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Old 12-22-2020, 01:16 PM   #1
V2wings
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Death wobble

I have a 2005 dodge 2500 diesel cummins..It gose into a death wobble and I don't know how to correct it. My mechanic doesn't hace any ideas,
Any help would be appreciated..
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Old 12-22-2020, 01:19 PM   #2
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I have a 2005 dodge 2500 diesel cummins..It gose into a death wobble and I don't know how to correct it. My mechanic doesn't hace any ideas,
Any help would be appreciated..
1st get a new mechanic...

2nd find a good Dodge front end guy and let him rebuild the front end.. and put a good steering dampener on it..

3rd.. I thought everyone knew Dodge front ends suck..
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Old 12-22-2020, 01:46 PM   #3
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I heard about the death wobble on Jeep’s over the years and then recently about a Ford problem with wobbles when my brother and I were looking at Fords for him. Apparently that was handled by a TSB or recall on the F Series front end. I’d bet if it was your mechanic’s truck that he had to drive, he would find a fix for that and quick.
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Old 12-22-2020, 01:49 PM   #4
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Had a car (GM) once that had a horrible death wobble that all of a sudden developed. Took to for front end work and it still did the same thing. After about 3 trips to the shop, one old timer mechanic figured it out. He threw away all the new fangled electronics and just studied the thing out with common logic.

It turned out to be the tread of the front tires. Each groove of the tires was wearing different causing dips and highs in each line, and they were highs and lows beside each other. When the tires rotated and got into synch with each each just right, those highs and lows on the tread caused the front end to shake violently and the steering wheel to pulsate almost out of control. I got new tires and it never happened again.

Before doing anything that will add up to a huge bill, have someone look at the tires. Make sure the tread is even on them, and make sure they are true round. That was another problem I had with another set of tires once, that caused a wobble. When they were in just the right sync, everything shook violently.

Start with the tires, have them checked and make sure tread is even and they are true round.
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Old 12-22-2020, 01:54 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by V2wings View Post
I have a 2005 dodge 2500 diesel cummins..It gose into a death wobble and I don't know how to correct it. My mechanic doesn't hace any ideas,
Any help would be appreciated..
Probably a long shot but we’re the tires on your truck replaced recently. Could they have had water in them from laying outside? I’ve heard that can cause problems like this or maybe water from air compressor
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Old 12-22-2020, 02:02 PM   #6
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Clip from internet:

Dodge Death Wobble: Causes and Cures

March 25, 2019 Story By Mike McGlothlin
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.
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Old 12-22-2020, 02:06 PM   #7
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My son fixed his several years ago. It involved offset ball joints as I recall.
Look around on Dodge/Ram truck forums. It's been an issue for quite awhile.
Find a different mechanic.
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Old 12-22-2020, 02:23 PM   #8
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I have a 04 ram 1500 hemi. Got it for my son when he was in high school. Now it’s a Home Depot truck and take the dog for a ride truck. It gets a wobble if I go over a road transition on a slight turn. I just know when it’s going to happen and know what to do. But it’s never been really bad. (Recently dropped a valve seat and grenaded the engine ughhh but have a new motor waiting to be rebuilt
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Old 12-22-2020, 02:59 PM   #9
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Dodge's and Ford's have both been prone to the death wobble over the years. You can't really point a finger at any one thing. Many are quick to blame the stabilizer but it's generally attributed to one or more parts wearing out. The stabilizer usually just hides it until the worn part(s) has had all it can stand. I've seen it so bad on some Dodge's that the frame around the steering box has cracked, making the truck unfixable, unless you want to replace the frame. Some trucks get it, some never do. I've never experienced it, thankfully.
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Old 12-22-2020, 03:08 PM   #10
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All heavy front end trucks (read diesel) tend to develop a wobble which becomes a death wobble if not fixed. Ford has this issue as well; I replaced the front end on my F350 for this reason as the bushings were shot and I needed a new ball joints, control arm, steering dampener, etc etc. I have also replaced the body mounts/bushings as these are made out of angel food cake on Ford Superduty trucks and the truck will sort of roll around if the originals have deteriorated badly which they are prone to do.

Doubt the death wobble is a Ram exclusive. If a mechanic is unaware of what causes this and what steps are needed to fix the issue, time for a new mechanic. There are various degrees of quality as far as front end components and I went with Detroit Axle stuff due to cost and the stuff is actually pretty good. Moog is top shelf and most expensive. It requires special tools to rebuild a front end so let a pro do it if you don't have the skills or tools (tools will be expensive and only used once probably).

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Ram+truck...ref=nb_sb_noss

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/what-yo...-death-wobble/
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Old 12-22-2020, 03:30 PM   #11
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The worst case of "death wobble" I ever encountered was with a Ford TTB front suspension. Drove me nuts. Figured it out though. I kept it for 96k miles...THAT was the mistake. I've cured it going forward; replace the truck by 90k at the most....48k preferable - no death wobble!
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Old 12-22-2020, 03:39 PM   #12
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These guys are really good as far as dodge parts go. I ordered a new clutch fan for my 2012 and some other parts. They specialize and ship fast. Also people that know what they are talking about on the phone.
It’s not someone in another country with broken English taking your order.
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Old 12-22-2020, 03:46 PM   #13
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Also noticed from your past posts that you had that front end rebuilt in 2018? And has a bunch of issues with parts on the front end? Probably time to put this one out to pasture If they couldn’t get it right a couple of years ago and has already been completely rebuilt once. It sucks buying another truck but sounds like you already did everything you could and I think you definitely need a new mechanic
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Old 12-22-2020, 03:56 PM   #14
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my mechanic upgraded my '07 2500 front end parts to 3500 tie rods, ends, track bar etc after replacing ball joints.
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Old 12-22-2020, 05:16 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Javi View Post
1st get a new mechanic...

2nd find a good Dodge front end guy and let him rebuild the front end.. and put a good steering dampener on it..

3rd.. I thought everyone knew Dodge front ends suck..
4th Ram gave the death wobble to Ford a couple years ago!

To the OP, look on the Cummins Forum and TDR forum, both good source for Ram and Cummins.
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Old 12-22-2020, 07:06 PM   #16
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That death wobble is not limited to older vehicles... brand new F250's having an issue... We always put heavy duty steering stabilizers on anything we installed larger tires and wheels on... sometimes even dual stabilizers... As the tire sizes increase so does the chances of this phenomena... I won't argue that worn or loose parts, frame flex, improper alignments (especially toe in / out)and a myriad of other issues can contribute to it...
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Old 12-23-2020, 04:56 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by V2wings View Post
I have a 2005 dodge 2500 diesel cummins..It gose into a death wobble and I don't know how to correct it. My mechanic doesn't hace any ideas,
Any help would be appreciated..
First check and make sure your track bar bushings are good with no play and then invest in one of these.
https://www.roughcountry.com/dodge-s...SABEgJL3_D_BwE

My one ton was horrible and the track bar bushings and the steering brace took care of the problem.
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Old 12-23-2020, 06:20 AM   #18
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I have a 2005 dodge 2500 diesel cummins..It gose into a death wobble and I don't know how to correct it. My mechanic doesn't hace any ideas,
Any help would be appreciated..
Wow! This is what's called the "perfect opportunity" to convince the DW that it's time for that shiny new 2021 truck! Don't let the opportunity slip through your fingers!

Just a thought...
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Old 12-23-2020, 06:56 AM   #19
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A lot of us poor folk can't just run out and buy a new truck if the brake pads are worn; we learn to fix things or save up and have a pro fix them. New trucks are not for everybody in today's economy.
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Old 12-23-2020, 08:14 AM   #20
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A lot of us poor folk can't just run out and buy a new truck if the brake pads are worn; we learn to fix things or save up and have a pro fix them. New trucks are not for everybody in today's economy.

George if referencing my previous post I would just say that it was somewhat tongue in cheek but also my current reality.

Some of my greatest fun was spending weekends, evenings and nights over, under or in a vehicle as I repaired or made mods. Many times the repairs were out of necessity. One such time was the "shaking"/"wobbling" of the front end on an old Ramcharger that I had lifted (Skyjacker) and put in new ring/pinions (4.56). Ended up replacing every single item under the front end (other than axle) including the ball joints and added a steering damper (Rancho). Loved doing it but my back and shoulders were sore/tender for a week after fighting under the truck on my concrete shop floor.

Forward on 25 years and I have now accumulated many new additional broken, separated, cracked and inoperable conditions that those former activities are no longer an option even if I wished they were. And yes, we are extremely blessed that I can buy a truck when I want. My goal is to never again have a truck that leaves me stranded on the side of the road or in some parking lot in the middle of nowhere as I've had in the past because I drove them too long. Back then you just got under it and got with it - that is no longer and option so I just choose to avoid the situation if at all possible. It does not mean I don't admire those that can, and do, still take care of their "stuff"; it just means I'm jealous.
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