So I'm dealing with the dreaded Doge ram death wobble. To clarify my death wobble, its a strong vibration after hitting a bunp going over 30 mph. Once i slow down under 30 it stops untio I hit another bump.ive seen some videos of death wobble and mine is pretty light compared to others. Along with the death wobble i am hearing a loud clunking noise that is fast and it sounds like it's coming from both sides. I can especially feel it as I'm breaking. I'm sure they must be connected. I replaced the track bar after some research which did not fix the issue. Now I'm looking at replacing the steering damper and the inner tie rod end as these are worn. I just don't see how these could cause the clunking I'm hearing as I slow down. I checked my ball joints and outer toe rods and they seem to be in check. I'm wondering if it's a differential issue or something in that area. I'm just hoping that someone with more knowledge than me can help me here.

 

The factory style track bar could still be the issue. You either need an adjustable track bar or what I recommend a 3rd gen Ram style track bar. The clunking could be those parts are the tie rod ends may be so loose that they fly forward when hitting the brakes. Could be a wheel bearing, bushings in the control arms, sway bar, etc need a little more information

 

Hey guys
I got a 98 dodge ram 1500 5.2 L 2 wheel drive love the truck till i did some travel on the Mass turn pike and eneded up hitting a lot of pot holes and ruts in the road
After that I get a real loud bang now on the drivers side brought to a auto shop and was told ball joints are gone so I replaced them still there just did an upper control arm still there the bottom was welded in place I need to do some traveling with this truck and one got any Ideas what this could be

 

Please start your own thread. Then we can help you

 

Death wobble is typically an issue of worn out front end parts, given that these trucks are pretty old and road conditions these days tend to put a beating on front end parts over time. I'd suggest that you take the truck into a front end shop for a diagnosis, unless you feel comfortable in checking front end parts for wear. Death wobble is typically caused by worn tie rod ends, ball joints, track bar, wheel bearings, steering damper, etc.

 

Ujoints clunk when shot. Also shocks or shock bolts when braking. There is no "light" death wobble. Like "wounded" wobble. You either have it or you don't. If you didn't **** your pants when it happened, then it didn't happen. If your truck has over 100k, replace all components up front: track bar, tie rods, hubs, ujoints, control arms, steering gear, shocks, brakes, and stabilizer then get it aligned.

 

Thank you guys for all the advice. I tested all my front end components and found that my inner tie rod end that connected to my pitman arm was shot and my steering stabilizers wasn't tight and needed to go. So far there's brand new u-joints in both sides, a wheel bearing in the front passenger side, inner tie rod, track bar, steering stabilizer. I think it's past my knowledge at this point and it's time to take it in. I should note that my ball joints and outer tie rods were tight. And thank you for the comment on that the death wobble is either strong enough to make you crap yourself or not there at all. That's really helpful cuz I was wondering about that. I'm gonna wave the white flag and take it to a shop. I'll let everyone know what I find out so that I can possibly help someone else in the future.

 

FYI - a bad steering stabilizer wont cause death wobble but a good stabilizer can mask the issue.
Have someone turn your steering wheel side to side while you inspect all your front end compo nets for slop/movement. Do this in a driveway with the engine off and the truck on the ground. Very closely watch all tie rod ends, tracbar ends, control arms and wheel hubs for play.

 

+1 Just replace everything in one shot, although the bearings may be overkill. Mine were shot, so they got done, but they are pretty tough. I do recommend replacing the axle lock nuts though. Been though death wobble on two jeeps(same steering set up) and got so proficient at diagnosing it that other owner began bringing theirs to me after shops started throwing parts at them in an attempt to fix. Generally the list of parts that are shot is so large that it becomes a no brainer to just go ahead and start fresh.

 

+2, as this was what I decided to do to tame my death wobble, however, if you are limited on funds and can find a very good front end person to inspect your front end to pinpoint the issue(s) and address the repair at a reasonable cost, that might get you by a while.