- 1). Place wheel blocks in front of and behind one rear wheel. Unlatch and raise the hood. Remove the protective boots and ride control connectors and tubing if so equipped.
- 2). Loosen the front lug nuts by turning them counterclockwise with the lug wrench. Don't remove them. Place the jack under the front frame cross member and raise the vehicle until the front wheels are clear of the ground. Place jack stands to either side of the jack and lower the car onto the stands.
- 3). Remove the wheels by turning the lug nuts counterclockwise by hand or using the lug wrench. Locate the jack under the lower control arm and raise the jack to support the control arm.
- 4). Rotate the bolts on the upper strut collar and mount, turning counterclockwise with a wrench or socket and ratchet. Remove the nuts and collar plate/seal from the upper strut mounting studs. Rotate the lower strut mounting nut counterclockwise with the ratchet and socket while holding it with the wrench. Remove the bolt. Lower the jack and remove the strut.
- 5). Place the spring compressor tool on the coil spring and compress the spring two to three inches. Remove the upper cap nut by turning it counterclockwise with a ratchet and socket. The threaded rod of the strut can be held with a small wrench while the cap nut is broken loose using a wrench. Remove the upper cap assembly. Measure the height of the spring. Release the tension on the spring and remove the compressor tool.
- 6). Place the compressor tool on the replacement coil and compress the spring until the spring is the height measured in the previous step. Place the compressed spring on the strut and reassemble the upper cap over the spring. Thread the cap nut onto the top of the strut by turning it clockwise until finger tight. Release the tension on the coil spring and remove the compressor tool.
- 7). Position the lower end of the strut properly on the lower control arm and insert the lower mounting bolt. Turn the nut clockwise by hand until finger tight. Raise the control arm using the jack while guiding the upper mounting studs into the appropriate holes. Reassemble the cap seal/plate and thread the nuts in place by turning them clockwise by hand until finger tight.
- 8). Repeat the above steps on the other side. Replace the wheels and thread the lug nuts onto the studs by turning them clockwise until finger tight. Snug the lug nuts against the wheels using the lug wrench.
- 9). Position the jack under the front cross member and raise the car until free of the jack stands. Remove the jack stands and lower the car.
- 10
Torque the lug nuts to 95 foot-pounds. Torque the upper cap bolts to 17-22 foot-pounds. Torque the lower mounting bolt to between 125 and 170 foot-pounds. Reconnect the ride control actuators and torque them to 28-39 foot-pounds. Do this on both sides.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up here to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe at any time
Next Post