2004 DODGE TOWN AND COUNTRY steering

rotate inner tie rods of steering gear (Fig. 12) to set
front toe to the preferred toe specification. (Refer to 2
- SUSPENSION/WHEEL ALIGNMENT - SPECIFI-
CATIONS)
(3) Tighten tie rod jam nuts (Fig. 12) to 75 N´m
(55 ft. lbs.) torque.
(4) Adjust steering gear to tie rod boots at the
inner tie rod.
(5) Remove steering wheel clamp.
(6) Remove the alignment equipment.
(7) Road test the vehicle to verify the steering
wheel is straight and the vehicle does not wander or
pull.STANDARD PROCEDURE - CURB HEIGHT
MEASUREMENT
The wheel alignment is to be checked and all align-
ment adjustments made with the vehicle at its
required curb height specification.
Vehicle height is to be checked with the vehicle on
a flat, level surface, preferably a vehicle alignment
rack. The tires are to be inflated to the recommended
pressure. All tires are to be the same size as stan-
dard equipment. Vehicle height is checked with the
fuel tank full of fuel, and no passenger or luggage
compartment load.
Vehicle height is not adjustable. If the measure-
ment is not within specifications, inspect the vehicle
for bent or weak suspension components. Compare
the parts tag on the suspect coil spring(s) to the
parts book and the vehicle sales code, checking for a
match. Once removed from the vehicle, compare the
coil spring height to a correct new or known good coil
spring. The heights should vary if the suspect spring
is weak.
(1) Measure from the inboard edge of the wheel
opening fender lip directly above the wheel center
(spindle), to the floor or alignment rack surface.
(2) When measuring, the maximum left-to-right
differential is not to exceed 12.5 mm (0.5 in.).
(3) Compare the measurements to the specifica-
tions listed in the following Curb Height Specifica-
tions charts.
CURB HEIGHT SPECIFICATIONS
VEHICLE FRONT REAR
CARGO VAN755mm 11mm
29.72 in.   0.43 in795mm 11mm
31.30 in.   0.43 in.
ALL OTHERS755mm 11mm
29.72 in.   0.43 in770mm 11mm
30.31 in.   0.43 in.
Fig. 12 Front Wheel Toe Adjustment
1 - INNER TIE ROD SERRATION
2 - OUTER TIE ROD JAM NUT
3 - OUTER TIE ROD END
4 - INNER TIE ROD
5 - STEERING KNUCKLE
RSWHEEL ALIGNMENT2-55
WHEEL ALIGNMENT (Continued)

SPECIFICATIONS
WHEEL ALIGNMENT
NOTE: All specifications are given in degrees.NOTE: All wheel alignments are to be set at curb
height. (Refer to 2 - SUSPENSION/WHEEL ALIGN-
MENT - STANDARD PROCEDURE)
FRONT WHEEL ALIGNMENT PREFERRED SETTING ACCEPTABLE RANGE
CAMBER +0.10É -0.30É to +0.50É
Cross-Camber (Maximum side-to-side
difference)0.0É 0.50É
CASTER* +2.31É +1.31É to +3.31É
Cross-Caster (Maximum side-to-side difference) 0.0É 1.00É
TOTAL TOE** +0.10É20.10É to +0.30É
Maximum side-to-side difference 0.0É 0.06É
REAR WHEEL ALIGNMENT PREFERRED SETTING ACCEPTABLE RANGE
CAMBER* 0.0É -0.25É to +0.25É
TOTAL TOE* ** 0.0É20.20É to +0.20É
THRUST ANGLE* 0.0É -0.30É to +0.30É
Notes:
* For reference only. These are non-adjustable angles.
** TOTAL TOE is the sum of both left and right wheel toe settings. TOTAL TOE must be equally split between
each front wheel to ensure the steering wheel is centered after setting toe. Positive toe is toe-in and negative toe
is toe-out
2 - 56 WHEEL ALIGNMENTRS
WHEEL ALIGNMENT (Continued)

SHUDDER OR VIBRATION DURING ACCELERATION
This problem could be a result of:
²A worn or damaged half shaft inner tripod joint.
²A sticking tripod joint spider assembly (inner tri-
pod joint only).
²Improper wheel alignment. (Refer to 2 - SUS-
PENSION/WHEEL ALIGNMENT - STANDARD
PROCEDURE)
VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS
This problem could be a result of:
²Foreign material (mud, etc.) packed on the back-
side of the wheel(s).
²Out of balance tires or wheels. (Refer to 22 -
TIRES/WHEELS - STANDARD PROCEDURE)
²Improper tire and/or wheel runout. (Refer to 22 -
TIRES/WHEELS - DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING)
REMOVAL
(1) Raise vehicle.
(2) Remove the cotter pin and nut lock (Fig. 2)
from the end of the half shaft.
(3) Remove the wheel and tire assembly from the
vehicle. (Refer to 22 - TIRES/WHEELS - REMOVAL)
(4) Remove the wave washer (Fig. 3) from the end
of the half shaft.(5) With the vehicle's brakes applied to keep hub
from turning,loosen and removethe half shaft
nut.
(6) Remove the two front disc brake caliper
adapter to steering knuckle attaching bolts (Fig. 4).
Fig. 1 Unequal Length Half Shaft System
1 - STUB AXLE 8 - OUTER C/V JOINT
2 - OUTER C/V JOINT 9 - RIGHT HALFSHAFT
3 - OUTER C/V JOINT BOOT 10 - INNER TRIPOD JOINT BOOT
4 - TUNED RUBBER DAMPER WEIGHT 11 - INNER TRIPOD JOINT
5 - INTERCONNECTING SHAFT 12 - INNER TRIPOD JOINT
6 - OUTER C/V JOINT BOOT 13 - INNER TRIPOD JOINT BOOT
7 - STUB AXLE 14 - INTERCONNECTING SHAFT LEFT HALFSHAFT
Fig. 2 Half Shaft Retaining Nut
1 - HUB/BEARING
2 - NUT LOCK
3 - COTTER PIN
4 - STUB AXLE
3 - 2 HALF SHAFT - FRONTRS
HALF SHAFT - FRONT (Continued)

(7) Remove the disc brake caliper assembly from
the steering knuckle. Caliper assembly is removed by
first rotating top of caliper assembly away from
steering knuckle and then removing bottom of assem-
bly out from under machined abutment on steering
knuckle.
(8) Support disc brake caliper assembly by using a
wire hook and suspending it from the strut assembly
(Fig. 5).Do not allow the brake caliper assembly
to hang by the brake flex hose.
(9) Remove the brake rotor from the hub and bear-
ing assembly.(10) Remove the steering knuckle-to-strut attach-
ment bolts (Fig. 6) from the steering knuckle.
(11) Pull the steering knuckle from the strut clevis
bracket.
NOTE: Care must be taken not to separate the inner
C/V joint during this operation. Do not allow half
shaft to hang by inner C/V joint after removing
outer C/V Joint from the hub/bearing assembly in
steering knuckle, end of half shaft must be sup-
ported.
Fig. 3 Wave Washer
1 - HUB/BEARING ASSEMBLY
2 - WAVE WASHER
3 - STUB AXLE
Fig. 4 Front Brake Mounting
1 - BRAKE ROTOR
2 - HUB AND BEARING
3 - STEERING KNUCKLE
4 - ADAPTER MOUNTING BOLTS
5 - BRAKE CALIPER
6 - ADAPTER
7 - CLIP
Fig. 5 Properly Supported Disc Brake Caliper -
Typical
1 - STEERING KNUCKLE
2 - BRAKE FLEX HOSE
3 - CALIPER ASSEMBLY
4 - WIRE HANGER
5 - STRUT ASSEMBLY
Fig. 6 Strut To Steering Knuckle Attaching Bolts
1 - STRUT CLEVIS BRACKET
2 - NUTS AND BOLTS
3 - STEERING KNUCKLE
RSHALF SHAFT - FRONT3-3
HALF SHAFT - FRONT (Continued)

(12) Pull steering knuckle assembly down and
away from the outer C/V joint of the half shaft
assembly while pulling the joint out of the hub bear-
ing.
(13) Support the outer end of the half shaft assem-
bly. Insert a pry bar between inner tripod joint and
transaxle case (Fig. 7). Pry against inner tripod joint,
until tripod joint retaining snap-ring is disengaged
from transaxle side gear.
(14) Hold inner tripod joint and interconnecting
shaft of half shaft assembly. Remove inner tripod
joint from transaxle, by pulling it straight out of
transaxle side gear and transaxle oil seal (Fig. 8).
When removing tripod joint, do not let spline or
snap-ring drag across sealing lip of the trans-
axle to tripod joint oil seal.
INSTALLATION
(1) Thoroughly clean spline and oil seal sealing
surface, on tripod joint. Lightly lubricate oil seal
sealing surface on tripod joint with fresh clean trans-
mission lubricant.
(2) Holding half shaft assembly by tripod joint and
interconnecting shaft, install tripod joint into trans-
axle side gear as far as possible by hand (Fig. 8).
(3) Grasp inner tripod joint an interconnecting
shaft. Forcefully push the tripod joint into side gear
of transaxle, until snap-ring is engaged with trans-
axle side gear.Test that snap-ring is fully
engaged with side gear by attempting to
remove tripod joint from transaxle by hand. If
snap-ring is fully engaged with side gear, tripod
joint will not be removable by hand.(4) Clean all debris and moisture out of steering
knuckle, in the area were outer CV joint will be
installed into steering knuckle.
(5) Ensure that front of outer CV joint which fits
against the face of the hub and bearing is free of
debris and moisture before installing outer CV joint
into hub and bearing assembly (Fig. 9).
(6) Slide half shaft back into front hub and bear-
ing assembly.
Fig. 7 Disengaging Inner Tripod Joint From
Transaxle
1 - INNER TRIPOD JOINT
2 - TRANSAXLE CASE
3-PRYBAR
Fig. 8 Tripod Joint Removal from Transaxle
1 - INNER TRIPOD JOINT
2 - TRANSAXLE
3 - SPLINE
4 - OIL SEAL
5 - SNAP-RING
6 - INTERCONNECTING SHAFT
Fig. 9 Outer CV Joint Inspection
1 - OUTER C/V JOINT
2 - THIS AREA OF OUTER C/V JOINT MUST BE FREE OF ALL
DEBRIS AND MOISTURE, BEFORE INSTALLATION INTO
STEERING KNUCKLE.
3 - 4 HALF SHAFT - FRONTRS
HALF SHAFT - FRONT (Continued)

CAUTION: The steering knuckle to strut assembly
attaching bolts are serrated and must not be turned
during installation. Install nuts while holding bolts
stationary in the steering knuckle.
CAUTION: If the vehicle being serviced is equipped
with eccentric strut assembly attaching bolts, the
eccentric bolt must be installed in the bottom (slot-
ted) hole on the strut clevis bracket (Fig. 10).
(7) Install steering knuckle in clevis bracket of
strut damper assembly. Install the strut damper to
steering knuckle attaching bolts. Tighten both bolts
to a torque of 81 N´m (60 ft. lbs.) plus an additional
1/4 turn.
(8) Install braking disc on hub and bearing assem-
bly.
(9) Install disc brake caliper assembly on steering
knuckle. Caliper is installed by first sliding bottom of
caliper assembly under abutment on steering
knuckle, and then rotating top of caliper against top
abutment.
(10) Install disc brake caliper adapter to steering
knuckle attaching bolts (Fig. 4). Tighten the discbrake caliper adapter attaching bolts to a torque of
169 N´m (125 ft. lbs.).
(11) Clean all foreign matter from the threads of
the outer CV joint. Install the washer and half shaft
to hub/bearing assembly nut on half shaft and
securely tighten nut.
(12) Install front wheel and tire assembly. Install
and tighten the wheel mounting stud nuts in proper
sequence until all nuts are torqued to half the
required specification. Then repeat the tightening
sequence to the full specified torque of 135 N´m (100
ft. lbs.).
(13) Lower vehicle.
(14) With the vehicle's brakes applied to keep hub
from turning, tighten the hub nut to a torque of 244
N´m (180 ft. lbs.) (Fig. 11).
(15) Install the spring wave washer on the end of
the half shaft.
(16) Install the hub nut lock, and anewcotter pin
(Fig. 2). Wrap cotter pin prongs tightly around the
hub nut lock as shown in (Fig. 2).
(17) Check for correct fluid level in transaxle
assembly. (Refer to 21 - TRANSMISSION/TRANS-
AXLE/AUTOMATIC - 41TE/FLUID - STANDARD
PROCEDURE)
Fig. 10 Correctly Installed Eccentric Attaching Bolt
1 - STEERING KNUCKLE
2 - FLANGED BOLT IN TOP HOLE
3 - CAM BOLT IN BOTTOM HOLE
4 - STRUT CLEVIS BRACKET
Fig. 11 Torquing Front Half Shaft To Hub Nut
1 - TORQUE WRENCH
RSHALF SHAFT - FRONT3-5
HALF SHAFT - FRONT (Continued)

CAUTION: TRW and Continental Teves calipers are
not interchangeable. Each caliper is specifically
designed for the unique brake system. If calipers
are interchanged, improper performance, noise and
increased stopping distance can occur.
The two different brake calipers use different
devices to control rattling. While the TRW brakes use
spring clips that mount at the ends of the shoes in
the adapters, Continental Teves brakes use a clip on
the rear of the inboard pad to hold it to the piston
and a larger clip on the outside of the caliper, holding
it to the adapter (Fig. 7).
All brake caliper adapters mount to the steering
knuckle in the same way using two mounting bolts.The brake rotors are also different depending on
brake system. The TRW (disc/drum) front brakes uti-
lize an inverted-hat style rotor. This rotor is exter-
nally vented meaning the inner most diameter of the
braking disc vents to the outboard side (or face) of
the rotor (Fig. 8). The Continental Teves (disc/disc)
front brakes utilize the familiar internally-vented hat
style rotor. Internally-vented refers to the fact that
the inner most diameter of the braking disc vents to
the inboard side of the rotor (Fig. 8).
CAUTION: Do not mix rotor types on the same vehi-
cle. If brake rotors are mixed, noise and wear prob-
lems can result.
DESCRIPTION - DISC BRAKES (REAR)
There are several distinctive features to the rear
disc brakes on this vehicle (Fig. 9). The single piston,
floating caliper rear disc brake system includes a hub
and bearing assembly, adapter, rotor, caliper, and
brake shoes.
This vehicle is equipped with a caliper having a 42
mm (1.65 in.) piston and uses a 15 inch solid non-
vented brake rotor. The brake rotor is described as a
drum-in-hat style because of its dual role as a brak-
ing disc and parking brake drum.
The parking brake system on vehicles equipped
with rear disc brakes consists of a small duo-servo
drum brake mounted to the caliper adapter and uses
the interior of the rear disc brake rotor as a drum
(hat section of drum-in-hat style brake rotor).
Fig. 6 Guide Pins And Boots
1 - PINS
2 - BOOTS
Fig. 7 ANTI-RATTLE DEVICES ON CALIPERS
1 - CONTINENTAL TEVES CALIPER
2 - TRW CALIPER
3 - ANTI-RATTLE CLIP
4 - ANTI-RATTLE CLIP
Fig. 8 Externally and Internally Vented Rotors
(Cross-Sectional View)
1 - EXTERNAL VENTS (TRW)
2 - INTERNAL VENTS (Continetal Teves)
5 - 12 BRAKES - BASERS
HYDRAULIC/MECHANICAL (Continued)

firmly to prevent weight of caliper from being sup-
ported by the brake fluid hose.
(8) Remove the outboard brake shoe from the cali-
per adapter.
(9) Pull the inboard brake shoe away from the cal-
iper piston until the retaining clip on shoe is free
from the cavity in the caliper piston (Fig. 13).
(10) Repeat the above procedure on other side of
the vehicle.REMOVAL - FRONT DISC BRAKE SHOES
(DISC/DRUM BRAKES)
(1) Raise the vehicle. Refer to HOISTING in
LUBRICATION AND MAINTENANCE.
NOTE: Perform Step 2 through Step 5 on each side
of the vehicle.
(2) Remove the front tire and wheel assembly.
(3) Remove the two brake caliper guide pin bolts
(Fig. 14).
(4) Remove the disc brake caliper from the disc
brake adapter and hang out of the way using wire or
a bungee cord. Use care not to overextend the brake
hose when doing this.
(5) Remove the brake shoes from the disc brake
caliper adapter.
Fig. 12 Stored Front Disc Brake Caliper
1 - STEERING KNUCKLE
2 - BRAKE FLEX HOSE
3 - CALIPER ASSEMBLY
4 - WIRE HANGER
5 - STRUT ASSEMBLY
Fig. 13 Removing Inboard Shoe
1 - INBOARD BRAKE SHOE
2 - HANGER WIRE
3 - CALIPER ASSEMBLY
4 - RETAINING CLIP
5 - PISTON
Fig. 14 Brake Caliper Mounting (Typical)
1 - BRAKE HOSE
2 - ADAPTER MOUNTING BOLTS
3 - BANJO BOLT
4 - CALIPER GUIDE PIN BOLTS
RSBRAKES - BASE5-15
BRAKE PADS/SHOES - FRONT (Continued)