And FYI, it is usually the ball joint end that attatches the the frame that goes bad, although the bushing side can go out also.

 

I love my 05 Ram 2500 Quad Cab! But when I developed the death wobble, it dashed my spirits a whole bunch. I did a lot of research on the topic, and I spoke to lots of mechanics and Dodge owners. I solved my Death Wobble in the following manner... I hope this helps.

First... I learned that track bar bushings were a suspect in the cause of the death wobble. I also learned that steering box play could also be a cause. Tie rob ends were also suspect. One thing I learned is that when one component goes, wear and tear load up on the others. So most folks with the Death Wobble, will likely need track bar bushings, a steering box, drag links, and tie rod ends if allowed to persist for a few months. My buddy is a mechanic and has been for about 30+ years. He did further research and found that his Dodge service center friends knew a great deal about the problem, and that Dodge offers an upgraded front end kit to deal with the issue. (Of course its not under warranty, so you have to pay the $1,795.00 for the kit). A new steering box was also installed, and an alignment was completed. The Death Wobble persisted still, but occurred infrequently. My buddy had also advised me that the stock Micheline tires were the next and last step in the fix. True enough, I bought Mastercraft Courser AT 275/75/R17's and it solved my problem completely! NO MORE DEATH WOBBLE!!! Total Cost of the fix... about $3,300.00. And that was a deal! The good news is that I still love my Truck!!! You may find that this Death Wobble issue stresses other components in the front end. One simple component replacement might not be enough. Think safety!!! Have everything checked!!! Imagine its your young teenage kid driving your truck and experiencing the Death Wobble! Ya gotta do it right.

Stay Safe!!!

 

before I just replaced mine I had a LOT of play in the track bar balljoint... ironically no death wobble just wander...

 

Well, as usual, you guys are exactly right. I love this site!

Thanks to a free alignment check, I found the ball stud on the track bar and the driver's side upper ball joint to have a full inch of play in them. Everything else appeared to be solid when they allowed me inside the shop under the lift.

The loose track bar appears to be the sole cause of the wobble, while the loose ball joint is allowing my left tire to rub the trailing arm when turning sharp. Hopefully both issues will be solved afterward.

Thanks to all contributors! I'm sure I"ll have more questions, and as I learn I hope to help out as well. Will update after the parts are in whether my issue is solved or not.

 

On another note, I did try this and didn't see any play. I found the only way to see the play in mine was to rock the truck side to side while watching the track bar, turning the wheels didn't show me much of anything.