How to Replace the Springs in a Dodge Caravan

The Dodge Caravan is one of the best selling mini-vans in the United States since being introduced in 1984. The Dodge Caravan uses coil springs in the suspension. The coil spring suspension in the Dodge Caravan is designed for ease of maintenance. On most models, the springs in the rather sparsely designed Dodge Caravan can be replaced with little bother.

Instructions

1

Jack up the car, block the tires with jack stands and remove the wheels. The Dodge Caravan is not a very heavy vehicle so heavy duty jacks will not be necessary.

2

Disassemble the MacPherson strut assembly to gain access to the spring and use the spring compressor to take the pressure off the spring before removing.

3

Remove the spring from the strut by removing the bolts on the lower and upper area of the strut. The Dodge Caravan control arms are standard and do not require any special tools, but remember the location of the bolts and put them back in the same location when finished.

4

Hold the top of the shaft with the crescent wrench to remove the spring. Be sure you have released the pressure on the spring before disengaging it from the shock.

5

Replace the spring with a progressively wound spring. It's not necessary to use a manufacturer's Dodge Caravan replacement spring--it's OK to use one you can buy from a car parts store or order online. The design of the progressive spring increases the spring's resistance as the load increases.

6

Reassemble the spring and strut assembly and repeat the procedure for each spring to be replaced. The front and rear springs may have a different configuration due to the factory design and options selected.

7

Reattach any component that was removed during the process and put the tires back on the Caravan. Some chassis components may have been tuck up or tied off so be sure to double-check before heading out on the road.