Cool van build journal.

[highdesertranger]

very, very low miles for a 93, that's like half the average. as far as what else to change how about all the other moving parts under that front end not to mention the engine and trans. so when you double that km, do you think it would be the same situation. oh btw those after market rebuilt axles will not last as long as OEM. highdesertranger

 

[66788]

Overall, not a bad first effort, but I did catch a couple serious fubars, and several potentially serious mistakes and lesser glitches that will cause extra work/rebuilding down the line.   But he will figure them out as he goes. 
Hint....  batteries.   Hint....  Silicone.  See if y'all catch the others.  

Love his Dad's shop.  My Dad's shop wasn't so neat and tidy.

Pink fiberglass insulation is horrible.  Not very effective and traps moisture.

Had he consulted this forum first, his build would be better!

 

[66788]

my 1993 dodge Caravan has front wheel drive, this summer I changed both drive axles, due to a vibration on acceleration,  they cost about 350 for both, what else is there to replace?? they were original with 230,000 kms, I didn;t think that was a big cost, it took a couple of hours to do the job. just bolt on parts.

Unless you bought them from Chrysler, they won't last very long.   Rubber from 3rd world countries is of a very poor quality and the boots will split, leaking out the grease and allowing water and dirt in.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

Unless you bought them from Chrysler, they won't last very long.   Rubber from 3rd world countries is of a very poor quality and the boots will split, leaking out the grease and allowing water and dirt in.

you guys are so negative, how do you know this, do you have first hand experience with Dodge Caravan drive axle replacements or any others?   Most modern vehicles have front wheel drive these days, Toyota and Lexus are the most reliable cars on the road and most of their models are front wheel drive. I am sure Chrysler buy their rubber from third world countries as well, not much manufacturing happening in Western countries these days.

 

[highdesertranger]

like I have said three times now it's my opinion. also I have replace 100's maybe 1,000's of CV axles. I owned a shop for years, I have worked on vehicles since the early 70's. I can take a vehicle completely apart, rebuild it, and reassemble it. done it many times. I have done work for car dealers new and used. I have worked on US postal vehicles. I have worked on Caltrans vehicles in fact I had a contract with the state of CA, they would send trucks from miles around to my shop with hard to repair problems. I have worked on semi's to motorcycles and everything in between. now I could keep going but I think I gave enough information there to qualify me to have an opinion. highdesertranger

 

[Canine]

Hope this doesn't become as contentious as the gun control discussions.Personally,I like the front wheel drive.I have no problem with folks who don't.Everyone has their own reasons for their opinion.Tip of the hat to HDR for his knowledge.

 

[ZoNiE]

Most Lexus models are REAR wheel drive. Only the RX, ES, and CT are FWD. The CT is a Prius. The RX and ES are Camry based and built in US. I own an older IS. Tough little car. My stepson has a corolla, same year, Piece of shit. IS is RWD, Corolla is FWD, same basic size.

HDR is right. Remanufactured/aftermarket CV boots are crap and will cause premature failure of the CV joint. Most vehicles use nearly the same parts in a MFG lines, so experience with other than a 1993 caravan is sufficient to make that statement.

FWD cars are just not as heavy duty... unless you are talking 1970's GM. (Toronado/Eldorado/GMC Motorhome)

FWD layouts cost more to service, mostly due to packaging and transverse layout.

Putting dodge caravan mechanicals (Gas V6 Promaster models) in a "1-ton" van is just asking for trouble. You're better off going with the Diesel model on the Promaster, or the RWD Transit.

 

[kitesurfer]

My transit is due for delivery this week and i'm reading all i can about conversions. This report ws extremely helpful to me.