2002 Dodge Caravan Bushing Sway Bar replacement

This is the second time I have them replaced at dealers.
I have 42 000km. Replaced one at 28 000km and second at 40 000km.
All under warranty.

My concern is when I get over 60 000km, warranty will be over.
And how much it will cost to get them replaced? Where are the bushing of
sway bar located?

I am sure they will wear out and break again in the future.

Does anyone have the same problem with their van? The symptom is you
hear a noise when go over a bump on front suspension like something is
loose.

Thank you.

 

Mine lasted about 80,000 miles before getting noisey. The van now has
143,000 and I'm thinking about replacing them...

Failures at less than 20,000 miles sounds suspicious. Has the dealer
checked for something bent, misaligned, etc., that could be accelerating
the wear on the bushings?


Matt

 

I think the dealer just replaced them when I complain about the noise.

Wow, yours last much more longer! Is it the fact that you are from a
hot and warm region such as Florida?
I am located in Montreal, and the problem appears when it is winter at cold
and icy temperature. Also I always put my van in garage when I am at home.
Maybe it is the temperature variation from garage to outside (-15 degree C).

It is suspicious indeed.

 

No, not all that far south of you. I live right along the PA/NY border.
I kept my van garaged until this year. Now with a second minivan and
a truck, the old van sits outside.

Matt

 

My 2002 Caravan front end began clunking at around 25,000 miles.
I've yet to take it to the dealer but suspect the sway bar bushings.
It only clunks when the temp is below 40 degrees.

I'v also heard about this from others. I suspect that they have a
bushing problem....

Doug

 

Just had my 2001 voyager in for the same problem, metallic rattling, clunking
over bumps mainly affected by colder temps and it was the sway bar end links
that were the problem. There's a TSB for this and also the bushings.

LG

 

Does the TSB recommend anything special such as different bushings? Or
does it just say what to do when the front end clunks and groans?

Matt

 

You might take a look at the polyurethane bushings at
http://www.suspension.com. They are graphite impregnated, and should
last a lifetime. They come with their own brackets (due to shape of
their bushings being different than the factory ones), the brackets are
supposed to be "universal fit", but may need to be modified to fit
Chrysler vehicles - I know that was the case with my Concorde. If you
are a DIY'er, $20 and a little effort, and you should be done for the
life of the vehicle. They are a little stiffer than the factory
bushings too (same effect as a slightly thicker sway bar).

Of course the links may need replacing as Cirrus99x pointed out in his
post, but the above will take care of bushing problems for good.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

Hmmm - it appears that they do not have exact set for Chrysler minivans,
in which case, you would want this page of their site:
http://www.suspension.com/s.b.bushings.htm
from which you choose based on sway bar diameter. The same was true for
my Concorde. If you call them, they will probably be able to tell you
exactly which one you need, but the other option is to measure your sway
bar diameter with a vernier caliper (if there were different sway bar
options, that may be necessary anyway). The other possible rub is if
you find a metric size and it falls between the inch sizes they list -
you either have to go bigger or smaller (for example, you measure 26mm,
you either have to go with 1" = 25.4mm or 1-1/6" = 27mm), in which case,
call them and ask which they would recommend (some people get the
tighter and have them machined out to size).

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

I just replaced my sway bar bushings along with my tie rod ends on my '97.
I was putting off going to the dealer for the sway bar bushings because so
many people have had them go - This is one of the only cars I owned on which
I hesitate to put any OEM Chrysler parts. ( In changing the spark plugs, I
noticed the tensioner is seized again - (3rd one including original - 80k
miles total)

To make a long story short, my front end clunk was fixed by replacing the
bushings. This was an easy thirty minute job while the car was on ramps.
The exact fit replacements I bought from Napa are **much** stiffer - I had a
hard time even spreading them apart to get them on the bar ! They are of a
blue material - I don't know or care if they are poly as long as they last
as long or longer than the OEMs. They were only $6 ea, in stock.

Now if I could only find the source of all the rear end rattles & clunks !!!

Mark

 

;

Actually I just checked Alldata and there is no such TSB on bushings that I
can find for 2001. The dealer did say there was one. There is one for the sway
bar links though.

The TSB states a squawk/creak/groan when turning at low speed or parking lot
maneuver or a knocking, clunking sound while driving over rough roads/ bumpy
roads to replace the sway bar links. TSB 02-004-01.

The links solved my problem. They did replace the bushings as well but a few
days later because the parts were not available when the links were replaced.

LG

 

Bill Putney wrote:

These are a great idea. I'm going to look into them for my Cirrus after the
holidays. Some even come with grease fittings to stop the creaking from sway
bar.

LG

 

I assumed you had to pull the sway bar to change the bushings. Sounds
like not from your description. I may just have to do this myself
rather than take it into the dealer.


Matt

 

Not realy, Matt. The bushings (OEM as well as aftermarket) are split.
Remove the two bracket bolts, and the sway bar is pretty much free to
move up and down, work the split original bushings off, and work the
split new bushings over the diameter, and they pop in place. Then
re-attach the bracket.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

I did not have to remove the sway bar. When you put it on ramps - both
front wheels remain equally compressed - the sway bar is neutral - so there
was no tension on the bushings. I just removed the brackets, (I believe
15mm deep socket - you could use a box wrench) & remove & replaced the
bushings. One of the easiest things I did on the van.

I was going to replace the inner tie rods as well - but I looked at that &
decided I'm going to pay someone to install those eventually. ( Now that I
replaced everything else, the front end is silent anyway

Mark

 

Sounds straightforward as long as the bolts aren't too rusty. Are the
link bushings as easy to replace?


Matt

 

Did you replace just the sway bar bushings or the connecting link
bushings as well?


Matt

 

Matt,
Perhaps your question is directed to Mark, but I don't know if the
Caravan has the traditional straight rod with two donut bushings and
washers on each end, or if they're like the LH vehicles on which the
link consists of a rod with a ball joint on each end. Either type is
relatively easy to replace (on the ball-joint type, they did a good
design job as far as replacement - the stud extends well beyond its
threads and is hex shaped so you can plug a socket - 5/16" IIRC - to
keep the stud from turning while you loosen/remove the nut with a box
end). The key in either case is having both wheels either on the ground
or jacked up (not one up and one down) to remove the torque on the sway
bar while R&R'ing the links.

If it is the traditional rod and donut type, some of the aftermarket
bushings (donuts) are polyurethane (super stiff and long-lasting - like
the polyurethane sway bar bushings) - I'm guessing that the aftermarket
industry has standardized on the descriptor "heavy duty" as the "secret
code word" for polyurethane for those link kits with bushings - usually
red (sometimes blue, sometimes yellow) in color (vs. OEM black). The
counter computers probably list two kits for a typical application - one
as OEM equiv., the other as "heavy duty".

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

I replaced the sway bar end links a while ago hoping to get rid of the
clunk - You replace the whole link with a new greaseable link - I don't
recall them being that hard to replace - but on the other hand I usually use
air tools wherever possible. Not as easy as the bushings though.

If I did it over again, I would change the sway bar bushings first, I doubt
my end links were bad - or for that matter my tie rod ends ( neither had
play ) As soon as I took it for a spin after the bushings, I knew the clunk
was gone.

I don't know if it was good or bad - but at 30k I put some grease zerks in
the caps on my sealed for life ball joints, every I change the oil, I give
them a shot of EP grease as well.

Now if I could only find the source of the rear end rattles.........the van
would be like new again, sort of.

Mark

 

Unfortunately, I have no air tools nor an acetylen torch so I try to
avoid things that are rusted too much and let the dealership have fun
with them. I worked as a "semi" mechanic many years ago (for a
logging/trucking company that did all its own work including engine,
transmission and rear axle rebuilds) and it isn't bad with the proper
tools, but a mightmare without. I don't have the proper tools to handle
the really ugly stuff so I now pay somebody else to do it.

Maybe you mentioned this earlier, but where did you buy the end links?
I think you said NAPA for the bushings, but maybe I got it confused with
another thread. Gets hard to keep them straight after a while!

I thought about that, but mine have 144K on them and are still tight, so
I guess I'll forgo greasing them.


Matt