[SkinnedKnuckles]

Hi ya'll.

I've been madly searching all my local junkyards around CT for a decent rear axle for my 2004 G.C.
This is turning out to be one VERY hard baby to find!

There's one fairly nearby but it's off a 2005 T&C. Why do all the ones listed on Ebay say they're for 2001-2004 model years??? Does anyone know for sure if the 2005 axle will work on my 2004 without mods?

Many thanks guys!

 

[Jeepman]

Check out this site:

2001-2007 Mopar Axle Beam 04743630AB | Mopar Parts Hub

2001-2007 Mopar Axle Beam 04743630AB

www.moparpartshub.ca

Axle Beam - Mopar (04743630AB) covers 2001 to 2007 models per listing.

Stow and Go may have had a somewhat different axle. Does your 2004 have a rear sway bar?

 

[SkinnedKnuckles]

Thanks for your input Jeepman!

Mine does NOT have the rear sway bar installed, but judging from pics, it looks like the tapped holes for the brackets at least ARE there in the correct position so it would have been an option on mine. The 2005 piece comes with the sway bar, and the guy is asking $400. The 2005 axle at least LOOKS pretty similar. I guess I need to print out all the pics of the 2005 T&C axle, put the 2 halves of mine side by side and really study them. What I'm really worried about is that the two are close, but just different enough that something won't fit! If someone has done this swap, or if you know it works, please chime in!

 

[Jeepman]

Is the 2005 axle from a short wheel base version?

 

[SkinnedKnuckles]

It's off of a Town & Country "Touring" model. A quick check on Edmunds shows that as a 119.3" wheel base - same as my 2004. It really LOOKS pretty similar. I'm printing out all of the guy's pics now. My plan is to get my busted piece into the same "poses" as his shots, and then do a visual comparison. I think if it looks like the shock and stabilizer brackets are the same, it might just work. The other thing is that the 2005 axle has disc brakes, and my van has drums. Mine DOES have the ABS in back, so the discs look PHYSICALLY compatible, but I'm a little worried that the computer might not like the swap - so in all probability I'm just gonna put the original drums onto the new axle. Really appreciate all your help here Jeepman!

 

[Road Ripper]

I think it will be a direct swap. Only different axle beams for these vans were for the AWD 2001-2004 or Dodge Grand Caravan C/V (cargo van - no rear windows). 2005 T&C Touring will be a FWD long wheelbase, and the 2004 DGC has a 3.3L so it is also a FWD long wheelbase (if you said 3.8L, I'd have to ask if you had an AWD like me). The cast end "knuckles" of the axle beam will accept BOTH the rear disk or drum brakes, so you can swap your current brakes right over - backing plates, hubs, parking brake and all. Good luck getting the old brakes off of the old axle, with northeast rust (I'm in MN and know all about rust 😂 ).

 

[atoman]

Compare the junction blocks on hard brake lines above both axles, that's the only tangible difference IIRC (not sure what year they changed).
Also, 400 for an axle beam seems a little high, did you take a look around car-part.com in your area?
It might be worth taking an hour drive to a different yard or having a yard order one down south for you...

 

[agarb]

For those that may have missed the atoman nugget... car-part.com is an awesome website for searching and finding parts at scrap-yards within a designated search radius.

 

[SkinnedKnuckles]

Guys, my hat is off to Every Single One of you here who contributed knowledge on my behalf!

It was YOUR post Road Ripper (along with the fact that the pics seemed right), that made me jump in the car and make the two hour drive to check out this axle.

OK, it HAD looked pretty good in the pics, but when I saw the actual piece, complete with nice backing plates, good looking calipers, and even discs with good looking meat still on 'em, all lightly oiled and practically rust free, sitting there under plastic in his dry garage? Man! - it was beginning to look like it might be worth the $400 price after all.

BUT, being the cheapskate that I am, I offered $300, and we agreed on $350.

So I managed to balance it on the ol' floor jack and after a bit of finagling got the 8 leaf spring bolts to line up, and tightened em up about 3/4 of the way for now. Good work for one day - I need a beer! (or three)

Guys, if I could once again appeal to the experts here - a couple questions regarding the drum to disc conversion:

1) Will I be able to just buy off the shelf hoses to connect the calipers to my existing junction blocks, or am I gonna need to do some brake line plumbing?

2) Has anyone here actually done this conversion? I don't know much about these things, but is there ANY reason this would screw with the computer, abs or I guess anything else that might not be obvious?

AGAIN - thanks LOADS guys!

I seriously could NOT have done this without you all (and YouTube).
Shouldn't be too long now and I'll have my beloved 2004 back on the road!

Yay!!

THIS PLACE ROCKS!

 

[SkinnedKnuckles]

OK, just for the record, after looking at the scarcity and cost of brake hoses and lines for the disc brake set-up, new parking brake cable, etc... I've decided to just keep the original drum brakes. Cheaper and way simpler. Some stuff sounds great as an idea at first, but just doesn't end up making sense!

 

[Jeepman]

The drum brakes will last a LOT longer and not have the parking brake problems (corrosion) that the "drum in hat" system has.

 

[SkinnedKnuckles]

Yes, I see what you mean Jeepman! Never saw anything exactly like this until I just took these apart to get down to the axle. The new bearings should be here by the weekend, and even tho I'm not using the disc set-up, there was also the rear stabilizer bar attached to the new axle, so that will be added value as well. Oh and atoman and agarb - YES that car-parts.com site is an AMAZING resource, so thanks EVER so much for that as well. I feel like I oughta buy you guys a couple rounds! Cheers!