1998 Lift Blocks

Hi there,

I drive a 1998 Grand Caravan Sport AWD, and a lot of it on uneven terrain. Are there any lifts available? Some lift blocks or similar that'll give it more clearance?

Thanks

First of all, I am not aware of any type of lift kit available for the Chrysler-built, AWD vans. But, then again, I have never attempted to look for such a thing. And, I have never seen a Chrysler van that has been lifted.

Now, I have owned a 1998 Chrysler Town & Country LX AWD for the past seven years. The reason I like having AWD in my van is the added peace-of-mind knowing it has better traction on wet roads, when my wife and kids are in the van. The only time it has been off pavement is an occasional dirt parking lot. I have been underneath this beast more than once. Personaly, I have only one word to say about lifting one of these like a 4-wheel drive SUV, and that is "DON'T"!

The AWD systems in these vans is designed to provide added traction on wet pavement and graded, unpaved roads. These vehicles were never designed to go "hill-climbing" or "rock-climbing". Now, when you say you drive on uneven terrain, what do you mean? The most severe terrain these vans can handle is an unpaved road with ruts. If you have to drive on anything more severe than that, you should get a 4-wheel drive SUV.

The biggest obsticle you will face to lifting one of these are the swing limits of the half-shafts. This is especially true for the left front shaft. This is the shortest one of all. Any lifting whatsoever will put an extreme amount of swing angle on the shaft. I don't believe there is enough clearance around this shaft to allow for anymore swing than is already present with stock suspension travel. Another thing to consider, too, is that the rear differential is fixed to the body of the van. Any attempt to lift just the rear will increase the swing angles of these shafts beyond there design limits.

Now, I'm not saying that lifting one of these van cannot be done, but I believe it will take a lot more modifications than just a simple lift kit. And then, what you will end up with still won't perform like a 4-wheel-drive.

I hope this gives you some food for thought. A wise, movie detective once said, "A man has got to know his limitations." Let us know if you have any questions or comments.