2004 Jeep Wrangler Suspension Problems

JEEP "DEATH WOBBLE" BETWEEN 50-60 MPH. I'VE CORRECTED ISSUE 3X OVER THE YEARS.

WHILE DRIVING FRONT END STARTED TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY, HAD TO ALMOST COME TO A STOP TO GET IT STOP SHAKING. *TR

VEHICLE BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY AFTER HITTING A ROUGH SPOT ON THE INTERSTATE. HAD TO BRAKE HARD AND PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE TO REGAIN CONTROL. CHECKED OUT THE VEHICLE FOR ANYTHING OBVIOUSLY WRONG AND DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WHILE ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. RETURNED HOME AT A SLOWER SPEED. *TR

HELLO I BOUGHT THE JEEP FROM A PRIVATE PARTY, IT HAS 72,150 MILES ON IT, AND WHEN I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD EITHER DRIVER OR PASSENGER SIDE IT WILL SHAKE PRETTY GOOD. IT HAS NOT BEEN MODIFIED. STOCK FACTORY TIRES AND RIMS NO LIFT KIT, I HAVE HAD SEVERAL JEEP MECHANIC LOOK AT IT BUT STILL NO ANSWERS TO THE PROBLEM, I AM A DISABLED VET 100% AND CAN NOT AFFORD THE GUESSING GAME OF THIS MAY BE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOBBLED OUT CONTROL WHEN DRIVEN OVER 45 MPH OR GREATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TIRES WERE BALANCED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT ALSO REPLACED THE FRONT UNIVERSAL JOINTS, BRAKE, ROTORS, TRACK BAR, WHEEL BEARINGS, AND THE STEERING STABILIZER BUT WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

I OWN A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER WHICH I PURCHASED FROM A JEEP DEALERSHIP IN 2006. JUST WEEKS AFTER I BOUGHT IT, THE JEEP SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY AT SPEEDS OF 45 MPH OR FASTER. BRAKING DID NOT HELP. I LITERALLY HAVE TO LET THE JEEP SLOW DOWN ON ITS OWN , SO THAT IT CAN RE-ADJUST ITSELF. DRIVING OVER ANY KIND OF BUMP IN THE ROAD ALSO CAUSES THIS UNCONTROLLABLE SHAKING AT THE SAME SPEEDS. I HAVE NOW OWNED THIS JEEP NOW FOR 6 YEARS , AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. IN THIS TIME PERIOD, I HAVE REPLACED THE TRACK BAR TWICE. CHANGED THE SHOCKS, HAVE HAD COUNTLESS WHEEL BALANCING AND ALIGNMENTS, AND HAVE REPLACED THE STEERING STABILIZER. MORE TIMES THAN NOT, THE SHAKING IS SO BAD, I HAVE TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY. I LIVE IN THE LAKE TAHOE AREA AND EXPERIENCE THIS SHAKING EFFECT OFTEN TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON WINDING ROADS IN THIS AREA. WHILE IM SURE THE DANGER FACTOR EXISTS FOR ANYONE OWNING A VEHICLE THAT DOES THIS, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING MY JEEP SHAKE RELENTLESSLY ON THESE MOUNTAIN ROADS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER DRIVING OVER A SLIGHT ROAD BUMP AT 55 MPH OR MORE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE SWAY BAR LINK AND DAMPER WERE REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A SECOND TIME BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE MALFUNCTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30.

HAVE A JEEP 2004 WRANGLER. AT 60 MPH. IT BEGINS TO WOBBLE VERY BADLY! HAVE PURCHASED NEW TIRES,BALANCING,FRONT STABILIZING BAR,NEW BRAKES & ROTORS,ALIGNMENT. STILL WOBBLES! MANY OTHER JEEP OWNERS ARE HAVING SAME PROBLEM & JEEP DEALERS CANNOT COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO STOP THIS! IT HAPPENS EVERYTIME I HIT 60MPH! VERY SCARY!!!!! ALMOST FLIPPED ME OFF THE ROAD COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAINS! *TR

2004 JEEP WRANGLER "DEATH WOBBLE" . OCCURS AT 45-55MPH. WHEEL BALANCE, TIRE ROTATION, STEERING STABILIZER/DAMPER-ALL REPAIRED, ADJUSTED OR REPLACED. THIS VEHICLE HAS 75,000 MILES AND BEGAN AROUND 45,000 MILES AND IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY JEEP! THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO WOBBLE AT AROUND 45PMH WHEN IT STRIKES A SLIGHT BUMP IN THE ROAD OR SOMETIMES WHEN NO PERCEIVED BUMP IN THE ROAD. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS! *KB

2004 JEEP DOES A DEATH WOBBLE AT 40-60 MPH WHEN EVER IT HITS A BUMP. SUSPENSION IS DEFECTIVE. JEEP HAS HAD TONS OF COMPALINTS ON THIS. *KB

BOUGHT A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER OF AUGUST OF 2010. THE JEEP HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES. ON FEBRUARY 17 I WAS COMING HOME AT ABOUT 52 MPH. WHEN I GOT TO 55 HAD A TERRIBLE WOBBLE IN THE FRONT END. TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO OWN JEEPS AND THEY REFERRED TO IT AS THE DEATH WOBBLE. *TR

VIOLENT FRONT END WOBBLING EVERY TIME I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, NO MATTER THE SIZE OF THE BUMP. TO STOP THE WOBBLING I HIT THE BRAKES AND IT STOPS UNTIL ANOTHER BUMP IS HIT. BALANCED AND ROTATED THE TIRES, REPLACED THE STEERING STABILIZER AND NEW TIRES, THIS HELPED FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS AND NOW IT IS GETTING WORSE. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON. I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING DEATH WOBBLE, WHERE THE WHOLE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SHAKES VIOLENTLY AND WHEELS ACTUALLY WOBBLE.I HAVE REPLACED SHOCKS, STEERING STABILIZER, ROTATED AND BALANCED TIRES AND HAD THE FRONT END ALIGNED AND CHECKED BY A CAR DEALERS SERVICE DEPT. THE WOBBLE LESSENS BUT STILL PERSISTS. IT OCCURS AT 40 MPH OR ABOVE. NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO FULLY EXPLAIN A SURE FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. MY JEEP HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS 57,000 MILES. JEEP/CHRYSLER ARE NO HELP IN FIXING THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM. *TR

THE PROBLEM IS VIOLENT FRONT END VIBRATION WHEN VEHICLE IS OPERATED BETWEEN 45MPH-55MPH. THE VIBRATION IS SO INTENSE IT CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL AND FRONT END TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER 5 YEARS OF OPERATION AND ESPECIALLY AFTER TIRE CHANGES. I HAVE HAD 2 DIFFERENT SETS OF TIRES ON THIS JEEP WHICH WERE BALANCED AND HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. IN THE PAST I OVERCAME THIS PROBLEM BY ROTATING THE TIRES UNTIL I FOUND THE TIRE ORIENTATION THAT GAVE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF VIOLENT VIBRATION I HAD THOUGHT THAT I MAY HAVE HAD A HAIRLINE FRACTURE ON ONE OF THE RIMS BUT AFTER INSTALLING NEW RIMS AND THE THIRD SET OF TIRES THE PROBLEM IS BACK AND AS BAD AS EVER. OUT OF FRUSTRATION I TURNED TO THE INTERNET TO FIND OUT IF THEIR ARE ANY OTHER JEEP WRANGLER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. TO MY SURPRISE AFTER READING SEVERAL INTERNET FORUMS ON JEEP WRANGLERS MANY DO . THIS PROBLEM EVEN HAS A NAME THE JEEP COMMUNITY HAS GIVEN IT THE "DEATH WOBBLE" ! THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO OCCUR IN THE 96-06 TJ BODY STYLE WHICH INCLUDES THE SAHARA,X AND SPORT EDITIONS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS POSSIBLE CAUSES AND REPAIRS THAT PEOPLE HAVE COME UP WITH BUT IT SEEMS AS NO ONE HAS PINPOINTED THE CORRECT REPAIR. THE RECOMMENDED REPAIRS SUGGEST THE TRACTION BAR AND STEERING STABILIZER ARE AT FAULT BUT PEOPLE HAVE HAD MIXED RESULTS REPLACING THESE PARTS. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE PEOPLE AT JEEP MUST KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT HAVE FAILED THEIR CUSTOMERS AT REMEDYING THIS HAZARDOUS PROBLEM. *TR

2004 JEEP RUBICON BALL JOINT FAILURE. *TR

MY 2004 JEEP WRANGLER HAS DEVELOPED WHAT I LATER FOUND OUT IS KNOWN TO JEEP DRIVERS AS THE "DEATH WOBBLE." AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE FRONT END BEGINS TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. ONCE THE OSCILLATIONS START, THE VEHICLE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO STEER AND MUST BE BROUGHT TO A FULL STOP FOR THEM TO GO AWAY. VERY DANGEROUS ON THE FREEWAY SURROUNDED BY OTHER TRAFFIC. THIS IS AN ENTIRELY UNMODIFIED, STOCK SUSPENSION WITH LESS THAN 20K MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, WHO COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, BUT SUGGESTED I REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I HAD THE VEHICLE ALIGNED AND THE TIRES ROTATED, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THIS IS A MUCH MORE VIOLENT AND UNCONTROLLABLE SHAKE THAN WHAT IS CAUSED BY OUT OF BALANCE TIRES OR WARPED BRAKE ROTORS. I TOOK THE JEEP TO A SHOP SPECIALIZING IN 4X4 SUSPENSION. THEY MENTIONED THAT THE PROBLEM USUALLY OCCURS WHEN A VEHICLE IS IMPROPERLY LIFTED OR MODIFIED, BUT THEY HAD SEEN AN INCREASED INSTANCE OF LATER MODEL STOCK WRANGLERS EXPERIENCING IT. THEY REPLACED THE BUSHINGS IN THE FRONT END COMPONENTS, BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET SHOWS THAT MANY WRANGLER DRIVERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ON STOCK VEHICLES. NO MECHANIC HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING OBVIOUSLY WRONG, WHICH SUGGESTS A DESIGN DEFECT. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR ON THE FREEWAY, AND CAN NOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE SELL IT TO ANOTHER PERSON. *JB

VEHICLE HITS A BUMP WHILE DRIVING AND SHIMMIED ALMOST TO THE POINT OF HAVING TO STOP VEHICLE. THIS WAS ON A JEEP SAHARA 2004 MODEL WITH 40,000 MILES.I HAD WHEELS BALANCED OVER AND OVER AGAIN SINCE JANUARY. *AK

FIRST OFF YOU NEED TO DO A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR 'DEATH WOBBLE'. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. IT IS GETTING WORSE AND I AM AFRAID FOR MY WIFE TO DRIVE THE JEEP. "DEATH WOBBLE".. THE DEATH WOBBLE IS BASICALLY WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING YOUR JEEP DOWN THE ROAD AND THE FRONT END STARTS TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. IT CAN HAPPEN AT VIRTUALLY ANY SPEED, THOUGH MOSTLY ABOVE 40 MPH OR SO, AND IS A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WITNESSING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT IS TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL OVER. IT SEEMS TO GET MORE AND MORE OUT OF CONTROL. OUR JEEP IS A 2004 WRANGLER WITH ONLY 17,000 MILES. WE HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM SINCE 5,000 MILES OR SO. JEEP NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. *NM

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 JEEP LIBERTY WHEN MY BALL JOINT BROKE ON PASSENGER SIDE. I TOOK IT INTO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE OTHER SIDE HAD TO BE REPLACED ALSO,IT WAS AT MAXIMUM TOLERANCE. I'M VERY CONCERNED FOR OTHERS THAT HAVE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I WAS LUCKY THAT MY GRANDCHILD AND I WEREN'T KILLED. *JB

JUST STARTED WITH POWER LOSS FROM SHOW ROOM FLOOR,CAM REPLACED LIFTERS REPLACED BREAKS STICKING TO THE POINT WHERE THE JEEP IS HARD TO MOVE SAYS IT IS BECAUSE OF RUST USED DAYLY,TIMING OUT 15 DEGREES FRONT AND REAR DIF LEAKING WITH METAL SHAVINGS INSIDE MECHANIC SAYS DANA PROBLEM GRINDING RIGHT FRONT AXEL NOISE. *NM