My truck has that horrible death wobble when i hit bumps. Im thinking I need new ball joints and idler arm but not sure. Any advice or ideas to fix this

 

crawl underneath and watch/feel as someone slowly moves the steering wheel back and forth. look for all points that have play. you can also use a pry bar to push against the parts looking for play. check tie rods, ball joints, track bar, wheel bearings, etc.

most everyone's track bar is shot. replace with the moog from rockauto

if you can't find what's wrong, take it to a front end shop for a free estimate. be sure and write down everything they say, or get a written estimate. also ask them to show you what's wrong. most places will show you the play as they push with a pry bar.

 

death wobble is typically the trac bar, but not all the time.....Tracbar would be the first place id check.

 

is this the same reason why when i go over certain bumps when going 65 the *** end of the truck like tries to fly out and kill me?

 

^^ i doubt it. that's probably the stiff *** springs bouncing you sideways.

death wobble is a front end shaking fit.

 

Your truck is 2wd, and you (judging from the thread above this one) just slammed it to the ground, correct?

Dropped truck =/= rider comfort. The death wobble usually refers to 4x4's that, due to inherent flaws in the drag-link steering system (also, failing parts), shake like charlie sheen after a crack binge.

All that being said, ball joints, tie rod ends, and idler/pitman arm play may be to blame. Get under the truck while someone slowly turns the wheel, and watch for which parts are loose and/or jerk upon turning.

 

Jack up the front of the truck truck and give the tires a shake what ever has slop needs to be replaced, being that it was recently dropped you might want to talk to the guy who dropped it because they would have noticed anything that was worn and had slop.


@ryan0714- Most likely the reason you have that problem is the fact that you drive a truck and have no weight in the bed, bad shocks can make this worse though

 

ya i had the death wobble before i dropped it and it rides alot smoother than before. I just never got around to fixing the death wobble but now i want to get rid of the **** its crazy lol

 

Generally, "death wobble" is a term used to describe problems with 4x4 trucks.

You would get better answers if you stopped referring to your problem as such (suspension is far different on 2x4's). Already, some of your answers include parts only found on a 4x4 (such as the track bar).

Not trying to be a dick, just trying to clarify this point to you. There are many who read "death wobble", and immediately associate it with 4x4, and thus, will answer with solutions specific to 4x4 trucks.

Perhaps I'm too much of a grammar/proper usage of terms ****...

Key spots to check: ball joints, tie rod ends, idler/pitman arm, gearbox... in some cases: control arm bushings. (pretty much the whole damn steering system).

 

If you have a crap steering stabilizer thatll make your ride go allll over. As everyone has stated just jack up the front and see whats what. If you can move stuff around realllly easy and/or it makes a noise then its shot. Most of the factory stuff didnt have grease certs so get the ones that have them if you can.
But if you cant figure it out take it to some shop that does free or close to free front end / suspension checks. Let them show you everything so you know whats what. Alot of stuff you can do yourself.

jeff
USMC