The first thing to do when replacing the rear cross-member is to cut off the connection to the battery's negative cable. Lift the vehicle and then disconnect the nuts and assemble the wheels from the rear wheels. Someone should press the brakes so that hub rotation is stopped and then remove the two hub nuts from the half shafts. After that, take off the rear exhaust system and the rear differential. Take out the right side axle half shaft from the hub and bearing, then part the right rear parking brake cable at its connection to the front parking brake cable. Disconnect the left rear parking brake cable by removing the equalizer, leaving the other cable still attached. Separate the screw between the front parking brake cable routing bracket and the front side of the rear crossmember. Take out the J-nut at the same place. Should your car have standard or premium disc brakes, keep the guide pins from rotating and get rid of the brake caliper guide pin bolts, then lift the caliper and pads off the brake adapter, pulling the caliper through the suspension and hanging it above the rear suspension with a bungee cord. To insert pistons into the caliper, only use a trim stick or a similar tool that won't damage the metal. If you have SRT8 disc brakes, wedge the trim stick between the brake pad and the rotor's outside edge to press the pads against each piston until the caliper half of the disc is completely housed. With the transmission jack under the spring link, access the bolt on the brake caliper lower mount, then remove both mounting bolts and the brakes with pads and suspend the assembly. Take the wheel speed sensor connectors out of the wiring harness connector in the luggage pan under the floor and remove the left wheel speed sensor from the clips along the rear of the crossmember. Loosen the lower mounting bolt and nut on both sides of the vehicle, removing the shock absorbers and then mark the positions of the rear crossmember in the sheet metal near each mount hole. Brace the engine cradle with jack stands at its front and then raise a utility jack from under the center of the rear crossmember to secure everything. Disconnect the fuel filler tube and, if there is AWD, keep track of the spacers on either side of the crossmember when removing those bolts. Loosen both sets of bolts that hold the crossmember in place, then slowly lift the vehicle with a jack until the crossmember is at a comfortable height for working. Come off with the bolts holding the stabilizer bar to the stabilizer link and then unscrew the bolts connecting each stabilizer bar cushion retainer to the crossmember, taking out the bar and its attachments. Tackle the retainer fingers by putting a 13mm 12-point box wrench on the cable strand and press down, releasing each folded retainer stage of the parking brake cable, reaching for the coil springs & isolators from the corresponding spring links, with one item on your right and another on your left. Take out the screws holding the parking brake cable routing guide to the crossmember and also remove the J-nuts. When putting on the bolts during installation, check the direction in which you unscrew the fasteners from any rear suspension link when removing them. Remove the bolts holding the spring link to the crossmember and, while blocking the toe adjustment cam bolt, remove the toe link's nut at the crossmember. Move the cam bolt on the toe link backward out of the crossmember and the link, then remove all the bolts and nuts attaching them to the crossmember. In the end, take care to lift up the knuckle with the links and parking brake cable still attached from the rear suspension crossmember and take the crossmember off the jack.