Anybody run these wheels? I might have a problem...

[DarthGremlin]

So today I had the Cherokee wheels put on my Eagle that I have had in my garage for a couple weeks.  They are the same ones that I had on my '94 Cherokee and I always liked the...thought they would look great on the Eagle.

Anybody else have these on their car?:

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n555/darthgremlin/jeepwheel2.jpg

I’m wondering if there is a problem with these wheels in an Eagle application.  I have used a variety of Cherokee wheels on Eagles over the years and didn’t foresee any problems with these, but....

the ride back to my office from the tire shop is fairly low speed and I didn't notice any issues.  When I left for home tonight and got on the highway, however, there was a definite change in handling, and not for the better.  The thing seemed pretty squirrelly and when I hit a bump at one point the whole thing started to shudder and wobble (!)  I slowed down and the shuddering stopped but I still felt like it was not handling nearly as well.  Tires are nearly new and 205/75/15.
I watched them balance and install the wheels, so I have no reason to believe that this was not done correctly.  Does it sound like the new wheels have exposed a different problem in the front end?  Are these wheels just not a good option for the Eagle?  (Which would be too bad, because they look cool)
Any  thoughts?

[eaglefreek]

Sounds like death wobble. It's usually from a worn part in the front suspension. I replaced my steering stabilizer and it fixed it for me or maybe hid the real culprit.

[thereverendbill]

i agree with eaglefreek the dreaded "death wobble"  how are your front end components?  try jacking the front of the car up, grabbing a wheel and see if there is play by moving the sides and top and bottom.  If there is no play then i would try a new stabilizer

[LaGuardia]

I believe that anything with the right bolt pattern (and those do have it) should work, as long as the tires don't rub.

I second the advice from other members, look for play on front wheels with the car's front jacked up. Mine developed the "death wobble" some time ago and I found out the pitman arm was nearly gone: any harder than usual bump could have disengaged it leaving me with a useless steering system. No good.

Just replacing it (with no need for the stabilizer to be replaced) solved the problem. It's a cheap part, compared to its function, and replacement is easy. Just be sure to have the right extractor tool before even attempting to do that (ask me how I know).

The question now is: why you noticed this after installing new wheels ? Maybe they just develop more drag (larger footprint) and the weak pitman arm showed its limit.

Anyways, you definitely want to check that play: I'm not willing to scare you, but when I found out, and realized what should happen, man I *was* scared !

[DarthGremlin]

It did seem that the wobble originated in the front end...  I think the term "death wobble" tells me all I need to know.  Thanks to all of you for the advice!

casper, I have a two-tone blue wagon.  I think the wheels look great and will be doing what I can to keep them...I'll try to post some pics of the car, but I wont see it in the daylight again til Saturday.

[mudkicker715]

No problems with my 94 kee rims on my sedan

[eaglefreek]

Just rotating tires can sometimes bring on death wobble. So I can see how a different set of tires could do it. Research death wobble on the net. Many things like worn hub bearings, alignment, worn bushings, etc can cause DW. I got a bad case of DW in this 6000LB beast going 70 mph through Glenwood Canyon. I ne
eded a change of shorts after that.

[craigp29690]

Make sure the rim is setting flush against the hub.  The center bore on the alum rim may not be large enough to clear the axle protrusion extending beyond the face of the hub.   Some of these tire shops will just bolt on and torque to kingdpom come and never check anything.  If they can get a lug nut on it, they think they're good to go.  I bought some rims for my concord, same bolt pattern but the center bore was too small and the rims won't sit flush.  Now if I were a hack tire store I'd bolt them on carefully and you might not ever know it, well at lesat for a while.  I'd be real suspect of suddenly developing the "death wobble" just by changing rims and tires.

[mudkicker715]

What rims are we talking about. Here's my 94 kee rims

[Jurjen]

What did you do with the three small retainer bolts that hold the drum?
When you leave them in the rim may not be flush with the drum and cause all kinds of wobbling.
I removed the three bolts and drilled the holes with a countersunk drill and used appropriate screws to hold drums.

[tougeagle]

Just rotating tires can sometimes bring on death wobble. So I can see how a different set of tires could do it. Research death wobble on the net. Many things like worn hub bearings, alignment, worn bushings, etc can cause DW. I got a bad case of DW in this 6000LB beast going 70 mph through Glenwood Canyon. I ne
eded a change of shorts after that.

Sorry for the OT... Is that a Quigley conversion? My boss wants one of those so bad..

[DarthGremlin]

These are the wheels....the 'swiss cheese' style.

[eaglefreek]

Just rotating tires can sometimes bring on death wobble. So I can see how a different set of tires could do it. Research death wobble on the net. Many things like worn hub bearings, alignment, worn bushings, etc can cause DW. I got a bad case of DW in this 6000LB beast going 70 mph through Glenwood Canyon. I ne
eded a change of shorts after that.

Sorry for the OT... Is that a Quigley conversion? My boss wants one of those so bad..

Yes PM me if you have any questions. It was a company vehicle and I drove it for a year through several states.

[tougeagle]

These are the wheels....the 'swiss cheese' style.

Ahh, the pizza wheels. I had those on my '96... You def shouldn't have a problem running those. Just make sure they fit flush with the face of the drum..

[vangremlin]

I got a bad case of DW in this 6000LB beast going 70 mph through Glenwood Canyon. I ne
eded a change of shorts after that.

That is not the place to get handling problems! Glad all you needed was a change of shorts!