Rear Suspension Install Notes

The rear suspension installation is insanely easy compared to the fronts. I think the worst part is having to deal with the little plastic clips that hold the trunk liner in. Each side of the rear took about 35-45 minutes, and I think most of that was the fact it was 98 degrees out by this point of the day.

  1. Remove the trunk liner, being careful not to lose or break the cruddy little plastic tabs or rip the fabric. I found that using a pair of pliers to slightly lift the metal tabs around the hole to the passenger compartment(after taking off the rubber trim) made that easier. You don't need to remove the piece of trim along the very back of the car(part closest to you when facing the trunk opening).
  2. Jack the car up and put it on stands, making sure that the cross-beam is hanging freely.
  3. Like the fronts, use a bottle jack or other small jack to keep the cross-beam from falling when you remove the strut. I found that jacking it JUST past where it was hanging freely made it easier to remove the bolts.
  4. I have the S/T sway bars installed, so the rear suspension pieces are actually linked together. However, with the jack, I didn't have any problem moving the suspension around to where I needed despite the bar's resistance.
  5. Use a 17mm box-end wrench and a dead blow hammer to loosen the nut from the base of the shock. I did this instead of an impact wrench because of the cramped space. Do not remove the bolt yet.
  6. Remove the two nuts at the strut tower in the trunk. Keep them out, you'll need them for the new strut.
  7. Get back in the wheel well and hold onto the strut, and then remove the lower connecting bolt that you loosened earlier.
  8. Pull out the strut.
  9. Adjust the heights on your rear shocks to be the same(using the reference of the one you just took out.) Like the fronts, I tightened the collar to the point of zero preload at maximum extension, and I found it was a bit higher than I wanted after I got done. I'm probably going to lower it about 3-4 turns to help balance out the car.
  10. Insert one of the new rear strut into the two holes in the tower. The pillow ball mount will be tight, and I believe that both struts are equivalent(no left/right), but it'll all work out.
  11. Holding the strut in place, twist it around such that the lower mounting point will line up with the bolt holes.
  12. Raise the jack on the cross-beam so that it's in the right place. Slide the strut into the mounting bracket, and replace the bolt. Go ahead and torque it down to spec.
  13. Now replace the two nuts on the strut tower in the trunk.
  14. Remove the bottle jack and put the wheel back on. Now repeat on the other side, or if you're like me, carefully turn the car around in the street(don't forget about that sway bar nut you took off) and back it into the garage to work on the other side.

All information on this page is copyright 2002 and is the property of Barry Hobbs. All trademarked names are the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. Reproduction by any means is prohibited unless permission is obtained in writing from Barry Hobbs. You may however print this page, or other notes pages, for your own private use.