GM 19178430 Shock Absorber

Vehicle elevation begins the process to uninstall and reinstall the strut on Deville and Fleetwood vehicles by requiring wheel removal after trunk side cover removal. Clean the connector then squeeze the spring clip before detaching the Computer Command Ride electrical connector if installed on your strut system. Detach the strut tower mounting nuts inside the trunk before removing the knuckle and stabilizer bar bracket bolts and washers and nuts to extract the strut assembly. When mounting the strut within the vehicle use upper mounting nuts securely followed by proper alignment of the strut wire when Computer Command Ride is present. First install the bolts that attach the strut to the knuckle and fit the stabilizer bar bracket and then lubricate the air line O-rings before connecting the air line and electrical connector (if present). Reattach the trunk side cover after you tighten all mounting nuts to their correct torque values, then run low pressure through the electronic level control system and install the wheel assembly and lower the vehicle while checking the rear wheel alignment. To test shock absorbers you should press down a vehicle corner while it is empty and check that the motion reaches equilibrium after 2-3 cycles. A test will reveal inadequate performance when the suspension moves excessively during pitching or loses its equilibrium position. The normal status of oil-filled shocks can be identified by a thin oil coating but a thick oily substance means the shock has failed. When gas-filled shocks display film indicators it requires checks if gas leakage is detected because limited resistance occurs. Replacements of shock absorbers should always occur as sets for optimal balance during vehicle response. Prior to testing air-adjustable shocks you must stroke the units to eliminate trapped air. The testing method requires users to position the shock absorber in the vise under clamp while manually pumping it until they can measure the control resistance that operates better in rebound mode versus compression mode. Listen to compare with a known good shock absorber to check for necessary replacement in case of abnormal noises.