Bad Nivomats?

1223 Views 30 Replies 7 Participants Last post by FabricGATOR, 2 mo ago

scottloco

Discussion Starter · 3 mo ago

Hi all! I have a 2005 T&C Limited (180k miles). Recently, it has become very bouncy when driving. I briefly looked at the rear shocks and noticed they appear to be the Nivomats (very large diameter). I don't see any fluid leaking. As many of you know, these jokers are PRICEY to replace. Do I have any other options? I have heard of conversion kits, but I can't find anything for this year T&C. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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FabricGATOR

· #4 · 3 mo ago

I have a 2002 with 131,131 miles (easy to remember, I took a picture : )
I was experiencing bouncy bounce and hard "thud" bottoming over the slightest of road imperfections.

I was not going to 'redesign the wheels' BUT I did find Monroe 40201 licensed NIVOMAT ~~shocks~~ 'Load Leveling Suspension System' components on Amazon for about half the price, the next time I checked to write a post about them here, the price had jumped up double within a few weeks. I installed them and I am self leveling again

NOW, esteemed member LongVoyager made a post about being able to get the SACHS oem Nivomats from Rock Auto for about the same price I paid Amazon before the price hike a few months ago.

I enquired with Monroe whether my 40201 ~~shocks~~ had the five year or the lifetime warranty that Monroe advertises and they replied that NO, that neither warranty was applicable. The only warranty they honor is fresh out of the box upon visual inspection, they will replace as needed. WTF???

I DO NOT recommend Monroe 40201 for this reason any more.

Unless you are going to redesign the suspension by substitution, I'd check out RockAuto,com
AND search ToyotaNation for the current Rock Auto discount code, that is where I usually find it posted.

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FabricGATOR

· #8 · 3 mo ago

scottloco said:
Thanks for this reply. I did look at those but the fitment note specifically said "not for Nivomat" or something to that effect. I wasn't sure if it was because of a safety issue or what.

Well, unfortunately, that is where you are at.
Myself I chose the $550 option and replaced with factory spec where Mopar-MoFun did the research, tried four different combinations, and found this modification that he feels is as good if not better... and likely less expensive.

Because of the Nivomat load adjusting characteristics, the rear leaf spring ( that usually carries the weight ) is specified weaker so that when the vehicle hits road bumps and swells that the Nivomats pump up and level the load.

Adding Nivomats to a standard suspension doesn't work as designed.
Using (most) conventional shock absorbers on a Nivomat designed suspension (probably) won't work well [unless you have someone who experimented around with different configurations and found some exotic combination that works]

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FabricGATOR

· #9 · 3 mo ago

scottloco said:
That is a good question and one that I can't answer. I can tell you that the van even bounces when hauling my 4x8 utility trailer. I don't know if the van is unlevel, but it bounces like crazy over every little bump in the road.

You could go to Home Depot and buy / have them load 450 pounds of sand in the back (two standard Americans) in the back of your van and then drive around on the highway for 10 minutes, and likely less.. Then go back to Home Despot and return the sand / have them unload it.

If after the drive around, if the van is still sagging arse, the [ jack up ] self leveling feature of the Nivomats are worn out.

I think the bouncing is that the [ shock absorbing ] feature of the Nivomats are worn out

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FabricGATOR

· #17 · 3 mo ago

Mopar-Mofun said:
I would agree with your statement for OE stock setup.

Those like myself, with the Dayton Add-A-Leaf kit and the Monroe Coli-Over-Shocks now have an impress handling and control of the van. I've owned generation 1, 2 and now 4. gen 2 had that Ford minivan boxy feeling and was awful for handling because of it. I skipped past gen 3 and the gen 2 van lasted a long time. Just didn't trust it in high winds on the interstate and around tight corners.

OP asked if MopaMofun had originally had nivomat designed suspension and then replaced them with your recommended monroe and added leaf helper

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FabricGATOR

· #18 · 3 mo ago

marvinstockman said:
Scott, from dr. Google:

Chrysler Town and Country Ground Clearance (2002 - 2016)

Take on any challenge with a Chrysler Town and Country equipped with maximum ground clearance. Click to see which trim levels and model years offer the most clearance.

www.autopadre.com

Now when I worked at Sears Automotive we were sent to training on MOOG suspension equipment and they provided us with a hand book that showed not only what the measurement was BUT also included where that measurement was measured

IE. behind rear wheel at the flat spot next to or below this xx feature (in the form of a picture) they had to make it simple for us service advisors and simple to show (prove) this to the consumer.

Somewhere I still have a MOOD tape measure from 1987 too...

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FabricGATOR

· #27 · 2 mo ago

scottloco said:
I got some Monroe 40201 at a great price on eBay. Will update you all after I put them in. I'm also doing the leaf spring hangers and shackle bushings, so tomorrow will be a rear end kind of day

What did you find 40201 on ebay? New? How Much?

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FabricGATOR

· #31 · 2 mo ago

scottloco said:
I found (2) brand new still in the box for $324. Others on eBay were selling (1) brand new for over $400 so I figured this was the best deal I was going to get on brand new replacements. These same shocks were $233.79 each on rockauto.

Yeah, $162 each, I wish I had paid that a few months ago. My pair were about $500

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