The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts "Death wobble"

My 1950 4100 has the so called "death wobble" after hitting bumps. I have been told to invest in a SO-CAL steering damper. Is this a good investment and are there different types for my truck?

Last year I built a 23 T roadster and put one of those so-cal dampers on it. I like it a bunch. I figured why not the suspension technology was 100 years old and with 400hp, probably not a bad idea.
Many people I have talked to state that if you need that damper it is just to cover up a problem with the suspension/steering. That could be true, just a combination of a little loose & worn steering box, some movement in the king pins, slop in the tie rods and then hitting that perfect bump in the road at the right speed can send the truck into fits. I say try and find the loose piece/s and fix it, then add the so-cal stabilizer for good measure.
Steve

Steering stabilizers have been around for a long time, but they are no substitute for having the front end and the rear suspension as well in good condition. I drove back in the 50's when these vehicles were still in every day use. Roads were a lot rougher than they are now. In the summer time, I drove with one arm hanging out he window and the heel of my right hand on the steering wheel. If I had a girl with me, I had my right arm around the girl and my left hand on the wheel. I hit lots of pot holes and the term "death wobble" wasn't in the dictionary. But we kept our front and rear suspension maintained. Loose rear suspension contributes a lot. Worn out air ride on modern trucks does the same thing. I agree with fixing the suspension first, and then learning how to drive these old things. People who grew up with modern vehicles overcompensate when they hit a pot hole just like over steering when they run off the road. If you just put a light touch on the steering wheel, the king pin inclination will keep you going straight. If you do this and still have the urge to buy a steering stabilizer, they won't hurt anything. But don't expect miracles.

Thanks for the info. I agree fixing the problem is a must and one I need to address. However after undergoing all the expence and time for new suspention parts is it possible that it will still have the wobble. This truck has barely been on the road and has under 10,000 miles on it. Is the front end going to be that out of wack in a truck hardly ever driven?

Hy boyle, have you taken the truck to a good alignment shop? If your suspension/axle has all new parts, has the caster, camber, and toe-in been checked to make sure everything has been setup as it should be?

Make sure and check the rear suspension as Kenneth mentions. Has the steering box been checked out? Maybe one of the springs in the tie rod ends is broken? I drive trucks everyday and have never had a "death wabble". Keep digging and you should figure it out. Save your $$$ for other parts and pass on the steering stabilizer.
When it comes to hot rods and steering stabilizers its a different situation, most of the time its mis matched parts and or different weight bias that are off. A stabilizer shock does help those cars. Other applications are 4 wheel drive trucks that are jacked up and have over size tires can benefit from them.

Double check your king pins & wheel bearings, make sure they are tight with no play.
I used to have this problem on my 4wd 73-87 trucks, especially after plow season.
About every other year id have to replace a ball joint or 2. And once in a great while after locking the hubs the lock nuts on the wheel bearings would back off, causing the exact problem.
I know your truck isnt the same, but that is the first place I would look. Sometimes the kingpin holes can be slightly out of round without realizing it.
Go back & recheck everything you did, then go from there.

My '65 G.M.C. 3/4-ton was the same way. It had "Camper-Special" 16.5" rims , as well. the wheels were all out-of-balance , causing pre-mature wear on the suspension components. I ended up re-placing the tie-rod ends , as well as the bushings on the entire front-end. Of course , the '65 had I.F.S./coil-springs. Fortunately , the straight-axle suspensions have less parts to re-place. Jack-up the front-end , support the axle securely ,and "wiggle" the front tires , while checking for play in all of the linkage-points. I have no-more than 1/4-inch-play in my front-end , including steering-box. I drive on some pretty treacherous back country roads ,and have no problems. "She' steers like a new truck. Hope this helps. (Referring to '55 T.F. 6500.)

This problem isn't limited to 60 year old vehicles. My 2004 Jeep Rubicon started doing it at about 50k miles. I believe the bearings may be suspect. Sometimes changing the tires can help, as the tires can store and release side pressure causing the dreaded "Death Wobble".

I had a 93 F-Supuer Duty Ford and they cane factory with them if you didn't it would scare you to death at about 45mph ,it would darn take the wheel out of your hands and that was after new king pins and tie rod ends and drag link

a dead shock can cause a uncontrollable up and down osillation
i had it happen on my '91 dodge cummins 1 ton....