Strut towers rusty -- breaking up
 

Strut towers rusty -- breaking up?

I bought this van without noticing that the Strut towers rusty -- breaking up ! I think even holes in places ... yikes .. sounds expensive welding situation

ANY suggestions ? Prayer ?

get rid of the van or spend big money having someone fix it for you.


I fix them for under $100 but I have tools, equipment, skills and knowledge to make this repair.

parts are available from chrysler for $30/side (at least that's what they charge me but then I buy 10 or more per year)

Most caravans that suffer in salt winter weather I imagine would have this problem after 10 years. Mine is not too bad .. hardly noticeable but I have seen far worse that were safety certified.

I do have welding skills so not afraid of doing it

Thanks for the tip about the kits from Chrysler !

Believe it or not Most caravans do not suffer from this condition. Just model years 1996-2000. Some are so bad the top of the strut starts to make contact with the cowl.

I believe the chrysler repair kits are to be put in with some kind of adhesive, but its a much better fix if you have access to a welder to weld them in.

Thanks for that information !! Tack welding a plate should be strong enough. Chrysler uses adhesive ? hmmm JBWeld? The oil industry uses a lot of that .. they call it BlackLock

no they use a structural adhesive. many body shops are using this material to bond body panels instead of welding.. problem with welding is you burn off factory rust preventative coatings. but i'm sure you already knew that.

I think the coating sucks bag on those strut towers(1996-2000). or every van got missed there.
To hell with it Burn it off cause it didnt work anyways

I know what caused it. my van doesn't have a spec of rust because I used a special treatment on them when I got the van. at 280,000 miles on a 1998 towers still look good as new.

SUBJECT:
NS Strut Tower Corrosion
OVERVIEW:
This bulletin involves correcting a corrosion staining, surface corrosion, or corrosion
perforation condition at the top of the strut tower/s.
MODELS:
1996 - 2000 NS Town&Country/Voyager/Caravan
SYMPTOM/CONDITION:
Cosmetic corrosion or perforation at upper strut tower/s usually between the strut
and upper load path beam inner panel (inner fender).
DIAGNOSIS:
Inspect left and right strut towers for condition. If corrosion is present, perform
one of the following repair procedures.
NOTE: ANY UNDER HOOD LABELS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT DURING THESE
REPAIRS SHOULD BE OBTAINED PRIOR TO BEGINNING REPAIRS.
PARTS/MATERIALS REQUIRED:
Qty. Part No. Description
1 05080009AA Strut Cap (Left Side)
1 Kit 05086513AA NS Strut Cap Installation Kit
(Left Side).
1 05080008AA Strut Cap (Right Side)
1 Kit 05086512AA NS Strut Cap Installation Kit
(Right Side).
11/2 - 2 Cartridges
Per Side
05083855AA Mopar Structural Adhesive
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED:
W-7804R 90-degree drill motor (PSE)
W-861 High-speed air cutter (die grinder) (PSE)
23-044-02 -2-
05016570AA Adhesive dispenser (MOPAR)
W-AK175 ACH Power set rivet gun (PSE)
REPAIR DESCRIPTION:
Repair A - Cosmetic corrosion removal and the application of corrosion
resistant materials and/or primers and topcoats.
Repair B - Corrosion perforation removal and installation of 1 or 2 new cap/s and kit/s.
NOTE: REPAIR PROCEDURES ARE OUTLINED IN THE INSTRUCTION
SHEET INCLUDED IN THE PARTS KITS.

I had the left side done and it only cost me $175.00. call your local body shop they are well qualified to do this repair. I don't know how they did it(there is a repair kit for each side) but it looks very professional. I will have them do the right side when it needs to be done. I trust the repair they made.