FX3 rear actuator
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 854
Likes: 1
From: The burbs of Denver CO
FX3 rear actuator
I am having a problem, intermittent, with a rear actuator on my 92. I did the check on the fronts, and solved one problem, but apparently there is still one in the rear. How do you access the actuator? My fsm didn't help, and I expected to be able to find an access door under the rear carpeting. But after ripping everything up, I couldn't find any way to reach the actuator from above, so the only thing left I can think of is that you have to drop the top bolts and lower the shock to access the actuator? Is there a better/easier way?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 9,933
Likes: 103
From: Peoria Arizona.. Resident Gold Cylon
Raise the rear of the car and remove the rear wheels. There is a metal plate bolted to the bottom of the frame rail just above the shock tube. That plate is where the upper shock rod attaches.
Remove the large lower bolt at the bottom of the shock (this is tightened to 60 ft-lbs so a big ratchet or impact wrench is best here). Use a floor jack to support the lower spindle and raise it about an inch.
Remove the two top bolts that hold the plate to the frame. Pull the bottom end of the shock off and lower the shock from the hole in the frame.
Remove the actuator wires but tie them down so that they will not fall down into the frame rail. Even if you are goiwn with non-FX3 shocks, you should keep the harness where it can be found.!!
Remove the actuator clip, the nut that hold the bracket, ring, etc to the shock.
When reiinstalling new shocks, the top bracket bolts are tightened to 25 ft-lbs and the lower nut to 60 ft-lbs. Lower the car to the ground before the final tighteneing of the lower shock rod nut.
The following was donated from another post!!! Hope this helps
Remove the large lower bolt at the bottom of the shock (this is tightened to 60 ft-lbs so a big ratchet or impact wrench is best here). Use a floor jack to support the lower spindle and raise it about an inch.
Remove the two top bolts that hold the plate to the frame. Pull the bottom end of the shock off and lower the shock from the hole in the frame.
Remove the actuator wires but tie them down so that they will not fall down into the frame rail. Even if you are goiwn with non-FX3 shocks, you should keep the harness where it can be found.!!
Remove the actuator clip, the nut that hold the bracket, ring, etc to the shock.
When reiinstalling new shocks, the top bracket bolts are tightened to 25 ft-lbs and the lower nut to 60 ft-lbs. Lower the car to the ground before the final tighteneing of the lower shock rod nut.
The following was donated from another post!!! Hope this helps
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 854
Likes: 1
From: The burbs of Denver CO
Thanks for the response - that was very informative. I was afraid there was no easy way to do it. I was hoping to be able to access the actuators to check for proper movement and/or replacement. I will stick with the fx3 since I like the feature and prefer to keep the car stock. Thanks again!
