2020 Jeep Gladiator pickup

[big bubba]

I’ll stick with my old FJ40.....

View attachment 581574

now that's the best vehicle i've seen on this thread. to be honest, i don't have much use for the current pickups or jeeps.
happy trails

 

[zzvyb6]

As long as the new Jeeps come with the shimmy shimmy cocoa pop Death Wobble I'll consider it. Sure helps clear the traffic out from ahead, behind and beside you out on the highway.

 

[Oaktree]

As long as the new Jeeps come with the shimmy shimmy cocoa pop Death Wobble I'll consider it.

What exactly is "death wobble"? I've seen the term mentioned on Jeep forums (usually with reference to one with a lift kit), but in 20+ years and 300+ k miles of Jeep ownership have never experienced it.

 

[Industrial Toys]

My Dad had a CY 7 in the early 80s. Living in the city, that 4wd never got used. One day, I was out with it in a snowstorm on a snow covered expressway (401). That thing was all over the road in 4wd, and I had to revert back to 2WD. What's the point, I thought? It was the first and last 4WD he ever owned.

On another occasion, he was on 401 in a storm, came out from behind a tree line and the Jeep got blown onto its side against a snow bank, still on two wheels, his possessions being strewn on the highway.

 

[Raspy]

What exactly is "death wobble"? I've seen the term mentioned on Jeep forums (usually with reference to one with a lift kit), but in 20+ years and 300+ k miles of Jeep ownership have never experienced it.

An uncontrolled violent shimmy. It can be initiated by oversized wide tires that are not balanced correctly. Or by something as simple as hitting a hole at the right speed. It's made worse, or more likely, by weak front steering linkages or track bar that flex too much, loose track bar bushings, worn ball joints, insufficient caster, weak steering damper, loose steering gear adjustment or weak steering gear mounts.

It can happen on a lot of vehicles, such as some Wranglers, 3rd gen Ram pickups, WW2 Power wagons, VW bugs.

 

[ruffdog]

If only they had a reg cab model with a 7 foot box. I did like that combo with my Ranger.

 

[oosik]

OH my - you haven't lived, until you've had the "death wobble" in a Jeep. I put large, wide tires on the '75 CJ 5 I had. Helped when going thru deep mud. At certain speeds - hit a bump and you felt like you were about to be thrown off the road. I cured it with new heavy duty king pin bearings and really cranking down on it. Also heavy, after market front steering linkages, track bar and wheel bearings. The quickest way to cure this death wobble - hit and hold the breaks.

 

[Industrial Toys]

My Dad bought his 79 CJ 7 off the lot. It was Orange and no one wanted it, including him, but he got a good deal. It had the heavy duty suspension, and at the time he had to travel much through the states. That poor man suffered every mile in that thing! You could feel driving over a paper clip!

 

[ruffdog]

The jeep wobble can be helped with a dropped pitman arm and steering box brace. The brace attaches to the bottom of the box and ties it to the RH frame rail. The frames were not that strong back then, especially with big tires.

 

[RobertN]

Never had it in the GPW or CJ5. Had it in a Ford F250 with minor lift and 35's. Steering stabilizer and alignment fixed that.

OH my - you haven't lived, until you've had the "death wobble" in a Jeep. I put large, wide tires on the '75 CJ 5 I had. Helped when going thru deep mud. At certain speeds - hit a bump and you felt like you were about to be thrown off the road. I cured it with new heavy duty king pin bearings and really cranking down on it. Also heavy, after market front steering linkages, track bar and wheel bearings. The quickest way to cure this death wobble - hit and hold the breaks.