Death Wobble.... - Land Rovers Only

pan2sa · 10-04-2006, 09:07 AM

Hello to all! I've taken the plunge. I purchased a 1989 Range Rover Classic SWB and am rather ecstatic, although, I don't really know if a congratulation is in order or a condolensce, but either way, I've stepped off the deep end. When I boutght her, she had a horrible squeal, from the power steering belt, and it's since been replaced, but now at moderate speeds, say 30 or above, if turning to the right, and only to the right, I get this horrible death wobble. What it feels like is that the fronts drivetrain is trying to send power back and forth between the front two tires and will not stop until I do. It's like having hydrolics on the vehicle and each side is alternating the hopping... Once I start to go again it doesn't happen until I replicate the actions.... My question is this... First off, has anyone come into this problem and what is the cause/fix? I've been told that it can be a siezed viscous coupler and was given soem direction to trouble shoot it, although I've come up empty handed. I've also been told that a steering gearbox that is knocking on deaths door can give these types of symptoms. I do have a tremendous amount of play in the wheel and have attempted to tighten the steering box with only limited results... Please help, I'm dying to drive the Rover, but don't want to be unsafe.

Funrover · 10-04-2006, 09:42 AM

Well... I have had the same problem..... The bushings in the panhard rod went out... caused the wobbles BAD!!!! also had slack in the wheel..... the pitman arm joint caused a little bit of troubles....

Have someone shake the wheel side to side and see what moves and what should move....... also.. how do the radius arm bushings look?

pan2sa · 10-04-2006, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funrover

Well... I have had the same problem..... The bushings in the panhard rod went out... caused the wobbles BAD!!!! also had slack in the wheel..... the pitman arm joint caused a little bit of troubles....

Have someone shake the wheel side to side and see what moves and what should move....... also.. how do the radius arm bushings look?

I have yet to look at the the radius arm bushings, so I have no clue. Although it feels different that a "speed wobble", it feels as though there is some kind of power behind it... It's really rather strange.

JRM · 10-07-2006, 08:08 PM

Hi! Same thing happened to me when driving my 88' RR Classic for the first time after purchasing it just last week! It may be a simple fix: Make sure that the bolts on both sides of the steering damper/shock/stabilizer are nice and tight. It is the horizontal shock located underneath the engine just behind the front wheels. After tightening these the wobble went away. When it happened to me, I thought I was a gonner. Hope this helps!
-John

10-04-2006, 09:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
pan2sa Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Right outside your door, I'm not kidding, check... Posts: 20 Gallery: 0	Death Wobble.... Hello to all! I've taken the plunge. I purchased a 1989 Range Rover Classic SWB and am rather ecstatic, although, I don't really know if a congratulation is in order or a condolensce, but either way, I've stepped off the deep end. When I boutght her, she had a horrible squeal, from the power steering belt, and it's since been replaced, but now at moderate speeds, say 30 or above, if turning to the right, and only to the right, I get this horrible death wobble. What it feels like is that the fronts drivetrain is trying to send power back and forth between the front two tires and will not stop until I do. It's like having hydrolics on the vehicle and each side is alternating the hopping... Once I start to go again it doesn't happen until I replicate the actions.... My question is this... First off, has anyone come into this problem and what is the cause/fix? I've been told that it can be a siezed viscous coupler and was given soem direction to trouble shoot it, although I've come up empty handed. I've also been told that a steering gearbox that is knocking on deaths door can give these types of symptoms. I do have a tremendous amount of play in the wheel and have attempted to tighten the steering box with only limited results... Please help, I'm dying to drive the Rover, but don't want to be unsafe.

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10-07-2006, 08:08 PM	#4 (permalink)
JRM Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1 Gallery: 0	Hi! Same thing happened to me when driving my 88' RR Classic for the first time after purchasing it just last week! It may be a simple fix: Make sure that the bolts on both sides of the steering damper/shock/stabilizer are nice and tight. It is the horizontal shock located underneath the engine just behind the front wheels. After tightening these the wobble went away. When it happened to me, I thought I was a gonner. Hope this helps! -John

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