Going to save some money since i have the time and put some new shocks on the rear of my 2000 Caravan. Any tips or hints or is it simply as easy as jacking the frame rail to get the shocks unloaded, then unbolting and putting the new ones on?

I have decent mechanical skills; just finished installing a class 3 hitch. What a pain in the butt without a good way to get the bolts into the boxed frame sections.

 

you got it, jack it up by the axle and unbolt them.


SHOCK ABSORBER (REAR)

REMOVAL

1. Raise vehicle. Vehicle is to be raised and supported on jackstands or on a frame contact type hoist. See Hoisting in the Lubrication And Maintenance section of this MDS2.
2. Support the rear axle of the vehicle using 2 jackstands positioned at the outer ends of the axle NOTE: If the shock absorber lower mounting bolt deflects upward during removal, raise axle by adjusting the support jack. If the lower shock absorber bolt deflects downward during removal, lower the axle by adjusting the support jack.
3. Remove the shock absorber lower mounting bolt.
4. While holding shock absorber, remove the shock absorber upper mounting bolt and shock absorber.

INSTALLATION

1. While holding shock absorber in position against the frame rail, install the shock absorber upper mounting bolt.
2. Install the shock absorber lower mounting bolt securing the lower end of the shock absorber to the axle.
3. Remove the support jack.
4. Lower the vehicle to the ground so the full curb weight of the vehicle is supported by the suspension.
5. Tighten the upper and lower shock absorber mounting bolt to a torque of 101 N·m (75 ft. lbs.)

 

bolts in the frame? on the2000 caravan you remove the 4 bumper bolts, position the hitch put the 4 bolts back in. IDK what you mean " butt without a good way to get the bolts into the boxed frame sections."

otherwise if you have to fish bolts into a boxed frame, you run a wire through the holes, attach the wire to the bolt then pull the wire through the frame and the bolt falls right into the hole you wanted it in.

 

Thanks for the instructions on shocks.

On the hitch: nope it's not a bolt-on affair. The only captured nut bolt on the rear frame rail that fits with this Class III hitch is the rearmost bumper mount. There are two more bolts on the hitch that have to be bolted. One of them will use a hole already in the frame rail. The other, last one you have to drill the hole. Then the hard part is getting the bolt with the square washer into the frame rail and in place. They include a wire fisher that attaches to the bolts that helps you pull them into place. But you still have to widen/cut out an already existing access hole in order to even get the big headed carriage bolt into the frame rail. Took about 1+ hours of me doing it by myself.

 

I changed the rear shocks on my 2005 Caravan just a couple weeks ago -reminded me of my '93 Grand Caravan.

I got my card board out and did the tops and bottoms without jacking at all. The tops I got from being on the side of the van in front of the rear wheels - the bottoms I reached from directly from the rear.

 

I got her done in about 30 mins tops. Ended up taking the wheels off to get bettter access to the shock bolts.

Anyone know the torque I should torque the mounting bolts to?

 

Could have sworn I posted that already

 

I swear I read that spec in a previous post