No pictures this time around. Was feeling lazy and its pretty obvious what has to be removed anyway.
So to remove the back shocks
1) Jack up the rear end, can do one side or both, doesn't really matter. Make sure the vehicle is secure.
2) Remove the wheel covers and wheels.
3) The shocks are bolted on with 3 bolts; two holding the bar pin to the frame, one holding it to the "arm." All need a 14mm socket.
4) Unbolt said shocks
5) Bolt in new shocks, torque bolts to around 40 ft-lbs. FSM states something like 43ft-lbs top and 41 ft-lbs lower
6) Enjoy
Front Struts
1) Jack the front end of the car up. Make sure the car is secure before you start working on it
2) Pull off both front wheels.
3) Unbolt all the junk attached to the struts. There is a 12mm bolt that holds on the brake line, a 10mm bolt that holds the ABS wire, a 14mm bolt that holds the sway bar ball joint, and a 17mm nut that holds the tire rod end.
3) Remove the 19mm nut and bolt that holds the strut to the knuckle. Once its loose, lean the knuckle inboard to prevent the CV joint from hyperextending.
4) Unbolt the 3 14mm nuts up on the strut tower.
5) Pull the strut out.
6) If you have one and feel like you can safely use it, mount the strut on a spring compressor and compress the spring to take apart the upper spring perch. Else take your current strut assembly and the new strut to a shop and let them do it. I don't think they'd charge you that much since you've already done most of the work.
6a) If you are going to do it, make sure the spring is secure inside the compressor and compress it enough so that the spring is loose in the upper spring perch.
6b) Once compressed used a 6mm allen key and a 17mm wrench to remove the lock nut on top of the strut
6c) Pull all that stuff off, making sure to know what order it come off.
6d) Uncompress the spring and remove it and the strut from the compressor
6e) Pull the shock boot, and the bump stop off the old strut. The bottom spring cup should come off with the boot, else just pull it off.
6f) Assembly is the reverse the 6 series instructions.
7) Remount the strut and everything attached to it. Tie rod should be torqued to around 50 ft-lbs, lower strut mount bolts, 72 ft-lbs, top strut mount bolts 40 ft-lbs.
Enjoy the now smooth ride
