Q: How to Effectively Remove and Install a Shock Absorber on 2006 Chrysler 300?
A: The shock absorber should be removed after raising and supporting the vehicle, plus taking off the wheel mounting nuts and the tire and wheel setup. Position a utility jack or jack stand under the outer spring link so the suspension won't fully rebound. First, get rid of the shock absorber's lower mounting bolt and nut, after that remove the upper mounting bolts and lastly remove the absorber. If performing load-leveling, follow the steps done initially and, if replacing the left side, take away the fuel filler tube. Make sure the front of the engine cradle is supported by jack stands. For vehicles with dual pipes or those needing work on the right side with single exhaust, you should loosen the isolators at the bottom of the muffler and resonator before lifting. Lift up a jack to the center of the rear axle differential, lower it onto the differential and lock the jack in place. Take off the two screws in the upper bracket and the bolt and nut in the lower bracket of the shock. Don't forget to leave the spacers behind when removing crossmember bolts and do not loosen bolts on the other side of the vehicle so you do not have to adjust the rear wheels. Lower the jack slowly so that the repair-side of the crossmember is just over the body and comes down far enough to clear the flange and then tip the top of the shock outward and lift the bottom end out of the spring link pocket. First, slip the lower end of the new shock into the spring link, raise the other end to its position and secure the upper mounting screws with a tightening torque of 52 Nm. Put in the lower shock mounting bolt and nut loosely for now, then remove the jack and put on the tire and wheel assembly, fastening the wheel nuts to 150 Nm. After lowering the vehicle, drive it on the alignment rack and tighten the lower mounting bolt nut with 72 Nm. To install using load-leveling, push the bottom of the shock absorber into the spring link pocket, tip the top toward it and mount the lower bolt and nut, leaving them loose. If you have AWD, put the spacers in position and slowly lift the car with the jack so the coil spring and upper part of the shock absorber can be fitted. Set in the top mounting screws and clock them firmly to 52 Nm, taking care not to use the longer rear bolts for the front crossmember. Group and torque the crossmember mounting bolts, then check the tension link to body weld flange spacing, missing up the joints as needed to clear a minimum of 12 mm. After that, tighten each crossmember bolt to 180 Nm, lift the rear axle jack out from under the differential, reattach the exhaust isolators and replace the fuel filler tube if you removed it. Attach the tire and wheel assemblies, tighten the nuts on the wheels, lower the car and once again set it on the alignment rack to get at the bottom bolt and fasten it to 72 Nm.