Death Wobble ELIMINATED!!!! Finally!
 

Note: Trac Bar conversion alone did not 100% eliminate it (80% yes)... Tie Rod rebuild finally eliminated 100% and stiffened the front end up as tight as a new truck. I also had two completely shot Steering Dampners. (Notice the stock one is gone - only a bolt remains - I have an OEM replacement ordered).

Trac Bar:
I converted the Trac Bar with the SSI bracket and a $75 used 04 Trac Bar from the salvage yard. I replaced the Bushings with Lukes Link Replacement Bushings - installed the DSS Steering Stabilizer kit and its all tight now like my '03 after the sequential Tie Rod Rebuild.
I thought my Trac Bar bushings were good until I pressed them out and they crumbled like dry cake!... Thanks for the good advice from the guys at Lukes Link... you were right - looks can be decieving.

Tie Rod Ends:
Replaced adjustable Tie Rod Ends with Moog (2ea) and the Tie Rods themselves I did the Lukes Link replacement (2ea)... Very pleased with the end result. A very tight ball joint with no STEERING TEST play! Just a grinder and 13mm Allen Head on a torque wrench and your done! Oh - and install the Grease zert. USE ANTISIEZE LIKE THEY SUGGEST... (Ooops).

I have painted all worked parts a Hammered Silver Metallic to show progress... please see att'd photo...

Here is a before and after... just grind of the back side and it hammers right out in the vise. Note: I did have to grind an additional 1/16" off the topside to get the Lukes Link to slip on. Either side really but I had more metal up top to work with.
Attachment 53634

Do yourself a favor and buy a good spud wrench for working the front end components. Beats having to wiggle the wheels and loosing your alignment... ALSO A MUST - A 14" or so Pickle Fork (Prong) to hammer out the Ball Joints... Be patient - they will pop loose. Every strike with a 2lb / 14" handle sledge counts...
Attachment 53635

This is how I did the Kotter Pins w/ the Grease zert... this way it won't interfere with greasing.
Attachment 53636

Silver and Shiny parts... I just degrease them, wash, sand down, wipe down with thinner and paint.
Attachment 53637

On my 04 Trac Bar conversion this is the original bushing after pressing out the center - I came back with a metal blade saws-all and cut the pressed in sleeve on opposite sides and then it just taps right out! Dont use a plug of some sort like a socket to press it all out - just press out the center metal sleeve for the bolt and the rubber can be cut through with a saws all into the outer sleeve. I tried pressing the whole thing at once and broke my press.
Attachment 53638


A bit blurry but you can see the new LUKES LINK Bushings go right in with a little tapping from a Rubber Malet... Line it up with a spud wrench if you have one. Or screw driver...
Attachment 53639

Quick Under the Hood Shot...
Attachment 53640

Great write-up and cool pics!!! :U:

Very Nice :U: Great job on the write up and pics. This should definitely help out some others :c:

Glad you got it fixed - good pics - very nice!! The under side of your truck is very clean, looks good! Wish mine would have been that clean when I put my lift on - would have been a lot less dirt in the eyes! :ph: Great write up!! :U:

Thanks... I need to paint my undercarriage and other parts black. I didn't realize how much rust I had going for me...:humm:

My wobble is 100 times better after I replaced my Ball Joints. Going to put in the Lukes Link on my Trac Bar this week.


Nice Write-up

Looks good. :U:

looks great. thanks for the info. sucks you had to spend all that money but you should be good for a while. keep and eye on those clamps that fasten the stabilizer to the draglink.
mine have loosened in the past.

In lots of cases the tires are a contributing factor to Death Wobble as well. Seen guys get new tires and eliminate the wobble.

i have a set of tires that cause death wobble i was told it was from running d rated tires on the front. replaced them with E and much better but i still need passenger side ball joints so its not all gone.

Havent really checked it out, but how do you get these trucks alighned?? my trucks wearing the outer side of the tires pretty bad. but how do change the caster/camber? is there an adjustment or do you have to do it with dif ball joints?:humm:

Ditto... After my rebuild it goes down the road straight as an arrow - but my steering wheel points to 10 o'clock... as it did before.

Maybe this will help someone be able to give us a detailed description:

1. sway bar end link
2. upper ball joint
3. lower ball joint
4. driver side tie rod end (TRE)
5. same as #1, they are a single part
6. draglink end, pitman arm side
7. trackbar ball joint (not directly replaceable, need new trackbar or lukes link o rupgrade to new style)
8. passenger side draglink end
9. see #1
10. see #3


A. Sway bar
B. tie rod adjustment sleeve on the tie rod
C. pitman arm
D. track bar
E. steering stabilizer
F. draglink adjustment sleeve on the draglink (the actual draglink in the bottom image)
G. aftermarket steering stabilizer
H. tie rod

Attachment 53596

Attachment 53597

Attachment 53598

Attachment 53599

UPDATE:
Attachment 53600
Attachment 53601
Attachment 53602

make sure your wheel bearings and ball joints are good.

where does that boost elbow go? and did it help much?

i like how you did the lUK links in all the tie rod ends, smart but expensive

Great write-up and awesome pics. Thanks for the effort. This is going in my tech file. I don't have a death wobble but it takes a whole lotta steering wheel to keep her going in a straight line...

Bump for anyone... Sold the 12V :argh: Focusing on my '03 now and paying stuff off...:humm: