Rear Suspension

1. Raise and support vehicle, then remove side trim in luggage compartment.
2. Remove tire and wheel assembly, then brake hose clip, Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 Coil Spring & Shock Absorber Replacement:

3. Disconnect anti-lock brake (ABS) electrical harness, then remove ABS bracket.
4. On models with auto adjusting suspension (AAS), disconnect AAS electrical connector, then remove AAS actuator.
5. Remove shock absorber lower retaining bolts and upper retaining nuts, then shock absorber.
6. Place shock absorber in vise, then loosen piston rod upper nut several turns. Do not remove nut.
7. Using a spring compressor, compress coil spring, then remove nut, Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 Coil Spring Compressor:

8. Remove seat, mounting block, spring seats, dust boot, bound stopper and coil spring, Fig. 6.

Fig. 7 Exploded View Of Coil Spring & Shock Absorber Assembly:

9. Reverse procedure to install, noting the following:
a. Ensure spring is well seated in upper and lower spring seats, then tighten piston rod upper nut to specifications.
b. Tighten lower shock absorber retaining bolts and upper retaining nuts to specifications.
c. Tighten brake hose clip retaining bolt and seat belt retaining bolts to specifications.