Death Wobbles

[chunk]

In the last week or so I have been experiencing what I can only describe as death wobbles, these death wobbles occur at speeds above 80 k's resulting in sever shaking of the steering wheel which continues to increase until speed is reduced. I have had a quick look but nothing stands out, I was thinking maybe steering box but not sure. So if anyone has any idea's I would appreciate your input.

[Disco95]

Last time I got that was wheel alignment. I'd be checking that first.

[tomalophicon]

Wheel nuts?

[chunk]

I did think of that, but the wobbles are extremely violent.

[chunk]

Wheel nuts?

Now that's a thought, I have had the wheels off recently.

[dullbird]

what did you hve the wheels off for bearings? I would be checking them also after the nuts.

[Disco95]

I did think of that, but the wobbles are extremely violent.

So we're mine. Extremely violent! Get it checked. You'd be surprised,

[chunk]

what did you hve the wheels off for bearings? I would be checking them also after the nuts.

I was changing the shocks, got the rear ones done ok but can't get the bottom nuts off the fronts.

[Landover]

How about tail shafts or Donut collapsed.

[SouthOz]

You didnt knock off a wheel weight maybe?

Thanx
Dave

[BigJon]

Swivel bearing preload.

[Scouse]

Swivel bearing preload.x2

To get the bottom nuts off, fit a spanner to the nut & turn the shock body with big mulitgrips.

[tomalophicon]

I was changing the shocks, got the rear ones done ok but can't get the bottom nuts off the fronts.

Hacksaw worked for me :)

[Judo]

Re: shock nuts being tight

When I undid the bottom shocker nuts they were well and truly seized on. Spanner on the bottom, multi-grips, rubber strap around the shock all failed. The answer was to simply soak the nut in WD40 for a decent length of time. Then I undid while holding the shock by hand! I actually put the finger of a rubber glove over the nut with an elastic band and filled it with WD40 overnight. :D The next day it was hand tight.

[Tank]

x2

To get the bottom nuts off, fit a spanner to the nut & turn the shock body with big mulitgrips.
X3, Regards Frank.

[SouthOz]

So im guessing that it didnt have the wobble before the wheels were off? You didnt bent a steering component while jacking the front up to change the shocks? That would put the wheel alignment out.

Thanx
Dave

[chunk]

How about tail shafts or Donut collapsed.
Donut seems ok

[chunk]

You didnt knock off a wheel weight maybe?

Thanx
Dave
Wheel weights are ok.

[chunk]

Swivel bearing preload.
Yes that is a possibility.

[chunk]

x2

To get the bottom nuts off, fit a spanner to the nut & turn the shock body with big mulitgrips.
Thanks I will give that a try.

[chunk]

Hacksaw worked for me :)
Yes I have thought of that as a last resort.

[chunk]

Re: shock nuts being tight

When I undid the bottom shocker nuts they were well and truly seized on. Spanner on the bottom, multi-grips, rubber strap around the shock all failed. The answer was to simply soak the nut in WD40 for a decent length of time. Then I undid while holding the shock by hand! I actually put the finger of a rubber glove over the nut with an elastic band and filled it with WD40 overnight. :D The next day it was hand tight.
Thanks I did use WD40 but will give it another try.

[chunk]

So im guessing that it didnt have the wobble before the wheels were off? You didnt bent a steering component while jacking the front up to change the shocks? That would put the wheel alignment out.

Thanx
Dave
No damage done to the steering components, and no I didn't notice any problems before I pulled the wheels off.

[PhilipA]

There are many posts on here regarding RRC and D1 steering wobble as it is probably the most common problem they face.( other than oil leaks)

You have to check all the steering components
1 Panhard rod bushes. Remove Panhard rod and see whether bushes in one piece or the centre tube unattached.

2 Tie rod ends. Have SWMBO turn the steering wheel side to side and put your hand around each tie rod end. Side to side good, up and down bad

3 swivel bearings and wheel bearings. jack up each wheel and see if you can move the tyre in and out and observe whether it is the whole hub( swivels) or the disc part only ( wheel bearings)

4 steering box. Have SWMBO turn the steering wheel side to side while you look at the drop arm.
5 leading arm under axle bushes
If you are a sensitive new age guy , you can tell whether the wobble is both wheels going in the same direction (Panhard rod bushes) or the wheels going in opposite directions.( swivel bearings , or tie rod ends). Generally if it is these the sound and fury will be greater than the movement of the steering wheel suggests .

Regards Philip A

[Albert]

I had a death wobble in my 110. After changing everything one thing at a time, it ended up being the steering damper. Because it wasnt very old I never thought of checking it. :angel:
It had a very small amount of undamped play in it of less than 5mm, but that was enough to start it off.
I replaced it with a old one for a trial and it has never been a problem since.
I also had a fully rebuilt front end by the end of it plus a heap of still good spares.

[blitz]

Philip and Albert are on the right track. But don't underestimate wheel alignment. I had the brake upgraded on mine and the death wobbles were so bad it took all my skill to keep it together same symptoms as you. Wheel Alignment fixed it. Could be any of them

[Summiitt]

If you have a few ks on the clock, might be time to also check your swivel pins for play, also a wheel balance can be a cause, I've had the death wobbles on a defender, and it ended up being worn swivel pins.

[ashhhhh]

Have you fitted non standard rims?
I once fitted some wheels to a Suzuki Sierra that had much greater offset than they should have, got terrible wobbles sometimes.
Could not solve and had to get different wheels.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2

[cal415]

I would be looking at the panhard rod bushes, seen this a few times including on my own 110, mine started off just a slight vibration above 70, then after a fairly hard trip out to wallaroo became completly undrivable above 50kph, turned out my PS fluid leak had a bit of a reaction with the poly bushes on the panhard rod, they were still intact but had turned into a soft spongey like material... very strange.

[PhilipA]

turned out my PS fluid leak had a bit of a reaction with the poly bushes on the panhard rod, they were still intact but had turned into a soft spongey like material... very strange.
The same will happen with the rubber bushes.
One get you home fix is to tie a bit of rag around the rod downstream from the leak. This provides a wick which allows the leak to drip off the rag rather than continue down to the LH bush. I did this on Cape York when my front main seal started to leak and I got home with thebushes still good, and in fact still good after main seal change.
Regards Philip A

[JDNSW]

It is almost never only one problem. And you fix things until it behaves, and assume that the last thing you did was the only problem! (But there are likely to be other things still to be fixed that are waiting to cause it to start wobbling again - and then fixing the same thing that did the job last time won't work)

The answer is to check everything as suggested above and fix everything that needs it.

John

[Judo]

It is almost never only one problem.


I've found this to be true, far more often than I would like!

[chunk]

Well I have finally got my death wobbles sorted, front end:), steering box all checked by the mechanic, it turned out to be the rear rubber coupling which had collapsed. Now my mechanic is not a fan of Land Rovers and usually tells me to buy the parts and he will fit them but this time due to work commitments I got him to get the parts. Now I have seen the coupling on ebay for around $60 but Land Rover charged $220:o for the coupling and he then charged me $50 to fit it, to say I was shocked is an understatement next time I will do my own shopping.

[dullbird]

I would of changed out that rubber cuppling would of been cheaper to have got the 80bux conversion kit and a second hand prop

[chunk]

I would of changed out that rubber cuppling would of been cheaper to have got the 80bux conversion kit and a second hand prop

If I had known it was going to cost $220 for the coupling I would have, there is a kit on ebay including prop shaft for $180.

Discovery 1 REAR TAILSHAFT RUBBER COUPLING TO UNI CONVERSION KIT | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Discovery-1-REAR-TAILSHAFT-RUBBER-COUPLING-UNI-CONVERSION-KIT-/251112766590?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a777cbc7e#ht_1057wt_1053)

[manchild21000]

Adjusted steering box play , checked everything else . Its been a one off and everything nice and tight since then . Thanks for all the good advice .
George

[Judo]

Adjusted steering box play , checked everything else . Its been a one off and everything nice and tight since then . Thanks for all the good advice .
George

How did you adjust it? Just gave it a small tighten and test drive?

[manchild21000]

Judo, i followed Land rovers repair number -57.10.13
I have it as a pdf file , it wont let me copy and paste into here . Google search should be able to find it .
George

[rsrichie]

How about tail shafts or Donut collapsed.

Yep I had similar symptoms and thought it was front end but turned out to be the rubber tail shaft joint.
Without feeling the said symptoms I'm only offering suggestions :D

[chunk]

Well as I said earlier I had the coupling changed, seemed to fix the problem for a week or two but now the problem is back. I now think that the problem is in the back but not sure where, was thinking maybe the A frame ball joint.