Rear SLS Strut top access in 1984 300TD?

[lyricsboy]

I spent a couple of hours this evening trying to access the top of the rear struts in my 1984 300TD, to no avail. Here is what I did:

• Rolled up the carpet to the point where it was glued down.
• removed the seat back for the 3rd row seat
• removed the three screws holding down the wooden strip and the strip itself
• removed the driver side middle column trim
• removed the driver side wheel well cover
• inspected the area behind the middle row seat by moving it up and down

It would appear that the area I need to access is underneath the floor strip that is between the second and third row seats, but how do I get to it? I can find nothing to remove but those three screws holding down the wooden strip.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? The FSM (in 32-610 page 3) indicates two screws that appear to be under the carpet in that strip. Is the carpet not intended to be glued there?

Thanks!

[JimmyL]

Why are you changing the struts? Leaking?

[lyricsboy]

Like a flood, yes. winmutt and I tested the system recently after refilling with fluid, and the driver's side strut basically gushed fluid after the system functioned for just a few seconds.

I'm also replacing the accumulators while I'm at it, because before the leak developed things were quite bouncy.

So, how do I get at the darn thing?

[JimmyL]

I thought there was a plate or something with 3 Phillips head screws, but maybe I'm just thinking about the carpet piece.
Luckily I've never had to remove the struts......

[mobetta]

if you look at the rear wheel wells, on the forward side of them you will find a little bump in. this is where the cover is for access to the nuts you want. I think the carpet will be totally removed for this, but it has been several years. you may need to fish it out from under the middle seats.I don't recall removing the middle seats.
I recall there was a tiny access to unhook the plumbing, and then it was just a setup like the top of the front shocks are in these cars.

loosen the tops of the strut first, then the bottoms, because if the bottom is loose first, when you loosen the top, the strut will fall, maybe breaking the expensive and rare fittings that the hose connects to.

[johninva]

its been a while since i did it, but i think you take the 3 screws out of the carpeted, wide, narrow panel behind the rear seats. that whole panel comes up not just the carpet. under that there will be rubber plugs that you take up to get to the hydraulic fittings and top nuts. regardless of the correctness of my previous statements, i can say for sure that there was no removing of glued down carpet or removing the carpet from the wheel wells or removing the 3rd row seat.

[lyricsboy]

Thanks for the tips everybody.

I did some further searching in the daylight and found the two screws I was missing last night. They were just buried under dirt! They are located kind of middle left and right on the carpeted floor panel.

I guess that's what I get for hauling landscaping material in the old girl!