Hello,

I'm just wondering if anyone has lifted a 2 series or knows how I could do it decently and affordably. I'd like to be able to fit 30" x 8.5" tires under it. I use it for rallying and carrying gear around, and there's lots of off-road terrain where I live.

This car was a 265 converted to a 245 (B21).

Like the paintjob??

Thanks,
-Wes...

 

Sorry Picture to big to see much.

You could lift anything.

What I would do is try to find a Longer strut insert for the front struts.

Then try to find taller springs.

The rears should be able to just be done with bigger springs and shocks.

 

Well...I've done a bit of research on this actually. As it turns out the easiest way to offroad a 200 series is to slap it on an already established off-road chasis. The Toyota 4-runner matches the wheel base of a late modle 200 series within a millimeter (wagon at least). The Ford Bronco fits the wheel base in length but is significantly wider. I've seen plenty of other vehicles "slapped" onto offroad chasis to know that this will look very unsightly. I've seen a couple that have grafted volvo panels onto a Cherokee chasis with a measure of success but then why not just get a Cherokee?

The other way to do it is to customize EVERYTHING under the car for suspention and axels.....theres a couple guys at turbobricks that have writen up reads on this (here's a great one). It takes a hell of a lot custom skills but it's but very effective. I've talked to a bunch of off road shops in my area and e-mailed a few off road forums and the concensus is that you'd be crazy to offroad a 200 without increasing the width of the wheel base.....in other words, just lifting it is a bad idea. It'll roll way too easy. However, if you are looking to put 30's on there anyway you're going to need all offroad rated springs, struts, brakes, new engine mounts that will tilt your motor back (you'll need this because with that kind of lift you'll push it beyond the 11 degrees the U-joints can handle), custom drive shaft and good luck on incorporating the front wheel drive on a B21. If you decide to do a V8 converssion even more luck to you.....IPD sells a coverssion kit for a 5.0 V8 but it isn't set up to tilt the motor.

If you want to stay as stock as posible you'll need Volvo's heavy duty springs....maybe even just try fabricating a leaf system for the back and heavy duty struts/shocks...you could just barely fit some tiny mudders on the Volvo steelies without having to cut metal.

Here's a thought though....A set up with 30s is more suited to a mudding or extreme cross country senario....if you go to IPD and check out their sport suspention (coil over kit soon to come i here) and install that and get a decent set of all terain tires for a set of Volvo rims you'd have a better ralley ride. Probably won't have much luck hauling gear though.

 

I gotta say, that paintjob is sweet! Love the gold roof rack [8D]

 

dito