Death Wobble After Ball Joint Swap

[joedoh]

more than likely, your truck was aligned with worn suspension parts. when you replaced one balljoint, it likely took out some slack that was being compensated for in the alignment. having even half a turn extra on a tie rod will cause bad wobbling/shaking.

check your toe in/out with a tape measure in front of and behind the front tires with the wheels pointing straight ahead. even a small difference between the two measurements will indicate poor alignment.

weight on or off the balljoint when tightening does not make a difference, it is a tapered fit and once it is tight, it is tight.