If the telescopic strut or spring is defective, both struts or both springs must be replaced so that the characteristics of the shock absorber struts on both sides of the vehicle are the same.
To access the upper shock absorber mount on a hatchback vehicle, it is enough to remove the luggage compartment trim from the side of the dismantled strut (see Removing the upholstery of the trunk).
We loosen the tightening with the "12" head and unscrew the three nuts securing the upper support of the rack to the mudguard of the body by several turns of thread.
On a car with a sedan body, we recline both parts of the rear seat backrest forward.
Using a slotted screwdriver, pry off the plastic cover so as to separate the piston 1.
Having separated the piston on the other side..
... remove the overlay.
Similarly, we disconnect the piston 2 and bend the overlay within the limits of elasticity. It should be noted here that the procedure is facilitated, and the probability of breakage of the plastic part is very small if the work is performed in a warm room or during the warm season.
We take out the soundproofing insert.
In a limited space, it is more convenient to unscrew the nuts for fastening the upper support of the rack with a ratchet with a "12" head. Further, the sequence of work for cars with bodies of both types is the same.
Having raised the jack, we securely fix the car on the factory-made support stand and remove the wheel.
We unscrew the nut securing the pin of the ball joint of the stabilizer bar to the body of the shock absorber (see Removing the anti-roll bar).
Overcoming the resistance of the stabilizer, we press the end of its rod down with a mounting blade and remove the ball joint pin of the stabilizer strut from the hole in the shock absorber strut housing.
After removing the locking bracket, we remove the brake hose coupling from the shock absorber strut eyelet (see Rear wheel brake hose replacement).
Using the "17" head, unscrew the nuts of the two bolts securing the shock absorber strut bracket to the rear suspension knuckle, holding the bolt heads from turning with a wrench of the same size.
We take out the bolts or knock them out with a soft metal drift.
We remove the fist from the rack bracket.
Supporting the shock absorber strut, completely unscrew the three nuts securing the upper strut support to the mudguard of the body..
... and remove the rack.
We take out the plug from the socket of the upper support of the rack.
Supporting the rack, lightly clamp the edges of the upper support body in a vice.
On Lacetti, as a rule, before disassembling the strut, there is no need to compress the spring with ties, because the thread length of the shock absorber rod is enough so that when the rod nut is unscrewed, the spring is not completely unclenched.
To unscrew the stem nut, we put a high "17" head on the nut, and pass an extension cord with a "9" head through the head hole and put the head on the stem hexagon (shown on a disassembled rack).
pipe wrench (or open-end - for the hexagon, if it is provided on the outer surface of the head) rotate the high head counterclockwise, holding the stem from turning with the other head.
As the shock absorber rod nut is unscrewed, we control the moment when the spring stops pressing on the support cups - while the upper cup with the spring can be easily rotated relative to the upper strut support.
After that, completely unscrew the nut and disassemble the rack.
If the nut is unscrewed almost to the end of the thread of the shock absorber rod, and the spring is not completely unclenched, then it is necessary to compress the coils of the spring with ties (see a similar operation in Ch. Front suspension) until its pressure on the support cups is completely relieved and only then completely unscrew the nut.
Remove the upper strut support, spring cup with upper gasket, spring, protective cover, compression stroke buffer and lower spring gasket.
Before assembling the shock absorber strut, we check the serviceability of its elements.
When sinking and extending the shock absorber rod by hand, no dips, jamming and jerking should be felt. The stem face must be free of nicks, heavy wear and corrosion, and hydraulic fluid must not leak through the stem seal. The strut spring must not have excessive settling or broken coils. The upper support of the rack should be replaced in case of significant deformation of its rubber array or its delamination from the reinforcement. The rubber gaskets of the spring must not have ruptures or signs of heavy wear. The compression stroke buffer must not be warped. We replace damaged and heavily worn parts with new ones. We assemble the shock absorber in reverse order.
When installing the lower spring gasket, its curly profile must match the profile of the support cup of the rack housing.
We install the spring so that its lower coil rests against the protrusion of the gasket.
We put the upper spring gasket on the upper support cup and install it on the spring..
... so that the upper coil of the spring rests on the protrusion of the gasket.
In this case, the holes in the upper and lower support cups of the spring should be located one below the other (for clarity, a rod is inserted into the holes).
When installing the upper support, we orient its faces relative to the faces of the upper spring cup, as shown in the photo.
When installing the shock absorber strut, we bait the nuts securing its upper support to the body, but do not tighten them. Then we attach the rack to the rear suspension knuckle, and the anti-roll bar to the rack bracket. Finally tighten to specified torque (see Applications) nuts for fastening the upper support of the rack in the "car on wheels" position.