[Mtfix20]

Thanks for the ideas. I was thinking about the shim idea but that’s more of a last resort kind of thing in my mind. It’s great for diagnostics but I’d prefer a “better” fix for the long run.

I didn’t even think about trying to pry the subframe up, that is a great idea! I’ll probably use a jack to jack up that side of the subframe and if that doesn’t work then I’ll use a pry bar.

Will update whenever possible.

 

[Mtfix20]

Wow 2-3x the gap of mine is huge. That thing must be making a lot of noise and feel wonky. Probably affects the alignment as well.

I can’t find a video of anyone replacing the subframe bushings on these vans. Do you have the instructions from the service manual? It would also be great if you could post some pictures or make a video about the procedure to replace the bushings (if/when you do yours).

 

[Mtfix20]

Thanks for the instructions. This job (if I do it) will probably take me a whole day to complete. Not looking forward to it at all. I know bad motor mounts can cause issues like a broken flex pipe. I wonder if bad subframe bushings can have any negative effect on anything.

 

[Mtfix20]

I didn’t end up changing out the bushings. I don’t like jacking up the van from the rocker pinch welds as they seem to bend easily on these vans. So I place the jack under the rear control arm bolt area.

I noticed that the subframe bushing gap goes away when I release the pressure under the control arm bolt. The gap in my van only shows up when the weight is on the rear control arm bolt. Because of this, I decided that the bushings are probably ok and didn’t change them. Either way it’s a pretty big job. Looks doable but you need a press to remove and install the bushings.