2005 Town & Country with "clunking" front end over bumps

Seems like a shock problem.

There is a "clunking" sound in the frond end coming from the wheel area.
It is noticeable on small bumps in the road and usually less on bigger
bumps.

I assume the shocks need to be replaced but it seems awfully early in
it's life.

I had an older T&C that seemed to always have CV joint problems and
wondered if anyone thought they still used the same bad parts and a
clunking would come from there instead of shocks.

Thanks.

 

Sway bar bushing and or sway bar links bad.

Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

 

amazing... I typed up a message a while ago saying that I noticed
the plastic ends of the anti-roll bar links on my grand-dad's 2004 are
partially broken at 25,000 when i changed the brakes and rotors..
but i didn't think it was relevant.

this thing is worse than a benz! lol!

 

The ends usually aren't. its the ball and socket that wear out. I guess
unless they are all beat up it could affect it. It is just a piss poor set
up. Been like that for a long time

 

<
m>,

Impossible.

 

Check out the bushings that hold the sway bar in place. If they get loose
you get a "clunk" over small bumps (like railroad crossings & such) from the
sway bar bouncing up & down. This happened to my 2004 Caravan after less
than 60K miles. New bushings and the noise is gone.

 

Glenn Beasley is right on about this clunking sound. I inspected the sway
bar bushing on my Van and they looked like new. I could not believe they
were the problem, but it was the problem. I used the red plastic bushings
and that cured it. The Mopar dealers will only want to put in the factory
bushings, or, that is all the 2 dealers I checked with would do. One service
writer tried to convince me the steering rack was bad. I bought the bushings
from Advance ($9.00) and put them in myself. George

 

What kind of job is it to do these?
I mean can someone that has 'some' mechanical abilities easily do it, or is
it a pretty involved job.
I ask as I am getting the same clung/thumping noise as I travel over bumps
or dips in the road and suspect this may be the problem.
How much should I expect to pay if I decide to have someone do it (Virginia
area). ?

 

Having the vehicle up in the air makes it a lot easier. The sway bar
bushings are underneath the vehicle so you would have to crawl under it on
ramps. The links are on the outside near the wheels. Assuming the bolts
aren't frozen the links are easy to do. Spray them with penetrating oil
first. The going rate is about an hr labor for the links and bushings. If
you get them both done at the same time figure 1 1/2 hr. What part of VA.
Northern VA?

Glenn

 

Thanks for the response.
I am in S.E. Virginia (Virginia Beach) and car is pretty clean underneath so
may not be hard to get them off.
No factory Service Manual for this one yet so was not sure what was involved
as not a job I have ever done.
Does not sound bad so have to decide if I want to attempt it. Ohhh how I
hate getting underneath the vehicles to work on them. Must be an age thing
:0)

 

Trust me, I know all about the age thing and getting underneath vehicles. Im
going on 47, earlier this year I had to climb under my 67 Mustang to install
a starter. I think my body still hurts from that.

Glenn

 

If I owned a 67 Mustang I would NOT let anyone else work on it so crawling
underneath would be the only option :0)
Of course a 70-71 Challenger would be my preference !

PC Medic

 

Do you have a preferred part number/source for sway bar bushings, mine
is a 2002 GC ES model; after-market or OEM - as long as they last 30,000
mi or more. Also I read previously it was easiest to do one side at a
time, leaving one wheel on the ground to get the sway bar bushing off. Is
that not true?

 

Agreed on the Challenger!!

 

There are 2 different size sway bars on the Minivan. Contact your local
dealer and supply them with the last 8 digits of the Vin# to get the correct
ones.

Glenn

 

IMO - based on personal experience - I believe that the TRW aftermarket
bushings are just as good (long-lasting) as the OEM. No doubt there
will be some sway bar diameter options that will determine bushing size,
juts like with the OEM one. I'm thinking you will need the TRW P/N
HB1857, but better to measure the actual diameter of the sway bar on the
straight part - use vernier calipers or micrometers, to the nearest 0.5
mm, and have them compare to the listings if more than one. (Or, if you
go OEM like Glenn suggested, just provide them your VIN.) No promises
that either type will last 30k miles. But, again, IMO the TRW is no
worse than the TRW for longevity.

NO! That is exactly what you *DON'T* want to do. The sway bar and the
bushings will be under the most stress when one wheel is loaded and the
other is not - if you go removing the bolts on the bushings while
they're loaded, you could get hurt (as in snap-action of a lot of energy
suddenly being released)!!

Best to jack the complete front end up (both sides - be sure to use jack
stands!!). Take both wheels off to give the best access to the bushings
and their bolts. *AND* by having both wheels unloaded, the sway bar and
the bushings will be under minimum/safe stress. With front end in the
air and both wheels off, remove both sets of bushing bolts, then the
bushings, then replace both bushings, then put the bolts back in.

The bushings are split to slip over the sway bar. Because they are
stiff, it can be hard to get them to open up to go over the diameter.
Stick a large screwdriver in the slit to start them opening, then force
them over the sway bar, and wiggle them into place. Grease the bushing
ID and slit with a light coating of silicone grease before putting them on.

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

 

Huh? I've got three years on you, but if the vehicle is up high
enough it isn't a real problem...

 

On my Lebaron, I measured them with a caliper...

 

If you're going aftermarket, that's the way to go, Joe, but if you're
going OEM, it's probably simpler to take the VIN in with you.

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

 

It wasn't how high it was, it was laying on the concrete floor!!!