97' GC 3.3L Vibrations driving me CRAZY!

[mrtinker]

Hey Yall, I been doing alot of reading here and am interested to see if anyone can help.

I'm having vibration problems w/our old 97' grand caravan (3.3L). It presently has about 293,000 miles on it. I've replaced all of the following parts (at least once since April this year!):

-Struts
-Motor and Trany Mounts (All 4 of them)
-Front Brakes (pads & rotors)
-Inner/Outter tie rod ends
-Lower Ball Joints
-Sway bar links and bushings
-Hub Bearings (about 1 year before all these problems started/Timken)
-Rear Shocks
-4 New Tires (Michelin/60K) (Rough riding tires I think!)
-2 of the rims, alignments, wheel balancing
*** And have had the transmission rebuilt (thinking since it had 205K on it that it was due and just might have had something to do with the vibration problems?)

This thread:

Automotive Forums .com Car Chat > Dodge > Caravan | Voyager Engine shakes while driving

matches the symptoms I'm having almost exactly. The exception is I'm having the vibrations anytime after about 50mph all the way up to about 75 mph. (didn't want more troubles from the police!) and even when I put it in neutral and shut off the engine, the vibrations were still there and didn't go away till I slowed down to below about 50mph.

I'm now thinking maybe its to do with the struts or something inside the transmission differential.... I'm taking it to another trany shop tomorrow and will beg them to help... we'll see. If anyone can help with some ideas to isolate the culprate.... I would be very thankfull!

PS... I've got an older thread rolling on this issue too if anyone wants to do some light reading....

97' Grand Caravan Transmission Vibration 3.3L/4SPD (Passenger side CV axle) ( 1 2 )

[coalminer]

I have run across something similar with a high mileage van once, took me a while to find it, but there are 4 bushings that are between the subframe and the body, the lower control arms attach to the subframe and the entire thing was moving back and forth when accellerating and braking. I noticed in the other thread you said something about some play in the wheels that would feel like bad tie rods.

Something else for you to check!!!

[mrtinker]

Thanks for the reply coalminer !

Can you give me a little more info though. I think I know what your talking about as far as the rubber bushings go but like how did you end up diagnosing this part? Where did you end up getting them and what was involved in replacing them.... I'm hungry for more information.

And again, Thank you for the replies! I'm feeling better already.

[coalminer]

When you are under the van looking up, you will see 4 pretty big bolts that go up into the body of the van, there are 2 bushings on each bolt, one under the subframe and one above it. I had to go to the dealership to buy those bushings, they didnt have them in stock, and if I remember right, it was about 140 for all 8 of them. The guy at the parts counter said he never seen them go bad. This van would pull one way when accellerating, and the other way when braking, took me a while to see where the play was. Im not sure if that could cause the vibration you are getting, but maybe if those are bad it could cause the inner cv joint to go bad????

[mrtinker]

Thanks again for your reply Coalminer. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with the dealership... talking to parts and a service manager. He convinced me to try the lower control arm bushings next and see what happens with it. I see the "rubber bumpers" that your calling them. The dealership calls them "body mounts" and are special order parts. About $160.

I'm removing the lower control arms now and have the bushings comming in later today.... Now I just gotta get the damned bushings out of the control arm without bending anything!

My wife says I'm going CRAZY over this..... I'm starting to believe she's right!

:e ek7:

[mrtinker]

Well, I replaced the bushings that the dealer service manager suggested.... on the lower control arm. Just a word of advice to anyone trying to do this themselves..... GET THE PROPER TOOL FOR THE JOB!!!

OEM/Upper control arm bushing service set

Part Number: 27206


Autozone only had a bearing removal tool (for the tie rod end bushings/bearings) that I had to make work..... I got it in there but If I ever have to do it again I'll know better!

Anyway, the vibrations are slightly less, and at this point I'm done with it! I can live with it shaking above 60-65 for now...

I think I'll replace the body mounts next month or so when I get obsessed with the vibrations again...

Now, off to see the doctor for my "obsession" medication!