How do you change the rear struts on a 1989 Olds Regency 98?

Answer 1

Oh, not THAT hard.

1. Go into trunk and remove rear speaker covers. Held by two black snap caps. They just twist off. Why? To get at the two bolts at top of sturt tower. Then lay on your back and just LOOSEN the two 13mm nuts on each tower. Don't pull off yet.

2. With a floor jack (NOT your car jack) raise car a bit and lossen tire lug nuts. Have at least one jack stand ready. Raise car and remove tire.

3. Raise car and place jack stand under lower A frame. Just past ball joint is a good spot. Lower car to just rest on stand.

4. IF equiped, remove air line to strut. Squeeze loop at top of clip to remove. Then air line just pulls off. While you still have clip and air line in hand? Reset clip and slip it back into the slots at air line end. Set air line aside.

5. Your brake drum may come off. Just put it aside.

6. I don't know the exact metric size. But, I found a 15/16in box end wrench and 1/2in drive socket work dandy. But FIRST off, brush off the area where the two large bolts attach the strut and chassis. Spray with bright paint and let dry. This is important. Because you'll wish to place the new strut in same position. Then place the box end wrench on the bolt head and socket with breaker bar on nut. Loosen nut and remove each first. Use any plastic hammer and tap out bolts. Notice that the chassis wiggles once loosened. That's because the lower bolt hole is an oval.

7. After bolts are out. Raise car just enough to tap back the old strut off the mount. Then go back in trunk and pull those two 13mm nuts. Raise car and remove strut.

8. BUT, you're not done yet. I hope you've a vise. Take old strut to vise and place in. You need the 15/16 box wrench and one of 3 other tools. A 3/8in drive torx bit. Or, an Allen wrench, Or, a very good crecent adustable wrench. Remove largee nut at end of strut and remove the two bolt upper mount plate. Note how it's positioned.

9. You can now junk old strut and place new one into vise. Install mount plate.

10. Now installation is reverse of removal. Hold new strut in position and just lightly thread the 13mm upper nuts back on. Slip lower mount into position and place bolts in. Lower car a tad to assist if you have to. JUST snug down nuts and position new strut to match up your marking paint. Then and ONLY then tighten bolts up. As tight as possible. I've no torque spec. But, I just used 80 ft. lb. as ballpark. Tighten upper nuts. And the rest is easy easy.

Good luck. Just finished all 4 struts this past weekend 3/28/09 on my own 89 Olds 98. These are well done cars.