How to Replace a Coil Spring in a Dodge Intrepid

Your Dodge Intrepid probably has MacPherson struts--a coil spring around a shock absorber--in the front and rear suspensions. These steps will guide you through replacing the coil spring in a strut assembly for the Dodge Intrepid.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Jack stands or ramps
• Ratchet wrench set
• Spring compressor tool C-4838 or equivalent
• Strut rod socket tool L-4558A or equivalent

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable of your Dodge Intrepid, raise and support the vehicle on jack stands or ramps, remove the appropriate wheels and remove the strut assembly from the car.

2. Secure the strut assembly in a vice. Use paint to make a straight line of marks on the strut unit, the lower spring isolator, the spring and the upper strut mount. These marks will be vital to allow you to realign these parts at assembly.

3. Position a spring compressor tool (C-4838 or an equivalent) on the strut and compress the coil spring until the entire load is off the upper strut mount. Using strut rod socket tool L-4558A on the strut shaft nut and a 10mm socket to counter-hold the end of the strut shaft, remove the strut shaft nut. Next, remove the upper mount assembly, the jounce bumper (which looks rather like a tiny rubber accordion), the seat bearing (which is typically in a ring shape) and the dust shield, all together.

4. Remove the coil spring, still compressed, from the strut. Remove the lower spring isolator from the strut assembly lower spring seat. Inspect all components for abnormal wear, fluid leakage or failure, and replace parts as necessary.

5. Reinstall the components of the strut assembly in the reserve of the order in which they were removed: Lower spring isolator, compressed coil spring, strut bearing (must be installed notches downward), seat bearing and dust shield, jounce bumper and upper mount. Make certain to align the paint marks you made in Step 2 as you go.

6. Verify that the marks you made in Step 2 all line up properly, then install the strut mount-to-shaft retainer nut and, holding the shaft with a 10mm socket to keep it from turning, tighten the strut shaft nut to 70 foot pounds of torque.

7. Loosen the spring compressor tool gradually and equally until all tension is released, then remove it from the strut. Install the strut assembly back into the vehicle and reinstall the wheels and lug nuts, tightening the lug nuts in sequence to 95 foot pounds of torque. Finally, lower the vehicle and reconnect the negative battery cable.

Resources

• Dodge Intrepid coil springs

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on 4/28/2009 Where is the details and some corresponding pictures? I mean "remove the appropriate wheels and the strut assembly from the car"? Like, Dah!!!! This isn't telling anyone how to do something. This is a joke. A guide needs to include specifics as to what bolts to remove, whether there are special considerations to take in account like splines on the bolt, which bolts should be removed first......things like that. If this is the kind of ehow write-up you're going to do, just don't even bother. This has absolutely no value at all. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite so lame!