I just bought my roommates 98 s70 and it needs struts and mounts apparently. This is the first Volvo I have owned. It has 130k miles on it and rather than just getting what the auto store sells I would like to know what the differences are. I am not going to modify it out as I really want an "R" series. I also need to know what is up with these mounts on the fronts that are supposedly broken. What should I do with the springs, do I need to change them or should they be ok for a while longer. Ideally I just want it to be clean and ride and perform better than stock. I have looked on ebay and prices seam to be ok, does anyone have a better place to buy new stuff. Is there anything else I should do while I am fixing this stuff. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

Sachs or Boge is the OE supplier. I had bought Monroe for my S60. It was not bad, though not as smooth as OE. KYB makes one that is firmer than stock. Bilstein Touring (black) is slightly firmer than OE. Bilstein HD (yellow) is much firmer in my opinion. That's what I have now. It didn't blow my hair back.

The spring seats should be replaced. That is the part that is usually broken. With the age of your car, the strut mounts are a good idea whether broken or not. I recommend buying quality parts. Any savings buying a lesser brand will be lost if the work needs to be redone. Springs can be reused unless broken or deformed. Basically, the various sets on ebay are the parts usually replaced when doing struts. From basic - struts, spring seats; to complete - struts, spring seats, strut mounts, sway bar links, etc.

Ebay is good. Most auctions have free shipping. FCPgroton is very good. 10% discount for forum members, I believe and free shipping on sizable orders. IPDusa is nice. They are a well-rounded site with customer reviews and they rate their parts GOOD, BETTER, BEST which is great for shoppers. Shipping can be expensive depending on location. RockAuto has some great prices. Discount coupon codes are all over the net, but you have to pay for shipping.

Hope that has helped.

 

Thanks so much for the info, and your time. That helps a lot.

 

I prefer IPD for most of my parts. Not so sure if I would order struts from them if they even sell them. I am on the west coast so shipping isn't too bad. Usually if you order multiple things at one time it is usually just a flat rate.

I will say IPD has some unique parts for suspension. Lots of polyurethane bushing products, which I prefer to use on my 02 s60 except for the control arms. And like the User above said most of the products have user reviws which is nice, many of them leave advice on doing the job as well.

I have never used FCPEURO. But they do have some very good videos on how to many repairs yourself.

 

Thread from 2012? If anyone wants brand-name mounts, Monroe p/n 904903 can be had for around $53 each online.