Entervan "Leans"

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Entervan "Leans"

Postby garriew » 04 Aug 2014, 04:30

I have an '04 Chrysler T&C w/ a Entervan lowered floor conversion and roughly 64k miles. For the last year or so the driver side is about an inch lower when raised. Which makes that side always bottoms out but today I lost the muffler. It was already having issues from hitting a re-tred on the highway. Lucky we didn't have a wreck.

I've taken it to several mechanics and they don't have much of an idea. One did say new shocks might fix the bottoming out but couldn't guarantee it. That would cost 2k to do, special shocks, so I don't want to try and hope for the best.

Any suggestions?
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Re: Entervan "Leans"

Postby Burgerman » 04 Aug 2014, 08:26

Shocks may help over bumps, but do nothing for ride height, only damping.

Springs sag over time. Suspension bushes wear, tyres wear a few mm, and sidewalls give a little. And Entervans start about an inch lower than for e.g. the Rollx vans to begin with.

So its likely a number of small things that add up. So it really needs a good look/measure and go from there. Of course you could leave it all a bit "sagged" and raise the suspension on spacers.
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Re: Entervan "Leans"

Postby garriew » 04 Aug 2014, 16:27

Thanks for the info and suggestion. It's always good to know when going into a mechanics place.
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Re: Entervan "Leans"

Postby Burgerman » 04 Aug 2014, 17:27

The leaning part would worry me more than height though. Check a front coil spring isn't broken at the top or bottom end.
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Re: Entervan "Leans"

Postby phatboyroy » 11 Aug 2014, 19:18

Per chance, do you leave the vehicle with the ramp down, say in your garage, fopr prolonged periods of time?

if so you've bent the springs from bent to straight.
the way the system weorks, is an actuator merely pulls on a chain connected to the, (side specific) rearsusspension. simply pulling the body down to the axel by means of brute force. there's no finese involved. of course leaving it in this position over time straightens the spring out.
i had the same issue on a 6 year old one i bought, the previous owner used to leave it with the ramp down.

as you intimate, expensive to replace rear springs, but that's what you, (and others) gotta do.

be well

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Re: Entervan "Leans"

Postby Burgerman » 11 Aug 2014, 19:20

Except drivers side low is the opposite side to the ramp. :geek:
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Re: Entervan "Leans"

Postby garriew » 11 Aug 2014, 19:46

phatboyroy wrote:Per chance, do you leave the vehicle with the ramp down, say in your garage, fopr prolonged periods of time?
No.

It's like the driver side isn't going all the way backup. I'm taking it to a Entervan dealer in about a month.
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Re: Entervan "Leans"

Postby garriew » 11 Aug 2014, 19:51

Is this the type of spring you are talking about?

Image
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Re: Entervan "Leans"

Postby Burgerman » 11 Aug 2014, 20:42

It is, but its a single leaf so no friction issue.

But the side of the van that is pulled low, much further, is the opposite side to the drivers side. So its not likely to be related.
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Re: Entervan "Leans"

Postby garriew » 13 Nov 2014, 19:08

Thought I'd give an update on this.

I had the shocks replaced and it's no longer bottoming out. It rides better now too. :o I haven't decided if I'm still going to change the leaf springs or not. Probably not.
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