Death wobble: Class action lawsuit?

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Birddog

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I have only had low mile trucks so far. I plan on keeping this truck for a long time and the one thing that keeps recycling itself is the topic of the famous DEATH WOBBLE. This guy in Ohio is not suing for anything substantial but I wonder if there will ever be a class action lawsuit against Dodge / Ram for this death wobble issue. I don't see this as a problem with any other manufacturer. Just a thought...

Here was the article I read...
Ohio man says Dodge truck is a lemon | West Virginia Record

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crazy_luck

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I had 4 Gen 2 Ram 1500s over the years and 3 of them had the death wobble. And the cure for it in all 3 was replacing the steering shaft from the firewall to the steering pump (mounting points would wear out and cause slack) and upgrading the anti-sway bars front and rear...
 

BoldAdventure

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I'm glad I have no idea what this death wobble is. I hope it stays that way.
 

quietpeen

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am i missing something? That link appears to have nothing to do with death wobble.
 

Sportznut

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^^^^what he said^^^^
 

ExpressRules

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Class Action Lawsuits only benefit the attorneys involved. Besides, what I have read in the past about "death wobble" it is due to worn steering parts that are easily corrected.
 

THETANK

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I am on drugs (lots of narcs) and I don't see word one about a wobble, to many wobbly pops maybe
 

jwheeler

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Haha, good luck with that. The term "death wobble" is used way too much. People with a tire vibration say they have death wobble. And if you really do have some kind of death wobble or a self sustaining vibration, it is because something is worn out. Fix your junk and you won't have any problem.


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crazy_luck

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Haha, good luck with that. The term "death wobble" is used way too much. People with a tire vibration say they have death wobble. And if you really do have some kind of death wobble or a self sustaining vibration, it is because something is worn out. Fix your junk and you won't have any problem.


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Problem is, lack of common sense and failure to accept the problem may be from failing to maintain it yourself and blaming the manufacturer with frivolous lawsuits has become a way of life...


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Birddog

Birddog

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The idea of the class action is not to benefit those who already have the death wobble. It's to get the manufacturer to make parts that don't fail in future builds. The term "death wobble" is not synonymous with anyone else except Dodge /Ram. That's a problem. I didn't post the class action lawsuit to show there was a cause of action for the death wobble, it was simply an idea for a new class action.

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ohiogrown

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The term death wobble is definitely used across many platforms. I have actually never heard of it in rams, but is extremely common in jeeps. I bet we address it 2-3 times a year on older Cherokees or any wrangler.

As previously stated, it is not a flawed design but a sustained vibration caused by worn out parts and lack of maintenance. Chrysler is as culpable as McDonald's is for fat people's health issues.
 

regularcab2500

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Our 2012 at work does this^^^^i have concluded that ford has a **** hub design among other things lol. i thought it was mostly a jeep and ford thing but ive never heard of a 2wd with death wobble. Fix your **** lol.
 
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knightlogger

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Death wobble is defiantly a common dodge thing the front end in the dodge trucks specially when lifted has the worst wear rate. So if you rebuild your front end like I had to defiantly do the performance after market parts. The gear box is well known for going our as well. In the 94 -01 you will find have the most problems with font ends. I learned all this real quick after spending 2000 to rebuild my front end on my 94.
 

knightlogger

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I will say far as a law suit the guys sounds not so bright or he doesn't know his vehicles well or doesn't do the research, or in some cases doesn't maintain his rig. I dont think he will be getting very far with it.
 

dram1501

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wobble

The term death wobble is definitely used across many platforms. I have actually never heard of it in rams, but is extremely common in jeeps. I bet we address it 2-3 times a year on older Cherokees or any wrangler.

As previously stated, it is not a flawed design but a sustained vibration caused by worn out parts and lack of maintenance. Chrysler is as culpable as McDonald's is for fat people's health issues.

Surely when this wobble happens in a new pickup with only 200 kms on it, it can't be caused by lack of maintenance???
 

KarL45

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Have I missed something??? Seems as though when a problem "death wobble" is encountered, that the Ram has been taken to "Joe's garage" or my "buddy Phil" who is a mechanic??? Not seeing where the problem has been taken to the dealer and they have failed to correct the problem. If they have been taken to the dealer and still have the problem OR if the dealer has corrected the problem, would like to know what corrective action has been or not been taken. If the dealer is unable to correct the problem, especially on an Unmodified Ram, then I can possibly see justification and probability of having a successful lawsuit. Until then, I wouldn't hold my breath. That said, have had it on the older Chebys as well. As for my Ram, have a HD grill guard on the front as well as fabricating a spare tire mount to bolt on to the grill guard. No problems so far. Just a 5# increase in inflation pressure to accommodate the extra weight.
 

Core-Lokt

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When 4X4 trucks had leaf-sprung solid axles, I can't recall ever hearing the term or experiencing the sensation. IME, it's only when they went to coil-sprung axles and added a Panhard rod that the term came to be. And I tend to think it is the Panhard rod bushings that are the problem. That said, I think steering geometry exacerbates the sensation. The Haltenberger linkage use with coil-sprung SFA seems to coincide with the advent of the term, too.

I wonder if once the coil-sprung rear ends on Dodges see enough wear, will there be reports of similar issues from the back? Other than a more supple ride, I can't figure there's any cost or weight savings with as many components added back (locating arms, Panhard rod, necessary and inoptimally-located sway bar, spring perch and now a shock on some differentials to prevent axle wind).
 

R/T_Fire

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Its a potential issue with any solid axle 4x4, worn parts, tires and improperly designed geometry of custom parts are the cause. Number one case is failure to maintain ones vehicle.

Out of more than a dozen solid axle rams we've had on the farm only one had this issue and was due to the hard life it saw on the farm and was fixed and never had the issue again.

I have also never heard (doesn't mean it doesn't exist) a Ram that was 100% stock have this issue. All had wither larger wheels, tires and modifications to the suspension, and most where owners cut corners to save a buck
 

Rustycowl69

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I think that whole term, "death wobble" is highly inflammatory. Has anybody ever died from this so-called "death wobble"? Is it just some exaggerated term coined for effect? Why not call it worn out equipment, ill advised modification, poorly maintenained truck problem? Because it's not as catchy, and it won't be picked up on by some ambulance chasing types looking for a quick buck and deeper pockets.
 

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