Removal

1. Raise vehicle on jackstands or centered on a frame contact type hoist.
2. Remove the rear wheel and tire assembly from the vehicle.








3. If vehicle is equipped with rear disc brakes, remove the rear caliper assembly from the adapter. Refer to Brakes and Traction Control. After removing caliper assembly store caliper by hanging it from vehicle. Do not let rear caliper assembly hang from flexible brake hose. If vehicle is equipped with rear drum brakes, remove the brake flex hose bracket from the support plate and wheel cylinder.
4. If vehicle is equipped with rear disc brakes, remove rear braking disc from hub.





5. If vehicle is equipped with rear disc brakes, remove the speed sensor cable from the trailing arm. If spindle and trailing arm assembly is lowered from the strut with the speed sensor cable attached, damage to speed sensor cable may occur.





6. Remove the lateral links from the spindle.





7. Install a thin open end wrench, on the hex of attaching link stud to keep the stud from turning in link. Then remove nut from stabilizer bar to strut assembly attaching link stud, at the stabilizer bar. The attaching link does not have to be removed from strut assembly.





8. Loosen and fully remove, the rear spindle to strut assembly pinch bolt.

CAUTION: When inserting center punch into rear spindle, use care so point of center punch does not puncture strut assembly.





9. Insert a center punch into the hole on the spindle. Center punch must be tapped into spindle until jammed into hole. This will spread spindle casting allowing it to be removed from strut assembly.





10. Using a hammer, tap on top surface of spindle driving it down and off the end of the strut assembly.





11. Let the rear spindle and assembled components hang from trailing arm while strut assembly is out of the vehicle.
12. Lower vehicle.





NOTE: When removing rear strut assembly from vehicle, access for the 3 rear strut assembly to strut tower attaching nuts is through the trunk of the vehicle. See illustration for access location of the strut assembly attaching nuts in trunk of vehicle.

13. Remove the 3 strut assembly to rear strut tower mounting nuts and remove strut assembly from vehicle.