Ok, so heres the deal, when I hit say a dip in the road, pothole, or somthing of that nature. The car seems to hit really hard. Somtimes it will even make my cd skip. now I know what your saying "SLOW DOWN" Well I dont really drive that fast. My moms honda seems to take the same potholes but doesnt hit as hard. So iw as wondering if my front struts are shot??? Note: I know that my upper strut mounts are cracked. Would that add to the effect? If I have to repalce them ima do a complete replacment with Bilstien HD's.

 

OK, so here's an answer.

In general, S70/850's suspensions are set somewhat on the firmer side as they are designed as "sport sedans/wagons". This is also partially due to the thin/low profile of the tyres as well. Many average passenger cars have thicker profile tyres and the tyres absorb some of the "impact".

I would not recommend using Bilstein HD's. One person in the 850 forum noted that they are too firm and give all kinds of rattles & jaw droppings. This will certainly worsen the problem. I would either go with the OEM (Sachs) or Bilstein Touring (I bought Bilstein Touring for both front & rear and liked them very much). Or, if you could afford, Koni or any adjustable unit may be an option as you can adjust the damping rate (firmness) of the struts & shocks (but they come at a price). In the worst case scenario, the HD's may deform/crack the aluminium wheels.

I will attach an illustration from FCP Groton; I have replaced everything except the "cross-nut" and the stabiliser (sway) bars, and my 850 had regained good handling (though the ride was still on the firmer side, which I liked). If anything on the suspension components is cracked/obviously damaged, I would do a complete rebuild, as I believe S70's are accumulating age & mileage.

http://www.fcpgroton.com/CSV70/csv70shocks.htm

Also, see if you could wait until a moderator named "S70Driver" can reply to you. As S70Driver does drive an S70, he could give you better opinions than I could.

I hope this helps.


JPN

P.S: The illustration may be a bit different, as it is for the 850.

[IMG]local://upfiles/6892/4FEEC252A1554C638AB303687562B98C.jpg[/IMG]

 

ah ic ic. Ok so I will get the bilstein toruing clase and repalcement upper strut mounts. Which in the end would be the same price as just the bilstien hd's w/o the upper strut mounts.
Now these bilsitens will work with the other stock parts?
and
Is this something I could do myself?
*pulling it up on VADIS*

 

Taking the strut out of the assembly is very dangerous. I have never done this myself, so I am not speaking from actual experience. But what I would do is take everything off the car and leave the strut assembly together and take is to somebody with a "on the wal"l spring compressor and have them take the struts out and put the new ones in.

 

yeah, I guess Ill just have the shop install them.

 

You can do most of the labor yourself. Removing the strut from the assembly is the part where you need a special tool. You can rent them, but I would just feel safer having a professional caliber tool doing the spring compression.My son has done it on his BMW with a rented spring compressor and said it's really not that bad, you just need to be careful.

 

hmm, well i will look into that. What would I use for the back shocks? Also, it seems that when I hit a bump I hear air comming from the strut? Could possibly be a leaky tire. Heres what happens. If I go over a bump I hear alittle pshh sound that lasts for less than second. Dont really know what it is? any ideas

 

Using the spring compressorrequires utmost attention to what you're doing, as if done incorrectly, the spring would slip off the compressor and hit you with an enormous force. When I do mine, I use my compressors, plus I rent another set to be 100% safe. Using one set of compressors would be ok, except that sometimes they have a tendency to slide closer together as you tighten the bolts, and if it goes unnoticed, the compressor will not exert equal force. Also, when I did mine the first time, I read all instructions & precautions several times.

>Also, it seems that when I hit a bump I hear air coming from the strut?
Check the tyre pressure first. If they are fine, then the struts may be leaking nitrogen gas. Many modern cars use what is called "De Carbon" style strut/shock absorber, which is partially filled with nitrogen. If the seals go bad, this nitrogen could leak when you hit a bump.

Replacing the rear shocks is much easier, except you need to know where to put the jack stands. Then you will need a floor jack to relieve some tension from the shocks upon removal/installation. You'll also want to replace the upper mounts & bottom lock nuts, should you decide to do the rears.

As to where top put the jack stands, there was a thread that had many replies, as many people, including myself, weren't sure where to put jack stands. Try searching for the thread if possible.


JPN

 

so if the nitro was leaking, how long until its gone?

 

>so if the nitro was leaking, how long until its gone?

Itprobably hasalready leaked out, if your front end is giving the carsuch a jolt over bumps, and the struts may just be sucking air in& out, giving that noise. Either way, I believe many S70s' & 850s' may require struts & shocks replaced, considering their age.

When you replace struts & shocks, make sure to replace all hardware if possible. I'll copy & paste one of my posts from: https://volvoforums.com/m_48928/tm.htm

FRONT SUSPENSION:
1. Upper mount (bearing) with new nuts x 3 each side (total of 6 nuts).
2. Upper springseat (notorious for wearing out & causing clunking noise).
3. Bump stop for strut
4. Special washer for strut
5. Top cap for strut
6. New bolts & nuts for strut lower attachment.
7. Ball joint/control arm with new nuts & bolts (Newer models cannot replace ball joint alone).
8. Sway bar (stabilizer) link rods (new parts should come with new lock nuts).
9. Struts (only if the car rolls too much or the car keeps bouncing after hitting bumps). Either OEM Sachs or Bilstein Touring is good. Bilstein Heavy Duty seems to be a bit too firm. Koni Adjustable seems to have good reputation too, as you can adjust the damper.

REAR SUSPENSION:
1. Shocks (Sachs, Bilstein Touring or Koni Adjustable)
2. Upper shock mounts
3. New lock nuts

I hope this helps.


JPN

 

yes that help a ton! thanks
On the front suspension are all those parts going to cost alot? Just for the front and back Bilstiens it going to run me a good $350 Personally for the price of volvo parts, I preffer not to replace whats not broken(unless it going to break soon) I do this because I really cant afford to drive a volvo, but its what I have
Thanks for your help and continued help, its very much appreciated.

 

You can defer some of the items, such as ball joints, lower control arms& sway bar link rods till they go bad.

I would call a vendor (FCP Groton, etc...) and ask to see if they refund for parts you never take out of the original box/packing. Then buy all necessary parts, disassemble and determine which parts need to be replaced, as well as which parts can stay. For the parts that look good, you can return them for a refund (may have to pay for the shipping, though). You don't want to disassemble the strut twice (which I did[8D]), which is the reason why I recommend people to replace everything if they can afford to.

When I disassembled mine, the only items in the strut assembly that I didn't replace were the cross-nut and the bust boot (what is that? I wanted to say "Dust boot!!!")for the strut piston rod. All the rest of the parts had some signs of wear/deteriorations.

Using new lock nuts is recommended by service manual, and FCP Groton does have some nuts, though it depends on who answers the call; some say they don't have them, while the others can give you price & part number. They are usually $2-$3 each, so it can become quite a bit if you replace all nuts & bolts. If you cannot afford new fasteners, I think you can substitute by using just a tiny bit of thread lock liquid such as Loc-Tite, but I still would buy new nuts if I were you for maximum safety. BTW, the nuts were made everywhere; Sweden, Taiwan & Netherlands.

I hope this adds to your plans.


JPN

EDIT: As to your earlier question, yes the Bilstein Touring will fit like the OEM struts & shocks. The lock nuts are shaped differently, though (I like the OEM nuts better).

 

Ok, I am thinking about doing just the front shocks: two questions:
Is it ok to have bilstiens in the front and stock rears?
and
Does FCP gorton have the parts you listed in the Front sturt replacement on page one?

 

Ok, did you notice that in one of my posts, I spelled dust boots as "bust boots"? Pity. Can anyone supply a pic on "bust boots", so we can get a good laugh?

Anyway, it should be ok to install Bilstein Touring on the fronts till you can afford to replace the rears with Bilstein Touring, but after you're done with the fronts, be sure to test drive to feel the difference and adjust your driving habit accordingly. And when you can buy the rear shocks, I would buy upper mounts & lower lock nuts.

Yes, FCP Groton has all you need: http://www.fcpgroton.com/volvo850shocks.htm

After you've replaced both fronts & rears, you'll notice the difference. When I did mine, I felt as if I were driving a new car.

Did this help?


JPN

 

yes it did help. thanks. I am having the front struts looked at on the 22nd. See what parts I will need/are wearing.

 

Very good, I wish you the best. After you've replaced all 4 dampers, your car will handle like it's new.

Update us if you would, when the fronts are taken care of.


JPN

 

Very interesting post!
I'm also looking at doing a job to my struts and shocks. I'm wondering if i should do it myself of have it done in a shop...

My question is how soon after the struts and shocks replacement do you have to do the alignment? Will the car be drivable? Is it a bad idea to drive 100 miles without having it aligned?

I have access to my oncle's garage witch is quite well furnished, but it's about 100 miles from where i live. If i do it there, it would have to be a weekend and i doubt i could find an opened garage to do the alignement over there.

 

firestone does alignment. I am pretty sure the car will need aligment after you replace them. As for how long, well I am replacing mine when they are broke

But ill let one of the guys who knows more take it form here........

 

Bon jour,

>Very interesting post!
Is it!?

>I'm also looking at doing a job to my struts and shocks. I'm wondering if i should do it myself of have it >done in a shop...

If you haven't performed it before or are not familiar with the procedure (read the service instructions & safety precautions several times), I would recommend that you have it done at a shop, as there is a possible danger involved.


>My question is how soon after the struts and shocks replacement do you have to do the alignment? Will >the car be drivable? Is it a bad idea to drive 100 miles without having it aligned?

I would say the sooner the better, as misaligned suspensions can cause handling problem, uneven tyre wear, mysterious vibration, etc... But yes, the car is drivable after strut/shock replacement, and in the case of S70/850, the fronts are of conventional McPherson type and the major alignment is for the toe setting, as there isn't much room for caster & camber adjustments. 100 miles/160kms is probablyharmless, but I would drive slower than usual and get familialised with the handling, in case if something gets way out of spec during replacement procedure.

Also, when you replace the dampers, be sure to replace other hardware as well. I'll leave you with a useful thread & copy from one of my posts from there (this is based on the 850, but S70 seems quite similar):

https://volvoforums.com/m_48928/tm.htm

FRONT SUSPENSION:
1. Upper mount (bearing) with new nuts x 3 each side (total of 6 nuts).
2. Upper springseat (notorious for wearing out & causing clunking noise).
3. Bump stop for strut
4. Special washer for strut
5. Top cap for strut
6. New bolts & nuts for strut lower attachment.
7. Ball joint/control arm with new nuts & bolts (Newer models cannot replace ball joint alone).
8. Sway bar (stabilizer) link rods (new parts should come with new lock nuts).
9. Struts (only if the car rolls too much or the car keeps bouncing after hitting bumps). Either OEM Sachs or Bilstein Touring is good. Bilstein Heavy Duty seems to be a bit too firm. Koni Adjustable seems to have good reputation too, as you can adjust the damper.

REAR SUSPENSION:
1. Shocks (Sachs, Bilstein Touring or Koni Adjustable)
2. Upper shock mounts
3. New lock nuts

A parts vendor many of us here use (ask them for international shipping policy):

http://www.fcpgroton.com/volvo.htm#c70


À la prochaine fois.


JPN

 

Took me a while to understand how on earth you realised i'm french speaking... It's my name duh![8D]

As for the procedure, i found this link (http://members.shaw.ca/heeeeee/strut/) that is quite well described. I think that it's somthing i can handle, but i'll see how the mechanic charges me for it... The spring bit kind of scares me... Sure wouldn't like to end up with a spring thru my head [sm=insomnia.gif]!

Thanks a lot! Merci beaucoup!

By the way JPN you sure seem to like your useful thread & copy from one of your posts from there :
https://volvoforums.com/m_48928/tm.htm You've been posting it twice in the same thread[sm=repost.gif] hehe