Caravan needs swaybar bushings or links.

[strombony]

I found that my van either needs swaybar bushing or links based on the popping sound I'm hearing when I turn corners. This is what my mechanic seems to think as well just from hearing it, but he is going look at it Monday to be certain.

My question for you is this...The van has brand new tires and and I had a 4 wheel alignment when I bought them. Since this bushing or link went bad, I can't tell if it's mental or not, but the van seems to drift ever so slightly to the left. Then it won't depending on which groove in the road I'm driving on.

Can a bad link or bushing cause alignment to be off?

 

[oilboy123]

Year and model?

The van drifting could be normal depending on road conditions. The sway bar should not affect the alignment unless something is seized up. Make sure your tires are all aired up just right before you chase your tail around.



There is a TSB on some years. My Dads 2000 sway bar bushings have a bracket that is held in a slot. A bolt holds the other end.

As the bushing wears the bracket will go clunk as the bushing/sway bar makes the bracket move. It is just the bracket clunking in the slot.

 

[strombony]

oilboy123,
Yes, it is a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan with the 3.3L.

 

[Chris142]

Usually a popping noise in those is an upper strut bearing. The links will rattle and the bushings will clunk if they are completly gone.

 

[oilboy123]

There are 2 TSBs for this year Caravan for the sway bar. See if your local library can print them out. They would be under suspension. I can get them online right now but can't copy them here. I tried and failed.

I was wrong about the TSB being about the sway bar bracket being loose in the slot.

If you can't get them let me know. I will see what I can Do.......

 

[mechtech2]

Sway bar links have no effect on alignment.
UNLESS someone put in hard urethane ones and tightened them too much.
This could pull the lower control arm off a bit.
But generally, no.

Sounds like road crown pulling you off to the right.

 

[strombony]

Ok..I'm an idiot..what are TSB's?

 

[firemachine69]

Technical Service Bulletins


Issued by the manufacturer to correct problems that were not discovered during initial Q&A.

 

[JackFish]

I had a bolt fail on a bushing mount, perhaps that, or the threads in the frame strip out.

 

[oilboy123]

Call your library and check if you can get automotive TSBs. A Dodge dealer can print them out for free as well.

 

[Muffy]

Does the vehicle drift the the left after making a sharp left hand turn and then want to drift to the right slightly then definitely is the strut bearing setting up.i do alignments for a living and i see this all the time. in high salt areas like ny, this is a big problem. a sway bar end link or bushing WILL NOT effect alignment or cause a tire wear issue. i have replaced many of many sway bar bushings and end link on these vans. also a strut that is blown [leaking] will cause a clunk or rattling noise when going over even the slightest bumps. We get all of our parts through NAPA and we use their precision engineered line. they are lifetime warranty for as long as you own your vehicle. do not use the MRC line from there. Must Replace Constantly is what we say it stands for. i would recomend getting the front end checked out and lined up again somewheres else to double check their work. http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/images/icons/default/whistle.gif

 

[alanu]

Change your sway bar bushings NOT endlinks.

Done!!!!

Dealerships always makes the customers change the endlinks due to $$$ and rarely ever the cause.

If you go over a driveway in an angle you'll hear a clunk, clunk, clunk almost like an oscillation as the van shimmey's side to side.

100% of the time its the worn sway bar bushings. I fix them all teh time. Takes a whole 30 minutes if that.

 

[rszappa1]

I used to have a 1999 Dodge Grand caravan and I replaced the sway bar bushings. It is a very easy job to do....mine was doing the clunk clunk going over bumps and the drivway. The new bushings took care of it. i did apply a little silicone grease to the inside of the bushing when I installed them....