Hi guys,

My wife has a 2008 Volvo XC90 w/ 3.2L FWD w/ about 163k miles on it. Been a great car for us, and we'll probably get a newer XC90 once this one kicks the bucket (if it ever does)!

I'm guessing that one of the shock absorbers (likely right rear) has gone bad. I'm not sure how long typical shock absorbers last, but I'm just about certain the ones on the xc90 now are the same shock absorbers it's always had. The car has 2 symptoms. The main one I'm concerned with typically occurs when we take the xc90 on road trips and are driving at high speeds on the highway for extended periods of time (which makes me think...maybe the oil in the shocks is just getting too hot/losing viscosity)? We'll go over an overpass, and if the ruts in the road aren't even or there's a noticeable sway that ensues from the rear end. It 'feels' like one of the springs in the rear rebounds faster than the opposite side after the suspension drops and compresses from entering the rut or pothole. It's never gotten to the point where the car is out of control or feels like it could lose control, but I'd like to fix it before it gets any worse.

Another symptom I've noticed occurs at slower speeds - 35-55mph country roads when we are driving through corners and the car feels like it 'squats' to the outside of the turn. In addition, the rear tires seem to be wearing more on the outside tread (which we'll soon be replacing).

Do all of these issues point to issues w/ the suspension? I checked a few things after taking the rear wheel off, but nothing really seemed out of sorts - no oil on the outside of the shock absorber, minimal (if any) play in the sway bars, none of the rubber washers between the suspension components looked broken or worn out. The only thing I did notice is the rubber stops that sit on top of the suspension were rusted out - it looks like the bolts that hold the rubber '*****'/squeeky toy looking things in place was no longer connected to them, and you could just pull them out (though I'm not certain that hasn't always been the case?)

Lastly, if it is the suspension components, has anyone replaced the suspension w/ the 1-piece units? Seems like it'd make things easier. Something like these: Complete Front Strut Assembly

If the complete front strut assembly isn't required (or just very poor quality...I've read some have some average ratings), what type of replacement shock absorbers have you guys used in the past and thought provided the best ride?

Thanks for any tips/advice in advance! Cheers,

Jeff

 

bump

 

at 163K miles, all the bushings in the suspension are suspect for wear. Its possible for the shock to be worn as well. there's quite a few bushings to check out - upper and lower control arm, track rods etc. For your rear shocks, there are different parts for those models with and without the self leveling suspension so you'd need to source what is correct for your car. Personally I'd recommend sticking with genuine Volvo or an OEM supplier for things like the spring seats/strut mounts. I'd be really suspect on the quality of a preassembled strut who's price is about the same as the OEM components. OEM got you 150K miles, cheap aftermarket will get you 50K before you're replacing parts again.

 

I second the bushings and I second the OEM advice. I've replaced all of the front rubber on my XC and next is the rear. Car feels brand-new until the rear tires hit a bump! If you have Nivomat self-leveling shocks; there are a few ways to check them... but non self-leveling may need replaced at the mileage you stated above if they are OE. I had one Nivomat go bad and the noise from the rear is un-mistakable of a blown shock.

I'll add that, in my experience, it's sometimes difficult to tell if a bushing is bad until you know what you are looking for and taking into account the age/mileage of the vehicle. At those miles & years... the rubber could be the culprit.

 

Hey mt6127,

I'm currently in the process of doing this as well. At 150k miles, the car has started making noises and I feel it's due for a complete suspension update. So far on my list I have:

• control arm bushings (upper and lower)
• front and rear shocks/struts with new coils
• track rods

What else am I missing here that you think I should include? Please let me know and thank you!

 

sway bar bushings and end links can also contribute to noises/clunks. I'm not sure of the need to replace springs but when you do the shocks/struts make sure you check out seats and bushings as well as dust boots/bump stops and reinstall with fresh bolts/nuts. As to the other wear components - I believe the XC90s have replaceable ball joints (on some cars, the ball joints are part of the control arm). There's also an inner tie rod that does with the tie rod ends (so you'd have 3 pieces to inspect/replace). Check out a dealer store like Tasca Parts and others for diagrams and notes where there may be model year/serial # dependencies to make sure you get the right parts.