Rear Suspension

GENERAL INFORMATION
The rear lower ball joint used on this vehicle is designed to operate with no five play of the stud in the ball joint housing. Ball joint replacement is necessary if more than 0.51 mm (0.02 inch) axial end play of the ball joint stud exists.

The rear lower hall joint is pressed into the lower control arm. If it is deter mined during the weal inspection procedure on the lower ball joint that the ball joint is worn to a point requiring its replacement the complete lower control arm must be replaced. Do not attempt to replace only the ball joint.

CAUTION: When raising the vehicle by the lower control arm using a floor jack, care must be used so control arm does not get nicked, gouged, deformed or damaged in any way by the floor jack.

WEAR INSPECTION PROCEDURE
1. Position a floor jack under the outer end of rear lower control arm. Carefully raise the vehicle so the rear wheel and tire assembly is just lightly contacting the floor (vehicle weight relieved from the tire).
2. Have a helper grasp the tire at the bottom and apply an inward and outward force against the bottom of the tire. While inward and outward force is being applied against the bottom section of the tire. Look for any movement between the lower ball joint stud and the lower control arm/ball joint housing.
3. If any lateral movement is evident between the lower ball joint stud and the towel control arm ball joint housing, the ball Joint will need to be replaced.

OVER-TRAVEL INSPECTION
On the rear suspension of this vehicle there are no jounce stops for the suspension system other then the shock absorbers. Therefore, in the event of a shock absorber mount failure, there is nothing to stop or limit the amount of jounce (upward) travel of the rear suspension. In this type of failure the rear suspension would jounce (move upward) until stopped by the stud of the upper or lower ball joint hitting against the ball joint housing. If this type of failure were to occur, the rear lower control arm must be replaced.