I disagree... the DW is initiated by a crappy road surface... one bump will send the front end oscillating causing the vibration. he's not talking about a problem that popped up after a tire swap. Being in the alignment business you will know that when you move the pivot point farther forward the wheel will naturally want to track straight, the more the pivot point is center to the wheel, the easier it will oscillate.

http://mysite.verizon.net/res0pda6/id39.html

did a search on caster & found this link... look @ the pic on caster GFB...

 

OK, this may take a second to explain, but I have worked on several vehicles with larger tires ranging from 33" to 54" that get driven on the road and also stock tire vehicles.... (rock crawling is a serious hobby for me) Although all of the bolts/fittings might be as tight as you can get them with a wrench/impact gun, there are still area's that can wear out and cause the infamous DW (death wobble)... the number 1 area that will cause this is from the trac bar (what holds the axel centered under the truck) This connects from the frame (usually driver side) and goes down to the axel (usually passenger side). What you want to do (even though the bolts are tight) is start the truck (so the power steering is working) make sure its on a paved surface (so the tires get lots of friction/grip) and turn the steering wheel (in very small turns) back and forth (left/right) and look for any play (even a small amount) in both ends of the trac bar... if there is any movement what so ever this is where your death wobble is probably coming from (or a loose pitman arm)... I hope that this helps a little! Best of luck making sure the family is nice and safe!!!!

-Dave

 

Hey Dave, Welcome to DF!

2nd gen tracbars were notorious for going bad in a short period of time, one of the fixes was to go to a 3rd gen bar with a new bracket or go to a differently designed bar (my choice when I had my 2000 ram). When I had mine, my tracbar went bad andno DW (alignment already done). you could feel the front end moving during turns, when I looked under it you could see the bar & axle moving. I went with a thuren bar and it was the last bar I had to buy. for a stock truck, I think the stock bar is fine, for a lifted one you need an adjustable one to recenter the axle.

my suggestion.... do a search on "Death Wobble", Dodge Ram Forum, and see how many references to alignment there are and how many were ultimately fixed by it. If I wasnt so sure the alignment would take care of it... I would not be here answering this thread. I do agree that worn components can contribute to it but ultimately the fix is in the alignment.

Oh and 1 last thing... my 2000 QC was lifted about 2.5" in the front with 34" tires, and 185K on the clock... bought it with 120k, all stock suspension and original from what I could tell but not 100% sure on it, the person who drove it home for me (they couldnt drive a stick so they drove it) mentioned the front end shaking really bad... I assumed it was the DW, had it aligned and never had it again.

 

For positive caster the adjustment bolts need to rotated so the alignment mark is towards the front of the vechicle, correct? The guy I had do it said the bolts were a royal pain to first get loose, and even worse to rotate. He said 4.25 is all he could get out of it. I guess I could try myself and just turn the bolts all the way forward and see if that helps.

 

not 100% sure which way the bolts go since I've never actually done the alignment. I would have him spray some lube on it so it moves easier if it's binding. you should be able to get the 5.2+ out of it though. Also I wouldnt do it myself as if you get one side off, it'll pull. let the shop do it.

I will however be messing with mine here in the next day or two as I think my toe is off... If I mess itup, it'll go to the shop for a new alignment.

 

Next time you're under there look at your caster cam bolts (where the lower control arm bolts to the axle housing). There's a reference marks so you can see the adjustment. Let me know if yours is pointed all the way forward. Thanks.

 

nope, with the wide tires, the spec I gave was all they could do w/o rubbing or light rubbing...

I can post a pic a little later if you like... I took a few. for some reason I cannot upload them here.

 

here you go... the hole in the cam plate is where the arrow is...

 

That's about where they are on mine, maybe a little more forward. I'm just gonna crank them as far forward as I can to see if that helps. If it pulls then I'll take it back to the alignment shop. Thanks for your help!!

 

happy to help! if it pulls one way or the other, back off on the opposite side of the pull to balance it out. you should be able to get it to track straight. I'll also bet you wont need much to get the DW to stop. having it all the way forward will not affect tire wear, as long as they are tracking straight... (from what I've read).