Welcome to jeeps.com :welcome: Please,don't let the dreaded "death wobble" stop,you from living your dream to own a jeep , there will always be someone there to help,or give advise , like us.
Jeepz.com comes from a long line of members that have various experience ownership and maintenance wise. Any jeep that has not been well inspected or even maintained will eventually experience this as it is caused mainly by worn parts that cause misalignment . When tires don't track as they should and can't get back into the line they were meant to follow , you will get this horrific vibration which you will feel straight up into the palms of your hands. My last experience with it was chiefly a trac bar but I knew a front end rebuild was abound. Having past that , I haven't seen or felt " death wobble" about ten years . A jeep is not prone to death wobble by name , it is the lack of maintenance that some owners irresponsibly believe that a jeep is tough as nails and will last forever on its own. True , a jeep IS tough as nails but parts wear like any other vehicle and must be changed. Like any other vehicle you will ever own , you'll want to get a good inspection by a trusted mechanic who knows jeeps & 4WD vehicles. Your main concern is a good body and chassis followed by a good engine , transmission & transfer case and axles.
Of course all else such a/c and a stereo for example count ( your paying for , so it's got to work ) too but always remember why your buying a jeep as opposes to a Nissan Altima or something.
You want it to work right and last . Start with a good jeep , take best care of it and it will take best care of you and never leave you stranded. Well , we always pray to the God of jeeps that our jeep will be spared from internal and external demise but it is our duty as jeep owners to care for our jeep as we would our first born. To,summaries , yes , if you love jeeps and love driving them , I firmly believe they are worth it. Every time I fix something on mine and it feels better than before , I tell myself " your luck , better not let that happen again !" If we keep everything working like any one would on their car ( or should) , the only thing left to complain about is the gas mileage ( maybe even the insurance ?) . Owned my '92 cherokee since 2001 and got me to work EVERY snow storm , back from Pennsylvania in a couple and a bunch of trips,upstate and in the trails . Not quite like the energizer bunny , but if I do my part , it will . You have to tune , change fluids , brakes ,etc. But you have to do this to every vehicle you own if you want it to last and be dependable. So,it's no different . Plus , what economy car can get through two feet of snow ? I expect to hear from more members since you ask a very good question .
Best of luck in your decision and thank you for your membership here at Jeepz.com !
