What do you guys run or recommend for shocks and struts in your rides? Just seeing if there is an unanimous decision or personal preference?

 

Depends on what type of ride you are looking for. I have OEM stock but want to go with Bilstiens.

 

Like RSPI said, but I would add.... it also depends on budget. Stock ride is the cheapest way to go. If you need struts and shocks, just replacing them with a name brand set will make the car feel better. Remember, this is a cost upgrade that you would never get back a return from when selling the car, unless you would sell the car to an enthusiast who knows Volvos. It would be just personal choice. No one would see your struts driving by and they would not comment how the look or feel. If you would sell the car in the future, it would not be a huge selling point like a new set of tires or fresh paint job would do. Again, if you go all out on suspension then yeah maybe.

Me, personally, like to have smooth riding and occasional high speed cornering, so when I replace struts or shocks I always try a step above stock if possible.

ya know, I had a Grey Corolla GT Coupe with lowered Eibach springs. I replaced all 4 struts and I painted them yellow. I added a front tower brace and a rear stabilizer bar. It looked great and rode nice. Cornering was like riding an amusement ride, no rolling or dipping. If my passenger was not strapped in they would be all over the place. This setup was $500 CHEAPER than the Koni struts I really wanted. When I sold the car, this upgrade and my custom Exhaust put a lot more money in my pocket because it did stand out.

I mean really though...The High End aftermarket Shocks do feel better, If the car doesn't need much in maintenance and the mileage is within its realm, go for it...you won't be disappointed.

 

you wont be disappointed with the bilstiens Robert. l had them in the front and my front was stiff but not harsh. had sachs in the rear and l could feel the difference. l have mine laying around because l got some coilovers for very cheap, l dont know if l want to sell the bilstein and sachs or not, may be l would want to install it on a T5-R l might get in the future. l got my bilstein and sachs four months ago with new springs, front and rear.

 

I have a '96 Turbo wagon and come from racing and autox background. So a car that rolls in the turn or is spongy is not my cup of tea. Since I also use my car for camping I need to maintain a stock ride height. With that said...

I run Bilstiens HD front and rear. Added rear sway bar and IPD now sells overload springs for the rear, installed and I love the handling of the car. I also don't compromise much on the tire. Tires can also improve or take away from any improvements made to the suspension. So something else to keep in mind. When I went to replace my Goodyears and wanted Michelins, the first set that was supposed to be equal to the Goodyears was crap. The car in a turn was squishy and would oddly rotate around. They were off in a day and went up (in price) and not disappointed as the car now takes a set in a turn and hugs. Happy again.

I must say the ride is stiff. I have heard the Bilstiens Touring give you a slightly softer ride, but a nice upgrade from stock.

 

I installed a set Bilstiens on my daughters s70. It was real nice because I got them for free. Her stock shocks were shot (kind of a tongue twister). It rides a heck of a lot better, handles like a spider.

 

how much are you also willing to spend on suspension? an upgrade on your sway bar will be a good thing.

 

Bang for your buck I would start with sway bars from IPD. Worth every penny.

 

Have the Bilstein touring shocks/struts all around w/IPD swaybars (front & rear) on both my rides and absolutely love it! Ride is slightly firmer than stock (the bilsteins) and much flatter in corners (the sways). The best thing about upgraded shocks is the control over bumpy terrain; it just doesn't get squirrelly in turns any more. Of course the rest of the suspension needs to be good too..

The HDs seem a bit harsh to me for a daily driver but that's a personal preference. If you're going to track the car, i would go that way for sure.

 

Bilstein HD's up front with spring pads and bearing plates, KYB with new mounts in rear and all four lowered 1.5" with sport springs. New stock hub bearings (4), sway bar links and control arms front. Waiting on more $$ for the sway bars but everyone raves best money spent buying the IPD's. Wanting to go poly on the control arms and rear bushings.
Stock wheels and average tires still from when I bought it. Tires make a big difference in ride quality. The thinner the sidewall the harsher the ride all other things equal. If I went to 17 and surely 18's I think for me the Bilstein shocks up front would be way too harsh for daily driving.
But ... what you give up in comfort you can possibly gain in handling.

I think it rides a little harsh over bumpy roads but I pity the fool who follows me onto an on or off ramp without slowing down (I don't ,,, or very little)

 

I would definitely recommend the IPD sway bar kit along with Boge turbo gas shocks.

I had those put on a 240 sedan a few years ago and they worked great. Even impressed the mechanic who put them on.

My driving is pretty normal but I do like a solid road feel, not too soft.

I believe they have a sale coming up soon 10-15% off

(IPD now recommends Bilstein touring shocks for most rides along with their sway bars)

 

I am running the bilstein HDs front and rear. I have H&R springs on the car, and when i did this (if anyone remembers my thread from last summer about this time) I did the XC90 spring seats, new bearing plates, new sway bar links, new outer tie rod ends, new driveshafts, and new wheel bearings. with the 205/45-17 continentals on it, i DEFINITELY have a stiff ride. I would LOVE to add the IPD sway bars, and will probably do so this fall.

 

SHOW_OFF !!

 

Sorry to revive an old thread, but will OEM type stock, or cheap ones make a big difference in ride quality over the existing shocks that are in the car with ~150k miles? I think it may be time to do mine as the ride seems a bit bumpy. Saw these on eBay.

Stagg 4 Shocks Struts Volvo 850 93 97 S70 V70 98 00 C70 98 04 Full Set | eBay

Just wondering if the $160 actually equals $160 worth of better ride. I have no doubt that the expensive shocks are nice, but as far as just making my car rattle less and ride nicer, will these actually make much noticeable difference?

 

In my humble opinion, the stock ones are just fine for most people. You could go with Monroe or Gabriel and the average driver would definitely seat of the pants feel the difference between the 150K and new stock ones. Most struts are well worn out long before you hit 100K.

 

Im going to chime in here as well and ask, are there polyurethane strut and shock mounts/bump stops available for our wagons? I'm a once and done type of guy, and I want to stiffen up my suspension. I know poly will be a bit noisier (in theory) and I will feel more vibration/stiffness but I don't mind. A little road feel is never a bad thing :P And I do plan to upgrade the swaybars and replace all the rest of the rubber with poly in the future anyhow (endlinks, etc).

My other question is, what about KYB stock replacements (GR2s, etc)? Has anyone gone all 4 corners with them? How is the ride compared to stock setup (No stranger to KYB on other vehicles, and they are definitely a quality strut/shock that in my experience is a step up usually...)

Really have no idea where to begin here to be honest. And since I am looking for stiffer in the rear (but not stiff to the point the back end bounces off the ground over bumps) to be able to tow with, I am wondering how the KYBs will handle. Does anyone know if there is an adjustable dampening KYB available or an equivalent? Even a street coil bolt in coil over setup would work as well...

At this point though, anything is better than the stock 17 year old parts that are on there...however the noises and ride quality have been getting much worse the more I drive, so this is one of my top projects...

 

I have KYBs in the rear. Have for a couple years now. They ride just fine for me.

KYB gas-A-just Part # : KG5747 I liked that they had a lifetime warranty.