I just replaced rear shocks & springs. All went according to plan except I had to remove swaybar endlinks to get the springs out. I ended up getting some new ones from NAPA. But- does anyone know how tight they have to be? I have a torque wrench but did not find a number in the manual I have.
Also, how can you accurately torque the shock upper mounting nut if you have to hold the stud to keep it from turning?
Thanks.

 

when i did my rear end links i searched on here and it seems roughly 15 foot pounds equates to the poly or rubber bushings being compressed to about the size of the metal washers.

good question about the top strut nut, i just went as hard as i could with the proper wrench holding the inside and tightened the nut down.

 

Hayne's has the numbers in there, at the beginning of the suspension section I think.

I dont have any of my manuals with me, but IIRC it's like 13ft-lbs front and 12ft-lbs rear.

 

Here's what I got:

HAYNES says:
"shock absorber to upper mount nut" in the rear: 156 in-lbs.
"strut to upper mount nut" in front: 50 ft-lbs.
end-links: fronts should be 168 in-lbs and the rears should be 144 in-lbs.

CHILTON says:
"shock absorber (upper end)" in the rear: 13 ft-lbs (156 in-lbs)
"strut to upper mount nut" in front: 82-84: 50 ft-lbs, 85-86: 44 ft-lbs, 87-88: 52 ft-lbs, 89-91: 46 ft-lbs, 92: 44 ft-lbs
end links: fronts should be 15 ft-lbs (180 in-lbs) except 1992 w/handling package, which are 18 ft-lbs (216 in-lbs). the rears are listed two different ways here, which I don't understand at all. Here's what it says:
"stabilizer link-to-bar": 82-87: 12 ft-lbs (144 in-lbs), 88-91: 16 ft-lbs (192 in-lbs), 92: 18 ft-lbs (216 in-lbs).
"stabilizer link-to-frame": 35 ft-lbs

Interpret as you will, but I have no clue why there is such a discrepency between both books (Haynes probably just rounded off, as they tend to do), as well as within Chilton's itself. The "stabilizer link-to-frame" doesn't make any sense, since it should be the same torque on both the top and bottom of the end-link.

 

Thanks-
CaysE- I don't understand that "link to frame" figure either, I'll just torque to the 12 ft-lbs

 

"Link to frame" probably means bracket bolts.