Chrysler PT Cruiser. Manual — part 398

OPERATION - REAR SUSPENSION

The rear suspension is designed to handle the var-

ious load requirements of the vehicle. As the vehicle
moves along traversing bumps and dips, the suspen-
sion moves up and down to compensate, allowing for
a comfortable, steady ride.

Refer to individual components for additional infor-

mation.

WARNING

WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS

WARNING: DUST AND DIRT ACCUMULATING ON
BRAKE PARTS DURING NORMAL USE MAY CON-
TAIN ASBESTOS FIBERS FROM PRODUCTION OR
AFTERMARKET LININGS. BREATHING EXCESSIVE
CONCENTRATIONS OF ASBESTOS FIBERS CAN
CAUSE SERIOUS BODILY HARM. EXERCISE CARE
WHEN SERVICING BRAKE PARTS. DO NOT SAND,
OR GRIND BRAKE LINING UNLESS EQUIPMENT
USED IS DESIGNED TO CONTAIN THE DUST RESI-
DUE. DO NOT CLEAN BRAKE PARTS WITH COM-
PRESSED AIR OR BY DRY BRUSHING. CLEANING
SHOULD BE DONE BY DAMPENING THE BRAKE
COMPONENTS WITH A FINE MIST OF WATER,
THEN WIPING THE BRAKE COMPONENTS CLEAN
WITH A DAMPENED CLOTH. DISPOSE OF CLOTH

AND

ALL

RESIDUE

CONTAINING

ASBESTOS

FIBERS IN AN IMPERMEABLE CONTAINER WITH
THE APPROPRIATE LABEL. FOLLOW PRACTICES
PRESCRIBED BY THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA) AND THE
ENVIRONMENTAL

PROTECTION

AGENCY

(EPA)

FOR THE HANDLING, PROCESSING, AND DISPOSI-
TION OF DUST OR DEBRIS THAT MAY CONTAIN
ASBESTOS FIBERS.

CAUTION: Only frame contact or wheel lift hoisting
equipment can be used on this vehicle. It cannot be
hoisted using equipment designed to lift a vehicle
by the rear axle. If this type of hoisting equipment
is used, damage to rear suspension components
will occur.

NOTE: If a rear suspension component becomes
bent, damaged or fails, no attempt should be made
to straighten or repair it. Always replace it with a
new component.

SPECIFICATIONS

REAR SUSPENSION FASTENER TORQUE

DESCRIPTION

N·m

Ft.

Lbs.

In.

Lbs.

Axle Bracket-to-Body Bolts

54

40

—

Axle Brake/Spindle Bolts

95

70

—

Axle Parking Brake Cable
Bracket Bolts

11

—

100

Axle Trailing Arm Pivot Bolt

122

90

—

Hub (To Spindle) Nut

217

160

—

Shock Absorber Lower
Mounting Bolt

88

65

—

Shock Absorber Upper
Mounting Bolt

99

73

—

Stabilizer Bar Cushion
Retainer Bolt

61

45

—

Stabilizer Bar Link Bolts And
Nuts

65

48

—

Watts Link Bell Crank Pivot
Bolt

149

110

—

Watts Link Ball Joint Nut

14 +
180°
Turn

10 +
180°
Turn

—

Watts Link Body Bracket
Bolt

92

68

—

Wheel Mounting (Lug) Nuts

135

100

—

Fig. 2 Stabilizer Bar

1 - LINK
2 - STABILIZER BAR
3 - CUSHION
4 - RETAINER

2 - 28

REAR SUSPENSION

PT

REAR SUSPENSION (Continued)

SPECIAL TOOLS

REAR SUSPENSION

AXLE - FRONT WHEEL DRIVE
REAR

DESCRIPTION

The steel rear axle on this vehicle is a twist beam

design (Fig. 1). It has a tubular torsion tube running
through the center of its width. It also has two trail-
ing arms, one extending from each end of the axle
forward. Each trailing arm has a rubber pivot bush-
ing pressed into it. Two coil spring perches are
mounted to its top surface in line with the rear wheel
center.

OPERATION

The rear axle pivots at the forward end of the trail-

ing arms through the bushings. Coil springs mounted
on top of the axle support the trailing end. As the
rear wheels attached to each end of the axle (through
spindles) move over bumps and dips, the axle moves
with the wheels, pivoting at the front while exerting
varying force against the coil springs.

The torsion tube running through the center of the

axle’s width acts as an integral tubular stabilizer bar.
Jounce and rebound movements affecting one rear
wheel are partially transferred to the opposite wheel
to help stabilize body roll.

REMOVAL

WARNING: THE AUTOMATIC ADJUSTING FEATURE
OF THIS PARKING BRAKE LEVER CONTAINS A

CLOCKSPRING LOADED TO APPROXIMATELY 19
POUNDS. DO NOT RELEASE THE AUTOMATIC
ADJUSTER LOCKOUT DEVICE UNLESS THE REAR
PARKING BRAKE CABLES AND EQUALIZER ARE
CONNECTED TO THE LEVER OUTPUT CABLE.
KEEP HANDS OUT OF AUTOMATIC ADJUSTER
SECTOR AND PAWL AREA. FAILURE TO OBSERVE
CAUTION IN HANDLING THIS MECHANISM COULD
LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY.

WARNING:

WHEN

REPAIRS

TO

THE

PARKING

BRAKE LEVER OR CABLES ARE REQUIRED, THE
AUTOMATIC ADJUSTER MUST BE LOADED AND
LOCKED OUT TO AVOID POSSIBLE INJURY. THE
LEVER

ADJUSTMENT

MECHANISM

CAN

BE

LOADED AND LOCKED OUT AS OUTLINED IN THIS
PROCEDURE.

WARNING: THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IS A COMPLEX
ELECTROMECHANICAL UNIT. BEFORE ATTEMPT-
ING TO SERVICE ANY COMPONENT NEAR THE
OCCUPANT

RESTRAINT

CONTROLLER

(ORC),

FIRST DISCONNECT AND ISOLATE THE BATTERY
NEGATIVE CABLE. ALLOW THE SYSTEM CAPACI-
TOR TO DISCHARGE FOR TWO (2) MINUTES. FAIL-
URE TO DO THIS COULD RESULT IN ACCIDENTAL
AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT AND POSSIBLE PERSONAL
INJURY.

NOTE: Before proceeding, (Refer to 2 - SUSPEN-
SION/REAR - WARNING).

(1) Unclip the air cleaner cover (two clips) and

move the cover aside.

(2) Disconnect and isolate the battery negative

cable from its post on the battery.

(3) Block the tire and wheels so the vehicle does

not move once the vehicle parking brake lever is
released.

(4) Remove the transmission shift knob as neces-

sary.

(5) Remove the screws attaching the center con-

sole, then remove the center console.

(6) Grasp the parking brake lever output cable by

hand and pull upward. Continue pulling on the cable
until an appropriate sized pin punch (drill bit or lock-
ing pin) can be inserted sufficiently through the hole
in the left side of the lever mounting bracket (Fig. 3).
This will lock the parking brake automatic adjust-
ment mechanism in place and take tension off the
parking brake cables. Slowly release the output
cable. There should now be slack in the cables.

(7) Remove the rear parking brake cables from the

parking brake cable equalizer (Fig. 4).

Remover/Installer 8405

Press, Ball Joint C-4212F

PT

REAR SUSPENSION

2 - 29

REAR SUSPENSION (Continued)

(8) Raise the vehicle. (Refer to LUBRICATION &

MAINTENANCE/HOISTING - STANDARD PROCE-
DURE)

(9) Remove both rear tire and wheel assemblies

from the vehicle.

(10) On vehicles equipped with rear drum brakes:

(a) Remove the bolts securing the drum brake

flex hoses to the axle trailing arms.

(b) Remove the brake drum retaining clips, then

the drums (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5 Rear Brake Mounting To Axle

1 - AXLE
2 - SEAL
3 - DRUM BRAKE WITH SUPPORT PLATE
4 - HUB AND BEARING
5 - HUB NUT
6 - BRAKE DRUM
7 - DUST CAP
8 - RETAINER CLIP

9 - HUB AND BEARING
10 - DISC BRAKE ADAPTER
11 - SEAL
12 - SPINDLE
13 - HUB NUT
14 - BRAKE ROTOR
15 - RETAINER CLIP

Fig. 3 Pin Punch Installed

1 - PARKING BRAKE LEVER
2 - OUTPUT CABLE
3 - PIN PUNCH

Fig. 4 Parking Brake Cables At Equalizer

1 - LEVER OUTPUT CABLE
2 - EQUALIZER
3 - REAR PARKING BRAKE CABLES

2 - 30

REAR SUSPENSION

PT

AXLE - FRONT WHEEL DRIVE REAR (Continued)

(11) On vehicles equipped with rear disc brakes:

(a) Remove the bolts securing the disc brake flex

hoses to the axle trailing arms.

(b) Remove the disc brake caliper guide pin

bolts, then the calipers from the disc brake adapt-
ers (Fig. 6).

(c) Hang the calipers out of the way using a wire

hanger or bungee cord.

(d) Remove the brake rotor from the rear hub

and bearing.

(12) Remove the dust cap from the rear hub and

bearing (Fig. 5).

(13) Remove the hub and bearing retaining nut

from the spindle, then remove the hub and bearing
(Fig. 5).

(14) On vehicles equipped with rear disc brakes,

remove the upper return spring, both shoe hold-down
clips, then spread the rear parking brake shoes apart
at the top enough to clear the shoe anchor and
remove the parking brake shoes as an assembly from
the disc brake adapter (Fig. 7).

(15) On vehicles equipped with rear drum brakes,

to remove the parking brake cables from the brake
support plates:

(a) Remove the parking brake cable from the

parking brake actuating lever (Fig. 8).

(b) Remove the actuating spring between the

brake shoe adjustment lever and the brake shoe
(Fig. 9).

(c) Remove the parking brake cable from the

rear brake support plate. The parking brake cable
can be removed from brake support plate using a

1

⁄

2

inch box wrench to compress the locking fingers

on the parking brake cable retainer (Fig. 10).

Fig. 6 Rear Disc Brakes

1 - DISC BRAKE ADAPTER
2 - GUIDE PIN BOLTS
3 - HUB AND BEARING
4 - BRAKE ROTOR
5 - RETAINER CLIP
6 - DUST CAP
7 - NUT
8 - DISC BRAKE CALIPER

Fig. 7 Parking Brake Shoes

1 - UPPER RETURN SPRING
2 - SHOE HOLD DOWN CLIPS
3 - ADJUSTER
4 - LOWER REAR SPRING
5 - DISC BRAKE ADAPTER

Fig. 8 Actuator Lever

1 - PARK BRAKE ACTUATING LEVER
2 - PARK BRAKE CABLE
3 - BRAKE SHOE ASSEMBLIES
4 - REAR SPINDLE

PT

REAR SUSPENSION

2 - 31

AXLE - FRONT WHEEL DRIVE REAR (Continued)