Death Wobble

[Janine Williamson]

Hi all I have a 2007 cruiser workmate ute that has the death wobble. We have changed/replaced rims and tyres (which we have had checked for buckle and weights etc), panhard rubbers, trailing arm rubbers, steering dampener, one tie rod, tightened up the drag link, new rubbers in stablizer bar, had it to two mechanic's who can find nothing wrong. Will it help to remove the king pin shim even though there is no play in them? Or what else do you guys suggest?

 

[Ben]

Welcome to the club Janine.

Sounds like you've tried most of the normal things.

Could something be bent from previous accident damage, maybe the axle or chassis?

Did it just suddenly start or has it been like it since you bought it?

 

[StarCruiser]

Welcome to the club Janine.

Sounds like you've tried most of the normal things.

Could something be bent from previous accident damage, maybe the axle or chassis?

Did it just suddenly start or has it been like it since you bought it?

Also have there been any modifications to the truck, has it been lifted for example?

 

[StarCruiser]

Can you pin it down to a point in the trucks life where something happened? An off road trip, accident of some kind, even someone borrowing it? Change of tyres perhaps? Different tyres on the same axle? I know of a Land Rover that had cross ply and radial tyres on the same axle that was very squirmy until they were changed.

 

[Janine Williamson]

No mods have been done, it has been like it for about 20000 km but has suddenly got a lot worse, it is half as bad with skinny tyres than with fat and happens between 80 and 90 km per hour. No accidents since new and no real 4wd work but tows 2 tonne all the time.

 

[Janine Williamson]

Wobble is worse without the trailer on.

 

[StarCruiser]

My apologies, Welcome to the forum Janine

I dont think removing a shim will solve your problem unless adding it in the first place caused it.

One thing you haven't mentioned is 4 wheel alignment / tracking. Has this been set correctly?

Best wishes

Richard

 

[Shayne]

You don't mention the number one suspect - brakes ?

 

[Julian T]

If the front suspesion and steering linkages all check out as good then it might be worth checking the rear suspension bushes, do you have excessive play in the steering box?

 

[clivehorridge]

Pardon my ignorance, but are we talking about a 100 series here when Janine says a 2007?

If it's IFS then surely there'd be some potential for wishbone joints failures?

Welcome to the forum Janine by the way, almost forgot!

 

[Ben]

Its one of these Clive.




Or a duel cab.

 

[StarCruiser]

Its one of these Clive.


View attachment 45999

Or a duel cab.

View attachment 46000

I remember something like this, a pickup that had done a lot of towing had cracks almost all way through the chassis over the back axle.

Might be worth checking for that . If it is I seem to remember a welded plate solution that passed muster.

 

[Janine Williamson]

Hi thanks for the suggestions I will get the lads to check the back suspension and chassis today and will let you know how we go. It is a single cab with a steel tray and steel tool boxes on sides, it is a builders ute so has been known to carry some weight but not really ever been overloaded. Have has a couple wheel alignments done but not sure about 4 wheels or tracking so might be worth a go.

 

[Janine Williamson]

I will also get them to check the steering box for play and they checked the brakes out yesterday when they changed the wheel bearings and all looked good.

 

[StarCruiser]

Sounds like you're in good hands there Janine.

 

[Janine Williamson]

We decided to take the shim out of the king pins after finding nothing else wrong and am please to say it has gone totally so now to see if it comes back. Not sure of the implacations of this but will kit swivel hubs if we have to.

 

[StarCruiser]

We decided to take the shim out of the king pins after finding nothing else wrong and am please to say it has gone totally so now to see if it comes back. Not sure of the implacations of this but will kit swivel hubs if we have to.

Interesting and thank you for sharing the result. I've learned something and cannot help I'm afraid as to whether or not it will have any detrimental effect. I would expect there needs to be a preload as per Toyota FSM on the king pin bearings so if this had gone out of spec then maybe removing the shim put it back within tolerance after wear has taken place.

Glad ad to hear everything else checked out ok.

 

[Julian T]

We decided to take the shim out of the king pins after finding nothing else wrong and am please to say it has gone totally so now to see if it comes back. Not sure of the implacations of this but will kit swivel hubs if we have to.

Interesting and thank you for sharing the result. I've learned something and cannot help I'm afraid as to whether or not it will have any detrimental effect. I would expect there needs to be a preload as per Toyota FSM on the king pin bearings so if this had gone out of spec then maybe removing the shim put it back within tolerance after wear has taken place.

Glad ad to hear everything else checked out ok. As StarCruiser says, you seem to have narrowed down the list of suspects and I suspect there is more to this problem than meets the eye, you may need to replace your swivel houseing bearings.

A long time ago when I was an apprentice we had a driver of a Mercedes 2624 complain about vibration at speed which he felt first on the steering wheel and then the seat which was solved by swapping the front wheels from side to side.

Harmonic frequency source can be pure hell to find some times.

Glad to hear you have some resolution to your problem.