How to Install Sway Bar Bushings in a Grand Caravan

The bushings on a Dodge Caravan or Dodge Grand Caravan stabilize the sway bar to the frame of the undercarriage. When they wear out, the allow the sway bar to contact the frame and create an annoying clunking, creaking sound when driving on bumpy roads. They're not the easiest things to replace; the key is getting under the vehicle and removing the brackets. With some tools and determination, you can replace these yourself and save some money.

Things You'll Need

• Car ramps (recommended) or floor jack Jack stands Wheel chock Creeper (optional) Safety glasses Phillips screwdriver 15 mm box end wrench 3/8-inch drive ratchet with 3-inch extension 3/8-inch drive 15 mm socket Small or medium pry bar

Instructions

1. Park the Grand Caravan on car ramps on a flat, level and paved or concrete surface. You can substitute a floor jack and two jack stand to lift the front of the Grand Caravan, but you're going to be under this for a little while, and ramps would be a much safer alternative. Apply the parking brake and place a wheel check behind one of the rear tires.

2. Put on safety glasses and crawl under the Grand Caravan with your replacement bushings and tools. You can use a creeper if you like, but it will lift you up an inch or two closer to the undercarriage. If you're worried about getting dirty, you could lay an old blanket under the vehicle. With limited room, it's best to have as much as you can.

3. Locate the sway bar bushings by following the sway bar from the sway bar links located at each wheel and following the bar until you locate the bushings. They're located below the engine firewall just under each front seat. You will now notice that the left side bushing has a module and bracket in the way. Start with this side as it is the most difficult to get apart.

4. Remove the three screws in the module with a Phillips screwdriver. Remove the bracket as well to give you more room.

5. Remove the sway bar bracket bolt by placing the 15 mm box end wrench on the bolt head towards the rear of the vehicle and the ratchet, extension and socket on the bolt nut on the front side of the vehicle. This is going to be the hardest part of the job--positioning the ratchet and removing the nut with one hand while holding the bolt with the wrench in the other hand. Perseverance will pay off.

6. Remove the sway bar bracket bolt on the right side of the sway bar. This is much easier to access. The brackets are hinged at the top, wrap around the bushings and mounted to the frame with the bolt. Once the bolts are removed, swing the brackets up and turn slightly to extract them from the slotted hinge.

7. Remove the old bushings. Use a small or medium pry bar to convince the bushings to come off by prying the fixed slot. There's metal under the rubber coating of this bushings, but the old ones are going to come off the sway bar a lot easier than the new ones going on.

8. Install both new bushings, opening them at the slots and pushing them onto the sway bar.

9. Line the new bushings up to the proper locations and replace the sway bar bushing brackets. Tighten the bolts and nuts. Replace the bracket and module on the left-hand side.

10. Remove all the tools and debris from under the vehicle. Remove the wheel chock and back it off the ramps or if you used jack stands, lower the vehicle first, then remove the wheel chock. Release the parking brake and test drive.

Tips & Warnings

• Look for a higher quality bushing when you're at the parts store, especially if you have replaced the sway bar bushings before. Higher quality means less installations and less times you'll have to be under the vehicle.