1. When changing out the rear shocks and springs, will i need spring compressors?
(I have Volvo green books and it shows using them for the job, but I have heard you don't need them or it can be done with a jack.)
Can anybody explain or link to video?

2. When unbolting the rear shocks will I have to remove interior trim to get to an inside nut/bolt? (It looks like the upper shock mount bolt threads into the frame of the car, but I'm not sure...green books don't show it).

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

Not sure what kind of rear end your car has as some of the later models had Nivomats - which I believe is an independent rear suspension. I can't comment on that type of suspension as I have no knowledge.

If you have the fixed axle type, then the answer is no, you don't need a spring compressor. To remove the shock, put the rear of the car on jackstands. Loosen (do not remove) the bolts at the top/bottom of the shock. Use a jack to jack up the rear axle slightly to relieve pressure on the shock. Remove the bolts to the shock, remove shock. Install the new shock. Lower the jack. Do the same for the other side.

Pretty simple. If the bolts come out with no fuss, then it is less than a 2 hr job.

 

No Nivomats on the rear just regular looking shocks and fixed rear axle. Do you know if the top shock bolt bolts into a fixed thread in the frame or is there a nut somewhere inside the car I will need to access through an interior body panel ?

 

nivomats look like regular shocks, but they have rubber bellows over them. they use special springs, so if you switch from a nivomat to a regular shock you also have to switch the springs.

its a captive nut holding the stud, like so...



the rest of your rear end looks like...


note a 740/940 wagon probably does NOT have a anti-sway bar in the back.

 

Sorry, I don't know if it has a nut on the back or not. Can't tell from Pierce's diagram either. I have only done shocks on a 240 - which has a similar but not identical suspension.

 

the nut on top is welded to the frame, has a stud #19 threaded into it. you remove nut 20 and unstack disk 18 which is holding the spring up. 15-16-17 probably falls off with the spring, do stack it in the right order. 21 is a rubber ring the spring sets on, you should probably replace that with the spring.

 

I don't have nivomats, I checked it out a while back. Oddly enough Pierce, looks like I chose the same suspension set up as you have with my new parts by coincidence Bilstein tourings all around and hd rears. I am satisfied with the fronts so far.

I just didn't trust those URO strut mounts i picked up new in box from a craigslist guy, (he gave them to me for 5 bucks with some other parts I bought) after hearing the hood popping stories, so I put it all back together with the old mounts for now. Now I just need to find some used sway bars cheap. I'm going to do the rears this weekend or soon thereafter.
Great diagram by the way. Thanks guys.

 

Yes, great diagram. Rear suspension, #36; how prone is that to wear? Mine has some slop. Approx. 226,000 miles. Anybody ever replaced one?

 

the bushings on the torque arms ? I didn't replace those on my 740 when I did about everything else. hasn't seemed to matter.

 

Yeah, the big one there that bolts to the differential. Put the car in gear on a flat surface and helper pushed the car back and forth while I observed play at that large bushing.

 

ah, then its probably good to replace those. I may need to do much the same, its been a couple years since I did my bushings, and I'm noticing a rumble-clunk in the back on rough roads.

#32 and 35 are the bushings on the other side of the torque arms, and #24, and #21 (x2) are the bushings on the isolation subframe those torque arms anchor into. I also didn't replace any of those (but did just about every other bushing in the car).

my #2 were pretty shot when I did it (main trailing arm bushing/pivot). and I did #14 adn #13 because they are easy to get at (panhard rod bushings, controls side to side sway).

I'd recommend sticking with stock volvo rubber bushings. poly is harder, will give a harsher, busier ride, and may well crack under extended use.

 

Interesting. How did you test the #2 bushings and what were the symptoms? Sometimes I hear a groan from the rearend when slowly exiting a steeper driveway apron.

One of the panhard rod bushings seemed weak so I might as well replace those as well. Looks straightforward unless I encounter a stuck bolt.

 

the trailing arm itself had some front-back play when the parking brake was locked and we rocked the car.

 

OK thanks, I can test for that.

 

I have the same suspension. I used the jack stands and lower diff procedure. But then I cut the springs just to see how cool the car would look. ( hate me). Just a lilttle info for the people here. I bought some Beck and Anrley parts from RockAuto, and I received Uro parts inside the beck/anrley box. A scam. I don't touch APA Uro parts with a 10foot pole.

 

beck/arnley, worldpac, etc are distributers, you have no idea what is going to be in the box, other than that its likely the cheapest junk they can get.

 

Oh no! really? oh man, I had stuff from BeckAnrley before, and it was good quality, I really thought they were a brand. Crap. I bought Crap this time. Never again. Where do you usually order from?

 

I order either real Volvo stuff from tascaparts.com or volvopartswebstore.com or some things from OE aftermarket brands at fcpeuro.com or ipdusa.com