FRONTSecure truck on jackstands and remove wheelsRemove the upper shock absorber stem nut use an open end wrench to keep the stem from turning remove the retainer and grommet and on 4wd trucks the upper mounting bracket has 3 nutsRemove the lower mounting bolt and nut on 2wd trucks pull the shock out from the wheel well and on 4wd pull the shock up and out from the engine compartmentREARSecure truck on jackstands and remove wheelsRemove the nut and bolt that attach the upper end of the shock to the crossmemberRemove the nut and bolt that attach the lower end of the shock to the axle bracket and pull shock outOn the 4wd trucks I didn't need to remove the tires to remove the front shocks, it's not necessary. Just remove the cross member support 1st, 2 nuts are in the wheel well that are easily accessible but you don't need to remove the tires. And follow the rest of the instructions.
The upper nut for the shock is behind the quarter panels at the very rear or the vehicle. There is an online guide on how to remove the panels.
Nut.
Unscrew the socket and nut, use a punch to tap the nut out of the socket. Replace with a new nut.
Shock Removal and Installation-Support the vehicle under the lower control arm.Remove or disconnect the following:Rear wheelUpper shock absorber upper nutLower shock absorber nutShock absorberTo install:Install or connect the following:Shock absorber. Tighten the upper nut to 15-22 ft. lbs. (20-30 Nm)Tighten the lower nut to 104-118 ft. lbs. (140-160 Nm) on 2001-03 models or 88-103 ft. lbs. (120-140 Nm) on 2004 models.Rear wheel.
remove upper bolt shock remove swing arm nut, remove rear brake master cylinder, remove chain
To remove rear shocks:# Raise and support the vehicle and remove the wheels# Put a jack under the rear axle and raise it slightly to take the tension off the shock# Remove the lower shock absorber bolt/nut and disconnect the shock from the rear axle.# Remove the upper shock absorber-to-chassis bolt to release the shock from the vehicleTo install rear shocks: # Attach the shock absorber to the upper mounting bracket and install a new retaining bolt/nut.# Using the jack you put under the axle, slowly raise the axle while guiding the shock into the lower mounting bracket.# Install a new retaining bolt/nut and tighten to 50-68 ft. lbs.Don't forget to put the wheels back on...----Your Windstar may not have shocks. Please verify. My Windstar has a X look in the back with coil springs and thus no shocks because that is handled by the X.
The Mazda tribute has rear shocks only the front are struts. So to replace the rear shocks you must remove the interior trim panels in the rear to gain access to the top retaining nut on the shocks. Remove the top nut using two wrenches. One to hold the stem of the shock using the "flats" and the other to turn the retaining nut. Use penatrating oil to help remove the nut if it is rusty. Remove the lower bolts on the bottom of the shock using an 18 mm wrench. Heat and penatrating oil will help if the nut and bolt are rusty. Remove the shock and install the new shock. Do not cut the plastic retainer on the new shock until it is installed. A good chiltons manual will give you directions on how to remove the trim pieces.
Remove wheel. Remove brake caliber. Remove axle nut and brake rotor. Now at bottom of shock at swing arm (the V shaped bracket that connects to bottom of shock) there is a nut that holds the shock and swing arm together. Remove this nut. The swing arm should fall down with a tap of hammer. This will give u enough room to remove axle from upper shock assembly. You can then remove and replace the cv boot that will be held on with two hog nose rings. Reverse process to put nack together.
Seventeen inches from nut to bridge for a Tenor.
Raise and safely support the vehicle securely on jackstands. Remove the wheels. Remove the upper nut and retainer. Remove the two lower mounting bolts. Remove the shock absorber. To install: When installing the shock absorber, make sure the upper bushings are in the correct position. Replace any worn or cracked bushing. Tighten the top nut to 25 ft. lbs. (34 Nm). Then, tighten the lower bolts to 17 ft. lbs. (23 Nm). Install the wheels. Lower the vehicle. Raise and safely support the vehicle securely on jackstands. Remove the wheels. Remove the upper nut and retainer. Remove the lower mounting bolt. Remove the shock absorber. To install: When installing the shock absorber, make sure the upper bushings are in the correct position. Replace any worn or cracked bushings. Hand-tighten the shock absorber fasteners. Install the wheels. Lower the vehicle. Once the vehicle is at normal ride height, final-tighten the shock absorber fasteners to 60 ft. lbs. (82 Nm).
The rear shock spring will need to be compressed with a spring compressor. When the spring is compressed the top nut can easily be removed.