Chrysler 1998 Voyager Service Manual page 44

2 - 12 SUSPENSION
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING (Continued)
STEERING KNUCKLE
The front suspension knuckle is not a repairable
component of the vehicles front suspension IT MUST
BE REPLACED. If bent, broken or damaged in any
way, do not attempt to straighten or repair the steer-
ing knuckle.
Service replacement of the front hub/bearing
assembly can be done with the front steering knuckle
remaining on the vehicle.
LOWER CONTROL ARM
If damaged, the lower control arm casting is ser-
viced only as a complete component. Inspect lower
control arm for signs of damage from contact with
the ground or road debris. If lower control arm shows
any sign of damage, inspect lower control arm for
distortion. Do not attempt to repair or straighten
a broken or bent lower control arm.
The serviceable components of the lower control
arm are: the ball joint assembly, ball joint assembly
grease seal and control arm bushings. Inspect both
control arm bushings for severe deterioration, and
replace if required. Inspect ball joint per inspection
procedure in this section of the service manual and
replace if required. Service procedures to replace
these components are detailed in the specific compo-
nent removal and installation sections in this group
of the service manual.
BALL JOINT (LOWER)
With the weight of the vehicle resting on the road
wheels, grasp the grease fitting as shown in (Fig. 5)
and with no mechanical assistance or added force
attempt to rotate the grease fitting.
Fig. 5 Checking Ball Joint Wear
If the ball joint is worn the grease fitting will
rotate easily. If movement is noted, replacement of
the ball joint is recommended.
STABILIZER BAR
Inspect for broken or distorted sway bar bushings,
bushing retainers, and worn or damaged sway bar to
strut attaching links. If sway bar to front suspension
cradle bushing replacement is required, bushing can
be removed from sway bar by opening slit and peel-
ing bushing off sway bar.
HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLY
The condition of the front hub and bearing assem-
bly is diagnosed using the inspection and testing pro-
cedure detailed below.
The bearing contained in the Unit III front hub/
bearing assembly will produce noise and vibration
when worn or damaged. The noise will generally
change when the bearings are loaded. A road test of
the vehicle is normally required to determine the
location of a worn or damaged bearing.
Find a smooth level road surface and bring the
vehicle up to a constant speed. When vehicle is at a
constant speed, swerve the vehicle back and forth
from the left and to the right. This will load and
unload the bearings and change the noise level.
Where axle bearing damage is slight, the noise is
usually not noticeable at speeds above 30 m.p.h..
SERVICE PROCEDURES
SUSPENSION CRADLE THREAD REPAIR
PROCEDURE
WARNING: When performing this procedure use
only the thread inserts which are specified in the
Mopar Parts Catalog for this repair procedure.
These thread inserts have been specifically devel-
oped for this application and use of other types of
thread inserts can result in an inferior long term
repair.
The threaded holes in the front suspension cradle,
if damaged, can repaired by installing a Heli-Coil
thread insert.
The threaded holes that are repairable using the
thread insert, are the lower control arm rear bushing
retainer mounting bolt holes, routing bracket attach-
ing locations for the power steering hoses, and brake
hose attachment holes.
This repair procedure now allows the threaded
holes in the suspension crossmember to be repaired,
eliminating the need to replace the crossmember if
damage occurs to one of the threaded holes.
The thread inserts for this application are specified
by part number in the Mopar Parts Catalog. Do not
use a substitute thread insert.
The specific tools and equipment required to install
the thread insert are listed below. Refer to the
NS