Rear door shocks removal and replacement

Removal & Installation

1. Raise and safely support the vehicle.
2. Support the rear axle and slightly lower the vehicle enough to lessen tension on the shock absorber.
3. Remove the lower shock absorber retaining nut and washer.
4. Disconnect the lower end of the shock absorber from the mounting stud.
5. Remove the shock absorber upper end retaining nut and washer.
6. Remove the shock absorber from the vehicle.

To install:

1. Install the shock absorber onto the upper and lower mounting studs of the vehicle.
2. Install the washers and retaining nuts. Tighten the upper and lower retaining nuts to 22-30 ft. lbs. (30-41 Nm) on 2001-02 models or 22 ft. lbs. (30 Nm) for the upper bolts and 47 ft. lbs. (64 Nm) on the lower bolts.
3. Lower the vehicle.

Loosen and remove the upper nut and bolt. Compress the shock and wiggle it off the lower stud. Slide the new shock into place and tighten the lower nut. Pop the top of the shock into place and bolt the upper bolt through the holes the same way you removed it. Tighten the nus and bolt in the same point they were when you removed them. Then lower the car to the ground and you are done.lightdeal

REMOVE**** FRONT SHOCKS, FIRST OF ALL.SUPPORT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM WITH A JACK,REMOVE FRONT WHEEL, REMOVE BRAKE HOSE AND ABS SENSOR HARNESS TO THE STRUT BOLTS OR CLIPS,REMOVE ACTUATOR FROM TOP OF THE STRUT,IF EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC ADJUSTING SUSPENSION. PAINT ALIGNMENT MARKS ON THE UPPER STRUT MOUNTING BLOCK AND STRUT TOWER AND ON THE LOWER STRUT MOUNT TO STEERING KNUCKLE SO THAT CAN BE REINSTALLED IN THE SAME POSITION. REMOVE UPPER STRUT MOUNTING NUTS, REMOVE THE STRUT TO KNUCKLE BOLTS,REMOVE STRUT ASSEMBLY.TO INSTALL ***** INSTALL STRUT INTO THE STRUT TOWER ALIGNING THE PAINT MARKS MADE DURING REMOVAL.INSTALL UPPER MOUNTING NUTS AND TIGHTEN TO 34 - 46 FT LBS. INSTALL STRUT TO KNUCKLE BOLTS TIGHTEN TO 55 - 61 FT LBS. INSTALL ACTUATOR AND ENGAGE THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR IF EQUIPPED WITH AAS. INSTALL BRAKE HOSE AND ABS SENSOR HARNESS CLIPS OR BOLTS.INSTALL WHEEL AND CHECK ADJUST THE FRONT END ALIGNMENT. TO ( REPLACE REAR SHOCKS ) REMOVE REAR WHEELS, REMOVE REAR PACKAGE TRIM. REMOVE SPEED SENSOR HARNESS, REMOVE TOP STRUT NUTS,THE SUSPENSION WILL DROP WHEN THE WEIGHT LIFTS OFF THE WHEELS. REMOVE BOTTOM STRUT BOLTS.REMOVE STRUT ASSEMBLY.TO INSTALL ***** INSTALL STRUT ASSEMBLY, INSTALL BOTTOM STRUT MOUNT BOLTS AND TIGHTEN TO 55 - 61 FT LBS.INSTALL UPPER MOUNTING NUTS AND TIGHTEN TO 33 - 46 FT LBS. INSTALL SPEED SENSOR HARNESS.INSTALL REAR PACKAGE TRIM. INSTALL REAR WHEELS.

Your car should have different shocks from most cars, with the magnetic, electrical charge viscosity change. Be sure that the shocks are actually not functioning correctly.

You should have 1 or 2 bolts under the rear end for the rear shocks. Also, the top bolt is above the frame of the rear. For the front, there is 1 bolt above the upper spring mount which you can access with the wheel off. The bottom 2 bolts are under the lower control arm.

Inside the car carefully pry up the speaker covers off the rear parcel shelf and undo the two screws that secure the speaker assembly onto the shelf. Release the clip and carefully from inside the boot pull the speakers away and disconnect the speaker connections
Open the boot and remove the carpet from the rear "wall" by unscrewing the 4 retaining "nuts" at first by hand and then using a phillips screwdriver.


Lift this out and lift out the floor carpet. Carefully pull the side carpets away from the boot interior. They are held in 3 places : on one of the retaining bolts by the rear carpet, by a metal ledge at the top near the rear lights and by the ledges on the plastic parts in the boot.

Jack up the car and chock the front wheels so it can't roll anywhere. Also put something underneath the wheels so they cannot drop down when you undo the shock mounts.

Using a 13mm socket undo the two top shock mounts ONLY once you have supported the wheels so that you dont put stress on the suspension arms. Pry off the rubber dust cover.

Undo the lower shock retaining bolt and carefully lift the entire shock away from the car.

The old knackered shock and shock mount!

You need to recover the lower cup, upper cup and bump-stop from the old shock. To do this you need to remove the top mount from the old shock. If you look at the top of the piston it has a flat section to it. Get a set of mole grips and clamp them onto the flat section, do this as tight as you can so that you dont round it and using and adjustable spanner undo the piston retaining nut whilst holding the piston shaft using the molegrips.

You need to recover 3 pieces from the piston shaft. 1- the bump stop, 2 - lower cup, 3 upper cup. Using the new shock mount as a template cut out a gasket from cardboard (the box the mount came in is ideal) to go between the upper shock mount and the suspension tower. Incidently according to the haynes manual this is made of rubber but mine was made of card! under no circumstances put the upper shock mount directly into the suspension tower.

Put the 3 pieces onto the new shock and tighten the piston nut to secure the shock mount and put your new gasket onto the upper mount.

Use the opportunity to clean the suspension turret - do the top and the underneath making sure it's all clean and dry.
Put the new complete assembled shock into the suspension tower and either get someone to do up the top bolts a few turns or rest the bottom of the shock in the inner circumference of the wheel and lift it into position by lifting it up using the piston nut and then do the bolts up a few turns.
Bolt the bottom shock bolts back into place after putting some nut-lock on the threads and tighten them up securely, then tighten up the top mount securing bolts and put on the rubber dust cap.

Put the side carpets back in making sure the speaker cables aren't trapped behind, putting in the end nearest the tail lights first making sure it's behind the retaining ledge both at the top and the end. Then do the centre section and finally over the bolt at the rear of the boot. Put the rear carpet back in and do up the retaining nuts. Reconnect the speakers and engage the lip and push the speaker up until the clip clips into place and do up the securing screws and clip the speaker cover back on.

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i don't think you have to do any repairs from the top end. I will list most fromFord shop manual. Please rate as Fixya if this answers your questions. Please report back. Good luck.

Section 04-02: Suspension and Wheel Hubs, Rear 1994 Town Car, Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis. Workshop Manual
REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION Spring Rear
Removal

1. Position a hoist under the rear axle housing, and raise the vehicle. Refer to Section 00-02 . Place jackstands under frame side rails.

1. Remove rear stabilizer bar as outlined.

1. Disconnect the lower studs of the two shock absorbers from the mounting brackets on the rear axle assembly .

1. Unsnap the RH parking brake rear cable and conduit (2A635) from RH upper arm retainer before lowering the rear axle assembly .

1. Lower the hoist and axle housing until the rear springs are released.

1. Remove rear spring and rear spring center mounting insulators (5741) from vehicle.
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Shock Absorber Removal
Raise the vehicle on a hoist. 1. To assist in removing the upper attachment on shock absorbers using a plastic dust tube, place an open end wrench on the hex stamped into the dust tube's metal cap. For shock absorbers with a steel dust tube, simply grasp the tube to prevent stud rotation when loosening the retaining nut.

1. Remove the shock absorber retaining nut, washer, and insulator assembly from the stud on the upper side of the frame. Discard nut. Compress the shock absorber to clear the hole in the frame, and remove the inner insulator and washer from the upper retaining stud.
2. Remove the self-locking retaining nut, and disconnect the shock absorber lower stud from the mounting bracket on the rear axle tube.
3. Perform Shock Absorber Checks. Refer to Section 04-00 to determine shock absorbers performance.

Installation

1. Properly prime the new shock absorber . Refer to Section 04-00 , Shock Absorber Checks.

1. Place the inner washer and rear spring insulator (5536) on the upper retaining stud, and position the shock absorber so that the upper retaining stud enters the hole in the frame. While holding the shock absorber in this position, install a new rear spring insulator , washer and nut assembly on the upper side of the upper frame. Be sure to seat the rear spring insulator in the frame attaching hole. Tighten nut to 34-46 Nm (25-34 lb-ft).

1. Extend the shock absorber , and place the lower stud in the mounting bracket hole on the rear axle assembly housing. Install a new self-locking retaining nut. Tighten nut to 76.5-103.5 Nm (56-76 lb-ft).

1. Lower vehicle.

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Arm Lower
Removal
Refer to the illustration in Description and Operation. NOTE: To improve rear axle assembly noise and vibration concerns, the rear suspension should be fastened to the frame and rear axle assembly at the curb height position.
NOTE: If one rear suspension lower arm requires replacement, also replace the opposite rear suspension lower arm .
WARNING: TURN REAR SUSPENSION LEVELER COMPRESSOR SWITCH OFF (IF SO EQUIPPED).
NOTE: If both rear suspension arm and bushings and both rear suspension lower arms are to be removed at the same time, remove both rear springs as outlined under Rear Spring Removal. For air spring removal, refer to Section 04-05 .

1. Mark rear suspension shock absorber relative to protective sleeve with the vehicle in a static, level ground condition.

1. Remove rear stabilizer bar as outlined.

1. Raise the vehicle on a hoist, and place jackstands under the rear axle assembly . Refer to Section 00-02 .

1. Lower the hoist until the shock absorbers are fully extended to relieve rear spring pressure.

1. Support rear axle assembly under differential pinion nose as well as under rear axle assembly .

1. Remove and discard the lower arm pivot bolt and nut from the axle bracket. Then, disengage the rear suspension lower arm from the bracket.

1. Remove and discard the pivot bolt and nut from the frame bracket, and remove the rear suspension lower arm .

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Upper
Removal
SPECIAL SERVICE TOOL(S) REQUIRED Description Tool Number Suspension Bushing Service Set T79P-5638-A1, A2 and A5 Rear Axle Control Arm Bushing Tools T86P-5638-AH
WARNING: TURN OFF REAR SUSPENSION LEVELER COMPRESSOR SWITCH (IF SO EQUIPPED).

1. Raise the vehicle, and support the frame side rails with jackstands. Refer to Section 00-02 .
2. Support the rear axle assembly .
3. Lower the rear axle assembly , and support the rear axle assembly under differential pinion nose as well as under rear axle assembly .
4. Unsnap parking brake rear cable and conduit from upper arm retainer.
5. Remove and discard the nut and bolt retaining the rear suspension arm and bushing to the rear axle assembly housing. Disconnect the rear suspension arm and bushing from the housing.
6. Remove and discard the nut and bolt that secures the rear suspension arm and bushing to the frame bracket, and remove the rear suspension arm and bushing . If upper arm rear bushing is to be replaced, use Suspension Bushing Service Set T79P-5638-A and Rear Axle Control Arm Bushing Tools T86P-5638-AH and the following procedure:
7. Place the upper arm rear bushing remover tool in position, and pull bushing out. Using Suspension Bushing Service Set T79P-5638-A install bushing assembly into bushing ear of rear axle assembly.

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Stabilizer Bar
WARNING: TURN OFF REAR SUSPENSION LEVELER COMPRESSOR SWITCH (IF SO EQUIPPED).
Removal

1. Raise vehicle on hoist, and place jackstands under the frame side rails. Refer to Section 00-02 .

1. Lower the hoist and rear axle assembly housing until the shock absorbers are fully extended.

1. Disconnect rear stabilizer bars from rear stabilizer bar link and bushing (5C488) . Remove bolts and stabilizer bar bracket (5486) retaining rear stabilizer bar to rear axle assembly .

rear
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front

Removal

1. Remove front shock absorber-to-upper shock bracket nut and bolt.
   

1. Disconnect the lower end of the front shock absorber bolt and nut from the U-bolt plate.
   

1. Compress the front shock absorber and remove.
   

Installation

1. Insert front shock absorber into the front shock absorber mounting bracket (18183). Insert bolt and tighten nut to 60-81 Nm (45-60 lb-ft).
   

1. Attach the lower end of the front shock absorber to the U-bolt plate by installing the nut and bolt. Tighten to 60-81 Nm (45-60 lb-ft).
   

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front

you could replace the one shock but do you know why it is leaking oil? Typically unless there was something traumatic to happen to one of the rear shocks, then if one is going you can almost be the other one will go soon. I ended up having too many problems with the air ride suspensions. If you haven't yet, look into conversion kits as something to consider for down the road if nothing else. www.strutmasters.com has a great kit that is made in America and comes with a lifetime warranty. They have a good reputation and track record and can help you save some money and find the permanent solution if anything else goes wrong.

with great difficulty,three bolts hold the plate that takes the top bush/mounting .jack vehicle up and support with axle stand .Another jack under rear axle ,jack this one up till cars starts to lift then fit the spring clamps and compress the spring.Next undo the 3/4 13mm headed bolts that hold the plate to the chassis ,if you can release them???---??? ,then next using a small bottle jack take the strain on the bottom of the shock absorber and then remove the bolt ,lower the jack and the top one will lower as well ,undo the two nuts on the top mounting and pull the old shock absorber out .Or what i do if back is dancing and thats to do as above to support vehicle ,support lower of shock absorber ,remove the bolt and then jack it up ,then drill a small hole about an inch from the top of the tube and then thread it ,refill the shock absorber with a heavier oil like dextron .fit a bolt into the hole with a rubber washer and its as good as new