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View Full Version : mini van sway bar warning!?!?!



WickedShelby88
02-14-2009, 07:07 PM
I was taking the sway bar loose on my 94 voyager to replace one of the ball joints and the bar just came off in my hand. It appears to have broken inside of the bushing on the k frame where you can't see it. I wondered why it handled horribly. When trying to find a salvage yard replacement the two vans I tried to get one from had a break in the same area. I was frustrated to say the least at that point, but this illustrates a good issue to focus on for ALL mini van owners of 95 and older vintage mini's. Check your sway bar. That is probably why your van handles horribly even though it doesn't appear broken doesn't mean it isn't. I would bet there are 1000's of these vans on the road with owners who are completely unaware of this situation. I may end up having to buy a new one.. Anyone know off had if any of the vendors carry something. Front only at this point. I will say the van handled quite well before I believe it broke. Quite car like for a van. The 15" 60 series tires didn't hurt.

Johnny
02-15-2009, 01:48 AM
Not a big seller but I sell them. (They should be) Here are photos of the ones I installed on my own van.
Added a 1-1/4 inch on the front and a 1-1/8 inch on the rear. It handles great.

http://polybushings.com/images/vanfrtbar.jpg
http://polybushings.com/images/caravanrearbar.jpg

GLHNSLHT2
02-15-2009, 02:15 AM
91+ vans use cast dual pivot arms.

Johnny
02-15-2009, 11:51 AM
Oh, that's right, that would be a different bar. And I remember trying to do that once. The problem is, the space in the k-frame was not large enough for a larger bar.

Johnny

turbovanmanČ
02-15-2009, 01:34 PM
I was taking the sway bar loose on my 94 voyager to replace one of the ball joints and the bar just came off in my hand. It appears to have broken inside of the bushing on the k frame where you can't see it. I wondered why it handled horribly. When trying to find a salvage yard replacement the two vans I tried to get one from had a break in the same area. I was frustrated to say the least at that point, but this illustrates a good issue to focus on for ALL mini van owners of 95 and older vintage mini's. Check your sway bar. That is probably why your van handles horribly even though it doesn't appear broken doesn't mean it isn't. I would bet there are 1000's of these vans on the road with owners who are completely unaware of this situation. I may end up having to buy a new one.. Anyone know off had if any of the vendors carry something. Front only at this point. I will say the van handled quite well before I believe it broke. Quite car like for a van. The 15" 60 series tires didn't hurt.

Thats common on all 91 and up cars and vans, they are for some reason, more brittle than the 90 and older, :confused:


Oh, that's right, that would be a different bar. And I remember trying to do that once. The problem is, the space in the k-frame was not large enough for a larger bar.

Johnny

Good job I made my own 1 1/4 if yours won't fit, :(

BadAssPerformance
02-15-2009, 01:46 PM
Sounds like they stopped coating the bars in '91 so they rust out at the bushings.

turbovanmanČ
02-15-2009, 02:10 PM
Sounds like they stopped coating the bars in '91 so they rust out at the bushings.

Its not that, its a casting issue, I've seen them snap at different points, like they were frozen then flexed, like Demolition Man, :eyebrows:

Johnny
02-15-2009, 02:49 PM
Good job I made my own 1 1/4 if yours won't fit

You made a 1-1/4" fit the 91+ k-frame?

Johnny

turbovanmanČ
02-15-2009, 02:57 PM
You made a 1-1/4" fit the 91+ k-frame?

Johnny

I did, I told you that, remember? Its an 87 Shelby Z piece. You sold me the end pieces for link kits. I'll take pics and post up.

It wasn't fun, took me over 8 hours, :(

Johnny
02-15-2009, 06:10 PM
I remember.
I thought the bushing area was to small to fit a large bar (in the k-frame).
Guess I just looked and said to my self it looks too small.

WickedShelby88
02-15-2009, 10:54 PM
I think there should be a recall on these darn things as it makes the van rather hazardous to drive in certain conditions on most of today's fine(sarcasm) midwestern roads. What is the difference in width from a van to a 91+ tona. I wouldn't mind making it fit by just relocating the bushing points in the k frame and using longer links.. Problem solved:) So yes if the width is close on something else it is definitely worth a try. I haven't found out what a new one would cost "yet". Something tells me its in the neighborhood of yet another chunk of money in a van with over 270k. Upside is I've still got less than 2k in this van in the last 3 years. I don't believe sway bars on in the factory realm ever got the nice coating like yours have Johnny. Zinc plating goes a long way.. But its hard to combat over 10 years of illinois road salt.

Dodge Aries K
02-15-2009, 10:59 PM
Most pick and pull yards will sell ya a swaybar for under $20. If I were you Joe I'd get one from a lower mileage 1995 van (there's usually quite a few grand caravans with dead 604s and under 150K) and then paint it up nice to keep it from turning to garbage.

turbovanmanČ
02-15-2009, 11:35 PM
I think there should be a recall on these darn things as it makes the van rather hazardous to drive in certain conditions on most of today's fine(sarcasm) midwestern roads. What is the difference in width from a van to a 91+ tona. I wouldn't mind making it fit by just relocating the bushing points in the k frame and using longer links.. Problem solved:) So yes if the width is close on something else it is definitely worth a try. I haven't found out what a new one would cost "yet". Something tells me its in the neighborhood of yet another chunk of money in a van with over 270k. Upside is I've still got less than 2k in this van in the last 3 years. I don't believe sway bars on in the factory realm ever got the nice coating like yours have Johnny. Zinc plating goes a long way.. But its hard to combat over 10 years of illinois road salt.

Custom brackets for the center bushings, cutting and welding on eyelets, grinding the sway bar for clearance at the wheel side of the K-member, heating and beating the K-member to clearance the sway bar.

WickedShelby88
02-19-2009, 01:49 AM
Thats about what I figure Simon.. Thanks. Found a used one at local yard that cut me a deal on some other parts so I lucked out. Soon with new struts and alignment the van might not bounce into the other lane anymore;)

135sohc
02-19-2009, 02:16 AM
Sounds like they stopped coating the bars in '91 so they rust out at the bushings.

its rather hit or miss IMO. my front swaybar (94 P-body, cast arm's) has a rather thick coating on it from the factory. the control arms dont have anything other than whats oversprayed on them so there kinda rusty. K-frame has undercoating on the bottom half and paint/tar coating on the upper.

WickedShelby88
03-03-2009, 03:14 PM
I think my sway bar has been broken for a long time. I always thought the van was too van like compared to some other chrysler minis I had driven. The struts and strut mounts were still good at the time so I don't think I noticed. Since its not a big enough safety issue in itself I don't think these will ever get recalled like they "should" of been. But its pretty bad when 3 out of 4 mini vans in a junk yard have the same problem mine did. I put mine in coated to death with anti-seize where it contacts the bushing. Also interesting was that the later van had poly bushings at the control arms.

BadAssPerformance
03-03-2009, 03:15 PM
Nothing on any car or van is designed to last 270k miles :o

GLHNSLHT2
03-03-2009, 03:49 PM
Also interesting was that the later van had poly bushings at the control arms.

The poly might help keep it from rusting, binding/siezing and breaking vs. the rubber.

WickedShelby88
03-04-2009, 02:33 AM
Nothing on any car or van is designed to last 270k miles :o

sad thing was the other vans had less than 200k. I'm just going to get poly bushings throughout and save for a sway bar from PB. KYB's front and rear as well.

Dodge Aries K
03-04-2009, 04:17 AM
Poly bushings would make that ol' van a lot happier. Also, you might want to get some springs off a lower mileage van since the springs over time wear out.

WickedShelby88
03-04-2009, 09:20 AM
Debating using shelby tona springs if they will work and making spacers at work to lower the rear accordingly. With poly control arm bushing and a some other goodies traction will be noticeably improve as well as saftely. My goal is to make this van drive more car like that way the wife and I feel safer when we are on the road and can negotiate turns without feeling like we are in a sailboat.

BadAssPerformance
03-04-2009, 09:21 AM
sad thing was the other vans had less than 200k. I'm just going to get poly bushings throughout and save for a sway bar from PB. KYB's front and rear as well.

Most vehicles pre-95 were designed for 100k miles, more recently the goal is 150k miles... In the midwest-rust-belt on vehicles never maintained, all bets are off :(

WickedShelby88
03-04-2009, 10:43 AM
For sure. I would rather buy a sway bar from Johnny than another crap job stock replacement anyhow. Found a good one though and for 20 bucks and they even pulled it for me so I can't complain. I would of gotten it myself but the van was sitting in the mud on the K frame.:D