I have a 2005 4-cylinder Dodge Caravan that I bought used with 50K on it in early 2008. My Caravan currently has 265K on it and has given me many good memories such as a 12K Alaska Highway road trip as well as travel camping all over the US. Currently, while the engine runs great with absolutely no impending problems, the automatic transmission has failed. I’m thinking of installing a low-mileage used AT but would also like to solve another problem as well.

The only thing I’ve disliked about my Caravan is that it has really poor front-end road clearance. While I realize the cars normal function is to haul entitled kids all over the suburbs to their latest sporting endeavors, for my purpose better front-end road clearance would be a god send. Something so that I could take it down gravel roads without having to worry about high-centering it every time I see a normally deep rut (as opposed to Grand Canyon depth ruts!). Does anyone anywhere make a front-end lift kit for my vintage Dodge Caravan? I’ve looked and looked and can’t find anything.

I’m 72 and retired without much of a travel budget (10 years ago cancer took my wife and all my money). I do a lot of travel camping, but my current ride is a 2002 Ford Escape. While it has excellent road clearance and 4WD (which I don’t need) it’s miserable for me with my 6’4” frame to travel camp in. Thanks in advance for any information all y’all can give me.

Steve

 

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-c...48-bagged.html

This guy lowered his Grand Caravan. Perhaps he can help you raise yours.

Any tire shop could probably look up a lift kit for you also.

 

Get a custom set of coil springs made (cost widely varies depending on the application). It would require a different set of struts to accommodate the longer springs, but that would be a relatively quick and easy way to do it.

Search your area for a spring shop (at my shop, we use Husky Spring).

 

First I'd like to say thank you to those here who've taken the time to help me in my quest.

The other day I took a long look at my front suspension and realized it was somewhat similar to the suspension on my friends 2004 Toyota Tacoma that I installed a lift kit on for him about six months ago. Below is a close-up of the installed front end portion of the lift kit.




As you can see in the first photo it didn't appear to lift it very much but a side view of the truck with entire front and rear lifts installed shows a noticeable lift increase.

My goal is to just lift the front end so that it's level with the rear end and hopefully allow me to go down the local gravel roads without my current risk of high centering. My thought is to change out the three bolts that attach the spring/strut assembly to the frame on each side with longer hardened steel bolts and simply put in some 1.5" to 2" spacers. Too better help visualize my plan think of a 1.5" to 2" stack of fender washers. between the spring/strut assembly and the frame. I'm hoping I can obtain such solid spacers made of aluminum, if not I'll find something, after all necessity is the mother of invention.

Steve

PS Even though where I live is 10 degrees cooler than Tucson, it's still so damned hot this time of the year I don't see myself beginning this project until the end of August at the earliest.

 

We’re you able to get your 05 Caravan lifted? If so, how did you do it? I would like to lift mine. Thank you.

 

Good morning hoosvil,

As a matter a fact I did get the front end of my 2005 Dodge Caravan lifted approximately 3"-4" (I neglected to take fore and after measurements). Nonetheless my Caravan sits level now, no more front end slope and I have plenty of clearance for the many primitive gravel roads I encounter out here in the west. Credit for what I did goes to a fellow named Roadripper.

Here's what I did.

At the time my Caravan had 268K on the odometer and needed new front end spring/strut assemblies. I purchased new spring/strut assemblies to fit a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica. The Chrysler Pacifica assemblies fit my Caravan perfectly.

Now this is critical, after installation get your Caravan aligned, I'm a cheapskate so I thought I'd watch the front wheels for a week of two to check for alignment problems. They were so badly out of alignment that I ruined two brand new tires, so get it aligned first thing!

BTW, this is a great time to check for wear in your tie rod ends and front ball joints. When I realized my mistake I checked and found a slight bit of wiggle in my tie rods and so I replaced them so I wouldn't have to get another future alignment.

Your next going to have to shorten your sway bar links on both sides. Your links are now too long! Some people experiment with links from other vehicles, I took my links, sawed them in two, clamped them together at the right length and then had a friend arc weld each joint and finally I reinstalled the shortened links.

My Caravan currently has just over 304K on the odometer and I am extremely pleased with the resulting lift I achieved.

BTW, I tried to be thorough above, read my directions thoroughly and learn from my mistakes.

Steve

 

This was my second attempt to post a photo of my lifted Caravan and both times I got my hands slapped, so... Tohellwithit! It just wasn't meant to be posted here.

Steve