I am in a bad spot here.

JD Dearden

JD Dearden

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Jan 30, 2007
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3,193
Short version... I own a 2011 Dodge with 7,500 miles on it. I ran a 22 inch wheel for a little under a year and went back to stock back in December. The truck death wobbles every single time I drive it now. I had a very close call with my family and a dump truck on the interstate last week. And when I say it death wobbles everytime I drive it I mean every single time.

Took it to Dodge and they say everything checks out 100%. Nothing loose nothing bent, every single thing is well within spec. Obviously that is not the case but they can't fix it....They will not give me even close to the trade in value because it is a "liability" for them and the truck is unsafe. I can't afford rolling 12k into a new one, and I recently bought a boat which will make it tough to get approved for any amount of new debt even if it is less...I think I could get something done but it has potential to be a problem.

Lemon law.....well the process would burn up so much time, time I don't have. And they could possible blame it on the 22....Keep in mind no lift has ever been installed.

So here I am with a brand new truck that I can't drive. No idea how to fix it??? Buy another set of 22 I mean it never did this with those on there...I don't know very very frustrated!
 
Take it to another dealer. Where are you located? I know the guys from the dealer around me. They have done nothing but good for me and my 2010
 
Take it to a good alignment shop. Ball Joints are really bad in stock form. Especially when you go up in tire size. Depending on your "death Wobble" there's a couple of things that could be causing it. Tell the shop you take it to what's going on and sit there with the guy as he inspects it. You check the ball joints with up/down movement on the tire, with the weight off the suspension.

I wouldn't trust the dealership with a damn thing. Got a customer in a couple of weeks ago to change his ccv filter. Got to talking to him. He took it into the dealership for the recall on the sway bar. Guess what. They didn't change it. Pulled it in. Let it sit there for 45 min's. Then pulled it out and said it was changed. he even had the reciept for it.
 
JD Dearden said:
Short version... I own a 2011 Dodge with 7,500 miles on it. I ran a 22 inch wheel for a little under a year and went back to stock back in December. The truck death wobbles every single time I drive it now. I had a very close call with my family and a dump truck on the interstate last week. And when I say it death wobbles everytime I drive it I mean every single time.

Took it to Dodge and they say everything checks out 100%. Nothing loose nothing bent, every single thing is well within spec. Obviously that is not the case but they can't fix it....They will not give me even close to the trade in value because it is a "liability" for them and the truck is unsafe. I can't afford rolling 12k into a new one, and I recently bought a boat which will make it tough to get approved for any amount of new debt even if it is less...I think I could get something done but it has potential to be a problem.

Lemon law.....well the process would burn up so much time, time I don't have. And they could possible blame it on the 22....Keep in mind no lift has ever been installed.

So here I am with a brand new truck that I can't drive. No idea how to fix it??? Buy another set of 22 I mean it never did this with those on there...I don't know very very frustrated!
Click to expand...


Did you take the dealer for a drive? Draft a document that says the dealer witnessed the issue but refused to fix it. Then see if they will sign it?
 
since I put my 22.5's on a need to put a steering stabilizer on because it tries some BS on the highway.
 
DaveMatthews said:
Take it to a good alignment shop. Ball Joints are really bad in stock form. Especially when you go up in tire size. Depending on your "death Wobble" there's a couple of things that could be causing it. Tell the shop you take it to what's going on and sit there with the guy as he inspects it. You check the ball joints with up/down movement on the tire, with the weight off the suspension.

I wouldn't trust the dealership with a damn thing. Got a customer in a couple of weeks ago to change his ccv filter. Got to talking to him. He took it into the dealership for the recall on the sway bar. Guess what. They didn't change it. Pulled it in. Let it sit there for 45 min's. Then pulled it out and said it was changed. he even had the reciept for it.
Click to expand...

I did take it to an alignment shop and the dealership did it. I suppose there is a good chance they just did not do anything. The truck has 7 thousand miles I can't imagine anything being worn out.
 
Could always have an accident during one of your death wobble episode and sue Dodge.
 
zstroken said:
Did you take the dealer for a drive? Draft a document that says the dealer witnessed the issue but refused to fix it. Then see if they will sign it?
Click to expand...

They drove it and it did wobble but I was not with them.
 
JD Dearden said:
I did take it to an alignment shop and the dealership did it. I suppose there is a good chance they just did not do anything. The truck has 7 thousand miles I can't imagine anything being worn out.
Click to expand...

You'd be surprised. We changed out ball joints on a trck with 25k miles on it and they almost fell out. I've seen tranny's go at 14k miles on stock trucks. I guess if your in a spot then try another dealer. But even if its under warranty I won't go to the dealer. And I've got a buddy who works for one locally. If it has to go to them, I wait in line for him and him only. There's just no service checks in place to make sure the tech's are doing what they are supposed to do. Dealers in my experience always take the tech's side regardless of how obvious it is.

Check your tires too. I had a 94 Ford with 38's on it (long time ago.. LOL). I took it to two different shops when out of state. Turned out to be the left front tire... Was horribly out of ballance. Death wobble was so bad I couldn't actually see while it was going on..
 
I would try another dealer first. Then if they actually verify there is nothing out of spec (highly unlikely) I would get under the damn thing and check my toe myself, and start adding in caster.

It's unacceptable that a stock truck drives this way, but if I absolutely had to get it "cured" without their help, I would buy a dual stabilizer setup and add caster. Also you can try rotating tires to put the best two in the front.

Rough country should make a cheap dual setup for your truck. I run a top gun customz dual with bilsteins on my ford. Not too terribly expensive.

FWIW, 05+ fords are known for death wobble due to terrible caster with the radius arms, dual stabilizer setup is commonly used to "fix" it.
 
DaveMatthews said:
You'd be surprised. We changed out ball joints on a trck with 25k miles on it and they almost fell out. I've seen tranny's go at 14k miles on stock trucks. I guess if your in a spot then try another dealer. But even if its under warranty I won't go to the dealer. And I've got a buddy who works for one locally. If it has to go to them, I wait in line for him and him only. There's just no service checks in place to make sure the tech's are doing what they are supposed to do. Dealers in my experience always take the tech's side regardless of how obvious it is.

Check your tires too. I had a 94 Ford with 38's on it (long time ago.. LOL). I took it to two different shops when out of state. Turned out to be the left front tire... Was horribly out of ballance. Death wobble was so bad I couldn't actually see while it was going on..
Click to expand...

This is the problem it could be shocks it could be tires it could ball joints....and on and on. I should not have to start setting fire to money on a truck this new to make it drivable.
 
TheBigNasty said:
I would try another dealer first. Then if they actually verify there is nothing out of spec (highly unlikely) I would get under the damn thing and check my toe myself, and start adding in caster.

It's unacceptable that a stock truck drives this way, but if I absolutely had to get it "cured" without their help, I would buy a dual stabilizer setup and add caster. Also you can try rotating tires to put the best two in the front.

Rough country should make a cheap dual setup for your truck. I run a top gun customz dual with bilsteins on my ford. Not too terribly expensive.

FWIW, 05+ fords are known for death wobble due to terrible caster with the radius arms, dual stabilizer setup is commonly used to "fix" it.
Click to expand...

I did move tires around...
 
Call Chrysler, post on their facebook etc, there has been trucks lemon lawed on Cummins forum. Corporate Chrysler will put the squeeze on your dealer.


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JD Dearden said:
This is the problem it could be shocks it could be tires it could ball joints....and on and on. I should not have to start setting fire to money on a truck this new to make it drivable.
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100%. You should be able to find a shop that will diagnose it for free. That should be the dealer. But it sounds like yours operates like mine does. Try another one. This xmas I put a unpgraded nav unit in my wifes denali. I needed the factory to program the head unit. Ended up having to take it to three of them before I found one that could do it. All three of them chevy/gm dealers. Last one said, yeah. no problem. Give us 30 mins. Bam, 30 min's later it worked like a champ. No well it might do this or might do that. Just shot them an hours worth of labor and drove off. It floored me that the other 2 didn't have a clue what I was talking about..
 
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