurately!



12/November/2018

Mercedes has a 50% understanding for their wrong by putting solid, live, axles. 

Their new G500 has independent suspension at front!


Here is the link for an introductory video and my comments: 


And, just in case, here are my comments:

"For the last 50 years Mercedes Benz was wrong by putting a solid, live, axle on the front. The result is the "Death Wobble Syndrome", as you can see here: http://www.vwsyncro.eu/p/blog-page_47.html Now it seems that they accept it. For the next 50 years they have to think what they 'll do with the rear solid, live, axle. The goal is that by the year 2200 A.D., at least, they will be able to achieve the same qualities/dynamic characteristics offered/'ll be offered by the VW's 2200 A.D. 4wd model, the Syncro t25, as you can see here:  
Our future, from the past, VW Syncro. Of course they are Mercedes, they know better..."




The Syncro Heresy