Chevrolet Equinox Service Manual: Shock Absorber Disposal Strut Assembly Dampers/Shocks

Warning:Gas charged shock absorbers contain high pressure gas. Do notremove the snap ring from inside the top of the tube. If the snapring is removed, the contents of the shock absorber will come outwith extreme force which may result in personal injury.

Warning:To prevent personal injury, wear safety glasses whencenterpunching and drilling the shock absorber. Use care not topuncture the shock absorber tube with the centerpunch.

Make an indentation 10-mm (0.4-in) from the bottom-(4) of the tube-(3) using a centerpunch.Clamp the shock absorber in a vise horizontally with the shock absorber rod-(1) completelyextended.Drill a hole in the shock absorber at the centerpunch-(4) using a 5-mm (3/16-in) drillbit. Gas or a gas/oil mixture will exhaust when the drill bit penetrates the shockabsorber. Use shop towels in order to contain the escaping oil.Make an indentation in the middle-(2) of the tube-(3) with a centerpunch.Drill a second hole in the shock absorber at the centerpunch-(2) using a 5-mm (3/16-in)drill bit. Oil will exhaust when the drill bit penetrates the shock absorber. Useshop towels in order to contain the escaping oil.Remove the shock absorber from the vise. Hold the shock absorber over a drain panhorizontally with the holes down. Move the rod-(1) in and out of the tube-(3) to completelydrain the oil from the shock absorber.