Why did they stop making Chevy Astro vans?

Why did they stop making Chevy Astro vans?

The Chevrolet Astro van: how a cult favorite was discontinued. After 20 years on the road, General Motors cut production of the Astro, claiming they could “no longer justify” building the Astro at “volumes that are significantly below the plant’s capacity,” according to MotorTrend.

Are Chevy Astro vans any good?

The van has been reliable, inexpensive to maintain, easy to drive with plenty of room with easy access. It has been great for family events, hauling and moving things, taking to the beach for camping trips. I would happily purchase another Chevy Astro van. Rating breakdown (out of 5):

How do you know if you need struts?

Other signs of car shocks and struts in bad condition are unusual noises over bumps, excessive body lean or sway in turns, or that the front end of the vehicle dives sharply in hard braking. Bad shocks also can affect steering control and cause uneven tire wear.

What are struts on a van?

Struts are a structural part of the suspension system and are mounted to the chassis of the vehicle on the top, and they come down through. They give us a place to mount the coil spring, and the spring is what maintains the height of the vehicle, so we have a plate in here for the spring.

When did Chevy stop making vans?

Chevrolet van

Chevrolet/GMC Van
Manufacturer Chevrolet/GMC (General Motors)
Production 1964–1996
Assembly Flint Truck Assembly, Flint, Michigan Pontiac Assembly Center, Pontiac, Michigan
Body and chassis

Are Astro vans hard to work on?

But when it comes to vans, simplicity is paramount. It’s easy to see why these folks like the Astro van, then. Not only is it practical, reliable and easy to work on, its body-on-frame design and available all-wheel drive make it decent off-road, too.

Can I replace struts myself?

Strut Replacement Replacing struts used to be a dangerous job for a DIYer. But these days you can buy a complete strut assembly that eliminates the strut/spring/mount disassembly process. These assemblies allow you to replace both of your front struts yourself in less than two hours.

Is the GMC Safari a good van?

Nice size van for growing family, dependable. The van is capable to haul 8 passengers in comfort. Visibility is surprisingly good, with very little in the way of blind spots like some vans. The stout little Vortec V6 has plenty of power even when fully loaded, and can achieve 20 MPG highway.

What years did they make Chevy Astro vans?

That’s a tiny fraction of the people who purchased an Astro van during the two decades that GM sold the Astro and its sibling, the GMC Safari van. The vans were built across two generations from 1985 to 2005.

What kind of engine does a Chevrolet Astro have?

Chevrolet Astro. Along with its rebadged variant, the GMC Safari, the Astro was marketed in passenger as well as cargo and livery configurations—featuring a V6 engine, unibody construction with a separate front engine/suspension sub-frame, leaf-spring rear suspension, rear bi-parting doors, and a seating capacity of up to eight passengers.

When did the Chevrolet Astro minivan come out?

The Astro and Safari were introduced for 1985 as the first minivan from General Motors. While marketed as a response to the first-generation Chrysler minivans, GM adapted a rear-wheel drive layout, sizing the Astro and Safari closely to the short-wheelbase Chevrolet G10 van.

When did GM stop making the Chevrolet Astro?

In 2003, GM upgraded the chassis of both the Astro and Safari with certain suspension components, larger brakes, and six-lug, 16 inch wheels from the full-size Chevrolet and GMC half-ton pickup trucks. The Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari twins were originally scheduled to be discontinued after 2002,…

What’s the towing capacity of a Chevy Astro?

The Astro was marketed as a minivan, though sized between the Chevrolet Venture/Lumina APV unibody minivan and the full-size Chevy Van/Express. Similar to the Ford Aerostar, it had powertrain components in common with GM’s other light trucks and up to a 5,500 lb (2,500 kg) towing capacity.