My 02 Grand Caravan has started making a noise I think is in the suspension.

I jacked it up and looked at the sway bar and nothing looks loose, and the rubber seems in tact, but I need help identifying the noise. It was not there a while back.

If I go at slow speeds over rough road sections I can hear it.
I can make it repeat by jerking the steering wheel back and forth like racers heat up their tires.

what can it be? Thanks

 

That could be a either a loose rack or the rack n pinion, or even the strut links for the sway bar.

 

Sit stationary and turn the wheels back and forth and see if you hear/feel anything. My parents Town and Country did that. I jacked it up and couldn't determing the noise. I think it's because with it jacked up loading changes on suspension parts.
When it was on the ground, my dad turned the wheel back and forth and I put my head down by the wheel and could hear some noise. Then I put my hand on the sway bar link while my dad wiggled the wheel I felt some notchiness. We replaced the links and all was better.

 

Thanks Guys, I'll be digging into it and report back.

 

I'd start with replacing the sway bar bushings with ones you get at the dealer which are better than aftermarket at this point. If that doesn't do it, move to the sway bar links and get good ones. My understanding is that the cheaper ones have plastic bearings rather than the metal that the better ones use.
I recently replaced both of these on our 2001 and still have more noise than what I consider acceptable. It was suggested that the control arm bushings may have worn enough to be causing it so I may tackle those at some point.

 

Thanks, I hope I get lucky and have a simple issue. I'm waiting on a buddy of mine to free up his schedule so we can put it up on his ramps and look it over.

 

Question, when changing the sway bar bushings and or links, will I need to have the van on stands, tires off and use a floor jack to adjust the load or weight on the struts?

Thanks

 

that will make the job the easiest for you

 

It would be pretty tough if not impossible to do the links with the tires on. You need to torque the nuts to 65 ft.lbs. and need all of the access you can get.