Death wobble

[Naohiko Otsuka]

When driving my Ineos Grenadier at around 100 km/h and hitting a bump, it starts to wobble violently
so much that it feels like the wheels might come off. It’s really dangerous,
and I want to fix it. Has anyone else experienced the same issue? The car is a diesel with 41,000 km.

 

[Chadd7]

Do you have any modifications to the stock steering or suspension?

 

[AWo]

Check all bolts and nuts related to the front axle! The radius arms, the Panhard rod, the steering rod and all bushes.

If one of the bolts or nuts came loose you need to fix thar a.s.a.p

 

[dreamalaska]

Death wobble can unfortunately become an issue with solid front axle vehicles. It’s cause is usually worn front suspension parts (or obvious loose/missing parts), and can be difficult to identify the root cause if nothing obvious is apparent. What makes it hard to diagnose is that the suspension parts wear over time, some faster than others, and many times the cause is not a single item, but multiple worn items that need to be replaced (ball joints, steering linkage, shocks).

I’ve gone down this rabbit hole on my ‘96 Cummins Ram, and end up buying all new extreme-duty aftermarket front suspension parts each time the death wobble rears its ugly head, and it’s only a matter of time before I have to do it all again. I get around 60-75K miles (100-120K km) out of these parts, so I’m surprised your’s is showing at only 24K miles (41K km). Hopefully your’s is a single easily identified part.

Most important is to NOT ignore it. It won’t get better over time and magically go away on its own.

 

[Dokatd]

Do you have any modifications to the stock steering or suspension?

This is an important question. As well, you should check the tie rod and drag link as they often come from the factory completely loose.

 

[dreamalaska]

…as they often come from the factory completely loose.

WTH?

 

[Knoe]

When driving my Ineos Grenadier at around 100 km/h and hitting a bump, it starts to wobble violently
so much that it feels like the wheels might come off. It’s really dangerous,
and I want to fix it. Has anyone else experienced the same issue? The car is a diesel with 41,000 km.

I had the same problem with my 2024 Grenadier several times.
After my second reclamation the workshop detected loosen connections in the steering system. After fixing them the problem didn’t appear again.

 

[rob88]

When driving my Ineos Grenadier at around 100 km/h and hitting a bump, it starts to wobble violently
so much that it feels like the wheels might come off. It’s really dangerous,
and I want to fix it. Has anyone else experienced the same issue? The car is a diesel with 41,000 km.

This is a known problem called "death wobble." It's likely a failed steering damper.

Do not drive at high speeds. Contact your dealer immediately for a warranty replacement. They are aware of the issue.

 

[Dokatd]

This is a known problem called "death wobble." It's likely a failed steering damper.

Do not drive at high speeds. Contact your dealer immediately for a warranty replacement. They are aware of the issue.

Surely your kidding, now there is a known problem of failed steering dampers

First they are too strong now they are failing!!!

Could this explain why some people don't understand why some of us hate the steering?!

What a joke.

 

[Steve.B]

Surely your kidding, now there is a known problem of failed steering dampers

First they are too strong now they are failing!!!

Could this explain why some people don't understand why some of us hate the steering?!

What a joke.

I have never herd of an ineos grenadier having a steering damper failure, apart from impact damage, it certainly has not been mentioned on this forum.
Impact damage is not the fault of Ineos, and people on this forum have been running their Grenadiers with the damper removed with no problem.
A good chance is someone forgot to tighten a component after a wheel alignment, or damage.

 

[SvenGren]

Hi... I experienced exactly this during recent travelling thru the Balkans with my 2001 Land Rover Defender 110. I was forced to visit a specialist in Zagreb. I was only able to drive with max. 60 km/h. In my case a new steering damper with gas and new Panhard rod bushes did the trick. I have to change two steering rod ball joints later on, but this is minor. Start with those two parts and work thru the rest closely. Hub bearings play, wheels, steering relay, trialling arms bushes. Best regards, Sven

 

[AWo]

A death wobble is not caused by a failed steering damper. Bad steering is possible, but a death wobble is far more serious.

Not every vibration in the steeringbis a death wobble.

AWo

 

[Dokatd]

A death wobble is not caused by a failed steering damper. Bad steering is possible, but a death wobble is far more serious.

Not every vibration in the steeringbis a death wobble.

AWo

You are 100% right...

But...........Steering dampeners are very often the cure for real death wobble. In the case of the Grenadier this is the case. If you run long enough without your damper on a Grenadier you will find your death wobble.

As well, the factory repair for ford F250 death wobble was a heavy duty steering damper kit.

So it is forgivable for someone to think that the steering stabilizer failing is the cause of Death wobble when it is really just a case of the band aid falling off.

 

[SvenGren]

You are 100% right...

But...........Steering dampeners are very often the cure for real death wobble. In the case of the Grenadier this is the case. If you run long enough without your damper on a Grenadier you will find your death wobble.

As well, the factory repair for ford F250 death wobble was a heavy duty steering damper kit.

So it is forgivable for someone to think that the steering stabilizer failing is the cause of Death wobble when it is really just a case of the band aid falling off.

Hi... Thx... I am willing to learn, but no native speaker... What do you mean by the band aid falling off? BR, Sven

 

[Dokatd]

Hi... Thx... I am willing to learn, but no native speaker... What do you mean by the band aid falling off? BR, Sven

Band aid falling off means that the death wobble problem is not caused directly by the steering stabilizer failing. But the steering stabilizer masks or hides the problem.

So, a band aid hides a cut on your skin, the band aid isn't the problem, it's the cut that is the problem and the band aid just covers it up so the problem seems to go away or is at least hidden from view. So if the band aid falls off then the real problem shows, or in this case the symptom shows.

 

[SvenGren]

Band aid falling off means that the death wobble problem is not caused directly by the steering stabilizer failing. But the steering stabilizer masks or hides the problem.

So, a band aid hides a cut on your skin, the band aid isn't the problem, it's the cut that is the problem and the band aid just covers it up so the problem seems to go away or is at least hidden from view. So if the band aid falls off then the real problem shows, or in this case the symptom shows.

Got it. Could be the case. In my case the damper combined with Panhard rod bushes worked. Of course I am not sure if those measures just mask the root cause. I will change steering ball joints. The rest was declared fine. Trialling arms bushes seem okay, but are 8 years old polybushes. Two failed already and disintegrated in the rear left trialling arm. So maybe this might be adding to the root cause as well. If I would change them as well I would run out of any more suspects adding to the prob at my vehicle. Wheels seem okay with 2,4 front and 2,6 back. Wheel bearings are fine w/o play, steering relay and rod okay. Hmmm... BR Sven

 

[Zimm]

This is the exact issue member DOK had, contact him for details. All of his ball joints were lose and damaged, and needed replaced.

 

[rob88]

Surely your kidding, now there is a known problem of failed steering dampers

First they are too strong now they are failing!!!

Could this explain why some people don't understand why some of us hate the steering?!

What a joke.

You're right, it's a complete mess.

First batch was overly stiff, now they're failing. It absolutely explains the hate for the steering—it's either been numb or unreliable.

What a joke indeed. They can't seem to get it right.

 

[Shopkeep]

You're right, it's a complete mess.

First batch was overly stiff, now they're failing. It absolutely explains the hate for the steering—it's either been numb or unreliable.

What a joke indeed. They can't seem to get it right.

I can't tell if people in this thread are taking the piss or being serious. Has there been a single documented case of a factory steering damper/stabiliser failing? (I'm talking actual failure of damping function; abuse / impact / bonging noises excluded).

 

[Dokatd]

I can't tell if people in this thread are taking the piss or being serious. Has there been a single documented case of a factory steering damper/stabiliser failing? (I'm talking actual failure of damping function; abuse / impact / bonging noises excluded).

I'm with you, I haven't heard of it to date. Won't be surprised, but who knows.