How to Replace the Springs in a Plymouth Neon

Raise the vehicle and secure the wheels with jack stands before removing the strut assembly and attaching it to a spring compressor.

Secure the lower hooks first, followed by the upper hooks. Point the clevis bracket perpendicular to the compressor before clamping the lower end of the coil spring in order to hold the strut firmly.

Compress the spring until the tension is completely gone from the upper mount. This can be a dangerous step--if the coil spring is released accidentally it can cause great bodily injury.

Put the Special Tool 6864, strut nut socket, onto the shaft retaining nut. Place a socket on the strut shaft's hex end in order to prevent it from turning while removing the nut from the shaft.

Take off the following components one by one: the strut's upper mount, upper spring seat, the assembly of the bearing and upper spring isolator, the dust shield and jounce bumper. Next remove the bottom coil spring clamp, the lower isolator and strut assembly down to the bottom of the spring.

Release the tension on the coil spring and remove it from the compressor. Replace the spring with a new spring.

Put the coil spring into the compressor with the end of the top coil facing the back.

Compress the coil spring until there is enough space to reassemble the strut.

Reattach the lower spring isolator onto the lower spring seat and move the strut through the bottom of the coil spring until the spring seat hits the bottom of the spring.

Point the clevis bracket straight out from the compressor and reinstall he following: clamp (lower end of the coil spring and strut), bumper (small end up), dust shield, spring isolator, spring seat, bumper on the strut shaft (small end down). Also attach the upper mount atop the upper spring seat and bearing.

Put the retaining nut on the strut shaft before attaching the strut nut socket Tool 6864 onto the retaining nut along with the socket on the hex end of the shaft and torque the nut to manufacturer's specifications.

Release the tension slowly from the properly aligned coil spring before removing the clamp from the lower end of the spring and strut.

Take off the spring compressor and reinstall the strut assembly onto the Plymouth Neon.