Wobble gone?

[TJDave]

Following up on the conversation Lee and I were having, while chopping wood, about the wobble my Jeep has developed at 40-45mph. One time it almost went into full on DW, but I stepped on it and it went away. Well, took the Jeep down to Fester Schwabs and had them re-attempt a balance....again. A little better, but steering wheel still shakes bad at 40-45mph.
Today, I checked everything under the front of the Jeep making sure everything was tight...it was. Then, I threw on the Rubi wheels and AT tires I have for it..... No wobble, no shakes, smooth as a baby's.....

So...Whats up? Black steelies bring the suck for balancing? Did I bend a wheel? Is it the Toyo's? Or do the goofs at Lesser Schlobs need to learn how to balance a tire?
What do you guys think? I could sell the Toyo's and steelies and buy decent tires for the Moab 16" wheels. Or, it may just be time to retire the mall crawler from daily driving duties.

[sams88]

It is possible that there is a defect in one of the tires, like in the cords that could affect a rolling tire, but wouldn't show up as a balance issue. I had that happen in the past. Just for funzies, if you know one of the other people that has the same type tires, put theirs on your rig and try running them. Did you try moving both back tires/wheels to the front, and seeing if the wobble stays there? Or does the wobble change?

[TJDave]

Yep, they were swapped front to back, no difference.

[SPR]

My little sister had a similar problem with a set of worn 30" tires. She swapped brands and jumped to a set of 31" tires and the wobble went away. I noticed that a slight increase in caster also made the problem go away. You could swat the back of the jeep with a couple of fat dudes and see if the problem goes away. On my sisters jeep, we loaded a rear mounted carrier with firewood and we could not get the wooble to occur.

[tobyw]

Tires are not the problem, something is out of spec... While the Rubi tires/wheels hid the problem, eventually they too will allow your front end to ocillate/shimmy/wobble. Trac bar, control arms, TRE's, unit bearing, ball joints and caster are the likely culprits. I've been chasing a shimmy in the Rubi when the Krawlers are cold for several months now

[Roman]

You know Toby, I've also felt a SLIGHT wobble when my tires are cold as well . . .

[OldGreen]

Yeah, it almost feels like the tires are square for a few miles. . .

[Wrench]

Are they both the same type of tire (bias-ply or radial)?

I have noticed that bias-ply and old radials tend to flat-spot easily when parked, which can be exaggerated by cold weather. This has caused alot of problems for me in the past.

Also, speaking of caster: I cut a section out of my upper control arms and welded in a large bolt and nut setup that makes them adjustable. I dont remember which way I had to go, but I completely eliminated any wobble I was having in the front end.

[TJDave]

Are they both the same type of tire (bias-ply or radial)?

I have noticed that bias-ply and old radials tend to flat-spot easily when parked, which can be exaggerated by cold weather. This has caused alot of problems for me in the past.

Also, speaking of caster: I cut a section out of my upper control arms and welded in a large bolt and nut setup that makes them adjustable. I dont remember which way I had to go, but I completely eliminated any wobble I was having in the front end.

Yep, both radials. The Toyo's do wobble more when cold..33x12.5x15 MT's on 15x8 steelies. The tires on the Moab rims are little 245/75/16 Firestone Destination AT street tires. Can't believe how smooth it drives with those on, and not the slightest bit of wobble or shimmy.......but the Jeep looks stupid.

Thanx for all the suggestions. I think I am going to get something else to drive to work. Now that it is 40 miles each way instead of one mile. When that happens, I can park the TJ and do some stuff to it that it desperately needs. Adjustable control arms, SYE, Tummy tuck, rear axle and lockers are on my list.......not nessesarily in that order.

[TJDave]

So this is interesting. Today, I ran out to meet some of you guys at Juniper. Aired down to 10psi, climbed some hills, blah blah blah, the usual stuff.

When I went to air up my tires, I noticed that all the weights on the wheels had fallen off. They were the clip on type. Figuring the Jeep would shake like crazy without weights on the wheels, I decided to follow Jafo out while he was limping his Jeep home. The plan was to drive straight to Fester Schwabby and make them re-balance the tires.
When we got onto the hiway, I was expecting the usual shake to start at around 40mph and to be way worse. Well......nothing, nada, no shake, no shimmy all the way up to 70mph. Drives as smooth as it does with the Rubi wheels & AT tires. I drove home. Don't think I want Lester touching my tires anymore.

WTF? Can anyone explain this?

[iaccocca]

The Jeep just wanted to be wheeled. Doesn't take much to make 'em happy.
I'd take it to Big O in Kennewick and have them balanced (same guys there as if ever was?)

[tobyw]

I'll state it again - tires/wheels have little to no affect on the wobble that is common among the TJ. There is something in your front end that does not like the extra weight of your 33's. This particular anomoly of no vibs even while on your 33's can likely be attributed to the fact that you aired down for the day, which dramatically heats a tire up. A few minutes at low pressure bouncing around would be like spending a hundred miles on the freeway on a hot day. Trust me, a properly built front end does not care how well balanced your tires are... I ran Boggers unbalanced on three different Jeeps, and if you have ever tried to balance a Bogger, you know where I'm coming from

[iaccocca]

You know, I had no wobble leaving the dunes yesterday and I doubt my balance changed. Haven't driven it today, but on cold tires I imagine I'll find Toby has a point. I've been tempted by a heavier duty steering stabalizer, but I know I'll just be covering up an existing problem. I always have a vibe leaving the snow (until the snow leaves the inside of my wheels )

[TJDave]

I believe Toby. He has many more years at this than I. I am just happy the wobble is gone for now.
As I will soon be able to afford more mods for the Heep, hopefully the culprit will be exposed when I start replacing stock control arms and other junk.

[iaccocca]

Just back from the carwash (lonely place on a rainy night) and no wobble. The answer is obvious... these things like to be wheeled. No different than a pup that misbehaves when you don't take her hunting.

[TJDave]

Hmm, Maybe mine was a bit pissed off that I have not taken it off road for quite some time.

[Roman]

TJD, when you're under your ride make sure to check out the frame side trac bar mount. They can wiggle there way loose!