How to Replace Rear Shocks 2009-17 Chevy Traverse
Created on: 2018-03-02
How to repair, install , fix, change or replace your front shocks with their loaded struts on 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 Chevy Traverse.
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step 1 :Removing the Wheel
- Loosen the lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
- Raise and support the vehicle
- Remove the lug nuts
- Slide the wheel off the hub
- If the wheel is stuck, thread on two lug nuts by hand
- Strike the wheel with a dead blow hammer
- Remove the lug nuts
- Slide the wheel off the hub
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step 2 :Removing the Rear Shock
- Apply rust penetrant to the shock bolts
- Clean the shock bolts with a wire brush
- Hold the upper shock bolt with a 15mm wrench
- Loosen the upper shock nut with an 18mm wrench
- Hold the lower shock bolt with a 21mm socket and a breaker bar
- Loosen the lower shock nut with a 21mm wrench
- Support the control arm with a floor jack
- Remove the lower shock nut and bolt
- Remove the upper shock nut and bolt
- Pull the shock off its mount
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step 3 :Installing the Rear Shock
- Loosen the two 15mm bolts in the shock mount bracket
- Place the shock into the mount
- Slide the upper shock bolt into the top of the shock and the mount
- Thread the nut onto the upper shock bolt
- Tighten the two 15mm bolts in the shock mount bracket
- Cut the shipping strap off the shock with side cutters
- Allow the shock to expand
- Place the washer between the control arm and the shock
- Line up the shock with the control arm
- Slide the lower shock bolt into the top of the shock and the control arm
- Thread the nut onto the lower shock bolt
- Torque the lower shock nut to 74 foot-pounds
- Lower the jack
- Hold the upper shock nut with an 18mm wrench
- Torque the upper shock bolt to 52 foot-pounds
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step 4 :Installing the Wheel
- Slide the wheel onto the hub
- Start the lug nuts by hand
- Lower the vehicle to the ground
- Torque the lug nuts to 140 foot-pounds in a crossing pattern
Tools needed
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15mm Wrench
Torque Wrench
15mm Socket
Rust Penetrant
17mm Socket
Jack Stands
21mm wrench
Side Cutters
Rubber Mallet
Dead Blow Hammer
Ratchet
Wire Brush
Floor Jack
1/2 Inch Breaker Bar
Hi. I'm Mike from 1AAuto. We've been selling auto parts for over 30 years!
Use a breaker bar and a 22mm socket to loosen the lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground. Just go around and loosen them all. Raise and support the vehicle. We're using a two-post lift. You can use a jack and jack stands. Use a socket and finish removing the lug nuts. Take the wheel and tire off.
The wheel and tire is stuck to the brake rotor. I have to put a lug nut on it. Put a second one on the opposite side here. Just lightly take a dead blow. We'll just break it free. It might take a couple hits. It might take one hit. The lug nuts keep it from falling off. Just put the wheel and tire aside.
If the shock bolt that goes through the top is covered with dirt, I’m going to take some rust penetrant, spray it on here, and with a wire brush, try and knock some of that dirt free so when I go to remove the nut it spins off the threads easily, so it doesn't get clogged up with dirt. I have to clean some of the dirt off the end. For the lower one, I'll do the same. Spray it with some rust penetrant.
I'll start by loosening but not removing the upper one. There isn't quite enough clearance to get an 18mm deep socket in here and a ratchet, so I'm going to use an 18mm box wrench. I'm going to loosen the nut, and I have a 15mm wrench to counterhold the bolts. Just keep going until you have the nut almost all the way off. You can change to the open ended part so it'll go a little quicker. I've got this loose but not all the way out. I'm going to spray some more rust penetrant in here. It is moving freely, but I want to make sure it comes out of this part of the shock.
The shock is mounted to the lower control arm with a large bolt that goes all the way through the control arm and is held on with a flange nut. Both of these are 21mm. I'm going to use a 21mm socket and a breaker bar. I'm going to hold the end of the bolt. I'm going to use a 21mm box wrench to break the nut free. It's a lot easier sometimes to break the nut free than try to turn the whole bolt.
I turn this pretty far out on the threads, and then I will use a floor jack to support the lower control arm and remove the lower bolt. Use our floor jack. I'll just lift up on the control arm just a tiny amount. Unthread this by hand now. Let's lift up on the jack a little bit. There it is. We're going to remove this upper nut from the long bolt. Give it a good push. Pull straight through, which is good, or else grab the shocks, and pull the bolt out. I'm just going to push the brake line just gently out of the way. I pulled the bolt out. I'm also supporting the shock. Just like that. Now, I'm just going to work on walking the shock out of the mount here. The hinge is caught on some dirt.
This is the original shock from our vehicle, and a brand new shock from 1AAuto.com. It comes wrapped with this shipping strap so it doesn't fully extend like this one is. I will actually install it with that in there. It also comes with this little conical washer to match the original. That'll go on the inside here. This'll fit great and work great in your vehicle.
I'm going to loosen this bracket here, these two 15mm bolts using a 15mm socket and ratchet. I'm not going to remove them, I'm just going to loosen them. That should give me enough movement. Install our shock. Okay, just slide the long bolt through. Install the nut. Tighten these bolts back up. Just go until they get tight. Now you cut this shipping strapping with some side cutters. The shock will start to expand.
This washer that comes with the new shock, the cone part is going to match the cone part in the control arm. Slide this over. You might have to push up the shock a little bit. Put the bolt through, just like that. The washer will go back around this side, and the large nut. Torque the lower bolt and nut to 74 foot-pounds. Lower the floor jack. I'm going to use a 15mm ratcheting wrench on the bolt end and counterhold the 18mm nut and snug this up. Counterhold the nut with the 18mm, and then torque the bolt's head 52 foot-pounds. It would be ideal if I could torque on the nut, but I can't get it in here with a deep socket.
Reinstall the wheel and tire. Thread the lug nuts on by hand. Now lower the vehicle to the ground and torque the lug nuts. Torque the lug nuts to 140 foot-pounds in a cross pattern.
Thanks for watching. Visit us at 1AAuto.com for quality auto parts, fast and free shipping, and the best customer service in the industry.
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