Death Wobble on this immaculate '99 Jeep Cherokee! CAR WIZARD shows how to find it and the fix

There are inherent problems that plague specific vehicles, and the Death Wobble is the bane of the Jeep Cherokee. The CAR WIZARD 🧙‍♂️ shows how to find the source of the wobble and how to fix it.
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[@rbkahuna8192]

We purchased a barely used 2001 Cherokee Sport 4.0 and put almost 200,000 miles on it. In that time it got tires, brakes,oil changes,one tuneup and a serpentine belt. Hands down the most reliable vehicle we ever owned so far.

[@imchris5000]

if the bushings have not been done already just go ahead and buy a mild lift kit they include most of the bushings you will need. the problem is the rubber is over 20 years old and is degrading quickly every time you drive it. my 97 tj had all stock bushings till this year and they were extremely rotten now it rides like it was new again with 2 more inches of lift

[@bobquattrini1787]

Nice...My 99 Xj has over 400,000 miles and it's just like new...Best vehicle ever built...A real tank

[@N-wordScissorhands]

They’re sweet. I wish I never sold mine. 4 liter had great power and it would pretty much drive over anything I wanted it to.

[@fredsimmons6188]

I love that Crown Vic in the background.

[@keithcurtis6671]

Car Wizard: " I DO NOT work on older cars!!" Also Car Wizard "Here is the latest old car I am working on!" Keep up the good work!

[@NICK-uy3nl]

Real mechanic works on any car, sissies only work on 10 yrs or newer cars that is not too greasy

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

A vehicle with "timeless" and "abundant" spare parts, upgrade parts... so no hesitation working on it and fixing it....?

[@nickrenda9985]

By older cars, he refers to stuff older than the mid 80s

[@peterzinia3767]

If it needs to be fixed...Fix it! Production year doesn't matter. Wuss. REVOULUTION!!

[@carguy3028]

@@NICK-uy3nli understand why they don’t want to work on classics, it’s more about the time it takes to find parts and since it’s not your car you have to bill for that, sometimes it takes days to weeks, you have the car taking up space the whole time. Classic cars are better left to those who can work on them themselves.

[@klwthe3rd]

I lived not far from Papa's Jeep in New Britain CT. That dealership sold TONS of Jeeps throughout the state. I would see their dealership sticker on the back of many Jeep vehicles for decades. Nice to see this one survived. 😊

[@Crzyfrlss1]

I also lived close by there and even bought a Jeep from them!

[@Uncle05Sam]

That's a good looking Crown Vic in the background... two of the most bulletproof engines and overall vehicles in one video, well done.

[@Cherokeelion]

Looks like a police interceptor, maybe a detectives car. I saw it immediately as well!

[@tornadotj2059]

I've owned 3 of these. My daughter just turned over 180,000 miles on her 98. I'll argue that the steering stabilizer is a band aid and not a solution to death wobble, so a failed stabilizer would only reveal another problem, and would not be the primary problem. I've worked on hundreds of these and TJs, which have the same front end setup. No rear swaybar means it either has the Up Country suspension, or someone removed it at some time.

[@miller7759]

They never left the factory without a sway bar. I've been running with no sway bar for years with no issues. Im lazy and dont feel like disconnecting or reconnecting everytime I go Play which is Daily.

[@tornadotj2059]

@@miller7759 They did. As I said the Up Country suspension deletes the rear sway bar. From Wikipedia: Rear suspension: The XJ uses a leaf spring rear suspension. Each leaf pack contains four leaf springs with a fixed eye at the front of the spring and a compression-style shackle at the rear of the spring. Two gas-charged shock absorbers are also used, along with a mild anti-sway/anti-roll bar. The suspension used on vehicles with the optional UpCountry package did not employ the rear anti-sway/anti-roll bar and provided one inch of lift over the standard suspension.

[@miller7759]

@@tornadotj2059 I know these in and out....I'm on XJ 24 since 1999. All I own and all I drive. I fix and flip them too.

[@tornadotj2059]

@@miller7759 Sorry but you are incorrect. I shared the data with you. My 1999 had the Up Country and came with no rear swaybar. Where do you think all the XJ guys got the idea of taking them off and tossing them out in the trash? Because Jeep sold them with the Up Country with no rear swaybar. I've built more offroad TJs, YJs, XJs, etc. than I can even remember. We had a shop. Go out to NAXJA or something and ask, you'll find I am correct. Not many people bought them with Up Country suspension, so it doesn't really surprise me that you haven't seen one.

[@NONAME-kw3pu]

its not an MG Midget, mazda miata, triumph spitfire... but ppl think it is as they think the "APPROPRIATE FOLLOWING DISTANCE" is 20' behind someone at 70 mph??? and they stop... and so they THINK that they can TURN the 4x4 LIKE a "car" and ... its too heavy

[@chrishayden8137]

Papas is still going! I live about 30 minutes away and they primarily deal with Jeeps, Rams, and Dodge.

[@riveneva1519]

I have a 99 Cherokee that I bought used with 149,000 miles on it. It eventually developed a death wobble - very scary as you said. I replaced all of the wear items in the front and that solved it. That Jeep now has 304,000 miles on it and is still going strong. I’ve got another 99 Cherokee that i bought used with 192,000 miles that i’m fixing up. It was overheated and a shop told the previous owner it wasn’t worth fixing. I bought it for $500 and replaced the head and head gasket and it runs fine now. These are simple, tough vehicles that are easy and cheap to repair. I’m never selling mine.

[@christophercawley2818]

I had a 95 Cherokee that I absolutely loved, 237,000+ miles on the odo. Loved that beast.

[@JaredJanhsen]

My brother in law got one of these for a few hundred bucks. Reason it was so cheap was the wonderful world of corrosion on the underside. He welded in a replacement floor pan and he's still got it rolling as an adventure truck with the 4.0 six cylinder. The aftermarket support for these is rather robust.

[@volvo09]

I like these, wouldn't mind picking one up some day. I've always liked the looks of them too, they're almost 4x4 versions of a Volvo 740 / 940 wagon but with a taller body.

[@davidg1152]

@@JustSomeGuyNotAnAlien The 4.0 is a different engine from the 258 CID six.

[@JustSomeGuyNotAnAlien]

@@davidg1152 Thank you for correcting me. I was wrong. I appreciate you.

[@gaetanochiurillo1380]

Wizard! I live 10 minutes from Papa’s in New Britain CT. They are still in business. Bought a few jeeps there myself. Had a 2004 Jeep wrangler unlimited that had the death wobble. Couldn’t solve it so I traded it in for a 2011 Jeep GC. Love the channel and a hello to Mrs. Wizard.

[@klwthe3rd]

Yeah I wasn't far from that dealership either. They sold alot of Jeeps throughout the state. We had Wetmores and Georgetown Jeep/AMC in my part of the state.

[@shoemaker924]

Chiming in from New Britain! So cool to see this in wizard's shop!

[@Icehawks7]

@@klwthe3rd yup I live in the same town as Wetmores. Small size for a dealership but they sell a ton of Jeeps it’s crazy!

[@klwthe3rd]

@@Icehawks7 They aren't still open are they? I used to know Old man Wetmore and his wife. They were members at Ridgewood Country Club for years. They were so old when i knew them back in the 1990's. Wasn't sure if the dealership was still operating?

[@Icehawks7]

@@klwthe3rd oh I have no idea who the owners are. Also we may not even be referring to the same Wetmores, I’m referring to the one in New Milford. Not sure if that’s the one you are thinking of as well.

[@SaxaphoneMan42]

those 4 liter straight 6 engines were really cool. the last automobile motor manufactured in America with a flat tappet camshaft.

[@wesfields9322]

Man's wizard said, "Old is pre '95". You're hilarious people, keep up the content, peeps

[@jango156]

When I was a used car inventory manager I had a 2008 Wrangler unlimited 4X4 that had a 3inch lift from some cheapo depot company, and I had always thought that death wobble was a conspiracy theory. That is until I drove this particular jeep. 65ish mph and the whole front end literally started to hop up and down. The guy I was following called me and said the front wheels were visibly wobbling left and right. It was truly a terrifying experience, and now I am a true believer. Death wobble is a real thing.

[@richarda996]

Experience is the only teacher for some.

[@2wheel_freedom]

don't know if you ride motorcycles, but pray you never get the wobbles on one, we call em tank slappers as both handle bars slap the tank forcibly while that front wheel wobbles , it's the real DEATH wobble if you ask me.

[@CadgerChristmasLightShow]

Someone has never drove a ford truck from 1990-2005ish lol. The trucks we use at my job are all 20+ year old fords and half of them have a horrible wobble on the highway. We basically just don't ever go on the highway.

[@GutsAnGlory]

Papa's is still in business! Current New Britain resident and I drive by it almost every week 😊

[@pkvillager]

I miss my 98 Cherokee more than any of my old cars.

[@kdailey4315]

99 is the best year for the Cherokees. Still had the 8.25 rear end and it didn't have the head gasket issues that the 00 had.

[@baelm]

not entirely true, I had a 99 and the issue is the casting of the head itself. apparently some 99's had the 0331 head

[@v12alpine]

To add to things - first year of the horseshoe intake and thrust plate cam. Last year of the dizzy, high pinion D30, and federal emissions. Pretty much the best of everything offered.

[@baelm]

@@v12alpine i miss mine bad

[@v12alpine]

@@baelm I can't imagine selling them, I have a 99, two 96's and a 93 wrecked parts car I pick off of when needed.

[@toddrhine7648]

​@v12alpine HI, I own a 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with the I6 4.0.(all stock and wanna keep it that way!) Where does a guy buy good OEM parts for it? Like from sensors to suspension. Like they say, Mopar or Nopar when it come to sensors especially!

[@philipjfrydtm]

My Big Brother had a 1995 Jeep Cherokee XJ 4.0 liter back in the early 2010's.

[@WhittyPics]

Straight 6 engines are usually pretty bulletproof

[@onemat2000]

Hi Wizzard! I grew up in New Britain and Papa's Dodge is still there! My dad bought several cars, I think a 63 Dart. My neighbor had a '66 Charger. It was a great car.

[@machintelligence]

The first XJ that I owned had to have the track bar replaced once in 248,000 miles. I caught it before the death wobble set in.

[@theweeze1922]

I love my ‘06 TJ…the 4.0 straight 6 is the pinnacle of AMC technology

[@Sprintervan1]

I have the same 99 Cherokee I just inherited from my grandfather. It’s got 79k miles and I love it except it gets only like 13 miles per gallon.

[@sccarguy8242]

They are become very valuable, especially in stock form and low miles.

[@67FORDTRUCKF250]

Never sell it....

[@ktm42080]

Brings tears to my eyes, I had an 89 Cherokee Laredo. I loved that darn Jeep. It was a demo model for a local Jeep/AMC dealer and was ordered with every option, no tinted glass, but had keyless entry. Beautiful, comfortable, cloth bucket seats. And A/C to freeze you on a 97 degree day. This was in the early 00's.

[@miketyler4536]

Mine was the 2 tone Blue and 5 spd and was a billy goat and got good mileage and only has 112 K and was a ski vehicle for a client in Denver who brought it to SLC Utah where i bought it for 1200 in 2006 and flipped it less than a year for double that

[@DLTJR1959]

I bought an 89 Laredo June of 21. Took a year to get it right. Nothing major, just maintenance. 123K miles and no rust. Just got it painted. Uses no oil and runs great. I get lots of stares. They are great vehicles.

[@miketyler4536]

@@DLTJR1959 Mine was the rare 5 spd. Not many had that for that year or other years forward

[@TammyOne-rd9ng]

Just got a 2002 grand Cherokee Laredo. 110,000 miles. My research said it was a good buy. Fingers crossed

[@JoeyDaBull]

@@TammyOne-rd9ng i have an 04 i bought new.. get ready to be swapping parts if it has original front tierods etc..if something is making noise have it checked out.. how much did u pay?

[@GeraldPUR]

The track bar. I'll remember that thnk! The oil pan gasket is a very easy fix. Hell, even the valve cover gasket was a breeze to replace. I love this 4.0L engines 😊 get them while you can ppl!

[@jakelannetti3128]

Sold my old XJ last year because the frame had holes in it, but it was at 250,000 miles and ran incredibly well. That was my second one. Absolutely love these.

[@michaelpalm2210]

I had 2 of them myself and that 4.0 L High Output engine was great. If jeep still made them ,I'd buy another one, but they don't so I got a 2020 Toyota 4runner......ironically it also has a strong 4.0 L engine.

[@chrisbalfoort2564]

I had a "98 Sport 4.0L 5-Speed, and my dad had a '99 SE 4.0L Auto. Before that my dad had a '90 4.OL Auto. We loved them! The '90 warped the head because of the crappy AMC cooling system. I wrecked my severely rotted one, and my dad's rusted to the point that it wouldn't pass NY inspection.

[@doctorzaius4084]

The early 4.0 "closed" cooling system (no radiator cap) needed to be bled a very specific way or it was guaranteed to overheat. I drove myself nuts trying to get this right on the first Cherokee I owned. Once you get the air out of the system it works great, but it's a pain in the ass. A lot of people just convert theirs to the newer radiator, but there's nothing wrong with it - it's just weird.

[@GuyChapman]

That is bang tidy. A seriously capable vehicle, that has been treated with some care by the looks of it. There are a couple of channels that run XJs, notably Matt's Offroad Recovery. It really makes the case for unibody: light, rigid and strong.

[@karlkarl-2247]

Drove one for 13 years had a lot of fun with it.

[@scottbutts6703]

Mine is a '98 with the 4.0 and the 5 speed manual. It has 265,000 on it so far and it's rusty but trusty. The perfect winter beater/off road toy

[@bobkonradi1027]

I just watched an engine repair and teardown video channel on KZbin, and the content provider was tearing down a 4.0. He said that he had a hard time even finding a used 4.0 on the market to use on his channel because the engine usually is still running good but the car has rusted out around it, so it normally gets sent to the crusher. There's very few of them available on the used engine market because of this.

[@scottbutts6703]

@@bobkonradi1027 definitely. I've had a few 4.0 Jeeps and the only "engine work" I've done on any of them is gaskets and water pumps. I've rebuilt damn near the entire rest of this Cherokee lol, but the engine hasn't needed a thing

[@sccarguy8242]

The prices on these are going up and up, especially in clean original condition with lower miles. They are absolutely future collectibles.

[@baelm]

there is a 89k mile 98 model 4x4 manual in Colorado, dealer wants 12k

[@mikesweet5848]

Yeah that's been the case for the past 7 years already.

[@tunnelsnake627]

​@@baelm I've nabbed a 1996 with 250k and and 92 with 50k mile both for just $1500

[@baelm]

@@tunnelsnake627 i'm gonna keep looking then

[@rickbrown7287]

Ive got a '99 with almost 300,000 miles on it. Bought it in 2001 with 20,000 on it. I missed out on a 2001 that looked and drove LIKE NEW about a month ago. The lot it was on was asking $17,000.oo. Hes got another 2001 that's gonna be up for sale soon. Waiting to see what he's gonna ask for it. It only has 74,000 miles on it. 🤪

[@dgw4049]

I had 250k on my xj and not a single oil leak. Everything else was broken though😅😮 No 1st gear, no heat, no ac, locks broken, door fell off, seat broke, power windows broken, center console broken, stereo broken, headliner down. The 3rd trans was what broke me.

[@jaredcrawford3025]

Like my father before me, I also am a huge Toyota fan and believe in the liability as well like father like son, became a Toyota technician..I don't say this often, but I agree 100% those 4.0 engines and XJ's and the older 4.0 wrangler were very well built and lasts.. It's a shame they don't make them like they used to. I heard the reason the 4.0 was ousted was because they couldn't get it to meet California emissions. Congratulations on your FJ40 purchase.

[@JBK647]

The liability?

[@jaredcrawford3025]

@JBK my mistake lol. Reliability ****

[@bobquattrini1787]

My 99 Xj has over 400,000 miles and it's just like new and it doesn't need a timing belt like Toyota's and it has a solid axle... It'll outlast and outwheel the Toyota with ease too.... 😆

[@marshalmagooo3899]

The 4.0 and AW transmission was an indestructible combination

[@marshalmagooo3899]

​@Bob Quattrini just like new is an overstatement. I owned 3 as well and they were spartan at best

[@garthlundquist3623]

Curing death wobble on a 24 year old Jeep usually involves renewing many components as they all contribute. The steering box can appear ok but replacement is often needed.

[@JeffMiletich]

I had a very clean 1970 VW Beetle that I bought in 1975 from the original owner who babied it (garaged), painted it a root beer metallic brown, had 50,000 miles on it. I kept it well maintained & then one day I experienced the "Death Rattle" after going over some railroad tracks. It almost shook the steering wheel out of my hands! I had to come to a complete stop for it to stop shaking. Back in those days Target carried many popular parts for Beetles, so for $13.99 + tax I bought a new steering damper. Took about 5 minutes to install. It was still working properly when I sold the car 3 years later with 103,000 miles on it.

[@GarageWorx]

Wish they still made these. One of the best all around vehicles.

[@moonshinefuel]

Leaf springs over axle on the back, coils on the front. Very capable well built and mod friendly vehicles.

[@mikehawk4054]

You don't need to park indoors to keep your car lookin good. I park my 96 Grand Cherokee under the carport. Mine is probably as nice as this one. It has about 150k on it,and its a 5.2L. Mine started to get death wobble awhile ago, I installed the better track bar that you were speaking of. It's adjustable too,except I didn't need to adjust it, as mine only has 1.5 in lift Iron Rock medium duty springs. I definitely recommend them and shocks. The aftermarket adjustable track bar gets rid of that pesky ball joint that's prone to failure. Another thing that is a good upgrade is a steering box stabilizer. That really makes the steering noticeably more responsive, and it'll save your steering box seal from leaking by eliminating flex. I know we're talking XJ here,but the front steering and suspension is nearly identical to the ZJ and alot of ZJ parts will swap right into an XJ. You can actually swap the ZJ steering components, drag link tie rods ...etc into an XJ. That stuff is hollow on an XJ,but solid on a ZJ.

[@johneldorado]

Such a clean design, why can't they make things like this now?

[@michaelpalm2210]

I just got a toyota 4 runner very strong engines and boxy style for sure.

[@k9under]

EPA.

[@rickbrown7287]

EPA like said above AND they last too long. 🤘😎

[@mattheweburns]

In addition to the death wobble, these are known for getting bad steering gearbox is where there is a lot of play in the steering. We fixed mine about 10 years ago and 100,000 miles ago put some Bill Steen shocks on it Cooper cover tires and it can still keep up with traffic on the interstate.

[@aaronbrown6266]

So that Bill Steen guy makes some pretty good shocks?🤣

[@mikehawk4054]

The steering box seal on these and the ZJ is prone to leaking because the pitman arm shaft is really long and unsupported. If you add a steering box stabilizer,it will make the steering more responsive by eliminating flex,it will also keep the steering box from leaking. Did you know that a Chevy S-10 steering box will bolt right on a XJ or ZJ? Yup, it's a faster steering ratio too. Idk all the years that swap in,but 96 to 2000 fits. Probably other years too,but I haven't swapped any other ones. I wouldn't be surprised if they're all the same. All the bolts line right up.

[@happilyham6769]

Good ol' Bill Steen.

[@67FORDTRUCKF250]

​@@mikehawk4054 wow, I didn't know that... awesome advice, thanks!!! I replaced my steering box a couple of years ago and didn't know about the flex issue.

[@williamjones4483]

Bilstein. Jeez.

[@stevemcdaniel7990]

Had 2 Cherokees, an 89 and 2001 (final model year for the XJ) and got great service from both. Plenty of power and torque and great off-road capabilities. This definitely makes me nostalgic seeing Wizard's video! Thankfully never experienced the death wobble in either but I was aware that many Chrysler vehicles had that problem.

[@bungeycord5971]

Experienced the death wobble in an 07 ram mega cab at 70 mph on the highway. I thought the entire truck was going to shake apart. Scared the hell out of me.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

What was it that caused it?

[@bungeycord5971]

@@JohnSmith-yv6eq i was driving back to the dealer who let me take it overnight because the finance people had gone home. I told them what happened and told them i didnt want it. I could see some worn bushing in front suspension but i dont know. The megacab 1500 had the 2500 frame setup for that year and it was a not that uncommon issue back then. It can be very hard and expensive to fix.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

@@bungeycord5971 TKS.. The death wobble also occurred in Nissans especially the WD21 models (hardbody) from the 80's and 90's right through to the 1997 models overseas...as the rear link bars (4 link plus panhard rod) would wear out their bushings...and the rear end would start to steer the front end... diagnosed by accelerating then slowing under engine braking... vehicle would snake and clunk one way under acceleration...and the other under engine braking as the ends of the rear axle would move forward or back.... I have replaced only the bottom link bushings and panhard rod bushings on mine so far....top link bushings stay good after 31 years...

[@richardsmith2721]

I had one in Salt Lake City in the 80's. It had plenty of torque to get me up LCC canyon to Alta and Snowbird. It was really comfortable on the highway driving up to Jackson Hole or down to Moab too.

[@vinnys7514]

I own a more 'loved' example with 220k. Best vehicle I've owned.

[@aymaneoubad5057]

Cool car ! Also, can we please have a video about that Crown Victoria ?

[@greenteagabe]

I have owned one of these for nearly 2 years and have never, ever had to take it into a shop. Everything on these things is cheap and easy to replace. The engine is almost as simple as a 12v Cummins. Of course once you start lifting them you'll want to get a bunch of supporting mods (beefed up track bar and steering stabilizer, unibody stiffeners, etc) but they are incredible vehicles. Glad this one's been so well preserved. Most of the XJs in my area (besides mine and my mom's 83k mile '96) are beat down and have numerous miles. But each and every one still manages to start up on the first crank.

[@baelm]

sold my 99 x4x manual in 2020 for way too little money... regret it every day

[@gerardtrigo380]

Having been a 4X4 person since the 60's and having seen death wobble many times in many off-road vehicles, I think the destroyed busing you have found may be a result of the death wobble, not its cause. The two most common causes on solid axle vehicles were oversized tires and/or an improper lift kit installation that did not provide a proper dropped pitman arm. The adjustable track bars do not keep the front geometry as well as the proper pitman arm. Good luck.

[@budlanctot3060]

I refuse to call it "xxxxx wobble". When it happened to me on my '94 Cherokee, it was a little disconcerting I'll grant you, but it just felt like I had a flat tire. For me, I put new tires and shocks on it, and it never reappeared in over 150k subsequent miles.

[@ky0611]

Have you ever experienced any slight shaking from 50 to 60 mph?

[@TexasRedneck]

@@budlanctot3060then you didn’t have death wobble.

[@jimsix9929]

you are right about that bushing being the result, not the cause, I am the owner of Jims power steering in Akron Ohio, the cure is more positive caster, yes everything needs to be tight but 3 degrees of caster will cure it even with worn parts

[@TenFalconsMusic]

Really enjoy Mrs Wizard's interior walkthroughs. 😁👍

[@mr.mr.3301]

Had the death wobble. Started with steering stabilizer. Tires balanced. Shocks. Ended up being my sway bar. Yes get an upgraded adjustable track bar. Good if they add a 2 inch budget boost as well.

[@travisp11]

I had a 2001 XJ and it was my daily driver for 10+ years on jt. My dad currently drives it with over 250k miles on the ODO. Great vehicle but expect to replace items like heater cores, AC compressors, rear leaf springs, camshaft and crankshaft position sensor and the rear hatch wiring likes to break. Lastly the fitting that the oil filter screws into will eventually leak oil on the starter below. I also replaced my headliner

[@OutnBacker]

I owned a 96 for almost eight years. The most reliable vehicle I have ever had, and I've owned a lot of used ones over the last 45 years. I now drive a 95 Grand Cherokee that is a cream puff. I hope it is as reliable going forward because it has the same 4 liter but lots more comfort. The only downside is that the six cylinder works pretty hard, given the extra 700 lbs for the Grand. Pretty decent on the spur tracks off of the local forest roads. a 3' lift with Goodyear 30x9.50x15 KO2's is all I need. No death wobble with either model.

[@Henry_Jones]

You can tell its not a chrysler engine from the oilpan, the dip is the back half of the pan not the front.

[@10-cent-cup-a-Joe]

I like the way Jeep proudly stood up the spare in the back.

[@mrblondeheart9562]

I had a 04 GC with the 4.0L in it. I blew it up sadly. But that’s what happens when you roll back down a hill in drive… Miss my WJ but now I own a FJ cruiser and couldn’t be happier. I have a love for the 4.0L and love watching vids on them

[@scootermann83]

There is some colorful, interesting cars in the background today. That burgandy P71 looks nice and that blue 911 is gorgeous

[@Homeinmygardenwithmydog]

My daily driver is a 1998 Cherokee XJ Classic in Deep Amethyst Pearl (purple). Just had the rear leaf springs re-arched and a leaf added to them. This lead to getting some new, taller springs up front. That with my new, bigger tires and rims, gives it a certain badass look to it. Great, great car. 187,500 miles on it. Just keeps going. I do my own maintenances to it and I am, at best, a shade tree mechanic. It is extremely simple to work on. I hope to keep it forever. Perfect size with great power. I drive it with the rear seat folded down pretty much all the time. Had the death wobble taken care of. No biggie. I should also add that, because I live in the high desert of Nevada, I don’t have ANY rust on it. 😎 Love your videos, Mr and Mrs Car Wizard!

[@crazyeyez1502]

My mom had a 91. It had the selectable awd, "fulltime 4wd" as labeled on the selector. 2hi 4hi 4lo and full-time. Full-time was great for heavy rain and snow, as it acted like (best i was able to tell 20 years ago) a typical awd system.

[@Henry_Jones]

The commander was a chrysler product. The XJ was an AMC product. Thats the difference.

[@senanfoutchedjev2401]

Hi Wizard, I thought that all of the Jeep products are not good or reliable. But I guess there is a Gem in that rock group. Thank you.

[@seumasmackinlay]

The XJs were not only reliable, but probably one of THE best vehicles ever made --in my own humble opinion...

[@MichaelWilson-sn1yo]

Mr Wizard, been watching your videos for years and enjoy the content. This video helped me fix longtime death wobble curse in my 96 XJ 2 door. Love the Jeep hated the wobble! Thanks for your help

[@paulshannon4576]

Funny death wobble story. I bought a 68 VW with a blown engine. I rebuilt the engine on a third floor balcony. But the first time I drove it, when it went over railroad tracks it would wobble. I tried several things but I also saw that it had been wrecked in the front end. I would give friends rides and for some reason we had to go over the railroad tracks. 😁. As we approached I would grip the steering wheel and clamp my hand to my knees. Instead of the steering wheel shaking it would cause the whole front end shake and scaring the crap out of my passenger. 🤣

[@johngaither9263]

Three years in a Jeep dealership in the 70's I never saw "death wobble" in a Cherokee or Wagoneer. Different sized vehicle than yours. The wobble was common in the CJ-5 and was most often the stabilizer unit. Jeep called the Cardin joint a constant velocity joint; it had no provisions for lubrication. Bad news if it failed. The flailing shaft frequently cracked the trans case.

[@mattscullin5844]

Cool! I saw this jeep in the last video and was wondering about it. I have a '99 Cherokee myself. Thanks for doing this video!

[@darrellsaunders4267]

When Jeep's were built good.

[@boyscouts5000]

When anything was built good

[@Jordan-ce7sf]

My parents bought a year-old '95 Cherokee County when I was a kid. Hunter Green over tweed. Damn that thing was beautiful.

[@lpuig73]

The Death Wobble was just a part of the Jeep experience. Loved my '99 Cherokee Classic, especially in snow. I had large wheels on mine and had pushed out the wheels a pair of inches.. The inline 6 could run forever. Rust got to mine after 200k miles.

[@KeatonDee]

Love these!! I had one for years and yes for some reason they all get death wobble lol. Solid front axle not the best for daily driving and road tripping.

[@lance62]

Love my 2001 two door Cherokee. Great Informative video!

[@stevenatwater7298]

Did anyone else see play in the driver outer ball joint?? With the age, I'd be prone to replace just about everything up front, all links, ball joints, tie rods. Make it enjoyable and SAFE for years to come. I still say you need to apply way more force than that to identify worn ball joints, etc.

[@shitloveaduck]

He mentioned that he had already checked them on the ground. If they show serious wear in the air, they are much worse than a person actually thinks.

[@extexdf82]

The passenger side bolt hole for the track bar commonly gets wollered out causing play in the track bar even when replaced. There are lots to fix that. I personally tacked in a couple washers to hold the bolt firmly in place. That corrected my issue.

[@Lifebydeath]

I was going down the interstate at 70 in my 99 hit a bump and was gifted with the death wobble as I needed to merge away from a wall with no emergency space. One of the scariest experiences I’ve had driving

[@jerrycain8367]

When repairing old leaks on a 6cyl jeep. Check the pcv system,the plastic lines clog, builds pressure, and leaks.🎉

[@paulbartlett9054]

Papa’s CDJR is still in business. I live ten miles from there. They have several great car shows every year, and are very involved with the local car community and are big supporters of the Special Olympics.

[@mattheweburns]

I finally figured out how to fix overheating problems on these engines! Fan shroud makes a big difference, when you pick out a thermostat never delete your thermostat and don’t go with a cooler thermostat either, go with an OEM 195 degree thermostat. I guess it lets the coolant stay in the radiator long enough to actually cool significantly better. I did all sorts of stupid stuff and this was the only thing that worked. Some of these do you have some sort of reverse flow cooling systems, which can be confusing.

[@titaniumman_22]

I have a 98 Cherokee I’m finishing up a stroker build on…I love the look and simplicity of these guys. Thanks for this video and this 99 Cherokee is in insanely excellent condition.

[@jlr194]

Yes, Papa's is still in Business, I used to live in Connecticut until a year ago.

[@WhatsThisCar]

Had many XJs wizard! nice video. I'm currently looking for one now 👍

[@ChocolateFrog]

Had one in the UK. Quite rare over here but I got rid before the rust became terminal.

[@md2k8]

These older, late-1990's Jeep Cherokee's are very solid vehicles to own, because they last forever with proper maintenance. They only have the 4 L six-cylinder engine, which is a reliable engine for Jeep and other Chrysler vehicles. Anyway, I hope that the Car Wizard will have a minivan at his shop, preferably the 2006 Ford Freestar Limited with the 4.2 L V6 engine, which is a good engine from Ford to see, if the vehicle is well-maintained and if there are any small problems. He has not completed a video upload for a minivan just yet. I hope it comes 🔜. Thank you very much and have a great rest of the day.

[@1mlb704]

Up here in New England where this originated from, you don't really see these much anymore because they've all rusted out. It's a shame, these are great, simple, capable vehicles.

[@dannykelly3617]

I still see a ton in Massachusetts

[@michaelpalm2210]

@@dannykelly3617 me too . Love seeing them, and i owned a 1999 brand new . I now drive a 4runner similar style SUV

[@realcoolphil]

I've had two of these with death wobbles the fix was new shocks and a good tires. Did not have to change any suspension parts except for the shocks of course never had another problem with either one of them.

[@scottsullivan1464]

Thank you for going over the Jeep front end

[@nev997TT]

I still have my ‘95 two-door Cherokee Sport with manual transmission and 275k miles. It’s been sitting unused for a number of years, and definitely shows it’s age, but these really are terrific vehicles. I was able to get 215k miles out of the original clutch. The first time I experienced the death wobble it certainly did scare the crap out of me. I hit a very small pothole on the highway and the front end started going completely crazy until I slowed down to around 30mph.

[@volvo09]

What a nice and clean interior!

[@cspaceinfinity0116]

I had the same problem in my Jeep replaced all the shocks everything I could figure out and assemble tire balance fixed it I couldn't believe it was something so simple

[@johnspitta6725]

Love that u mention date codes on tires. Please tell my wife I’m not wasting money but saving her life when I replace 6 year old tires that look “fine” to her.

[@bobkonradi1027]

I'm in an area where Discount Tire has a big presence. Don't let the name fool you, they're a quality operation. My purpose in mentioning them: they have a company policy not to do work (like fixing flats, etc) on any tires over 5 years old. They'd rather lose the repair business than send a customer out with a fatigued tire.

[@johnspitta6725]

@Feral Man thanks for the tip! But I thought the problem was that they rot from the inside? Is that not so?

[@rootbeer666]

I had that on my Grand Cherokee. There was a spot on the highway where the cracks had the exact interval to trigger it when going a certain speed. I would often get stuck in dense traffic going that exact speed, and would have no choice but to run over that spot and trigger the wobble, needing to pull off onto the shoulder a quarter mile down (where there is a shoulder) to slow down and let the suspension calm down. The fix lasts a couple years.

[@matthewgreener9423]

Northeast?

[@reestyfarts]

One point about shocks and dampers. Rebound problems can arise with no leaks. The only way to test is to drive over a dip that forces rebound. I had a brand new car with this problem in a strut.

[@shitloveaduck]

Yeah,,, dry shocks don’t mean they aren’t worn out. There more to inspecting them than just seeing if they are dry. Like others said here, death wobble is rarely attributable to just one item needing repair or replacement. The shocks appear to be originals. If they are 100,000 miles or 160,000 kms are more than enough on them to consider some better quality aftermarket ones. All 4.

[@phillipcraggs6202]

A bad steering stabilizer does not cause death wobble. True, any number of loose ball joints/tie rods can attribute to death wobble, including the track bar, a worn out steering box as well, an incorrect caster angle can also contribute to death wobble, so if the control arm bushings are worn or a bent control arm, this may move caster in the wrong direction. Thanks for the vid, everyone has their own take on death wobble, and every video says something different.

[@shitloveaduck]

That about covers it all. A lot of time the steering box goes by unnoticed until it’s the only thing left. They have replaced enough on this I may consider replacing it as well out of an abundance of caution. The alignment is/was definitely out on this one. That tire wear is very evident. I’m surprised he didn’t talk about it.

[@jimsix9929]

good advice, 100% correct, not enough positive caster is the cause of death wobble, loose parts just make it worse

[@wadet73]

I've had 2 ZJs and 1 WJ with the 4.0 engines, great vehicles through 20 plus yrs.

[@Quadrille763]

I had one of these and loved it. I had the same issue at 30k it was a steering stabilizer

[@ronwade2206]

My 1997 Cherokee Sport was the best car I ever owned! I put well over 300,000 miles on it and when I sold it it still ran strong! Crappy Japanese wiring and switches aside, I love those 4.0 Liter 6 cylinders.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Blame the manufacturer for specifying (and only paying for) the crap wiring. A little more money spent on good wiiring and switchgear...there would never have been a problem. It's the money...always folow the money!

[@drooskeedoo3388]

Man, brings back memories. I had a 99 I used to beat to hell and it never left me stranded. They also had an amazingly reliable automatic transmission. The aw4 was unkillable. Another issue with that front track bar is that the hole for the bolt on the axle bracket wallows out. It's pretty thin metal. I would weld on a little strip of 1/4 steel and re-drill the hole.

[@todd2k3]

Totally agree. My 99' was awesome. I regret everyday having wrecked it. The guy I sold it too fixed it and got it running again and still drives it. It was low mileage and I babied the heck out of that thing... sad.

[@bienvenidojosejorajuria5125]

Stabilizer bar

[@rootbeer666]

I had the imported Aisin tranny in my '93 Grand Cherokee. That had no issues either.

[@cjhawk67]

Fun fact the AW4 also known as the Aisen Warner A340 is a Toyota transmission Chrysler picked to put behind the 4.0 in 87 when they shoehorned the motor in the XJ because it was strong yet small enough to fit within the constraints of the XJ trans tunnel.

[@drooskeedoo3388]

@@cjhawk67 and yet, for some reason, they didn't put it in the TJ. I'm still salty about the 42rle they ended up using in later years. That thing has no business being behind the 4.0

[@bmwloco]

And my happy and daily driven 1971 Dodge D100 smiles.

[@scubatrucker6806]

One of my favorite jeeps 🤎🤎

[@MoparRocker74]

I experienced the same thing on my ‘00 Wrangler. Except it was the upper (frame mounted) bushing which had been regularly bathed in used oil, rotting the rubber. A $9 urethane replacement killed the wobble, nothing in the next 100k miles. I would only get DW at 25-35 mph after hitting a bump in the road setting it off.

[@GtotheC88]

I had death wobble on my 97 Grand Cherokee. Absolutely terrifying when it would happen

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

What fixed it?

[@GtotheC88]

I got a new lift kit for it and all the suspension, shocks, and track bars were replaced. No issues after that

[@TacoTruck17]

It's the bushings! Had the wobble on my wrangler!

[@bryanshoemaker6120]

I love 90's xj and zj. I found one sitting on the field. Expired tags, shocks look like peeled bananas, the calipers were rusted solid, wheel bearing seized. Trackdown the owner daughter for scrap value. Swapped out bunch of parts and she's driving like a dream. I still have a list of things to do.

[@AldermanFredCDavis]

Had a used white 2001 2-door, 2WD Cherokee and a used yellow 4WD 2000 Cherokee. I had them when they were 10 or 11 years old. Loved them. Pavement princesses. Both were 2nd vehicles. Something very relaxing about having a vehicle where you're not worried about door dings, where you're going to park, and whatnot. I found the weakest component to be the air-conditioning system. Air didn't work in the white one. The yellow one would get cold, but not ice cold.