# Jeep Shimmy **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** cherokee, jeep\ **Created:** [August 14, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-shimmy/53522 "2010-08-14T14:45:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yochumd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@yochumd](https://community.cartalk.com/u/yochumd)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-shimmy/53522/1 "2010-08-14T14:45:22Z")
1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 75,000 miles. When driving at over 50 mph and hit a bump in the road my front end sometimes shimmies so much that I have to slow down until it goes away. I’ve had the front end checked but the repair place says that all is OK. I think it may be the shock absorbers. Any thoughts welcome. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-shimmy/53522/2 "2010-08-14T15:01:36Z")
This sounds like the dreaded Jeep Death Wobble that tends to afflict these vehicles once they have racked up a lot of miles. The first thing that I would check is the mountings and bushings for the track bars. More than likely the mounts are loose and/or the bushings are worn out. Another possible cause is excess wear in the steering linkage. It is also possible that the vehicle’s ball joints are worn out. I would suggest that you take the vehicle to a place that specializes in off-roading, simply because these problems show up first in Jeeps that are used for off-roading. As a result, the mechanics at places like that tend to be the most familiar with this fairly common problem on older Jeeps. If you are lucky, you will only need to repair/replace one of the components that I mentioned above. In extreme cases, you will need to replace all of those parts. Just don’t ignore this problem as it will only get worse and is a definite safety issue. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-shimmy/53522/3 "2010-08-14T15:13:57Z")
Have You Ever Replaced The Steering Damper ? Did The Repair Place Disconnect The Business End Of The Damper And Check Its Operation ? This “fifth shock absorber” is a maintenance item. CSA ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-shimmy/53522/4 "2010-08-14T16:09:48Z")
Good point, CSA. The steering damper is one more part that can play a role in these symptoms. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-shimmy/53522/5 "2010-08-14T16:46:28Z")
My vote is also for the steering dampener.