How to Replace the Shocks and Struts in a Geo Metro

One of the downsides of owning a compact car is how closely the car rides the road. You must keep the suspension on your Geo Metro in good repair to keep the ride smooth. After 60,000 miles of normal road conditions, you should replace your shocks and struts.

Instructions

Replace the Front Shocks in a Metro

1

Open the hood of the Metro and find the battery. Disconnect the negative battery cable from the terminal with a wrench. The terminal is marked either blue or black or with a negative sign.

2

Find the upper mounting nuts over the wheel well, and remove them with a ratchet. Repeat on the other side of the Metro, and lift the front end of the car with a floor jack. Use jack stands to support the frame. Remove the front wheels using the tire iron to loosen and pull off the nuts.

3

Locate the shocks under the Metro. The shock looks like a slender tube that slides in and out of a slightly larger tube and is surrounded by a coiled spring. Remove the brake hose clip and the brake hose from the bottom of the strut, and support the lower control arm with a jack stand. Unbolt the bottom of the strut from the steering knuckle. Pull the strut out and repeat this step on the other side of the front of the Metro.

4

Position the new strut in the suspension system. Hand-tighten the upper mounting nuts in the engine compartment. Bolt the bottom of the strut to the steering knuckle, and set the dial on your torque wrench to 59 ft-lb. Tighten the bolt until you feel the wrench give. Torque the upper mounting nuts to 20 ft-lb.

5

Install the brake hose and the brake hose bracket, being careful not to twist the brake hose. Mount the front wheels, and lower the front end of the Metro. Connect the negative battery cable to the negative terminal and close the hood. Have a professional align the front end of the car.

Replace the Rear Shocks in a Metro

6

Open the hatchback. Raise the rear end of the Metro with the floor jack and support the frame with jack stands. Use the tire iron to remove the rear wheels, and slide a jack stand under the suspension arm to support it.

7

Disconnect the strut from the steering knuckle, and pull the trim panel out of the storage compartment. Use a ratchet to remove the upper mounting nuts. Compress the spring on the shock, and remove it. Repeat on the other side of the rear of the Metro.

8

Compress the new spring and slide the new shock absorber into position. Remove the compressor. Install the upper mounting nuts, and torque them to 24 ft-lb. Put the panel back into place in the storage compartment. Bolt the shock to the steering knuckle, and torque it to 44 ft-lb. Repeat on the other side of the rear end of the Metro.

9

Pull the floor jack out from under the suspension arm and put the rear wheels back on the vehicle. Lower the rear end of the Metro, and have a professional align it.