Ford Fiesta (1989-1995). Instruction - part 49
mountings for signs of wear. Test the
operation of the unit, holding it in an upright
position, by moving the piston through a full
stroke, and then through short strokes of 50
to 100 mm. In both cases, the resistance felt
should be smooth and continuous. If the
resistance is jerky, or uneven, or if there is any
visible sign of wear or damage, the shock
absorber should be renewed. Note that if
either unit is to be renewed, it is good practice
to renew both together as a matched pair.
Refitting
4 Locate the unit in position and refit the
mounting bolts and nut. Do not fully tighten
the mountings at this stage.
5 Lower the vehicle to the ground and rock it
to settle the suspension. Raise the vehicle
again, as necessary, until the shock absorber
is at an angle of 50° ± 5° to the horizontal.
With the shock absorber in this position,
tighten the upper and lower mountings to the
specified torque.
17 Rear suspension assembly
(Courier models) -
removal and refitting
3
Removal
1 Chock the front wheels then jack up the
rear of the car and support it on axle stands
(see “Jacking and Vehicle Support”). Remove
the rear roadwheels.
2 Refer to Chapter 9 for details, and
disconnect the handbrake cable equaliser
from the primary cable. Remove the
handbrake rear cable from its adjuster and its
fixed body locations. Release the exhaust
system mountings as necessary to allow the
handbrake cable to be withdrawn over the
rear of the exhaust.
3 Disconnect the rear brake flexible hydraulic
brake hoses from their rigid line connections
(see illustration). Clamp the hoses before
disconnecting them, to minimise the fluid loss
and air entry into the hydraulic system (see
Chapter 9 for details).
4 Detach the light-laden valve linkage from
the bracket on the suspension assembly.
5 Locate suitable jacks under the suspension
assembly to support its weight (not to lift it).
6 Unscrew the shock absorber lower
mounting bolts on each side.
7 Unscrew the two mounting bracket bolts
each side (see illustration), check that all
associated fittings are clear, then lower the
suspension assembly and remove it from
under the vehicle.
Refitting
8 Refitting is a reversal of the removal
procedure, but note the following:
a) Refit the front mounting brackets first,
and tighten the retaining bolts to the
specified torque.
b) Reconnect the shock absorber lower
mountings, but do not fully retighten the
securing bolts until after the vehicle is
lowered to the ground and is standing on
its wheels.
c) Ensure that all brake fluid line connections
are clean before reconnecting them. Refer
to the appropriate Sections in Chapter 9
for specific details on reconnecting the
brake lines, bleeding the brake hydraulic
system, adjusting the light laden valve,
and reconnecting and adjusting the
handbrake cable.
d) Once the vehicle is standing on its
wheels, raise it again, as necessary, until
the shock absorbers are at an angle of
50° ± 5° to the horizontal. With the shock
absorbers in this position, tighten the
lower mountings to the specified torque.
18 Rear suspension ride height
(Courier models) - adjustment
4
Checking of the ride height requires the use
of Ford special tools to accurately compress
the suspension to a pre-determined value.
Further special tools are then required to
reposition the torsion bars to the new setting.
This operation should be entrusted to a
Ford dealer, as it is not possible to carry out
the procedure accurately without the use
of the appropriate tools.
19 Steering wheel -
removal and refitting
2
Removal
Models without air bag
1 Drive the vehicle in a straight line onto a
level surface, so that the roadwheels are
pointing straight ahead.
2 Carefully prise the motif from the centre of
the steering wheel (see illustration).
3 Mark the relative positions of the steering
wheel and steering column shaft.
4 Unscrew the retaining bolt from the centre
of the steering wheel, then insert the ignition
key and turn it to position “I”. Grip the wheel
each side, then pull and withdraw it from the
column shaft.
Models with air bag
Warning: Handle the air bag with
extreme care as a precaution
against personal injury, and
always hold it with the cover
facing away from your body. If in doubt
concerning any proposed work involving
the air bag or its control circuitry, consult a
Ford dealer or other qualified specialist.
5 Disconnect the battery negative (earth) lead
(refer to Chapter 5A, Section 1).
Warning: Before proceeding,
wait a minimum of 15 minutes,
as a precaution against
accidental firing of the air bag.
This period ensures that any stored energy
in the back-up capacitor is dissipated.
6 Undo the screws, and remove the steering
column lower shroud.
7 Undo the two external screws and the two
internal screws and remove the steering
column upper shroud.
10•12 Suspension and steering
19.2 Removing the motif from the steering
wheel
17.7 Courier rear suspension pivot
brackets locate on dowels in underbody
17.3 Brake hose and rigid pipe connection
on Courier rear suspension assembly
1595Ford Fiesta Remake
If the wheel is tight, tap it up
near the centre, using the
palm of your hand, or twist it
from side to side, whilst
pulling upwards to release it from the
shaft splines.