You should begin the suspension strut service by lifting the car, taking off the wheel and tire assembly and removing the strut where needed. When you remove both strut assemblies, label them with R for right or L for left. Separate the brackets holding the hydraulic brake hose and the speed sensor cable from the strut damper brackets. When pulling out the nut from the stabilizer bar link stud, ensure the stud doesn't rotate by placing an open-end wrench over the flat machined onto the stud. Press the stud down and loosen or remove the nut on the stabilizer bar link at the strut assembly bracket. Since the attaching bolts to the
Steering Knuckle are serrated and cannot turn, they must be stationary when removing the two clevis bracket to steering knuckle bolts and then take out the three nuts of the upper strut mount to the strut tower before pushing the strut assembly out of the car. Prior to disassembling, put on a Strut Spring Compressor, Pentastar Service Equipment (PSE) tool W-7200 or a similar tool to compress the coil spring, then remove the strut shaft nut. Insert the strut assembly in the compressor and press down on the coil spring so all tension comes out from the upper mount, then apply Strut Nut Socket, Special Tool 6864 and hold the strut shaft still as you remove its retaining nut. Take off the upper mount and, when required, remove the pivot bearing from the coil spring upper seat. After unwinding the coil spring, take out the dust shield and jounce bumper together from the strut shaft and divide them once out. Check each part of the strut assembly for damage and change them when necessary. Before assembly, set the coil spring in place correctly, add the upper seat and isolator and compress the coil spring enough so the strut can be installed. Put back the pivot bearing, then the spring isolator, jounce bumper and dust shield. Slide the strut through the coil spring in line and just loosely secure the retaining nut to hold it in place. On the strut shaft, tighten the retaining nut to 100 Nm (75 ft. lbs.) and remove the pressure applied to the coil spring. Fit the strut assembly to the strut tower, then tighten three nut/washer assemblies onto the upper strut mount using 28 Nm (250 in. lbs.) of force. Arrange the strut assembly with the steering knuckle, install each one using the attaching bolts and then tighten them to 81 Nm (60 ft. lbs.) with an extra 90° of tightening. Attach the stabilizer bar link mounting stud and twist the nut until it reaches an effect of 88 Nm (65 ft. lbs.) with the stud still immobile. Fit the bracket for the brake hose and the speed sensor cable back onto the hood and secure the bolts with 13 Nm (10 ft. lbs.) tightness. Put the wheel and tire back, then tighten the wheel mounting stud nuts to a final 135 Nm (100 ft. lbs.).