Does Your Quad Have the Death Wobble?! 

We are almost a 150k SUBSCRIBERS! Unreal! Thank you guys so much for all your continuous support! Check out www.Laptwo.com for motorcycle, ATV, scooter, and truck parts! My Instagram: 2_vintage_

It’s the ball joints I could see them move when you shook the tire

Don't just look at the tires for alignment. Measure them, you should have a slightly toe in measurement. If 1 tire is straight but the other is maybe a inch in you will have a wobble. Reset the rods to have an equal measurement on the front center and after center of the tires. From there, do you toe in. Only do half adjustment per tire due to having to do the same on the other side to match it. Its a little tedious but it may help you.

When you wiggled the right side tire and moved a lot, could be your ball joints are worn out. I would look into replacing those

Tie rods steering stem bearings also ball joints bushings in the a arms.

TIRES. Dude someone put fix a flat in it and it sat for a long time and it hardend and settled to one side. Spend 80 bucks on GBC 22x7-10 tires for the front. and that will fix it. If not you need new tires anyways... GBC xc masters are awesome tires for cheap on amazon.

Ok Joe. Quick tests to perform.. this is for cars or atv’s, go carts, whatever has independent front suspension.. jack up the front end, grab the wheel top to bottom and wiggle; this is balljoint test. Then grab wheel on left and right sides; this is your tie rod test. You look at your suspension components as you do this test. If there is play, there is your culprit! A bad wheel bearing will be evident in both tests.. this isn’t always full proof but for simple design suspension like the one you are dealing with it will give you loads of info!! Best of luck! Keep wrenching brother!! 🤙

Front end has multiple issues Wheel bearings probably on the way out Bent tie rod can put alignment out And worn shocks really amplify the problem Fix remedy those three and I’ll bet you ain’t got the DTs after that

Wondering if you have another quad in the garage you could swap front tires with same bolt pattern to see if wobble goes away ??

It’s your rims I’m having the same problem with my 700 raptor!

Right front had slop in lower ball joint. And both bearings could use new bearings. Then check the toe in should be about half inch less from tire to tire in front then back side of tires. Center handle bars and adjust tie rods

I had the same problem with my 400ex one of the rims were bent causing it to shake

Death wobble can be caused by either the upper/lower ball joints Or tie rod ends and connection at the steering shaft and wheel bearing preload.

Part of the issue is you need to Do an alignment on it. Set the handel bars straight and measure from the outside of the left front to the outside of the right front. Do that on the rear of the tires and front. Once you get the back and front to the same measurement, set the front a touch in. Also the wheel bearing are part of the issue too

No death wobble from my ATC 250R

Hey Joe, Cycle Needs Chris here.. you can definitely tell the alignment is off on that left side cause as you saw, it was bent. Replace that tie rod and your bearings and you should be ready to rock..

Would love to see you rehab a Raptor 660. They were only made from 2001 to 2005. Dual carb torque BEASTS.

Change the wheel bearings also but there's more to it.

Might need a lower steering stem bearing replacement or tie rod ends replaced

Wobble can also be from wheel slime in tires. Take out valve stems to see if slime in front tires

Dude you can HEAR the wheels bearings from "here", do that first, also de-bead the tire and see if there is mud in there, or green slime.. After that, anything bent will do it...

Is say it's the tires since you lowers the pressure and it made a diffrence oh and wheel bearings. Good. Luck Joe

It could be unbalanced wheels or bent rims i had one bent rim on my ltz400 and it was doing the same exact thing

make sure when u jack it up u put a piece of wood or something so it doesn’t roll backwards

Joe if you have an extra set of front wheels/tires from your stash throw the on....my bet is a bent wheel or fix a flat or tires have flat spots from sitting.....keep up the great work brother 👍👍👍

Front brake rotors being warped can cause that if you feel a tight spot when spinning the wheel around it could possibly be that !

Raptor 700R?????

I had the same issue with mine and I added about a cup of antifreeze used in tractors to both front tires and it stopped the wobble

Who clicked on this as soon as it came out?

Well you tried anyways. Hopefully it just is the bearings. I've seen others saying loose tie rods or something 🤔 too... Keep us posted. Do you still have the Polaris 400? You and Chuck should race that and this when she's all better...

Great comments today!!! Also make sure the rims arent bent! To bend a tierod like that, had to be a big crash! 😆👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍also- u have spare rims- try them!

I can't believe after all the bikes/quads you've fixed you've never replaced any bearings or bushings. That's usually the #1 job you have to do to any used quad. Your wobble is any combination of 3 things: bearings, a-arm bushings, and ball joints. I believe your bearings are the main problem here and they are super dirt cheap and easy to fix. Even the chinesium bearings will fix your problem. Seriously...like $10-15 is all they cost. Worth the cost to prevent more damage in the future. May want to check your rear swing arm for any wobbling as well as your rear axle carrier, a couple more almost mandatory fixes used quads need. Jack up the quad so all tires are off the ground and try to shake your rear end. If there is any play, they need to be replaced. Grab your axle on both sides and try to move it around. Any movement will require new carrier bearings. You don't want to be like my brother and destroy his carrier because he never checked for play. A $40 job turned into a $200 job. Same with the fronts. You don't want to keep riding on worn out stuff unless it'll mess up more things like your hub, or wallow out your a-arm mounting holes. I've seen it first hand. A little preventative maintenance goes a long way. You are the opposite of me. I know about everything non-engine wise because I've done all that stuff, but I've yet to touch a motor. When I buy a used bike, the motor has to be running right or I don't bother. Everything else can easily be fixed, but not motor stuff.

I was gonna make the same comment but didn’t cuz I realized this is 2 yr old video and I’m sure u know all that stuff.thanks for pointing that out too.

Go to harbor freight and get their 1500 lb jack it is well worth it I got mine for 89$ and it has saved my life!

Dude don’t forget when doing wheelies your rear break is your best friend!

Buy the tire pressure gauge by tusk the one I got is $17.99 and there’s a cheaper one without the hose thing for $11.99. Well worth it.

Chech the (tie rod ends) joints on the front upper and lower (tie rod ends) joints i had the same problem, i replaced the (tie rod ends) joints and the wobble was gone, also re alaign the steering otherwise the joints will break down soon again. Greetings from the Netherlands p.s. a car uses almost the same technique. Good luck

Joe , the tires look original they are probably out of round. From years of abuse. Beside these quads are supposed be driven on the dirt not the roads. That’s why your feeling all the vibration. They are not meant for top speed like your doing. Hope it all works out for you. Good luck

To do an easy alignment. Strighten handle bars measure the distance between the center treads with a tape measure. Then measure 180 degrees away on the back side. They should be pretty close if not your alignment is off. Definitely replace those wheel bearings and like another comment said it could have fix a flat or slime in the tires thatd definitely cause an issue. You can get new tires pretty cheap on ebay for like 80$ a set if you want something decent.

Replace wheel bearings and take off the tire and shock and check a arm bushings real good it also maybe a possibility a rim has a bend in it

If the wheel bearings arent it its 100% toe in of your driving and pull the handle bars to one side amd they just wobble harder and harder back and forth its the toe on the tires

Your tires are out of balance. They either have slime in them or fix a flat that is on one side. They need to be balanced. Could use bearings too.

Tires out of round not balanced, new tires

Usually wheel bearings are more likely to cause drag. If the shocks are worn out, it will combine with that problem.

Hey Joe, Wazzup?!?! You sound like you're having a problem like my yfz 450 has that I haven't gotten around of fixing. The first thing to look for is a bent rim. I found my yfz had a really bad one when driving and I determined that by switching the front wheels and then the other side started wiggling so that means my wheels bent. If your wheels aren't bent, then it probably is the bearings. from what you showed in the video, it looked like your a arms are good. My yfz's a arms bearing are completely shot, but from the video, when you wiggled the tire from top and bottom, did NOT see play in the a arms at all but thats from the camera view lol. i'm gonna say its the bearings dude. also for example, i have a z250 quad and I noticed when I press the front brakes, you can look at the front wheels and they would move when pressed. I took the wheel off and the wheel bearing were shot. so thats my idea of whats going on since I have the same problems that you're have. I hoped this help and if you have a question about what I said, please comment on this :D Edit: also, you need to get a whole new tie rod too, because like @Brian Crull said, they will throw your alignment out, and just having that out a smiggin will mess your day up.

I think a repair manual should be bought if you want to keep this one. And second I would check every fastener on that front end. Also take the front end apart piece by piece and inspect/lube/tighten back to spec. Didn't a few of the older Honda quads have a steering dampner up on the steering stem ? Just below the handlebars hidden under the plastics? And if all else fells Joe, Sell the thing to me. Im sure I would have fun figuring it out. BBBrrraaappppp !!!..

That little bit of wheel play will magnify at high speed an also an check the steering bushings. If you havent already. An weld a sleeve over the stock tie rods thats what i did when i had mine found a pipe just bigger then it an slid it over an welded the ends. Nice job tho.

Leave it on the ground and and turn the handle bars back and forth just a little bit to see if their is any play in the steering, if you can wiggle the bars back and forth a little bit without the wheels moving it could be something with the steering.

Also I would check to make sure the front rotors isn't warped or maybe a rim. Thanks for the video.

Yes the play in that front tire is your problem so wheel bearing is the problem no doubt.

Quad looks mint the seat makes it look bad

Front end alignment and those bearings.

I would check to see if the wheels are not bent. Balance the tire and wheels. Check ball joints. You’re good at fixing stuff and I’m sure you’ll figure this problem out. You have that quad running good bud

Alignment and shock sag height and tie rod ends being loose or bad bushings is what I ran into when I was racing but a wheel bearing could be bad

Spin the wheels. Check for out of round tires or a bent wheel.

The slightest amount of play will cause the wheels to wobble. It is those wheel bearings for sure. I have also noticed the big nut holding the hubs loose likes to come loose as well

Do a front end alignment mess with the tie rods toe it in or out.

Awaiting front shocks for a 400 Polaris does same thing worn empty stock oil shocks finished off by previous owner

bent tie rod is extremely common on 400ex's not usually the problem ball joints, wheel bearings and tie rod ends are most likely your problem ive had 5 of them and the only one had a death wobble and it was tie rod ends and all 5 had bent tie rods i aligned them and were completely fine

That quad is almost mint, besides the seat cover and pipes. Awesome

your front u shafts where its attached to the body theres 2 bearings on each side watch if those r ok

Either wheel bearings or Alignment

I have a 99 honda too. It smokes also but not as bad as yours was. Mine also wobbles some too. But not bad as yours. Im probably going to have to do the same things soon that you are doing. Love the chanel it has helped me alot. Thanks

For your wheelies try and go higher and slower to find your balance point for a nice wheelie

Wheel bearings upper/lower ball joints Or inner/outer tie rod ends possible control arm bushings

To check your a arm bushings you have to unbolt the shock or use a prybar, even if there is a worn bushing you wont feel it by just shaking it a bit with your and with the shock pushing against it

You have a bent rim bud, or bent axel, jack it up and start it put in 3rd or 3th gear and let the rear spin in air, and see if the axel or rim is bent, if not check the front

That's a LOT of play in them wheels

The wheels, at 11:45 or so, look like they are moving a lot when you wiggle them. Probably bearings. The tie rod being bent would change the toe.

Need to hit the balance point on your wheelies so that you don't have to keep on gassing it to keep the front end up. Once you find your balance point on your wheelies you can go as fast or slow as you want on two wheels.

Hi i just look your video and im a mecanics jack stand your front suspension and check if your wheel is bent or maybe water in it and check if your axel is bent too

I think new shocks would help but not sure

This may sound stupid but have chuck sit on the front of the bike to weight it down. Don’t go crazy but that will let you know if it’s the shocks hard to explain

Check the bushings in the a arms and upper and lower ball joints

Check if wheels and hubs are tight then check the a arms ball joints if they have play side to side you need new a arm ends and check tie rods if they are tight and if they don't have any play on side to side too if the tie rods are bent it the worst possible steering

new ball joints and bearings call it mint👌🏻

the proper way to check your bearings jack it up, grab the top and bottom of the tire and shake it, any play is no good, also your psi should be about 4lbs to 7lbs at most, your rims might be bent also, keep it up though buddy love the videos

My 400ex has terrible wobbles we aligned it and it still had wobble. Turned out before we bought it the guy put a bunch of slime in the tires so the liquid made it wobble. Good luck

Looks like the upper and lower ball joints on the Aarms and tie rod ends

Something is probably loose with the steering. If your steering has anything play when you turn side to side that could be causing the wobble.

Check and make sure the hub is tight as well as the tire rods

Try swapping both front tires with each other. 🤙

Could also be the wheel bracket bushings? Alot of the parts have rubber bushings that wear and have slop and squeaking noises

I’m getting one soon

Working on the same problem same machine it’s better just upgrading to the full flight a arm upgrade I notice these machines are so common to find that always run amazing but I’m my experience it’s about the width and since these machines are always popping on two wheels every gear the front tires just take a beating a better softer landing and rebounding on that front end and there just over the best quad built

Check ball joints by grabbing wheel top and bottom. Check tie rods by grabbing wheel left and right. Front tires should be 1/8" toe out can do by using a couple boards butted to front tires

Hey bud those tires should say what to run cfor air pressure. Most sport quads require about 10 psi

Seems like your having fun on the 400 you should keep it they are fun quads if you ever have a chance to get a kfx or ltz 400 you should

Take the tie rods off make them the same length then put them back on

I have a 2005. My rear wheel bearing was out and caused my wobble.

No death wobble in the front, but I did find out I bent my axle today 😑

Any flat spots on the rims? You didn't try spinning them in the video to see if they are running true. Wheel bearings seem to be worn and you need to check alignment by measuring...the old eyeballing trick ain't gonna cut it! Couldn't see any movement in the ball joints but hard to see in the video. Engine seems to be running great 👍👍👍

Try tightening up the tie rods...good luck

Check steering stem bushing and steering stem bearing but most likely it's going to be alignment issue check toe in.

My 05 crf 230f has that problem and it’s scary

(Edit) im at the end of the vid. Just like the other guy said steering shaft is bent or like i saod check the bushings or bearongs on the steering rod an wheel bearings are it too but the steering bushings or bearings will wear out the wheel bearings as well.

Check Camber and Toe as well If its not correct you'll get speed wobbles

I have the same 400ex and I had a professional look at mine and he told me the bushing need to be replaced but they will eventually get worse

you probably should check the wheel alignment and those looked like sealed bearings can't hardly gease them eithout taking them apart. That wobble is probably a combination of problems.

Forgive me if I am wrong here but do you think when you have a problem with the front end that you cannot diagnose you might suspend the wheelies. That's a lot of force slamming on the ground with two atv tires and all that weight on the front end.