GM 15836654 Strut Assembly, Rear Compartment Lid

The Cobalt/G5 trunk lid or liftgate shows substantial weight which demands assistance from at least two people during its removal and subsequent installation process. An assistant should maintain the trunk position open while you mark the trunk hinge for alignment purposes. Dismantle the electrical components and cables together with ground wires as well as harness clips from the trunk lid assembly. You must disengage the trunk lid lift supports from the clip system on the trunk lid by using a screwdriver while you would need to remove the body end from the lift support if you are replacing it. Two people should assist each other when they remove the hinge-to-trunk lid nuts to lift off the trunk. The trunk lid lift supports receive proper reinstallation during the reverse procedure. Inspection of trunk hinges should happen by allowing the lid to fully open while lifting it unsupported; change the parts if they show 1/16-inch or more looseness through the opening. The trunk lid or liftgate alignment requires freeing hinge-to-body bolts to achieve perfect roof top parallelism with the top edge and side panel flushness to the rear quarter panels and bottom evenness with the lower door sill. Insufficient adjustments could require the use of body alignment shims. The straw needs marking around the striker plate followed by a check to verify the latch meets the center of the striker. Then adjust the striker position through appropriate trimming using a tool when needed.