How to Replace the Shocks and Struts in a Mitsubishi Galant

You suspension system is the key to keeping the ride in your Mitsubishi Galant smooth and comfortable. You can only do that by replacing your shocks and struts after 60,000 miles under normal driving conditions. This process works best for model years 1999 to 2003.

Instructions

Replace the Front Struts in a Galant

1

Pop the hood of your car, and use a wrench to disconnect the negative battery cable from the battery. It's marked either as black, blue or with a negative sign. Raise the front end of the Galant with a floor jack, and support it by the frame with a jack stand. Use a tire iron to loosen the nuts holding the front wheels on, and remove them. Set the wheels aside.

2

Locate the struts under the Galant. They look like tubes that slide in and out of each other with a coiled spring around them and hardware on each end. They're right behind the wheel hubs. Find the fork at the bottom of the strut, and use a ratchet to remove the sway bar link nut from it. Remove the bolt at the bottom of the fork and the one connecting it to the strut assembly.

3

Pull the fork out, and follow the strut up to the top where it mounts to the frame. Disconnect the upper strut nuts, and remove the strut assembly from the suspension system.

4

Repeat Steps 2 and 3 on the other side of the Galant.

5

Compress the spring of the strut, and remove the self-locking nut and washer from the top. Lay out all the pieces of the strut assembly so you know what order they go in to reassemble it. Slide the upper bushing, upper bracket, upper spring pad, collar, lower bushing, cup, rubber bumper, dust cover and coil spring off the strut. Remove the compressor from the spring, if you're replacing the spring.

6

Reassemble the strut assembly with the new strut and other replacement parts. Set the dial on your torque wrench to 18 ft-lb, and tighten the self-locking nut at the top of the assembly until you feel the wrench slip. Position the strut assembly against the upper mount and install the upper mounting nuts. Torque them to 32 ft-lb.

7

Align the fork with the bottom of the strut, and insert the lower bolt on the fork. Torque it to 65 ft-lb. Slide the pinch bolt holding the strut to the fork in, and torque it to 76 ft-lb. Attach the sway bar link nut, and torque it to 29 ft-lb.

8

Repeat Steps 5 through 7 on the other side of the Galant.

9

Mount the front wheels, and lower the front end of the car. Have a professional perform a front-end alignment on the Galant.

Replace the Rear Shocks in a Galant

10

Lift the rear end of the Galant, and support it by the frame with jack stands. Support the lower control arm, which holds up the wheel hub from the bottom side, with a jack stand.

11

Pull the front of the bottom seat cushion forward and up from the rear. Remove the bolts mounting the seat back so you can access the upper shock mounting nuts. Remove the upper shock mounting nuts, and slide under the rear of the Galant so you can reach the lower mounting bolt. Unbolt it, and pull the shock out from the undercarriage. Repeat this step on the other side of the car.

12

Compress the spring, and remove the self-locking nut at the top of the shock assembly. Lay out the pieces in the order you remove them so you can reassemble them after you've replaced the shock and the pieces showing wear. Remove the upper bracket, spring pad, collar, upper bushing, cup, bump rubber, dust cover and coil spring. Reassemble the shocks in their assemblies with the replacement parts, and remove the spring compressor. Torque the new self-locking nut at the top to 16 ft-lb.

13

Slip the cap on the shock, and position it so you can insert the lower mounting bolt and hand-tighten it. Adjust the height on the jack stand supporting the control arm so the upper side of the shock aligns with the studs on the frame. Install the nuts, and torque them to 32 ft-lb. Torque the lower mounting bolt to 71 ft-lb and replace the rear seats.

14

Repeat Steps 3 and 4 on the other side of the car and lower the rear end of the Galant.