MAINTAINING CHASSIS OF DODGE CARAVAN

Applies to front suspension, steering, and drive axles of early 1990s models.
Refer to my main Caravan page for preliminaries and cautions.

Tools:
- penetrant to loosen fasterners.
- lubricants to put on fasteners when re-assembling, to ease the job next time
- 21mm and 22mm (7/8") sockets to remove ball joint clamp (bolt head and nut are different sizes, maybe so you don't need to buy another of same size)
(Brake caliper bolts are 21mm, you may need a long 21mm to remove bottom strut-knuckle bolt (camber adjustment) which is far longer than needed and obstructs access to top brake caliper bolt.)
Somewhere in the above there may be a 24" socket needed (Chrysler was not consistent.)
- 'breaker bars' for leverage, but unless you have the vehicle up high many are too long (there are easily extendable ratchet wrenches)
- flat wrenches with ratchet end as clearance too little for socket (17, 18, 19 mm for sure on front engine mount)
- (make breaker bar of steel tubing of a foot length, end flattened with hammer far enough so does not slip off wrench)
- stiff wire or bungee cord to hang brake caliper to avoid stress on hose
- 8mm socket and driver to detach ABS sensor to hang clear while hub carrier detached
- pliers for cotter pins
- ball joint removal kit (circular pieces and c-clamp), little clearance for clamps and spacers
- sandpaper to clean inside of tie rod end knuckle or inside of ball-joint socket.
- 1 1/4" socket for axle nut
- 1 1/2" socket to push boot over ball joint
- while a "pickle fork" can be used to hammer the tie-rod end apart, I recommend a proper tool to avoid stress on steering rack (a two-prong gear puller may work but the ends of the jaws of good ones may not be long enough for secure grip).
- tool to remove/install circle clip that retains ball joint (Moog's design uses that as extra assurance)
- methods of manipulating A-arm and strut to get ball joint stud aligned into knuckle (A-arm requires pressing down, for strut I use a webbing ratchet (good quality one that is easy to release, short, hooks on ends of strap).
- small jack to push A-arm upward to get ball joint stud up so clamp bolt can be driven in
- small pickle fork or other method of spreading knuckle clamp of ball-joint stud

Applying penetrant before hand is a good idea.
You may need a long wrench handle or extension, the bolts are fairly large and have years of rust.

OR to get ball joint out and in follow service manual method which is to get A-arm out and take it to a shop press. (But sway bar is attached to it, etc.)

I keep saying 'S/he who dies with the most tools wins.' ;-)

BALL JOINTS & TIE-ROD ENDS
Beware of minimal clearance for applying tools to the ball joints, in some dimensions.

Aligning the ball joint stud with the hole in the knuckle is awkward as you have to manipulate the strut and A-arm. I spread the knuckle so that the stud slides in without force (but Chrysler warns about overdoing the spread). Detaching the knuckle from the strut and pulling the strut out of the way with a ratchet strap may help, as then you don't have to pull the A-arm down.

Some manufacturers offer an oversize ball joint on the theory that removing it and general loads in service will make the hole a little larger. A consequence may be that if you have to remove it in future the balljoint may stick in the removal cylinder, which has to be closely sized on the Caravan as the end of the A-arm is narrow. Do clean the inside of the socket with sandpaper and apply corrosion inhibittor to prevent pitting which could lead to fatigue failure.

The grease nipple on bottom of ball joint can be a bother, Moog lets the plate it screws into rotate !? (I've had two now, have to get a sharp pointed tool to try to restrain it, but a later third was fine.) Leave it off until ball joint is fully in place.

By far the best tools for for removing and installing these press-it ball joints are in a set intended for the purpose - a threaded squeezer operated by a wrench and and assortment of thin collars to fit on ball joint and supension. (Collars of TBD ID are needed. Most of the sleeves in Performance Tools set TBD are too large for the Caravan, works for removing ball joint, but to install I had to use a very large 1/2" socket on top with one of the circular plates in the set, and nothing on bottom - and a third hand to hold the stack together straight and centred enough to get it tight with wrench.)

Beware of cheap tie-rod ends that use flats on the shaft to grip it, those are difficult to grip well due small width of flats. (Hello Chrysler? !) You may need a good Vice-Grips, 10 inch size was too small on one of mine, however I was able to grip on the joint shaft itself just inboard of the ball part and let the Vice-Grips leverage against the body whereas inboard I could not find leverge. (There was a standard tightening nut - didn't look like it was separate at first, but no flats on the joint shaft near it.) Moog ES3008RL has a good pair of flats for a wrench.

AXLES
Tools:
Prepare to jack high, because:
- you want both wheels off ground so sway bar is not pushing on A-arm
- you want to tip vehicle to the opposite side of the axle you are replacing, so less transmission fluid leaks out
- you want clearance under suspension to work on axle, and on tie-rod end wrenching
Grease for outboard end of axle

LH axles can be troublesome on these vehicles, due to the angle for the length they wear out sooner than the much longer RH axle because they operate at a larger angle more often.)
Quality varies, some fail quickly while others last a long time.
I've had a shop repair one with a kit, however at today's prices I think the extra labour cost is not worthwhile. (I have an old axle I'm trying to get apart to examine feasibility, but probably will never get that far.)
It is advisable to pay for quality, as a significant amount of labour is involved in changing them.

Precautions for repair include:
- stick a screwdriver in brake disc slots while turning the axle nut, to avoid stress on parking pawl in transmission (nut takes a 1 1/4" socket)
- avoid letting the axle droop under its own weight (the RH axle can rest on the A-arm).
- grease the outer spline and flange behind it (Chrysler says), apparently inner spline is lubricated by differential/transmission.

To pull the hub out of the way, some people detach the ball joint, others detach the hub carrier from the strut (two bolts, mark where parts mate to avoid having to redo wheel alignment). Very awkward, if you could pull outer end of axle toward transmission with strap that would help.
Lining the ball joint stud up with the hole in the knuckle is awkward, ideally you want ways of controlling height of A-arm (it wants to return up to its road position) and inboard-outboard position of the strut bottom). And you have to get rotation of the stud correct (the hex on end of stud does not project beyond the clamp). Perhaps detaching the knucke from the strut is a better way.

Dimensions of RH axle:
- overall length 41"
- 7" inner end to seal land, which is ~1/2" wide
- inboard spline 1.5"V - 4 7/8" to speedo gear. ~ 5 3/4" to end of it (speedo gear only on earlier years, my 1993 1/2 does not have that bother, it has the 4-speed electronically controlled AT)
- outboard end 3 1/2" to end of splines, only 1 1/2" of splines engaged.
- diameter TBD

STRUT
Beware that function of the camber adjustment cams on the lower knuckle- strut attachment bolt may be obstructed by someone's sloppy work that deformed the shallow projection that the washer reacts against.
I use a pickle fork or chisel to open them up a bit.
The cam is integral to the bolt head, the reaction projection is on both front and rear of strut.
(There is a notch on the cam to make a scribe mark at to avoid having to re-adjust camber.)

© Keith Sketchley Page version 2025.08.16

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