6. Rear Suspension
The cars covered by this manual have rear shock absorbers and springs assembled concentrically, in a strut arrangement. Unlike the front suspension, the rear springs and shock absorbers can be safely separated without the use of a spring compressor.
The rear wheel bearings do not routinely require maintenance. However, cleaning, repacking with grease, and adjusting the rear wheel bearings are necessary parts of rear brake service and much of the work described here will be performed in conjunction with work described in BRAKES.
The rear suspension components which are most likely to require maintenance or repair are readily accessible and can be removed with standard tools. The wheel bearing outer races, however, should be removed and installed in the brake drum or rotor using a press. When performing any maintenance or repair of the rear suspension or brakes, please observe the following general cautions.
WARNING-
Do not re-use any fasteners that are worn or deformed in normal use. Many fasteners are designed to be used only once and become unreliable and may fail when used a second time. This includes, but is not limited to, nuts, bolts, washers, self-locking nuts or bolts, circlips, cotter pins. Always follow recommendations given in this publication. For replacements always use new parts.
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CAUTION-
 | Do not reinstall bolts and nuts coated with undercoating wax as correct tightening torque cannot be assured on installation. Always clean the threads of removed bolts and nuts with a solvent before installation, or replace them with new parts. |
| If the axle beam has been removed, or if for any other reason the brake lines have been disconnected, reassembly must include bleeding air from the brake system and readjusting the brakes as described in BRAKES. |
| Do not weld or attempt to straighten a damaged rear axle beam or rear stub axles. |
| Use only multipurpose (lithium) grease to lubricate the rear wheel bearings. Other greases will not maintain adequate lubrication and may lead to premature bearing failure. |
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