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Old 10-13-2019, 04:05 PM   #42
sourdough
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,677
Quote:
Originally Posted by duh1 View Post
Look up dodge ram death rattle. Scared the heck out of me in my son's ram 3500 diesel. Thought the right front tire had gone. This is a known problem that can be a real b!!! To deal with. I love my Chevy 2500 diesel. Put 80,000 miles on
It pulling 6500 lbs and it is a dream.

Heard about and read about the "Dodge death wobble" for many years. Oddly, I've driven countless Dodge/Ram vehicles and never experienced it. I did however possibly induce it once while building up/lifting etc. a Dodge Ramcharger. During the mod process I did actually encounter some pretty severe front end gyrations. Turns out the replacement of the ball joints, track bar, tie rod ends, drag bar and power steering box completely fixed it. Drove like it was on rails on 35s or 37s. The parts replaced were already on the replace list because they had been run through the wringer by the previous owner. Here is a little excerpt from an article about the "death wobble";

It’s a phenomenon that can rear its ugly head on any solid front axle vehicle, but perhaps no other automobile (other than Jeeps) experiences it more than second and third-generation Dodge Rams. It’s called death wobble and it can give even the most seasoned drivers a case of the heebie jeebies. While the verdict is still out on the exact cause of death wobble, most instances can be traced back to worn out or damaged steering and suspension components. This includes the track bar, steering stabilizer, tie rod, drag link and even ball joints. However, a front-end that’s out of alignment, loose fasteners, improperly balanced tires and even over-or-under-inflated tires can also contribute to this uncontrollable shaking of your steering wheel.

Seems to me, as I found, proper adjustment, maintenance and replacement of faulty parts pretty much eliminates it - guess that's why I've never had it.
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Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
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