1997 Buick Century Rear Upper 2 Piece Strut Mount Set TRQ SKA56635

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In this video, we're going to show you how to replace the rear strut mount on this 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo. It's the same part and similar process on these Monte Carlos from 2000 to 2007. We show you on the passenger's side but the driver's side is the same procedure. The items you'll need for this include a new rear strut mount from 1AAuto.com, 13mm, 18mm, 19mm, and 21mm socket and ratchet with an extension, 14mm and 15mm wrenches, T45 Torx bit, hammer, flat blade screwdriver, torque wrench, jack and jack stands, spring compressors and a strut socket.

Start off in the trunk. Pull back this insulation, and you'll want to remove these three 15mm nuts. You can remove this cap so that one is easier to get to. You will have to use a wrench for the back one, but you can use a 15mm socket and ratchet for the other two. Loosen up the lug nuts and pull your hubcap off. Then remove the lug nuts. You'll want to loosen these while the vehicle is on the ground, raise the vehicle, and remove them the rest of the way. Do this if you don't have air powered tools. Now, just pull the wheel off.

Using a 14mm wrench on the back and an 18mm socket and ratchet, just remove this nut. Push the sway bar out and put it to the side. Now, remove these two 21mm nuts. Next, remove these two 13mm bolts that hold your caliper into place. Now, pry your caliper off and set it aside. Hammer the bottom of the strut to loosen the bolts and then hammer the bolts out. Now, pull your rotor off, lift the strut up, and push it back off the knuckle. Once you get it off the knuckle you can pull it down and pull it out.

Put the spring compressors on either side of the spring, and then tighten each one back and forth a little bit at a time. Now, using a strut socket and a T45 torques bit, just remove the nut at the top of the strut. A 7/8ths oxygen sensor socket can work for this as well. The mounting plate pulls free. You can see here is our new mounting plate on the right, the old one on the left, and it comes with all the hardware. The only slight difference is our mounting plate is designed to be able to replace both the left and the right side, so depending on which side you're replacing, you want to thread the studs into your new mounting plate in the same locations so it lines up with your old one.

Make sure the studs are nice and tight. Push this center piece down into the plate. Then push your plate down onto the strut with the rounded end facing the brackets on the bottom, and put this down into place. Push down on the strut and replace the nut. Then tighten it up using your strut socket and your T45 Torx bit.

Now, loosen each side a little at a time and just repeat this until your spring compressors pull free. Feed the strut into place. Push down on the knuckle and feed the strut behind it. Just push it onto the knuckle and feed your bolts through. Put the two bolts in place and place the nuts on the other side just have them on there hand-tight. Now put a jack underneath the knuckle and line up the studs. You want to make sure you have at least one of them lined up. Once you can see one, just replace the nut. Now pry out right here so that the other studs will line up. Then, using the jack, just push the studs up and through. Then replace the nuts.

Now hammer these two bolts in as much as you can, and then just tighten up the nuts and pull the bolts the rest of the way through. Now torque these to 120 foot-pounds. Push the rotor into place. Then put your caliper into place and hammer it on. Then replace the bolts on the back of it and tighten them up. Make sure you push your sway bar link back into place and replace that 18mm nut.

Replace your wheel and then replace the lug nuts. Tighten them preliminarily, lower the vehicle, and tighten them the rest of the way. Then torque each of these to a hundred foot-pounds in a crossing pattern. Then replace your hubcap and tighten up these lug nut caps. Now, go back into the trunk and tighten up those three 15mm bolts. Put the rubber stopper and rubber bumper back on the top of the insulator, and then put the trunk trim back in place.

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