Lowered your 480 - How is it?

pol · Post by **pol** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 12:11 pm

Hi, as you may see from some other posts around here, i've recently lowerd my turbo by 30mm with lesjofors springs, changed all bushes and shocks and experimented with tracking.

I think the car feels quite responsive now, but i think something has been lost. When comparing it to my other completely standard turbo. It may be the body roll that I like / miss but I cant quite tell.

I want to move my steering wheel and the car jump over the other side of the road!

I've had my car toe'd IN by 1 degree after set to standard. I also understand there will be greater negative camber now which I cant do much about.

Maybe it's my tyres?

I'd just like to hear what other members with similar set ups have found.

Thanks

pol

JohnTurbo · Post by **JohnTurbo** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 12:13 pm

Lowering the car specifically seems to introduce a "floaty" feel to the rear, i find.

Not sure how to combat this.

pol · Post by **pol** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 1:58 pm

John, did you have your car tracked to standard specification?

pol

JohnTurbo · Post by **JohnTurbo** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:46 pm

Lol...my tracking is *well* off the mark.

It helps huh?

pol · Post by **pol** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 12:16 pm

Is that deliberate or just not been tracked?

pol

JohnTurbo · Post by **JohnTurbo** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 12:53 pm

Not tracked it since changing bushes. Was starting to show on the tires. I did lower it when the tracking was right though....you're saying that upsets the trackign suffiently enough to affect handling?

Perhaps!

pol · Post by **pol** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:29 pm

Not so much handling as it is very glued to the road, but maybe response is different, cant work out if its for the better or worse! It has pro's annd cons perhaps? I'm just getting fussy!

pol

dragon · Post by **dragon** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 5:45 pm

When I lowered mine and changed to Koni yellows on the struts, I noticed no negative effects to driving, other than feeling every ant on the road!!!

Remember, lowering your car but leaving standard struts on will mean you kill the struts a lot quicker than before, so factor that in to any cost calculations, it might be worth your while changing to lifetime gurantee struts of some form.

chris1roll · Post by **chris1roll** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 5:52 pm

pol wrote:Not so much handling as it is very glued to the road, but maybe response is different, cant work out if its for the better or worse...
l

Didn't I say before that this would happen if you lowered it? I.e. you wuold lose the poise of the standard setup...

Both mine and Edds are un-lowered now, despite his initial claims after I did mine that I was turning into an old man......

pol · Post by **pol** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:10 pm

I do remember, but thought you were calling it 'comfort' being lost(which does sound a bit old man like!). I decided i could deal with lack of comfort!

I have changed the shocks for some KYB ones, dont think they're anything too special over the originals.

Maybe all my setup needs is some standard height springs? Shame I sold them for a few squid eh?!

pol

martinholmesuk · Post by **martinholmesuk** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:38 pm

I liked my old 480 being low but I know it was screwing all the parts up big time but hey!

If your gonna lower the 480 then do it right or don't bother.

martinholmesuk · Post by **martinholmesuk** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:40 pm

Just to add.

When on the track with my toyo's I had no probs and my suspension is almost brand new which helps

pol · Post by **pol** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 10:08 pm

If your gonna lower the 480 then do it right or don't bother.

The number of post made by me on the subject + amount of parts replaced = It has been done right unless i'm missing something?

4 x gas shocks front and rear
4 x -30 lesjofors springs (i wanted less a drop than -40)
4 x wishbone bushes
2 x front drop links
2 x front antiroll bar bushes
2 x panhard rod bushes
4 x trailing arm bushes
2 x rear ARB bushes
2 x front wheel bearings
1 x Outer CV joint
1 x lower ball joint (blowtorch cooked the rubber!)
1 x track rod end (got angry)
3 x Trips to the tracking people!

pol

chris1roll · Post by **chris1roll** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 5:42 pm

http://volvo480.dragons.org.uk/forum/vi ... unlowering

pol · Post by **pol** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:06 pm

Hmmm... Might try it! More tracking....

pol

catgroom · Post by **catgroom** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:51 pm

Pol,you need it toeing in 1.5 degrees to compensate for the loweringness.

80000 miles from front set of Michelin Pilots showed this to be spot on mate..

I will also say that after 80k of driving on PI springs with Bilstein Blacks all round,I now have permanent lower back problems.Really!

Car handled like a go kart,but ruined the poise as Chris says and no comfort whatsoever,unless on motorways.That part was good though,you just steer about 2mm and the car will change lane!Owwww lazzyyyyyyy??????

Steve

sr480t · Post by **sr480t** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 10:57 am

Hey guys, I have got exactly the same springs and shocks as pol becoz he sold me the spare set. When i had the original wheels i was not getting alot of feedback in the steering and did loose it on a roundabout, it was slighty wet but had goodyear tyres. However, on my last 480 turbo i had 16" rims which made a huge difference, so i got a set of 16" TSW Venums and with the new suspension, front strut brace and uniroyle tryes on the rear and toyo on the front my handling is fantastic, ABSOLUTLEY BRILLIANT. Only problem is now i feel every bump and curve in the road and the wheels get pulled into every direction so i get quiet a work out when i'am driving, but would not change it for the world. Shamir

milos480turby · Post by **milos480turby** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:12 pm

heya guys,
im new to this 480 stuff so please bear in mind when i ask nooby questions n stuff lol
i wanted to get mine lowered... but after reading all this, im having second thoughts now!

i got some wolfrace street octanes, 15''... i like the size, the overall diameter is slightly smaller than standard volvo 14s which means the arches are left a bit spacey... the rear doesnt look too bad... but the front is my main concern... any suggestions as to what to do about it? im not too fussed on gettin it lowered to 40 or 30mm, i just wanna make them (especially the front) sit in the arches better...

many thanks ^_^

JohnTurbo · Post by **JohnTurbo** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:57 pm

I had some 17" octanes on my 480 until recently. Nice rims.

milos480turby · Post by **milos480turby** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:20 pm

yeah they are nice rims, and i think they set it off really nicely. i wanted borbet As but difficult to get hold of the correct ones and also expensive... these i found and liked as much. didnt know you could get 17s on the 480! bet there was no mile wide gap between tires and arches lol