Rant Need advice 2014 Braunability XT Limited

[F3Head]

I placed my tale of woe in this section of the forum because of the eyeballs and knowledge found here. Please excuse the wrong posting to the wrong forum but I need eyeballs. Read below and let me know you guys think?

I'm looking for opinions & suggestions on this problem that just developed below. I have recently took my 2014 Chrysler Braunability XT 14 inch drop floor with just 15,000 miles on it to a suspension specialist for an Extremely Loud Slamming & banging noise. The mechanic I spoke with personally indicated that the vehicle suspension appears visually normal. But his best guess for the noise and the problem, and it's just a guess, is maybe the suspension is sagging, and the suspension is compressing just enough to hit the bump stops and crunching slamming the frame. It's extremely loud and sounds dangerous.
The metallic slamming/banging noise is much worse when going over small hills or sways in the road. He thinks springs and bump stops could be replaced but he is not sure it would fix the problem. Based on his experience he doesn't think the suspension looks shot or worn out. The noise is much worse when loaded with me and my 600-pound Permobil F3 wheelchair. The problem is often loud enough that people are frightened even just to drive it.

I would expect this for a vehicle that was much older or with more miles on it but not one that only has 15,000 miles on it. Really disappointed that this problem occurred with that many miles on it. It's odd because the noise does not happen all the time or only on bad roads such as potholes etc. but off on. Making diagnosis and noise troubleshooting extremely difficult. The vehicle is not overloaded it's only two people my driver and my power wheelchair and I. Well below the load limit posted on the door pillar. It rarely happens when family or someone drives the vehicle alone.

The mechanic whom I spoke to seemed to indicate that the noise, hellaciously LOUD, indicates nothing is broken. He indicated that the shocks and springs which are all specialty items and extremely expensive seem to look okay and respond properly when compressed. He's unsure if replacing the springs and shocks would fix the problem and for how long. The only thing he could suggest is that over time the springs are sagging and causing the noise. He says he can see contact marks where the rear suspension is compressing to the frame. The guy I took it to is a suspension specialist not a mom-and-pop shop. However, it's only got 15,000 miles. It is a 14 inch drop floor. Below is my letter for the mechanic.

I have a 2014 Braunability Chrysler T & C Limited sideload minivan. The vehicle has developed a loud banging noise just underneath the rear passenger seat and inbound and center of the right rear tire as if you are sitting inside the vehicle.
Please check the entire vehicle suspension. Check shocks and frame and front and rear suspension & mounting points and sway bars front and rear. Please note that the minivan has a kneeling system which lowers the vehicle about 4 inches to the ground with a chain and cylinder in the rear. Please Note: I am 99% certain that it is not the rear tire rack underneath the vehicle.

I've had the vehicle to two different shops. Including Mobilityworks who are supposed to be adaptive vehicle specialist. Whom I bought the vehicle from and who could not find anything wrong. The metallic banging noise is much worse when going over rumple strips and road irregularities or potholes. Replacement parts are extremely expensive and I surely cannot afford a new or replacement adaptive vehicle.

Please let me know what you guys think. Should I get another opinion? I don't want to just throw parts at it. F3HEAD

[Burgerman]

Any half decent mechanic would e able to figure that out easily. Theres nothing complicated about it.

So yes get another opinion.

[ex-Gooserider]

Not sure what they used on that year, but from what I know, Braun doesn't change their designs much at all, and neither do most of the Chrysler / Dodge minivans except for the big generation changes every few years... So I feel pretty comfortable in my saying you almost certainly have the fancy / expensive "Nivomat" or load leveling shocks...

These basically work by having a sort of 'pump' in them that is worked by going over bumps that work the suspension. They have valving that allows the pump to increase the ride height if it is low until you reach the designed height and then they vent the pump to get the usual shock absorber function...

A few links from a startpage search on nivomat shock operation (plenty of other links, no opinion about the quality of stuff these are trying to sell...)
https://www.strutmasters.com/a/blog/thi ... n-problems
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/nivom ... explained/
https://www.ipdusa.com/Articles/532/Wha ... -have-them

They are nice when they work, but as pointed out in the links above, they are prone to failure, and when failing they produce exactly the sort of symptoms you describe... IMHO the kneeling system in a Braun van increases the odds of them failing as it basically works by dragging the suspension down against the shock, overcoming it's internal support... (I keep the kneel in my van switched OFF most of the time largely because of this) I know on my first van I got a very early warning from my mechanic that the shock on the kneeling side was leaking and likely to be a future problem before to long...

I have had to deal with Mobility Works for years because we don't have any other good options in the area where I live, and I am FAR from impressed with their competency or ethics, let alone actually wanting to help people w/ disabilities in any way other than sucking money out of their wallets... (See the thread on my recent van accident https://www.wheelchairdriver.com/board/ ... f5ccba6ebd including how Mobility Works screwed me over by refusing to rent me an accessible van...)

I'm surprised the suspension shop didn't find a problem, but at least one of the links I put in above gives a diagnostic that you or a helper can do...

ex-Gooserider

[Burgerman]

In addition a mechanic should be looking out for a failed engine or exhaust mount, failed gearbox mount, or a sway bar bush, or the drop link ends. As well as a bunch of stuff that may be affected by the body lift that these vans have such as drive shafts, CV joints, etc. Theres about 30 places to look.

I would be able to find the fault one way or another. Many of the above are invisible unless you use a pry bar or a ramp and a way to unload/load the item. Including the suspension components.

[F3Head]

Well thank you for the input guys. As it stands right now, I'm scheduled to return to Mobilityworks next week. As mentioned in some comments they are a hit and miss affair there as to how much service they do is any good. I had one tech there that was amazingly good. Managed to find a single airbag wire that was corroded in a bundle of wires. Most of the time, and I've had the van there quite a few times before, they don't do much. Suspension shop doesn't want to get involved probably for liability reasons. Unfortunately here in the states, all Braunability parts must be purchased through Braunability or one of their affiliated Mobilityworks stores. None are available over-the-counter that I am aware of. I agree they do look absolutely stock. The Mopar site allows you to put in your vin number and sniffs out what's available for your vehicle. Problem is there must be a dozen shock absorbers that are heavy-duty on their list. I have to have somebody pull part numbers. Not going to happen. The Chrysler XT came from Canada and manufactured there. I still have the window sticker somewhere. It says, if I remember correctly, it shipped with heavy duty suspension, heavy-duty oil cooler, and heavy-duty transmission cooler.

The Mechanic at the suspension shop indicated you can pretty easily see that the springs are compressing pretty much fully and compressing to the bump stops. The rebound is likely the safety chain or strap which holds the suspension etc. reaching its limit and hitting its end stop as it should. The chain and the stop on the rebound likely making the noise. The trailing arms are also showing signs of compression marks and service marks etc. as it too compresses upward and makes contact. It's likely Goose is onto it with his helpful response.

Anyway they want me to be at their shop in the minivan in my F3 so they can take it for a drive with me in it, then see what the noise is… Unfortunately, it may not produce the noise. We drove around all day today and didn't hear the noise. That's what's so frustrating about the problem. But when the noise occurs it's starting to approach gunshot sound loud .

Thanks for the help I guess will see… F3HEAD