# Violent vibration in cherokee frontend **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [March 16, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/violent-vibration-in-cherokee-frontend/27865 "2009-03-16T20:34:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![marcstewart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@marcstewart](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marcstewart)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/violent-vibration-in-cherokee-frontend/27865/1 "2009-03-16T20:34:03Z")
Twice now the front end of my 99 jeep cherokee has shook violently after hitting rough road. The first time happened when I went over a gravel washboard doing about 35 mph. I hit the brakes hard, stopped, got out to look and everything looked fine and it drove okay. Yesterday, traveling at 55mph on M-55 in Northern Michigan the road was frost heaved in a marsh area with dips and mounds of about 12+ inches in the pavement and it did it again. Again I hit the brakes and pulled off the road. As my speed dropped to around 20mph it felt fine and I continued to drive for another 4 hours with no problems. It feels like the wheels are bouncing back and forth (maybe against each other). There seems to be a lot of extra play in the steering wheel also. Is something wrong with my power steering? ---
**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:** [March 16, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/violent-vibration-in-cherokee-frontend/27865/2 "2009-03-16T21:31:01Z")
The Front End Needs To Be Checked Out, However There Is A TSB On This Problem. You could have other problems, however a Chrysler Technical Service Bulletin for 99-01 Cherokees pertains to “front end shimmy after striking bump or pot hole”. They call it a self-sustaining shimmy. The bulletin advises replacing right and left upper and lower control arms (4 arms in all) and two axle suspension bushings. Part numbers are given. I can’t tell if these are “revised” parts. Sometimes that is the case. It looks like they did these replacements while vehicles were under warranty when this shimmy became a problem. I would have it looked at by someone who knows front-ends and has access to TSBs. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/violent-vibration-in-cherokee-frontend/27865/3 "2009-03-16T21:43:23Z")
It’s called “Death Wobble”, while not common, we see it posted here now and then… Personally, I think it’s caused by a combination of worn parts, shocks, steering parts, bushings, creating enough slop so the steering can go into self-oscillation. Sometimes simple things can cure it, like rotating the front tires side to side. Other times, NOTHING seems to cure it…The first step is having a good front-end man check your steering and suspension for worn parts.