Installing a new Rack and Pinion 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- My rack and pinion and power steering pump died out, and instead of paying $500 for the rack and $300 for the pump to be installed I did it myself..Pump was inter warrantee, rack and fluids cost under $100.00
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I have to give you a Great Deal Of Praise for this video. I followed your instructions almost to the "T". I dropped the whole metal plate instead of leaving it hang by one body bushing. My father (God rest his soul) was a great mechanic but I am not as good as he was. My brother did a rack on another car and it wasn't nearly as easy as ours. Once again, Thank You for this video, it was "EXTREMELY" helpful and made the job much easier for those who lack the experience like myself. Thanks Again!!!
Mark Da Gardna Mark, This is what my channel is here for. I like to do projects and put them up on here to show people how to do things. Sometimes my video is so big i have to break them up into chapters
Thanks for the video.
A couple pointers from the experience:
Lower the front suspension frame as far as it can with out dropping it. 2 bolts either side. Remove the back ones leave the high front ones at minimum thread to hold the frame.
Remove the aluminum heat shield near the car on filter. 3 little sheet metal screws.
Remove the carbon canister. 4 bolts and 3 hoses. Have replacement hose clamps ready.
Remove the rack and pinion hydraulic lines.
Remove the steering column per video.
continued
Disconnect steering column
Remove 3 bolts holding rack.
Slide rack with outer tie rods still on halfway to passenger side.
Twist and turn rack so driver side end drops through opening in black metal stiffener panel.
Slide rack assembly towards driver side until it is free of car. No need to remove black stamped metal panel.
I did final tightening of hydraulic lines from above.
Take 2 aspirin
2005 dodge grand 3.8
Grate vid, I do have one suggestion, two days before you want to remove the rack spray penetrating fluid on once or twice a day before you start to work, on the tie rode ends and other nuts you want to remove. This should make removing a lot easier. you should drive it during those days as the vibration will drive the fluid in the parts.
Good quality for a 8 year old video. Just did the p.s. pump yesterday. Drove fine for about 80 miles. Then something popped lost all fluid. Coming from rack. Customer understands thank god but lookes at it today and thought we were screwed. But this video proves its not that bad. Not as bad as the p.s. pump
These cars have a heavy pivot point on the front. If you are not careful the front might drop and tilt down onto you as it is heavier with the motor, etc. so make sure your pivot point is forward and not backward to the balance of the car body. Be safe or get crushed in the front if it tilts onto you.
While this is more fun than a person should have.The price asked by a dealer to do this is crazy.
1992 was a long time ago. I was just a baby then lol, I remember those vans as a kid..my mom had one, then I had one..Its nice to see them around, it reminds me of my childhood
Great Video. I've done a lot of rack and pinion replacements but my caravan has shown to be difficult in many repairs. I really like how you related easier ways to get them out. Thanks from all us shade tree mechanics!!!!!
thanks for the great detail. i have had 14 chrysler minivans over the years and have four now. two awd and two fwd. i am replacing the rack cuz it broke in half when the previous owner hit a concrete mailbox. for the life of me i could not figure out how to separate the rack from the steering shaft. looked like no room to work. now i know i can do it from inside the vehicle, duh. thank you very much
Thanks for the work on the video, once I get back to Phx. from D.C. my wifes van needs this , will cherish your works ,making life easier !!!!
This may be old news since I didn't feel like reading. The proper way is to loosen the tie rod ends before you you remove the ends from the steering knuckles, and then count how many turns it takes to remove it from the rack. That way you don't have to have the tie ends in your way. Then count the same turns when installing so you can take it for an alignment if needed.
I have to change one this morning in my 01 caravan I thought it was going to be a pain in the ass with out a lift but I see now its not so bad , thanks for the video
Here's a mechanic hack for y'all. To keep the steering wheel in the straight position take the seat belt and loop it through the bottom of the steering wheel and into the belt buckle move the seat back or tighten the seatbelt. This will keep the steering wheel 100% straight
Iam doing the same thing you are doing I didn't had a power tool si bought one today so in the morning I will get it done thank for the video
i'm replacing the rack on my 99 voyager and it seems to be identical to yours. the only problem i'm having is that damn roll pin won't come out. thanx for posting the video, better than a shop manual anytime
Thanks for the quick reply. I think i found the tool that i need to remove the inner tie rods: look up the Lisle 46600 - Inner Tie Rod Wrench Universal. It's got set screws to tighten down onto the round ball to get a grip on it. Cheapest listed price I found is $27 and a hell of a lot easier than dropping the rack just to get at those tie rods. The tool I rented from Advanced Autoparts had three different size hex heads but there were no hex flats to grab onto. Thanks again for your help!
mine on my 06 started leaking also this week and getting replaced tomorrow (warranty). Very good video though, got a lot of info and questions answered!
drop the cradle modifie 11/16 wrench for the 18mm cut it short grind the opening so it fits,this vid saved me a lot of time Thanks kc
kc scott no problem
Great video. Great descriptive, and I like the if you had to do it over again part. We all learn as we go. Keep up the great work. I to am procrastinating on when to do mine. I have a 04 caravan.
Yep got it aligned and its good Thank you for the help and great Video. now on to the next project...............
ok after watching this video we had hardly no issues changing out rack and pinion. but we did not have to remove the circular bolt with the screwdriver and hammer, I guess it is because we have a 1999 maybe?? but after soaking everything In liquid wrench, everything came apart and together simply. Thank you for the how to video.
Thanks for making the video! I just had to do the one on our 2005. It went well but it was very hard getting the hoses loose and I had to get them loose before I could get a wrench on the large nut above the rack near the steering connection. Not sure what wrench would have worked better but at least it didn't cost me $800 at the repair shop! Also I loosened the nuts on the tie rods first. After that they came off easily.
Thank you so much my friend. What a wonderful thing you’ve done
most of this is what I did. However. I dont always recommend messing with the cradle bolts. the Drivers side front bolt is known for breaking. be very carful if you want to go down this road. I just broke one on a 98 grand caravan tonight with 200k
I was really stumped by that stupid pin. Thanks for the help!
Panzer Faust no problem, subscribe to our channel for new videos and if you ever have any questions please feel free to ask
Hey, yes I have, and I just bought the tool to do that.. I have to do the inner tie rods on my caravan... Im replacing teh entire suspension on mine soon
Thanks so much for posting this, it made it much easier to know what we were doing ! You are a blessing, thanks for the help. Keep up the good lessons.
There is a tool called a pickle fork that is used to remove the ball joints. Saves a lot of work and lot less hammering. There is pickle forks for a air hammer so you don't have to use the hammer as the tool does the work
and it will destroy the boots, he said he wasn't replacing the tie rod ends.
John Zollner The only time you use that tool is when your Replacing a tie rod end or a ball joint Completely, and not when your moving it to Service something else.. Using that tool like ***** Said will Destroy the Rubber Boots that hold the Grease in and keep Debris out of the joint. The tool also will put stress on the Joint, When Hammering the Pickle Fork in, a good hard hit might send the tool right into the joint causing pre-mature wear to the joint.. Your supposed to Knock a joint loose like I did, Giving the Boss End of the Knucle a few good slams, thats why theres a flat spot there. Its for that.
Hi:) You can take the rubber boot of and take the large nut off the end of the rack on the other end of inner tie rod there might be a pop rivet or tab locking the nut in place and that nut that is on the end of the outer tie rod is a jam locknut that has to be loosened before you can take the tie rod off.
cybot63 I was told I cant but the rack with out the tierrods ,they come with it?
damn i remember when me and my dad replaced the rack and pinion on his old 94 chrysler concorde, it was a pain in the ass and took most of the day!!!!!!!!!
@905speedgta than mine is an 87 GTA has the digital dash t-tops and the 350 chevy motor and really gets some attention here in the uk, thanx for the advice with the voyager we eventually got the roll pin out and the steering wheel was kept in the centre position so the replacement rack will be going in tomorrow
I am about to do this on my wife 02 grand caravan... not looking forward to it... but it must be done.. thank you for posting this video...
@2000darren . thankyou.. Make sure the steering wheel says in the center position.. you will damage the clock spring and its sensitive components if you overturn that steering wheel.. make sure you lock it into position.. The roll pin is easy, Just get the right size Screw driver and dont be afraid to hit it hard.. good Luck..I have a 1998 Caravan now thats very similar to our third gen vans..Check out my other caravan videos. I like to hear people doing their own work
To lock the steering wheel in place if you're having problems pool the driver side seat belt all the way out slowly until it's fully extended wrap it around the steering wheel and clip it into the seat belt buckle pull the seat is far away from the steering wheel as you can get it and it will hold the steering wheel from spinning while you're playing with everything else again pull slowly and make sure before you disconnect anything your steering wheel is centered and the wheels are as well
Pull not pool
And I know this thread is ancient but it is a tip that someone might need
I took it into my friends shop because we had to Torch ( heat up) the nut that holds the outter tie rod end on.. When taking tie rod ends off A heat gun or better a torch is your best friend..heat it up for 15 20 seconds and crack it loose. tie rod ends is easy, crack that nut loose I think it was counter clockwise, then turn the tie rod end counter clockwise till it is fully removed. count the turns, cause you will need to know how many turns to put the new one on. I used no manual. did it solo
Thanks man. I really appreciate you doing this. I am strapped for cash this Christmas and this is a life saver.
Removed rack by slipping it through center hole of support plate. Didn't take any bolts off plate. Remove 3 nut/bolts, fluid lines from rack then slide it to passenger side until drivers side tie rod end can be dropped into center hole and turn rack so it can be pulled out towards drivers side. I took out battery, cruise control unit and filters(2) under drivers seat for access to fluid lines. There are lines in the way that need to be moved a little but you'll see that. Not sure why people remove plate
can you do one on the freeze plug on top i had to change the one by the power steering pumps i dont know how to get all off to i need help
Devon, The rack was leaking very bad out the passenger side boot. inner tie rods were shot, and the unit itself was old. for the price I payed for a remanufactured one it was worth it
the key to getting the lines off is to do it threw the floorboard hole after breaking them loose then unbolt the rack so you can move it around to get the wrench on and off. when inserting new rack install the lines first using the hole and with fingers!!! do not crosthread these lines they have tons of pressure and will leak you should be able to screwm the 90 percent in with your fingers before torqueing them.905 is number one in my book
Thanks this well detailed video , am doing this on my 96 was a breeze after this video
Yes the black part... The Haynes book says their is 10 bolts holding it... It looks like you undid it in the videos but not the silver aluminum part..I'm talking the black part. It looks like it would be the way to get at the driver side sway bar bushing...
Theres a special tool that slides over the tie rods you tighten the bolts around the inner tie rode in and you use a ratchet to turn the whole tool. Dodge caravan are rounded so theres no place to grab onto with a tool. I just did mine
just did 2005 dodge caravan rack and pinion it took me 7 .hours total.i suggest having a freind help.after taking the tires and tyrods off take of the small pollution i recomend going for the structural reinforocemet plate .i just took mine all the way off it was about fifteen bolts total i had an impact for the big bolts and wrench on the top that took only fifteen minutes then though the hole in the florboard loosen the top line.i then debolted the charcoal box it was very easy to take off with that 3ft by 2ft plate brace removed after that unbolt the rack its easy to get too with that plat all the way off. then you can drop the rack and twist it while someone on top takes the bottom power steering line off through the hole in the floor board.its very time consuming getting those lines off and i had to call a freind to help wrench it offf and on threw that 4 inch hole in the floor board.that was the key for us doing it.wrenches and sockets used were 8mm 10 mm 11 mm 12mm 13mm 14mm 18mm 21mm 22mm wrenches and sockets for all sizes also a 2lb hammer a punchdriver for the roll pin worked great for me and a pickle fork for the tyrod ends i just beat them off on the knuckle .this video and maker are awesome and i thank you for the video and im sorry to here someone stole your van.also i broke the tyrod nuts that keep them from turning first and used penatrating oil before doing so.count the turns on both sides when removing. so in summary have a helper drop and remove the plate he has dangleing it seems like a lot of work but its doable.and the lines are easiest to remove through the hole just break them loose before unbolting the rack then have one guy on top doing the lines and a guy on the bottom twisting back and forth so the guy on top can get the wrench on the flat of the bolt.the key for me was removing the plate asap then the charcoal box brake the lines loose threw the hole in the floorboard then unbolt the rack completly have a friend manover it around .when installing the new one have a buddy underneath put the obootom line on threw the hole and tighten then the top line threw the whole and tighten. then bolt the new rack on whole guy on top puts the ujoint collar bacl on and install roll pin then put the charcoal canister back in then the plate then the little pollution device hook up hoses. count turns for tyrods rebolt and fill with about a quart and a half of fluid.mine turned out good i bought my rack off ebeay for 87 bucks delivered took three days for shipping.feel free to contact me threw you tube if you get in a bind or want advise.once againg thanks and praise to the videomaker on this one
what size punchdriver did you use
Kevin Smith
Oh Jeez.. I dont remember
So take the support plate completely off, ok. No need to drop the engine cradle? Thanks
great, nice to hear you did it on your own. and be sure to get that pin back
nice! thanks man!!! ill give it a shot with my 87 nissan silvia S12
Thanks a lot man! great explanations and very easy to follow!
Very good video! I have a 2000 Chrysler 300m that I'm hoping works out as smooth as your van did.
Mark, This video was back n the day when I was just starting out, today Im alittle more in detail with my videos. Sorry for not having a assembly video of me putting the rack back in, But its basically done in reverse order. As far as your steering issue goes. you may need to lubricate that part while you put it on. if i remember correctly, theres only on way of putting it on..im gonna have to look at my caravan and see. try not to beat it on something might break
Overall, I found this to be an informative video. I would, however, offer a couple suggestions to possibly make the job a little easier. First, tape the steering wheel to the steering column to keep it from moving. Before removing the tie rod ends from the steering knuckles, I would pre-loosen the nuts holding the tie rod ends to the rack and then remove both tie rod ends before removing rack. I would also pre-loosen the hoses where they attach to the rack.
funny you call that old, it's one of my newest cars. Yea I think you are right, I will just do the inners.
Mine has been a good grocery getter, bought it as a lien sale from a transmission shop. Paid $1200 for the transmission and owned the whole van. Put ~50k miles on it so far, probably around $2k total cost, mostly tires because of the alignment issue.
That annoying thing you mention is the cradle reinforcement, it also holds the LCA's in place. Sometimes there is a transmission cooler attached to it.
Im doing it now. You can access the lines through the top of the engine. Its alot of space
Clock Spring is the word you were looking for lol
Hye John. Sorry I was away when you sent this. The roll pin goes back in the same way you took it out..if the pin get damaged " mushroomed" on on end insert the other end in and tap it with a hammer. Use care when removing it. good luck, you will do fine
@soar233 you would probably have to do one if you moved the steering wheel out of its original position while the rack was disengaged from the steering column.. if you keept he steering wheel in place during the rack replacement its fine.. you dont need to reset the clock spring...do yourself a favor.. throw that haynes book away, and go on ebay and get yourself a shop manual ..clear direct directions for your specific car
now I need SEA and metric tools for this thing but it is on the ground and done I counted from the back to the front threads 20 and it was toe out too much when i put it together so I finagled with it till it was close so now its at least toe out thanks for the help
you need to read tse from bottom to top LOL
They do that beacause its aftermarket parts. sizes will always change. Good work.
Good job on this. About to try this today on a dodge Dakota and I watched your vid first.
William, The video should give you enough information to help you. This job was a long time ago, I think what I did for the nuts ontop was I used a vise grip and turned them out from the bottom. The black metal reinforcement was a pain in the ass. thats why i took it down. Dont give up yet, im sure if you have got this far you can finish the job. let me know how it works out. by the way.use a vise grip that doesnt have flat teeth. they sell ones that when you close theres a arch in the middle.
the rack will always be centered. they are rebuilt that way. always make sure steering wheel is centered. i did the tie rods last
there are an obscene amount of bolts doing this job lol but just remove that black plate right off the bat and its alot easier
got rack from wreaking yard tie rod ends rusted on took it in my shop heated up the tierod came right off on my bench Thanks kc job cost me $45
kc scott be carful with used racks. they are like 100 dollars new.
True, I got a new rack from AutoZone for $160. (The dealer wanted over $500 for theirs)
kc scott its allgood KC is right about that. Junkyards want $75 to 100 for them, I think I payed $85 for a rebuilt one from a reputable rebuilder. And forget the dealer man, go on ebay and you can even get Genuine MOPAR parts for a fraction of the cost.. I just bought a spare tire winch assembly for a 2008 jeep cherokee for a customer. auto parts store said DEALER ONLY and dealer wanted close to 400 for it.. ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE is all I can say. Online shopping is killing the mom and pop businesses and the big chains..and ofcourse the tax man.
Great job, I'm glad you posted the video, thanks for showing us.
Good job.... Thank you for your time to make this video :-)
jack,
No problem. thats what I made this channel and website for. The tool you mention i have. I bought it for inner tie rod ends..the inner and outter tie rod ends on my 98 caravan are soo bad when you lift the wheel off the ground you can move the wheel back and fourth.. they lasted 195000 miles so i cant complain. good luck to you and subscribe to my channel for new videos. Ill get around to posting them soon lol...ill be doing the engire front end of my caravan soon
yes the black part has about 10 bolts. put them back in the same order because some bolts are bigger and and when you go to put them in you will see what I mean if you dont put them back where theyc ame from.. soem bolts are larger then others.. im trying to get a picture so I can see whats going on
@Jetjock101 I didnt have any probs with those bolts. You might have to drop the cradle alittle bit, the shop manual I left really didnt help much. good luck with the two lines running to the rack they are hard to get to without lowering the rack alittle bit. remember those lines are 18mm, dont use a line wrench you will be there forever. btw I think I used a socket and breaker bar on that nut on top. I really didnt have any probs with them. let me know how it turns out.
I read it all. glad to hear it came out good
this is a remanufactured rack i bough from a reputable rebuilder..rememebr theres a difference between rebuilt and remanufactured.. rebuilt means they replace whatever was broken on the part and send it back out.. remanufactured is just the shell of the component but all new parts.. Buying a remanufactured item is just like buying brand new but just the exception of a original shell or core..
Glad you were able to use the video some how. i try to make shorter videos sometimes But the amount of info that I have needs to be told ahha
Man, thanks for posting this. It was a big help with having to replace my entire cradle.
hey, Nice to see a older caravan still on the road. theres a old saying..if it aint broke dont fix it.. if its not leaking anywhere and works fine, then theres no reason to replace. get those inners done, theres a special tool your gonna need and it runs about 30 to 60 dollars.. If the rack does go 6 months from now, your new one will come with new inner tie rod ends, so... Subscribe to my channel, I have new videos comming!
@SMAN873 hey that could be a loose front end.. inner or outer tie rod ends shot.. maybe even the steering box.. im not sure if that has a steering box or a rack and pinion
thanks very much for your dedication...your video is very helpful. God Bless you
Thanks you was very helpful.
@ph4ntomlord good luck.. hope the video helps.. dont forget to get a alignment after your done
Anything is possible. One thing I HATE is when people Say you CAN'T Do something. Just about everything Automotive that Technicians have told me NOT to do, and Cant be done has been done. Without any issue...There's One thing where the word Can't Can come into play in my book. And that's Time Travel. If the word Cant was lifted from that, I would go back in time and Change a couple of things..But wouldnt we all.. Good luck.
got it done had to get 18 Mm crows foot and a 18mm 21mm wrench the rack toe tube to the passenger side from the steering pinon was bent wrong and to trad it in for a different one that was a fiasco then I got it installed putting the steering Knuckle back on the Pinion was a lot of trouble.
Nice video and thanks. I'm 12hrs in 3 days into this job. I'm replacing both lines, reservoir and rack and pinion. (I'm using power tools and jack stands and not sure how you did this in 2 1/2 hrs. Those lines took me over two hrs. to unhook from the rack.
its allgood sorry for the delayed reply. the lines get everyone. there a huge pain in the ass. I had to do this same job on a 2010 caravan and it was a breeze. so much room to work
theres no exhaust removal.. whoever told you that id refrain from listening to them..Your going to want to get the power steering pump out of the top of the engine..I know theres a bolt or two that are easy tog et to on the bottom of my 1998 grand caravan But this 2003 I honestly dont remember.. be carful putting the pressure line back into the pump.. its real easy to cross threads and have the threaded part of the line go in crooked :(
that sounds like a BAd Seal in the Rack unit..It could very well be a presure line, but get under the car and inspect the two rubber boots . if the boot is busted look for leakage.. very common probem
great job, with plenty of explanations. I have 2 caravans so I will definitely subscribe.
what you ahve in the video is just a steering rack not a rack and pinion. A rack and pinion is used on heavy duty vehicals. like f250. f350 or 2500 and 3500. The rack and pinion is used when more strenght is required in the steering.
@MojilesMusic Drop the cradle alittle but, you can access that area with a vise grip or a wrench
@jpalencia1983 Lower the engine cradle some more...you can drop the whole cradle if you need to, but remember, disconnect anything thats attached to it.. I believe for mine wich is a 2003 had a ABS solonid or some sort of device attached to the drivers side cradle
Thanks! The bleeping shop wanted to charge 8 labor hours to do this! Plus 200% markup on parts . total of $1150!!! I think I'll spend a few hours in the cold doing it myself instead!
One thing you should really not do is smack those knuckles with a hammer to break those outer tie rods loose. Normally, it's fine to do as much when the knuckle is made of steel. The Caravan, however, has aluminum knuckles. Since aluminum is a softer metal, you run a greater risk for damage and distortion of the knuckle. The holes that the tie rods seat into are something you definitely don't want to distort. They're tapered to create a friction fit and that binds the tie rods to the knuckles. The other problem you could cause is to distort the curvature of the arm that connects to the tie rod. If you mess that up, you can mess up the geometry of how the van steers on turns. The best tool for separating the tie rods is from OTC, (part number 7503) It's fairly pricy for one time users so check with your local auto parts stores to see if they've got the tool handy in their tool loan programs.
Hey my dad has a 98 dodge Durango 4x4 and his wheel has about 4 or 5 inches of play before the wheels start turning
Good job, I have to do this on my 02 T&C, would it have been easier if both inner and outer tie rods were removed prior to removal? I do not want to loosen the engine cradle and also want to avoid the large bracket/support shield too. Thanks
Thanx for the video, it is much more helpful than any manual. my leak turns out to be the 2 small lines that stay on the steering rack, aka "gear fluid lines" all else is all nice. a $30 repair but the work is almost what you needed to do. the rack needs to drop far enough to reach on top of it to change these lines. ?? How did you say u removed the 2 big steering lines from the rack ?? i cant find a way to reach them well enough. be well and mechanically sound my friend.
You should break the tie rod end nuts loose while they are still attached the the vehicle so. You won't struggle with it while there off the car
I'm about to change my rack & pinion on a 2000 Plymouth voyager , My main concern is rust on the jacking points of the frame. Where should I jack up the van , using my 3 ton floor jack and safe placement of the jack stands? I Like the idea of placing the tires under the van for added safety.
Your video is very helpful . Thank you
I think the rack and pinion is just a common Dodge/Chrysler problem lol. My cousin has a dodge caliber (07) and it has been needed replaced for a while now.
caliber is a POS, not knocking your cousin, I just did some research for my mother in law and they rated REALLY low...........
I agree.. hell, my cousin thinks it's junk. We just had to replace the crank sensor last weekend.
***** blizbiggy Theres a reason they dont make them anymore. They are junk, and they were commonly used as fleet vehicles like rental car agencies etc.. Im sorry for the Delayed reply. Its like 4am here and Im going thru my youtube. and I have work at 9 lol
glad to help. thats what my channel is here for
@oceic People Like you are the reason I make these Videos, Hope you found my channel helpful, and Please subscribe to my channel.. I removed the lines by dropping the engine cradle a few inches. If I were you I wouldnt try to use a line wrench, unless u have stubby ones. I used two standard wrenches the top was 18mm i think. Make sure its just the line. these racks in the 01-07 caravan are known for failure
Well, if your doing it on your back like I did your looking at about an hour or two.. The lines were the most difficult to get do and took the most time
you would probably have to do one if you moved the steering wheel out of its original position while the rack was disengaged from the steering column.. if you keept he steering wheel in place during the rack replacement its fine.. you dont need to reset the clock spring...do yourself a favor.. throw that haynes book away, and go on ebay and get yourself a shop manual ..clear direct directions for your specific car
@fototalk No i dont think it was because of him.. it really depends on how he did it