Q: How to Service and Repair a Shock Absorber on 2005 Chrysler 300?
A: Start by lifting and propping up the vehicle, next remove the wheel mounting nuts and wheel and tire together. Put a jack or jack stand under the outer spring link to stop the spring from bouncing up after you take out the shock absorber bolts. One bolt and nut at the lower mount need to go first, then the upper bolts and finally the shock absorber comes out. To load-level, repeat the first steps for each side and when working on the left side, remove the fuel filler line. Jack stands should hold up the front end of the engine cradle. Lower the exhaust by releasing the isolators at the muffler and resonators when doing maintenance under a dual exhaust or the right-hand side of a single exhaust. Put a jack on the center of the rear axle differential, lift it to touch the differential and fasten it securely. Unscrew the top screws that connect the mount on the shock absorber and the nut and bolt at the bottom. As you take off the crossmember bolts, watch out for AWD spacers and don't unscrew the bolts that attach the opposite rear axle before completing the wheel alignment. Drop the jack to clear away just a bit of the crossmember by the shock absorber and then tip the top outward to take it off. Add the lower side of the new shock absorber to the spring link, place the upper part into its spot and attach the upper mounting screws, turning them to 52 Nm. Install the lower shock mounting bolt and nut, leaving them loose for now, then remove the jack, fit the tire and wheel and tighten the wheel mounting nuts using 150 Nm of force. Lower the vehicle and then move it onto an alignment rack to access the lower mounting bolt, tighten it down to 72 Nm. Before tightening anything, put the top of the shock absorber into its mounting pocket, adjust the top portion so the wheel end touches the top, then place the lower mounting bolt through the hole and set it aside. After ensuring the spacers are on if you have AWD, guide the coil spring and upper end of the shock absorber in using the jack and tighten the upper mounting screws to 52 Nm. Set the bolts for the crossmember supports into place, then snug them until you have to tighten them completely. Check that the tension link is placed at least 12 mm from the body weld flange. Adjust the rear crossmember as you need it and tighten all bolts to 180 Nm. Take the jack out from under the rear axle differential, hold the rear exhaust up again, put the isolators back and install the fuel filler tube if you removed it. Next, put in the wheel and tire sets, fastening the wheel to the vehicle using nuts with a torque of 150 Nm and then lower the vehicle as far as it will go, applying 72 Nm torque to each of the shock absorber lower mounting bolt nuts.