Do-it-yourself steering rack repair for Dodge Caravan

In detail: do-it-yourself steering rack repair for a Dodge caravan from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

There is an opinion that the weak point of the Dodge Caravan is the steering rack. Whether this is true or not, you can decide only when you sit behind the wheel of an “American”. And yet, no matter how high-quality the car is, sooner or later such a nuisance can befall him. What to do in case of breakage of this main control element? There are at least two exits, but before voicing them, let's clarify ...

    1. Driving on rough, dusty roads. Slow down in front of the pits, avoid moving along the tram rails, do not "reckless" on bumpy tracks - no one has canceled these generally accepted rules.
    1. Simultaneous holding the steering wheel in the extreme position and pressure on the gas. Such a “scheme” increases the load on the gearbox and other parts, and also provokes wear on the power steering pump.
    1. Too frequent curb trips. Such bold “experiments” are not perceived by the mechanism in the best way.
    1. Poor condition of anthers. If even slightly damaged, they allow dirt and water to pass through, as a result of which the seals wear out and leak occurs.
    1. Insufficient heating of the engine in winter and a sharp scrolling of the steering wheel at the same time. Thus, the oil in the hydraulic booster does not soften properly, and this also worsens the condition of the entire mechanism.

The reason to suspect a malfunction of the steering rack on the Dodge Caravan is a characteristic knock when driving on rough roads, especially when cornering. Also, this is a tight scrolling of the steering wheel (and not necessarily in both directions), puddles of oil that the vehicle leaves, a rumble in the hydraulic booster. Did you find anything similar? It is urgent to eliminate the trouble, because at any moment the car can become uncontrollable.

Video (click to play).

It is quite possible that after inspection, the specialist’s verdict will be approximately as follows: “It’s all about the seals, and we can easily eliminate leakage by appropriate adjustment.” In this case, there is nothing left but to exhale calmly, since the breakdown turned out to be insignificant. If the restoration directly concerns the rail itself, it is worth weighing the pros and cons before agreeing to repair it.

    • The average "life expectancy" of the Dodge Caravan rail 2008-2013 and other years of production after repair is six months. For comparison: a new one often lasts more than ten years!
    • Most often, craftsmen “tinker” with the old mechanism for several days before they put it in order. Replacement is much faster.
    • The cost of a "fresh" component is certainly higher than the repair of an old one. However, this savings is only superficial, since it is likely that after six months you will have to contact the service center again on the same issue. And in the end come to the replacement of leaky spare parts.
    • Choose recovery? Be prepared that after dismantling, troubleshooting and complete analysis, the specialist, having assessed the condition of the case, will “please” you with the need for a complete replacement of the unit. And no one canceled the payment for his work! Thus, the owner of the car not only does not save, but also pays much more than he would have initially decided to order a new unit.

And again, the statistics say that more than half of the repaired steering racks on the Dodge Caravan require replacement a very short time after leaving the workshop. Would you like to be among the owners of such cars? Practice shows that it is better to prevent a problem than to wait for it to suddenly manifest itself again.

Please, before asking a question in the conf and opening a new topic, look for the answer to your question here:
LINK 1, here: LINK 2 and here: LINK 3
I am sure that 90% of the answers you will find on the links provided. Also - try searching from the MAIN page of the site - there may be more complete results!

P.S If you know the error code, then just “drive” it into the search bar. And pay attention to the fact that the first letter of the code must be typed in the “Latin” layout! Otherwise, the search results will not lead you anywhere.
The first letter of the code is NOT the Russian letter “P”!

And one more thing - a HUGE request to write in this forum in RUSSIAN - save Albanian for smoking.

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Image - Do-it-yourself steering rack repair on a Dodge caravan

Image - Do-it-yourself steering rack repair on a Dodge caravan

Group: Users
Posts: 35
Registration: 21.3.2009
From: Minsk
User No: 21 007

Looking for Dodge Caravan parts? You are on the right page!

WANT TO BUY A DOGE CARAVAN RAIL? CLICK ON THE PICTURE OF YOUR CAR!

Image - Do-it-yourself steering rack repair on a Dodge caravan

Image - Do-it-yourself steering rack repair on a Dodge caravan

Image - Do-it-yourself steering rack repair on a Dodge caravan

Want to know how much a Dodge Caravan rake costs? Click on the picture of your car!

Before we move on to talking about rails for the Dodge Caravan, let's dwell on the car itself and its characteristics.

Dodge Caravan is a family minivan out of time and fashion. This is the standard of a minivan, which other manufacturers simply follow, and some simply take the base and stick their logo on it.

This is convenience and comfort, this is a huge number of interior transformations, spaciousness, like a hangar, and lulling comfort when traveling long distances. Large 3.3/3.8/4.0 liter engines and old, reliable 4-speed automatics.

It is better to consider buying a Dodge Caravan since 2001. Since 2001, these cars have become fresher in appearance, but practically have not changed in technical terms.

When driving a vehicle, you should always keep safety in mind. It is important not only to comply with traffic rules, but also to keep your car in good technical condition.

Don't want to ride like a cart? Always change worn rails in time and buy only new parts. A used rake for a Dodge Caravan is not just a "pig in a poke", it's a dead "pig in a poke".

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The rack and pinion steering mechanism, or, as we used to call it, the Dodge Caravan steering rack, is an important unit that allows you to control the wheels of your car.

Steering rack Dodge Caravan.

If you explain on the fingers, the process looks like this. The driver unscrews the steering wheel, through special shafts the force enters the rail, which transmits it to the wheels.

As a result, the wheels take the required angle to be able to make a turn or go around an obstacle. Now it becomes clear why it is so important to maintain the health of this mechanism.

Structurally, the rail is a rod with a piston. And the piston housing is the power steering cylinder. A spool is mounted in the body, which, depending on the direction of rotation of the wheels, distributes the liquid into the left or right chambers of the cylinder.

If you draw a diagram of the operation of the rail with power steering, the following picture comes out.

When driving straight, the oil pressure remains unchanged and the fluid runs along the “pump-tank” route.

As soon as the steering wheel begins to turn in a certain direction, the distributor opens access to only one half of the piston, closing the opposite one, and begins to supply oil under pressure only from the side we need, giving the piston a push. As a result, we can turn the steering wheel without much effort.

The evolution of steering racks. If it is completely simplified, then there are rails: ordinary mechanical, with electric power steering and with hydraulic booster.

Actually, everything rolled from the mechanics.This is a simple, literally indestructible design: a working shaft with a gear, in a metal case, two rods with steering tips are connected to it, and this whole structure is closed with anthers. This type of rail was installed on most cars until the end of the last century.