suspension.

[bodygard]

i recently purchased a 1999 town and country and i'm looking to replace the shocks how can i tell if it has nivomat suspension.it's the limited model.also has anyone used those monroe quick struts as a replacement.any feedback positive or negative will be appreciated.

[neon_rt]

The Nivomat shocks are unusually large (around) compared to regular shocks.
If you do a google search, you should be able to find them for about $450-$500 a pair instead of $800-$900 at the dealer.
There are about 10 different springs that the minivans use on the front.
Each van has a different combo (l/r) based on the model and options. It appears that some of the options make a significant difference in the l/r weight balance. I would think that the quick springs could possibly compromise the handling and weight distribution, since they all use the same springs. I've had three Caravan/Grand Caravans (2000) and none of them had the same springs in them. I used part #'s from a GC with the hd suspension on it, to upgrade one of my GC's. The HD springs were about 3"-4" shorter (when out of the vehicle) when compared to the stock ones, but after installing them, they came out the same height, almost. The passenger side was 1/2" lower than the driver side and I had to put a spacer on the passenger side spring to even them up. Without the spacer, the handling was different left to right and the right side tire would spin real easily on wet pavement. If you have a van that uses the same spring left and right, then the quick struts may work for you. Only one of mine had the same part # left and right.