New suspension - its that time people!

SanPhire · Post by **SanPhire** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 12:47 am

OK - the suspension on Greta is getting saggy - the shocks are wearing out and the front drop links were marked up as a MOT caution (will therefore fail next year Garunteed!)

Pottered over to Ovlov dealer today and was running through the list of bits and pieces - and have discovered the requirement to know what colour springs I need.

My springs are currently rust-brown which didn't appear to be an option. Anybody know more about this?

Also tempted by the Volvo-Sport lowering kit that I saw in their accesories brocure - still seems to be available for 440/60s. Had previously been fitted on Greta but was knackered so previous owner put the original lot back on a month after I bought it. But I liked it while it was mine. Any thoughts?

VanDerGraaf · Post by **VanDerGraaf** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:41 pm

I've always wondered what the Volvo lowering kit cost but was always too afraid to ask....

I casme accross that spring colour thing whilst travelling in the TARDIS but didn't see an explanation.

Does the Volvo kit include a shortened Panhard Rod?

Rohan

hebruins · Post by **hebruins** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 2:25 pm

about 2 years ago I've asked my local Volvodealer about the sportkit. The one from the 440/460 schould fit and would cost about â‚¬650,-

That's just for the parts, so you'll stil have to fit it on the car yourself and that was 2 years ago.....

The sportkit includes: 4 shocks and 4 25/30 mm lowering springs.

Anton_K · Post by **Anton_K** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 9:58 am

OK - the suspension on Greta is getting saggy - the shocks are wearing out and the front drop links were marked up as a MOT caution (will therefore fail next year Garunteed!)

Getting saggy here too..I will have to replace the shocks as well.
Well, I did also ask my volvo dealer about the 440/60 lowering kit, but he said he canÂ´t guarantee that, the front shocks(could have been the rear shocks, anyway either ones)fits. I think he compared the original 440/60 shocks with original 480 shocks and found something that looked different.
IÂ´m also tempted to get the kit, but as itÂ´s a lot of money I would like to be sure that it fits without problems.

V480TI · Post by **V480TI** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 12:01 pm

Get some koni's with lowering spring then.
Why not and guaranteed quality and with the happy knoledge that it will fit for sure.

Greetz

EvilFreak · Post by **EvilFreak** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 12:47 pm

Thinking of lowering mine a tad too. What are the exact models of the koni's. Do i need to rool out any arches or anything cos i dont really wanna touch the body work. I have 15" GT wheels on at the mo and i think its dropping too much and gridding at the mo so some stiffer springs might do the job.

Anton_K · Post by **Anton_K** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:57 pm

Get some koni's with lowering spring then.
Why not and guaranteed quality and with the happy knoledge that it will fit for sure.

Good point.
The thing is, I donÂ´t want to lower her more than 30mm. Maybe Fintec springs will be the best choice with not too stiff koniÂ´s.

rpruen · Post by **rpruen** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 10:39 pm

If it's any help I have the Volvo lowering kit, and for the 480 it did include a shorter panhard rod. My springs are blue if that's any help.

Richard

SanPhire · Post by **SanPhire** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 3:19 am

So if I order the blue springs, they'll be lower and progressivly wound?
Or can you only get those springs if you get them with the kit?
All the springs listed (green, yellow, blue, maybe more!!) are the same price.

The 440/460 kit was Â£450 notes + VAT from my dealer but new suspension is not going to be far away from that.
Don't think it included the shortened Panhard rod - but did include Volvo axle stands, hub pullers and all sorts of other tools - which I thought was quite a novelty for a Volvo "fitting" kit.

Sounding like the rear half of the lowering kit is different for the 440/460 and the 480 - do you think this is because they put a more aggresive set-up on the 480? any1 know more about this? My dealers were clueless - bless them.

I was upset that the kit for the 480 specifically wasn't mentioned - as stated - its a lot of money to be having doubts about.

Lower wishbone rubber is knackered - it looks a helluva job to replace - just get in new wishbones?

Gonna have to pull in a lot of shifts for this lot!

VanDerGraaf · Post by **VanDerGraaf** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 6:45 am

SanPhire i went to my local Volvo dealer yesterday and the 480 kit isn't on Vadis at all anymore as you said.

The guy also seemed to think the 480 kit was different to the 440 one and not through cluelessness either in my opinion.

I think Richard has a bit of a rarity there to be honest!

I suppose it we knew the dimensions of the shortened panhard rod others could be made. Isn't that the only way the cars can be made to "track" correctly when lowered?

Rohan

hebruins · Post by **hebruins** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 8:06 am

When I asked my dealer 2 years ago, the 480- kit wasn't available anymore, but the 440/460 kit was.

He looked up the partnumbers for the 4 springs and the 4 shocks. Both could be found in vadis under the 440, the 460 and the 480, so that should therefor fit.

Now I understand the 480 kit should have an panhard rod? (wtf is that?) Isn't that for sale as a loose part at the dealer?

And how did al those 480 drivers who lowered there cars with just 4 shocks and 4 spring from different brand solve "the panhard rod problem" ?

rpruen · Post by **rpruen** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 11:07 am

I will measure the panhard rod when I get the car in bits again. The way things are going that's not going to be all that long.

There are 3 panhard rods for the 480, the Towing kit one (longer), standard (normal size) and the lowering kit one (shorter). As I recall the size diff between the towing one and the lowering one is 10 - 15mm. I can't say about the standard one, because my car started with the towing one, and now has the lowering kit, so those where compaired side by side.

Funnily enough I got the kit free! It was hanging about in the place I got the car, so they fitted it as I didn't like the look of the towing springs (much higher ride at the rear).

The wishbone bushes are not too hard to change. Some bits of pipe and large sockets are needed to press the old ones out. The new ones can be pressed in by the same method. You will need a hefty vise to do it though. It made a huge diff to the feeling of the steering, it also stopped the car pulling to the right under hard acceleration.

Hopefully the blue springs are the same, but who knows, Volvo do strange things.

Richard

rpruen · Post by **rpruen** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:47 pm

Note on panhard rod size.

The lowering kit one is a whopping 8mm shorter...

Hardly seems worth it.

Richard

hjkort · Post by **hjkort** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:08 am

Didn't want to open a new subject, so I'll post my new suspension here.
It's a modified Mcpherson strut. It has yellow Koni's, an H&R rideheight adjusting (or spring compression), Intraxx lowering springs, Standard bearing and mountingplate and a custom made aluminium spacer between the rideheight adjuster and the bearing.

Haven't mounted it yet, so I haven't got pictures of the car.

VanDerGraaf · Post by **VanDerGraaf** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:32 am

Double post!

VanDerGraaf · Post by **VanDerGraaf** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:32 am

Very interesting stuff hjkort!

I often think that suspension is one of the underdeveloped parts of the collective 480 knowledge on here, I'm trying to improve my knowledge by glancing at other forums.

Let's face it, there's no much for the 480 and we don't really know what alternative parts should work. Your stuff looks like going in the right direction. Did you get the shock tube custom made?

This setup looks like something that would turn up on Turbobricks.com- and that's a good thing!!

Rohan

hjkort · Post by **hjkort** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:39 am

No, shock tube is also a standard part.

VanDerGraaf · Post by **VanDerGraaf** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:05 am

I'm confused cos you said Koni yellow (which i'm used to seeing with yellow paint) but that shock tube and the mounting eye part look like bare metal.
Did you get the threads machined on so that you could fit the height adjuster?

Sorry for the questions but as I said my knowledge is minimal on these things. I can change my suspension, but technically, I don't know so much about it!

hjkort · Post by **hjkort** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:44 am

Ah, The Koni I used is a cartridge type, like this one (left)

The bare metal with thread you see is the H&R part.

VanDerGraaf · Post by **VanDerGraaf** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:51 am

Great, thanks!

Maybe you will be adding the H and R shock tube part number to your website?