2001 grd cvn pulls to left on acceleration

jingari · #1 10-02-2006, 06:07 PM

Hello,

Just wondering if anyone has had experienced this problem at least three professional mechanics are stumped after working on the problem for several hours...charging me big bucks....and replacing all of the likely problem parts.... so they say.

I have 2001 grand caravan... I purchased used in 2003 with 23 k.

in 2005 I had one of the control arms replaced because it was coming apart... they (my current mechanics) told me that a loose motor mount had caused the control arm problem... and I had the motor mount replaced at the same time

Last month the car was again brought in to the shop because my wife heard and felt a clunk in the front end upon moderate to rapid acceleration. (the problem does not occur under mild acceleration )

The control arms and bearings had been checkd and deemed OK. Our mechanics told me that it was a motor mount problem and that all four mounts must be replaced. howver after replacing the mounts...upon aceleration the car pulled to the left despite all components being in alignment and the chassis supposedly in line as well. In addition, the car shimmey(sp?)s at higher speeds....even though the car was meticulously aligned ( twice) The mechanics are stumped and cannot tell me what the problem is ... They say that the car is drivable but claim that they can do no more and that my problem will problem persist!

While I cannot attest to what occured before ...we did do a carfax check beore purchasing and the car has not suffered any accidents while in my possession. CAN ANYONE SUGGEST A FIX HELP .....

Thanks ....Joe

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floorslayer1 · #2 10-02-2006, 11:28 PM

Caravans have always been noted for what is called "Torque Steering" due to the extreme difference in length of the two front shafts. The left side grabs and pulls while the longer right side one twists to an extent before catching up. This is most noticable on soft surfaces with any kind of moderate to hard acceleration. As for a potential problem, maybe there is a problem with your differential only engaging on one side. Caravans with the a604 transmission have been well known to have differential problems. Good Luck

chopper · #3 10-03-2006, 01:30 PM

I still think the problem is control arm bushings.They can look good from the outside and still have lost their elasticity,allowing the arm to pivot fore and aft causing the steering problems you have.Does the car pull to one side during hard braking also?
The tire shimmy you have could be caused by the control arm bushings,a tire problem,or a bent rim.You can change the tires front to back and see if the characteristics change or if all else fails,there is a wheel balance machine that loads the tire to road conditions to help find hidden problems.
http://www.hunter.com/pub/product/ba...159T/index.htm
See if there is one of these wheel balancers in your area.