Suspension issue?

acampingwewillgo · April 22, 2016

I'll ask this here also but first the set up. A 1996 Vogue diesel with original air bags and shocks(Koni's) towing a 2008 Chev HHR with a Demco tow bar. OK, so in the past 1000 miles I've experienced an event that has me stumped on only two occasions. It first happened while making a right turn onto my street. I thought I had run over the curb with the toad because the MH and Toad were rocking back and forth as if I had hit the curb or had a flat tire. Pulled immediately over, no flat, no evidence of any problem. Pulled away slowly and no further problem. Two months later the same thing happens but this time while changing lanes at a slow speed and going over a RR crossing. Once again, I can see and feel the toad rocking back and forth in the camera(or it could be the MH doing the rocking come to think of it), thinking again, a flat tire(feels just like it limping down the road), pulled to the side of the road within seconds and NO flat and no more issue after stopping and restarting for the next 50+ miles going home. Typical things come to mind tires and alignment on toad, air bags/shocks on MH but there is nothing that stands out so far. Of course the 20 year old bags and shocks might be suspect!

Before I start throwing things at this issue, I figured I'd ask here first to see if anyone has experienced something similar??? Idea's? suggestions? Obviously this is an intermittent problem and hard to reproduce.

lenp · April 23, 2016

Big D,

Not sure if it's related but there were some reported problems with Jeep Grand Cherokee front ends when towed four down. Read this thread over on the FMCA forum for more info: http://community.fmca.com/topic/7384-towing-a-2014-jeep-cherokee/

and here is a quote from Fiat Chrysler.....

Hope this helps,

Lenp

Fiat Chrysler today (January 20, 2016) released the following information exclusively to Family Motor Coaching magazine.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA) has announced plans for resolving a problem that sometimes occurs when 2014-16 Jeep Cherokees are towed four wheels down behind a motorhome.

FCA released a statement in response to inquiries by Family Motor Coaching magazine and concerns of a number of Jeep owners who reported problems when flat towing their Cherokees. The owners reported that the vehicle sometimes wobbles significantly, raising safety concerns. The wobble reportedly has occurred at slow speeds and at highway speeds, and has happened with a variety of motorhomes and towing systems. The only way to stop the wobble, owners have said, is to bring the vehicle to a complete stop.

The FCA statement said: “Under certain operating conditions, such as traveling excessively bumpy or poorly maintained roads, the flat-towed vehicle may not consistently track in line with the tow vehicle.” The cause, according to the statement: “The vehicle’s Electronic Power Steering (EPS) system is inactive while the vehicle is being flat-towed with the ignition in the ‘off’ position. Accordingly, the vehicle does not benefit from the system’s function.”

A Jeep official said the company knows of several dozen Cherokee owners who have experienced the problem. For those owners, FCA will “provide a complimentary jumper wire harness and switch to ensure the vehicle’s EPS system has power to function while it is being flat-towed. These components have been engineered and validated by FCA US LLC and will be made available to all customers through MOPAR, as early as January 29. In addition, all Cherokee owners will be contacted directly by FCA US and provided with updated instructions for flat-towing. These instructions supersede all previous instructions. Also, the vehicle’s online owners manual will be updated.”

Family Motor Coaching brought the problem to the attention of Fiat Chrysler in September 2015 after an FMCA member contacted the magazine and provided a link to a video showing a Cherokee wobbling as it was being towed behind a motorhome. FCA assigned engineers and technicians to investigate and resolve the problem.

For more information, Cherokee owners can call the Jeep Customer Assistance Center at

acampingwewillgo · April 23, 2016

Wow....Thank You for that info. That certainly sounds like what I'm experiencing with the HHR. Makes sense to me, now to apply t6he fix to my particular vehicle. Thanks again!!!

LFDR3116 · April 23, 2016

On the Jeep, it is refered to as the "death wobble" by jeep owners. It has been happening even when driving for many years. We first learned about it on a Jeep forum and have experienced it a couple of times when driving. It does always seem to happen when hitting a rough patch area in the road, or coming off a bridge at the edge of the bridge and beginning of the regular road surface again. With all the reading we have done, we have never found anyone that has been able to find a reason for the wobble as everything with the front end always checks out fine. In our case, when driving it, simple let off the gas immediately and lightly put on the brakes - it corrects and you can continue down the road. Ours is one of the original cherokees from 1995. We have never towed this but know what you are experiencing. As far as we can find - unknown cause.

Ronbo · April 23, 2016

If you look up death wobble jk forum the cause and fix has been pinpointed. The bolts are too small for the size hole in many of the suspension components. There are now kits that will replace the appropriate bolts with the proper size.

horizon36 · April 23, 2016

You can also get DW on a Jeep WJ, which is what I have. It can be wallowed out suspension mounting holes in the frame and/or worn tie rod ends, track bar or sway bar bushings. Also check the caster.

acampingwewillgo · April 23, 2016

This sounds exactly like what I'm experiencing....I mean quite frankly, it scares the crap out of me when it happens but I've been lucky so far as to when these events have occurred (at slow speeds so far). I'll correct the few things I can both on the car and Motor home, then see what happens.

Pat & Pete · April 23, 2016

This sounds exactly like what I'm experiencing....I mean quite frankly, it scares the crap out of me when it happens but I've been lucky so far as to when these events have occurred (at slow speeds so far). I'll correct the few things I can both on the car and Motor home, then see what happens.

Here's the link to the DW cure write up :

http://www.jkowners.com/forum/write-up-dept-library/30723-diagnosing-death-wobble-fixing-non-dw-shimmies-wobbles.html