Hi

I just got a volvo 850 T, nice car, tons of features, but what troubles me is the way the car feels inside every time I enter rough roads, the shocks dont seem to do their work, so Im guessing they need to be replaced. Any idea whats a good relatively cheap brand, I´ve seen bilstein sells sports struts and heavy duty, but I don´t know If they will lower mi car (I dont want that). Any other brands you could suggest ?

Another issue I have is that when Im on a highway, enter a turn, and then accelerate to leave the turn, the car won´t respond, (mine doesn´t have the traction control feature), what could that be ?

Another thing is the direction , every time I leave garages or parking spaces, when I turn, I hear this sound coming from the direction, annoying to say the least, any ideas ?.

Jp Nankervis
VOLVO 850 T 95

 

I seriously doubt your car will be lowered with an aftermarket shock/strut combo. Lowering springs lower your car.

Bilstein TC's are the OEM equivalent. Bilstein HD are the heady duty performance shocks/struts.

KONI's Yellows are a heavy duty performance shock/strut like the Bilstein HD's. Also KONI has what they call FSD's which are even better then regular KONI Yellows.

If you want OEM feel with an aftermarket shock/strut then go with the Bilstein TC's. Or just buy the OEM versions.

 

+1

 

When I replace mine which I have never done and have 175K on one of my cars I will use the Billstean Touring based everything I have read. The Independent Volvo Shop I use for some of my work says then hardly ever replace the struts on these cars unless they are leaking, and almost never replace the rear shocks.

Not sure what you are saying about not responding coming out of a turn and accelerate? These high powered front wheel drive cars have quite a bit or torque steer which means they will try and go straight when you give it gas while in a turn. Feels like it want to pull the wheel right out of you hand and go straight. That's normal and takes some getting used to.

The other problem about the noise. What size tires do you have? Sounds like they might be a little bigger and you are getting some rubbing. Also pretty normal. I get some rubbing on mine too. Mine calls for 205/45/17's and I have 215/45/17's on it. That's as big as you should go. Heard 225's really rub.

Hope this helps.

 

What about Sachs ? Ar they any good ?

When Im in a turn, and want to accelerate, the car seem to try to shutdown, I press the accelerator but nothing happens, then I turn the direction and point it straight on, and I get a response, so Im guessing somethings wrong, my grandpa has a t5 and no problems there.

Another issue I have, is that when braking at high speeds, say 60 mph, the direction starts shaking pretty violently, and Im guessing it may be discs problems or maybe the front shocks ?. Any ideas ?.

 

Today, one of the rear shocks broke, you gotta understand where I live, the roads ar pretty poor, thats why Im urged to buy new shocks. My local shop whats
71.43 for the rear ones, and $198 for the front ones, brand Sachs. If I want bilstein HD, they want 400 for the front ones, and 172 for the rear ones, so I have a pretty big diffrence between the two. Do the bilstein HD mean they absord wholes and whatever I hit much better than the Touring ones ?.

 

[sm=icon_cheers.gif]Hey now,

To start with, your struts and shock, if you live in an area that has poor or really poor roads and you thinkyour suspension is having trouble coping and you want to go with the cheapest that you can find then be very careful as you may find yourself replacing them sooner tha you'd like.

For lowering your car. Again if you travel these poor roads on a regular basis then I would suggest that you not do this. Again, you may find yourself replacing theshocks and strutsor other suspension components due to bottoming out, fender rub causing premature or unwanted tire wear or worst of all, both. Replacing the suspension on your car is something that you shouldonly have to do once.

Lowering the car will take a spring replacement as well as shocks and struts.

There is no way around this and cheap is not the way to go. Remember, you don't want to go cheap here just to have to do it again properly. Paying twice for a job isn't saving youany money at all.

If your turning and you reach the the limit (turning lock to lock or as far as you can turn the wheel) then what you might be hearing is the steering stops. These prevent you from turning the tires too far inwards and rubbing your tires on the inner fender well. When you look under the front of the car at the inside of the lower front suspension you'll see little arms that sort of look out of place but you'll also see a spot, when the tires are turned to full lock, that this little arm is set against. This is the turn stop (can't think of the proper term right now).

As the suspension, at full lock, is moving up and down it is rubbing against this stop and this may be where the sound you hear is coming from.

If you're hearing a "clunking" sound when turning, then you may have a cv (constant velocity) joint going bad.


Stuttering when under heavy is usually warpage in the disc's. Do you feel anything when just cruising around as poor disc's will be felt almost all the time. Also, different pads, such as ceramic for low dusting, with the improper rotor will heat them way too fast causing them to give this effect.Had them on my 1994 Acura Vigor GS and had to replace them with the OEM pads and had the rotor's turned and found the cars actually stopped better. Yes I did measure my stopping distance with both sets as there was an opportunity to go to the new race track in Calabogie Ontario.

Sorry about the broken shock. Remember that they must be replaced in pairs and ifthe fronts aren't leaking then leave them till you can save up the cash.

Hope this helps.

 

I believe Sachs are the OEM shocks and struts. They should be fine.

 

Hey now,

Both Sachs and Bilstein are OEM.

I have a 1994 850 Estate (sounds better than wagon) and when I finally replaced shocks, struts, sway bar links and the mounting hardware at 302,255 km they were the originals and finally the rears gave out (leaking) making every big bump sound like a sledge hammer in the back. Make me wince [:@]when I think about it.

I went with the Sachs and rather like them. I'm looking into larger sway bars as it is an estate and the rear somtimes wants to walk out under heavy turns. Like a big bootied woman.I'm sure stronger springs would help out but the ride would be much stiffer and it's fairly firm now.

Go with what you know.

[sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

I had the Bilstein TC set up on a 97 T5 a while back and didn't like them, replaced them after one month with Koni Yellows, $512 shipped from Shox.com but they could be more now. The TC felt floaty and did little to reduce the roll, didn't like them at all.

I had the Bilstein HDs and put them in at the same time as lowering springs and they negated the spring drop due to their gas charged mono tube design, the HDs will raise your car approximately one inch. I had the HDs on the car for three months and thought they were harsh as hell, I replaced them. I have Konis on all my cars now and love them, they're adjustable and even on the firmest setting don't seem harsh to me but firm and solid in general and go good with lowering springs. The Konis and the HDs differ with one being gas charged and the other being hydraulic, much different ride one compared to the other.

 

Hey now Wallie,

Did you install the shocks yourself?

I ask because I actually thought about going with the Koni's at the time I was having the work done on the Anvil but there were other problems with my Brick and they weren't in the budget with all that was going on at the time.

I still want to go with the Koni's but I'm going to have to wait until next summer [&o]as I still have some things to work on.

By the way, could you post a pic of your brick? I'd like to see how it looks with the drop. [sm=smiley20.gif]


[sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

Hey now,

Sorry about the signature. Still working on a good pic for it.

I'm gonna try again and again until I get it right.

Still hoping for the pic. I'm jealous already [sm=lildevil.gif].


[sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

Both of these have Koni Yellows and OMP springs,(1.6" drop). My son's got the T5 with Konis and TME springs. I picked up the parts and did the work myself in the garage, like anything else after the first time the job goes faster. Hey where are you on the other side of the pond??

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/hh...n/100_3026.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/hh...n/102_2870.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/hh...E831200311.jpg


Got the links working but they might need resizin' to post directly?

 

Hey now,

It's BlackI'm sssssssoooooooo jealous .

Actually, I'm in a small town just north west of Ottawa Ontario.

I understand if you think I'm over yonder when I use the term Estate, sounds much better than wagon [:@], as that's what their called over seas and I just like the sound of it. Sounds expensive and is when it comes to some repairs but that's the price you pay for a sweet ride.

This is what I have and it still needs some lovin' but I'm not done yet and I still need boots and laces for the Anvil.

And I really want a wing.

[sm=icon_cheers.gif]



[IMG]local://upfiles/14053/536C9EEE19F84200A279BE5BDEC0E4E0.jpg[/IMG]

 

It must have been "estate" that gave me that impression but it does sound good and Volvo calls it that so...

Yeah they're black and a lot of work to keep clean. I like the color of yours and the Argus wheel was one of my first favorites when I started liking Volvos.

 

Hey now,

To be honset with you, they (Argus) were one of the things that attracted me to the car.

Like the car, boxy, but nice, the wheels are sporty, butnice .

I used to own this:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/1717298,

and this is the current cruiser:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2434331. [sm=loveeyes.gif]

I have to update it soon as I "HAD",a bunch of shots, but a computer (Vista) crash caused a serious loss of data and alot of recent pic's [&o]

Well, Iguess that give me a reason to take more pic's of the Anvil and figure out a summer tire as i should have changed them long ago but $$$$ is realy tight and choices have to be made.

I'll bet that it's a hard shade to keep clean [sm=badbadbad.gif]ishlyso. HaHa!

[sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

Based on what I read here, I bought the BILSTEIN HD, and they feel strong, no problems at all, I got them on ebay for 420 shipped. Whope they last a couple of months. Thanks for the comments.