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| Symptoms: | A thunking sound coming from the rear of the car when driving on a bumpy surface. |
| Cause: | Worn out shock bushings. |
| Fix: | Replace bushings. |
| Parts: | (2) F8LZ-18197-AA (updated kit) |
| Tools: | Large cresent wrench that opens to 1 1/2" Deep 18mm socket 1/2" socket (3/8" rachet because 1/4" rachet is too short) Car jack Jack stand (optional but easier with it.) |
| TURN OFF THE AIR RIDE SWITCH IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TRUNK!!! | |
| Remove the rear seats. This is actually rather easy. Push back hard on the lower seat cushion. As it moves back slightly push up on the front of it. There is a hook on the middle of each side of the seat. After the to hooks are loose pull bottom cushion out of the car. Unbolt the rear of the seat. There are two bolts at the bottom of the seatback. After removing the bolts lift the seat upwards. This may take some force. There are three alignment tabs in the top of the seat. After these are loose pull the seatback out of the car. | 
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| Remove the cylinoid from the top of the shock assembly. To do this depress or squeeze the white tabs and pull upwards. | |
| The assemblies may have some corrosion buildup, spray them down with WD40. | |
| Remove the bolts on the top of the shock assembly. To do this you must use two tools. The cresent wrench and the deep 18mm socket. Place the cresent wrench over the washer near the bottom of the bolts. It is notched to place the cresent over. This keeps the bushing and shock from rotating when you remove the bolts. Use the 18mm socket to loosen and remove the top bolt. Remove the cylinoid mount by pulling it straight up and off. Remove the next bolt just as we just did the first. (This one will be a bit tighter) Your done here for now. Get on out of the car. | |
| Now to jack up the car. Place the jack in front of the tire at the jack point. Raise the car to the point that the back tire is barely making contact with the ground. (If you have a jack stand remove the tire and place the jack stand under the supension this will give you more working space) | |
| Remove the two 1/2" nuts that are holding the mount in place on the top of the shock assembly inside the car. | |
| With the 18mm socket remove the bolt holding the bottom of the shock. This bolt is connected to a nut that goes thru the assembly. You do not need to worry about the nut right now it will hold itself while you remove the bolt. Remove the shock when you get the bolt out, the mount should come out with it. | 
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| Replace the mount with the new part. Place the mount and top of shock back into the mount holes and rebolt the bottom mount. This can take some patience for those of you with out the jack stand. You have to hold the nut in place on the assembly to get the threading started. | |
| Once that is done get back in the car and put the two 1/2" nuts back on the mount. | |
| Rotate the shock so that you can get the cresent over the washer we used when taking the assembly apart. This is VERY important because we do not want to rip our new mounts. Put on nut number one. Put on the cylinoid mount. Make sure the cresent is used again here, put on nut number two. | |
| Lower the car, do the other side, and waalaa, you are done! |
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