shaking

I have a 1991 Ford f-150 4x4 w/302ci, I seem to have this violent and I
mean VIOLENT shaking in the front end to the point where I have to let go
of the steering wheel, it will drive fine one minute then you can feel a
slight shimmy and it gets worse,worse and worse until it gets to VIOLENT!
I've had the front end checked out and it all appears to be tight, I do
have one bad rotor on the front pass side that when I did the brakes last
the rotor couldn't be turned and I couldn't afford a new one so I put pads
on both sides anyway. When the shaking is at it's peak I had a friend of
mine look at that wheel and he said he could see it shaking all over the
place but only that side (pass-side ),please help me.

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In article outautos.com>,
dabeeo > wrote:
#I have a 1991 Ford f-150 4x4 w/302ci, I seem to have this violent and I
#mean VIOLENT shaking in the front end to the point where I have to let go
#of the steering wheel, it will drive fine one minute then you can feel a
#slight shimmy and it gets worse,worse and worse until it gets to VIOLENT!
#I've had the front end checked out and it all appears to be tight, I do
#have one bad rotor on the front pass side that when I did the brakes last
#the rotor couldn't be turned and I couldn't afford a new one so I put pads
#on both sides anyway. When the shaking is at it's peak I had a friend of
#mine look at that wheel and he said he could see it shaking all over the
#place but only that side (pass-side ),please help me.
#
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#Message posted using http://www.talkaboutautos.com/group/rec.autos.4x4/
#More information at http://www.talkaboutautos.com/faq.html
#

It's called death wobble. Have another shop look at the front end if
the first shop says everything is fine.

http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/dw.html

/herb

On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 05:31:23 -0500, (Herb Leong)
wrote:

>It's called death wobble. Have another shop look at the front end if
>the first shop says everything is fine.


Yep it sure is. The Caster Death Wooble!! It is cause by improper
alignment and loose steering linkage can agrevate it. Usually it is
from a improper Caster/Camber/Toein combo. If truck is lifted and has
bigger than stock tires stock alaignment specs do not always work. If
all else fails (meaning shop does not fix it) get front end alignment
spec read and post them and I will tell you what you need to do. Many
many years ago I used to align 4x4's and I know death woobl eand how
to cure it. Back then there was on computer rack and tech had to
know/understand problem. Today if the computer program in rack does
not fix it the techs are basically lost most of the time. Again this
is a aligment issue that is causing front end to be dynamically
unstable at certain speeds.
-----------------
TheSnoMan.com

dabeeo wrote:
> I have a 1991 Ford f-150 4x4 w/302ci, I seem to have this violent and I
> mean VIOLENT shaking in the front end to the point where I have to let go
> of the steering wheel, it will drive fine one minute then you can feel a
> slight shimmy and it gets worse,worse and worse until it gets to VIOLENT!
> I've had the front end checked out and it all appears to be tight, I do
> have one bad rotor on the front pass side that when I did the brakes last
> the rotor couldn't be turned and I couldn't afford a new one so I put pads
> on both sides anyway. When the shaking is at it's peak I had a friend of
> mine look at that wheel and he said he could see it shaking all over the
> place but only that side (pass-side ),please help me.
>
> --
> Message posted using http://www.talkaboutautos.com/group/rec.autos.4x4/
> More information at http://www.talkaboutautos.com/faq.html
>

The 'Death Wobble' is sure nasty.

because it happens on one side only, I would be suspecting a bad ball
joint setting it off with enough play in the tie rod ends to let it go
out of control.

If you look really close at the front tires, does one seem tilted in or
out more at the bottom or top. It could be visible when it gets that bad.

A tire with a broken belt can also cause it. Swapping the tire to the
rear for a test will tell that fast or jacking it up and hand rotating
the tire could show the wobble.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Yes you can notice the caster is out on one side and yes it is lifted and
has 33x12.50x15's.
thanks a lot and any more advise you can give would be appreciated!

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dabeeo wrote:
> Yes you can notice the caster is out on one side and yes it is lifted and
> has 33x12.50x15's.
> thanks a lot and any more advise you can give would be appreciated!
>
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> Message posted using http://www.talkaboutautos.com/group/rec.autos.4x4/
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>

I would get that one side's ball joints checked before the tire
literally falls off and the Death Wobble claims another life....

The lift with large tires mean everything must be perfect or it will
wobble easy anyway 'if it wasn't set up right', but that is moot with a
bad part. The bad part lets the angles go to **** fast and give the
play to set off the Wobble.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:05:09 -0400, Mike Romain >
wrote:

>because it happens on one side only, I would be suspecting a bad ball
>joint setting it off with enough play in the tie rod ends to let it go
>out of control.


Again comment for a moron. THe Death wooble starts because of a
instabilty in front axle due to alignment issues. Some like brainless
here thinks that you brute force it to be stable. If it is stable it
will be stable even with lose linkages. The only things made to be
dynamically unstable are things like modern fighter aircraft for
quirker control responce not front ends on cars. 99% of the time the
death wooble is cuase by a dynamic istabilty in front end die to
alignment issues.
-----------------
TheSnoMan.com

On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:36:33 -0400, "dabeeo" >
wrote:

>thanks a lot and any more advise you can give would be appreciated!


THnk very carefully about his advise, his has a lot of BS to back him
up. He has never aligned a front end in his life nor does he begin to
understand the alignment dynamics of a 4x4 or the effect the lifts and
tires can have on it. THere is Mikes way to fix things and the right
way, you choose.
-----------------
TheSnoMan.com

"SnoMan" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:36:33 -0400, "dabeeo" >
> wrote:
>
>>thanks a lot and any more advise you can give would be appreciated!
>
>
> THnk very carefully about his advise, his has a lot of BS to back him
> up. He has never aligned a front end in his life nor does he begin to
> understand the alignment dynamics of a 4x4 or the effect the lifts and
> tires can have on it. THere is Mikes way to fix things and the right
> way, you choose.
> -----------------
> TheSnoMan.com

Now that's funny: You claiming someone else has lots of BS! I know, I'm
nothing more than an insecure troll who has to knock down others to make
myself feel good - I've read plenty of your posts to suspect that is how
you'll reply. Please note however, that's exactly what you did.

dabeeo,
I have seen plenty of posts from both Mike Romain, who has given very good,
spot on advice, and in this case is taking the more conservative approach,
and from Snoman, who has given profoundly stupid, expensive, and sometimes
dangerous advice at times. If it where my truck, I would get the ball
joints checked. If one side is bad I would probably replace both sides.

I just had the front end alignment done, it's a miracle! the death wobble
is gone,now do you suppose the ball joints need replacing? or which parts
should I concentrate on first?

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