Lowering a 96 Grand Caravan ?

[B2 Addict]

I will try to take pictures of my strut towers tomarrow....... warning it will be a crappy cell phone pic.

When these were built it was determined that the strut towers where not strong enough so instead of doing a re-design Chrysler chose spot weld another strut tower over the existing strut tower. it was supposed to be seem sealed and fully welded, but it wasn't on 1 out of 4. so water, salt, crap, road gunk all get trapped in between the 2 layers. it is particularly bad on the Driver side because the battery in these tends to over cook and it out gasses right over the strut tower aiding in pre mature death of the tower. you look down my DS tower and you can see the parking lot. we are not even hardly driving it right now and definitely not out of town.

Man, I sure do appreciate all the info, I know pretty much nothing about these mini vans & I have never heard anything at all about the strut tower failure. Mine has the 3.8 in it also, it's no race car but it's pretty peppy for a van!

I'm fixin' to spend the day cleaning it up a little & looking it over........wheres them crappy cell phone pics?

 

[Ozwynn]

Man, I sure do appreciate all the info, I know pretty much nothing about these mini vans & I have never heard anything at all about the strut tower failure. Mine has the 3.8 in it also, it's no race car but it's pretty peppy for a van!

I'm fixin' to spend the day cleaning it up a little & looking it over........wheres them crappy cell phone pics?

I just took the pics, I will post them later, I got to be somewhere in 30 min.

 

[Ozwynn]

this is the Passenger side. not too bad and can be recapped. Still this is very bad for a 10 y/o car

this is the Driver side. This needs a complete new tower. There is not enough left to cap.

see, you can see the top of the tire. this problem effects 1 out of every 4..... even this Gen from California has rotted Driver side towers.

 

[B2 Addict]

HOLY SHI$$! Man!! Yours doesn't look good at all!!
What is the "recapping" you are talking about?
Here's some pics of mine, what do you think?

driver side tower:

Passenger side tower:

One of the engine just for the heck of it...I know it's dirty, I just haven't had time to clean it up yet!

 

[Ozwynn]

yours look good. I would run a welder around the top and seal it up, but they don't need to be capped.



seriously ..... you think those are bad.... I have seen worse.... there should have been a recall.......

 

[B2 Addict]

yours look good. I would run a welder around the top and seal it up, but they don't need to be capped.



seriously ..... you think those are bad.... I have seen worse.... there should have been a recall.......

For some reason my driver side tower pic was not on there a while ago. It's back on there now, just wanted to make sure it was there when you looked.

So, just clean up the rust spots on the driver side, throw a bead weld on those spots & I should be good, correct?

How much knowledge do you have on these things? I won't constantly bug you, but if I have a major question you might know, I will hit you up if that's cool. I really appreciate the heads up on that situation!!

 

[MountainMike]

If I were in your shes i would clean up the rusts, throw another coat of paint on there and get a set of the repair caps anyways just for the peace of mind.

 

[Ozwynn]

For some reason my driver side tower pic was not on there a while ago. It's back on there now, just wanted to make sure it was there when you looked.

So, just clean up the rust spots on the driver side, throw a bead weld on those spots & I should be good, correct?

How much knowledge do you have on these things? I won't constantly bug you, but if I have a major question you might know, I will hit you up if that's cool. I really appreciate the heads up on that situation!!

you need a cap on the driver side tower. if you can see the rust it is already too late for the simple preventative repair. get the cap from Chrysler (like $30) the glue ($35 a tube, you need 2) and the hardware kit (I forget) the hardware kit contains the instructions. use the glue, it is the key to water proofing the caps, and you have to use that glue or equivalent spec or it won't work right. I would use the screws and rivets in the kit, and then weld the cap down after the glue cures.

on the pass side just mig weld the big circle part... continuous weld all the way around...... clean it up and repaint.

I don't know what you want to know about it.... its easier to take the upper plenum off to change the spark plugs that going through the alternator. make sure you got a splash shield covering the serp belt. power steering hp hose is impossible to get to. when you do remove the upper plenum to change the plugs ...... put studs into the EGR tube block..... makes it easier to line everything up. reuse the EGR tube gasket, the one in the manifold kit is wrong.

If I were in your shes i would clean up the rusts, throw another coat of paint on there and get a set of the repair caps anyways just for the peace of mind.

repair caps are not going to do it. it needs a new tower. we just are not going to drive it until it goes in to be fixed. Chrysler quoted me $1200 for the DS tower and to cap the pass tower. just going to drive the chevy all winter.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

I was always told that it was because the larger V6 was putting out to much power for that transmission....Ya, I know....I was a stupid 16 year old at that time... I know 1 time for certain it blew up on me as evident of the pieces of transmission laying on the ground under it...Also went thru 2 halfshafts on the passenger side...

Caravans are known for spitting out the differential centerpin. Right through the case everytime. Usually into the bellhousing, unseen till the tranny is pulled out. If I ever find my phone I'll geta pic of the one we have on the lift at work right now waiting on a case.

 

[Hopman]

You, those shock tower pix look similar to what happened in my '91 Olds Shilouette. I still miss that thing.

 

[MountainMike]

repair caps are not going to do it. it needs a new tower. we just are not going to drive it until it goes in to be fixed. Chrysler quoted me $1200 for the DS tower and to cap the pass tower. just going to drive the chevy all winter.

I was talking about his Caravan, yours looks cooked to me.