Death wobble and swivel pin preload.

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meego said:
Just a thought. Is it worth making the preload too heavy and try it for a short drive ? I’m not sure it could, but just in case the load is becoming lighter when it’s back on its wheels for some reason. If no difference you can just set them back to the correct load and put your thinking cap back on. If you feel like running it up my way, we can jack it up and one of us can lie under it while the other bounces some stuff up and down 😳
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The left side is probably a wee bit heavier than it should be and the right is fine. Happy to pop round and give it another look over though if you want
 
the_wolf said:
The left side is probably a wee bit heavier than it should be and the right is fine. Happy to pop round and give it another look over though if you want
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I’m off now till Tuesday mate so no problem. Be here all day tomorrow probably, but I’ll pm my number and postcode. Unless you still have them ??
 
Met @meego yesterday and had a look over it and found what seemed to be an embarrassingly simple fix to my steering rattle problem. Turns out one of the bolts on the top steering column UJ was loose as well as play in the front left side wheel bearing (was sure I checked this but apparently not). So far the steering is rattle free and much nicer so fingers crossed that's it sorted.
 
the_wolf said:
Met @meego yesterday and had a look over it and found what seemed to be an embarrassingly simple fix to my steering rattle problem. Turns out one of the bolts on the top steering column UJ was loose as well as play in the front left side wheel bearing (was sure I checked this but apparently not). So far the steering is rattle free and much nicer so fingers crossed that's it sorted.
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Hope you took some biscuits with you on the visit
 
tottot said:
Does this mean you have not yet checked/done the swivel pin pre load since this thread was started?
Swivel pin pre load job does not need the hub removed unless pin or bush is worn.
Jack and support axle.
Remove wheel and disconnect track rod [and steering rod for nearside.]
Have a feel of the swivel housing for any movement other than the normal turning action.
If housing can be turned with little effort then preload needs setting. Use a spring scale.
If you leave the big seal in place and another 4 to 6lb foot to the normal 12lbf. That is the pull you should have on steering arm before housing moves.
To swap out shims you have to remove the top pin, have a jack just holding hub up as you do this to prevent housing drop and oil loss. Remove a thin shim and replace pin with bolts tight. Jack down and test.
If wrong try again until right.
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Okay so let me give now a real situation that happened yesterday.

I was commuting on the my highway (motorway) and like mentioned before 80km/hr, every time, No issues. However, once I got to 85-87 I got a nasty wobble, on this particular part of the highway, to slow down is pretty dangerous so I gunned on the throttle and almost got out of it but some idiot cut me off on his merge and I had to release and with the little wobble that was still possessing my steering it then went back to a really nasty wobble so I got to about 60 and it finally went back to normal.

After I did my business, I headed home via highway, and got to 96-98km/hr without even realizing as I had just got on the highway so it was no more than 30 seconds. no issues, slight wobble but it was holding. It seems as if the truck slowly over time adapts to the speed. I am sure if I took it easy accelerating on the first drive it would have slowly taken me to 100-110km.

I guess my question is, and if I am asking it wrong please correct me, but is there a part that over time driving at high speeds will adapt to speed and smooth out the ride and not make a wobble? Or what part would allow the ride to smooth out even though it is the cause of the wobble?
 
LG199714 said:
Okay so let me give now a real situation that happened yesterday.

I was commuting on the my highway (motorway) and like mentioned before 80km/hr, every time, No issues. However, once I got to 85-87 I got a nasty wobble, on this particular part of the highway, to slow down is pretty dangerous so I gunned on the throttle and almost got out of it but some idiot cut me off on his merge and I had to release and with the little wobble that was still possessing my steering it then went back to a really nasty wobble so I got to about 60 and it finally went back to normal.

After I did my business, I headed home via highway, and got to 96-98km/hr without even realizing as I had just got on the highway so it was no more than 30 seconds. no issues, slight wobble but it was holding. It seems as if the truck slowly over time adapts to the speed. I am sure if I took it easy accelerating on the first drive it would have slowly taken me to 100-110km.

I guess my question is, and if I am asking it wrong please correct me, but is there a part that over time driving at high speeds will adapt to speed and smooth out the ride and not make a wobble? Or what part would allow the ride to smooth out even though it is the cause of the wobble?
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Its called "speed wobble" because that is when it happens usually induced by a bump in the road. Loading up the drive train [accelerating] can act as a damper but is not a cure.
Have you done the swivel housing preload?
 
Nope, I have
tottot said:
Its called "speed wobble" because that is when it happens usually induced by a bump in the road. Loading up the drive train [accelerating] can act as a damper but is not a cure.
Have you done the swivel housing preload?
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No I have not. I just watched a video on how to do it.

I am thinking of ordering shims if I have to do this. I am guessing I would need them?

Why does this happen? Is it because over time the shims compress and thin out?
 
The shims you need are already in there, it is a case of removing one or two to get the preload right. They are of different thickness and it is a case of try it and see. Example remove the thinnest shim replace pin and if still to loose put it back and remove next thickest and so on until pre load is correct.
Wear in the bush fiber washer and the end of the pin will be the cause, accelerated if bush is dry due to lack of oil or one shot grease in the housing. If the whole bush is being replaced it should be oil soaked overnight before fitting.
 
tottot said:
The shims you need are already in there, it is a case of removing one or two to get the preload right. They are of different thickness and it is a case of try it and see. Example remove the thinnest shim replace pin and if still to loose put it back and remove next thickest and so on until pre load is correct.
Wear in the bush fiber washer and the end of the pin will be the cause, accelerated if bush is dry due to lack of oil or one shot grease in the housing. If the whole bush is being replaced it should be oil soaked overnight before fitting.
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So what parts will I need to do this?

If I doing this much work, I am replacing whatever I can regardless. Pin and bush?
 
LG199714 said:
So what parts will I need to do this?

If I doing this much work, I am replacing whatever I can regardless. Pin and bush?
Click to expand...
Replacing the bush and bearing is a more intensive job than just setting the preload. The preload can be set with just the wheel off. Bearings and bush requires the swivel to be removed.
 
LG199714 said:
So what parts will I need to do this?

If I doing this much work, I am replacing whatever I can regardless. Pin and bush?
Click to expand...
It isn't much work, you would do well to find a video on YouTube.
Wheel off, release track rod end, place a jack under the swivel for support, undo top two bolts, remove shim, do up bolts and check. You will probably need to experiment with removing different thicknesses of shims.
If you run out of shims then replacement of parts will be necessary.
 
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