Sedan

SEDAN MODELS
1. Position suitable jack or hoist under vehicle, then raise just enough to contact body.
2. Working in trunk, loosen, but do not remove, the three strut-to-inner body attaching nuts.
3. Raise and support vehicle, then remove tire and wheel assembly from side being worked on.
4. Remove brake differential valve-to-control arm attaching bolt.
5. Using suitable wire suspend control arm to body to ensure proper support after strut removal.
6. Remove brake hose-to-shock strut bracket attaching clip and position hose aside.
7. If equipped with stabilizer bar, remove U-bracket from body, then the stabilizer bar attaching nut, washer and insulator. Separate stabilizer bar from link.
8. Remove tension strut-to-spindle attaching nut, washer and insulator, then move spindle rearward enough to separate it from tension strut.
9. Remove strut-to-spindle pinch bolt, then using a pry bar or other suitable tool, separate pinch joint as necessary to allow for strut removal.
10. Remove strut from pinch joint, then lower vehicle as necessary to allow removal of bolts loosened in step 2. Remove strut from vehicle. During strut removal, use care not to stretch the rear brake hose or kink the steel brake line.
11. Remove link attaching nut, washer and insulator, then the link from the strut.
12. Mark location of insulator to top mount, then place strut, spring and upper mount assembly in suitable spring compressor and compress spring.
13. While restraining strut shaft from turning, remove strut upper shaft mounting nut. If strut is to be reused, do not use vise grips or pliers to hold strut shaft as damage will result.

Fig. 3 MacPherson strut components. Sedan models:

Fig. 4 Coil spring installation:

14. Carefully loosen spring compressor tool, then remove top mount bracket assembly, spring insulator and spring, Fig. 3.
15. Using new attaching parts, reverse procedure to install, noting the following:
a. When installing spring on strut, ensure spring is properly located in upper and lower spring seats. Refer to Fig. 4, for spring end placement.
b. When tightening strut nut, restrain strut shaft from turning. Torque strut nut to 35-50 ft. lbs.
c. Torque stabilizer link-to-strut attaching nut to 6-12 ft. lbs.
d. Torque strut pinch bolt to 55-81 ft. lbs.
e. Torque tension strut-to-spindle attaching nut to 52-74 ft. lbs.
f. Torque stabilizer link-to-stabilizer bar attaching nut to 6-12 ft. lbs.
g. Torque stabilizer bar U-bracket attaching bolt to 15---25 ft. lbs.
h. Tighten strut top mount-to-body attaching nuts to 19---26 ft. lbs.