Article: Locate the rear jack points for your vehicle and place a jack beneath it. If the front of your vehicle is resting on jack stands, you may leave it in the air, but if you only have two jack stands you should lower the front end of the vehicle and use those stands to support the rear of it while you work. While the vehicle's front wheels don't have to be on the ground to inspect the rear suspension, you must place jack stands beneath the rear in order to climb under the vehicle. If the front tires are on the ground, place a wheel chock in front of them to ensure the vehicle can't shift forward while you jack it up or once it is on the jack stands. The rear suspension has far fewer components than the front, but they need to be inspected for the same signs of damage. It is likely that a lot of mud and debris has gotten trapped by the rear suspension, so you may need to wipe the bushings off with some water and a rag to be able to properly inspect them. There is no need to wipe the joints and bushings down if you can easily see them. Look for the same signs of cracking or tearing in the rubber bushings. Check the nuts and bolts used to secure components of the suspension to one another and the vehicle for signs of excessive rust and to make sure they are tight. Use a screw driver to poke at the fastening hardware that appears rusty. If bits of the rusted nut or bolt comes off as you poke at it, the hardware will need to be replaced. If you notice any of the nuts or bolts have become loose over time, use an appropriate hand or socket wrench to tighten them again. If portions of the frame or the suspension components themselves are too rusted, you will need to take the vehicle to a mechanic to have it repaired. If your vehicle came equipped with an independent rear suspension, you will need to jack up each side of the vehicle to inspect the suspension on that side. Although you may not need to with some vehicle, you should anticipate needing to remove the wheel and tire in order to access and inspect the suspension components. Inspect an independent rear suspension by looking for signs of damage on the bushings or excess rust on the fastening hardware or suspension components. Suspension components are designed to support the weight of the vehicle under load, so you should not be able to move any by hand. If you can move a component by hand, it is either too loose or the bushing has gone bad.
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Jack up the rear of the car. Wipe each joint clean and inspect the bushings for damage. Inspect bolts and nuts for rust and tightness. Inspect one wheel at a time with an independent rear suspension.