Hello, I have a 94 Caravan that I have had for over 10 years. The alignment has always been slightly out but not enough to worry about. Probably over a year ago I started experiencing more problems with it. One of these problems is that my front passenger tire keeps getting ate up on the inner side of it. The other is sort of a slight jerk and click noise right as you first start to accelerate. I had replaced the front struts and wheel bearing on that side last year yet the tire gets ate up still. A few weeks ago I noticed that the boot on one of the inner tie rods was damaged so I went ahead and replaced both the inner and outer tie rods. While doing this I had also noticed that the wheels when turned all the way to either side is rubbing away at the plastic and metal depending on which way it is turned. They are the proper size of tires so I am also wondering why the turn goes too far. The outer tie rods took between 25 to 27 turns taking them off so I installed both new ones at 25 turns. I am curious if that is too many and possibly causing too much turn radius. Another thing that I noticed was on the driver side boot of the inner tie rod there is a small hole that goes onto a piece of metal and this piece of metal moves back and forth a little and I don't think it should. I have attached pics and a video link. If someone could help it would be much appreciated.

1. What is this clicking noise and should there be play in the wheel like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvET...ature=youtu.be

2. What is the small metal piece that the small hole in the boot covers, what is it's purpose and am I correct in thinking it should not move?

3. Why do these wheels go so far when steering all the way that it is rubbing in the wheel well, could it be that 25 turns on tie rod like it was originally is too much or would it be something else?

4. Any other ideas on what could be wrong to cause the inner side of that tire to lose it's tread?

Thanks!

 

Looks like the drivers side on mine. Lower ball joints will cause the clunk and jerking. Regardless of how close you think you got the alignment, fix the ball joints and get it aligned!!!

Bad alignment eats tires. Namely toe out in this case.

 

I'm assuming that the whole control arm would not need replaced but how would I tell? Do you know what all is involved in replacing these lower ball joints? I hope that I will not have to remove the tie rods again, the outer boot was damaged while trying to do so with a fork for the first time around. I had tried to reverse the crown nut and beat it out but it wasn't happening. On my pass side I forgot a washer that went on before the inner tie rod and now can't take it back off without damaging the outer boot getting to it.

 

Sadly the washer is prolly needed.

The ball joints however press out of the control arm easily with a ball joint press. I did both of mine in under 2 hours. You can move everything out of the way once the ball is unbolted. Just be careful, the axles will want to pop out as your doing it.

 

I will have to try that as soon as I can get some new ball joints then. When I bought the inner tie rods the new ones did not come with the washer which appears to be a white plastic one that has a small split in it. Because of that I didn't realise until doing the driver that I had forgot to put it on the pass side. I have been driving it like this and today I put 2 like new tires on the front of it and the alignment seems to be much better at the moment and not dragging right. I am still also concerned about it rubbing the metal and eating a hole in the plastic of the wheel well when making a full turn.

 

The rubbing on mine was caused by the bad ball joints. It allowed too much movement.

 

So I finally got the cash and the time to put new ball joints in. I had to unbolt from the struts and pull the rotor off the axles to get the press up in there. The axle on the driver side easily popped out the transmission side as well and lost some transmission fluid.
I obviously messed up somewhere though. Now I am hearing even more louder popping noises and my steering wheel is no longer straight like it was after I did the tie rods. It is about 90 degrees to the left.
Any ideas on what I need to do?
Thanks!

 

Probably doesn't matter but I said that wrong. Steering wheel has to be turned 90 to the right not left for the wheels to be straight.