tallahasseegreys Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Ok, let me first admit that I know nothing about suspension. My wagon has 113k on her and to my knowledge has the original suspension. I wish my ride was smoother.How do you tell if you need new suspension?What's the difference betwen shocks & struts; and what does my car have?Are they easy to replace DIY?I'm looking for nothing fancy, probably just OEM, unless there's a reason to do differently. How much would this cost me? I just use my wagon to drive to work and pick up groceries. I don't race or drive aggressively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theunderlord Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 How do you tell if you need new suspension?←I'd say after 113k... your ride could definitely use some new suspension components. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachRat Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 A good way to check your suspension is to simply push down on each corner of the car, being careful not to break anything off! If it feels unreasonably soft, chances are it's time to replace your suspension. Dampeners, or shocks and struts differ in design: struts go on the front of the car and shocks on the back. Struts are designed to handle the additional load from steering the car, and are, in your car, placed inside the front springs. The back dampeners, the shocks, are bolted separately from the rear springs. You can see all this if you jack the car up and take the wheels off. If you do this, you will want to visually inspect each dampener for leaks. Any dark brownish looking fluid coming out, probably dried up, is a sign they're leaking. It is generally a good idea to replace all four corners at once, so that you don't lose track of what's new and what's not. If you're not concerned with performance, the OEM dampeners I think were made by either Boge or Sachs. The R's had MacPherson dampeners - correct me if I'm wrong. You can try any Volvo parts retailer for these, they shouldn't cost more than $100 for a front strut and ~$50 for a rear shock. Another brand that gets good ratings is the Billstien Touring Class, which is a slightly more expensive but arguably higher quality shock/strut.A Diagram of your Front suspension Setup As for Nivomat, it is a self-leveling suspension system. You don't have it, don't buy struts/shocks that say "For Nivomat" and don't worry otherwise. Replacing them DIY style is subjective: many people here have done it and many have had it done. Replacing the Front Struts Look through here and see what you think. I had a friend who used air tools and said it was still long, hard work. Good luck!Edit: The Nivomat system was on the wagons... anyone know for sure if the N/A models had it? I know the T5-R estates did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsat Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 If you know nothing about your suspension, have never changed your own oil, and are not mechanically inclined then replacing your Shocks and Struts is definately not DIY.Really, the difference between shocks and struts is the method of attachment. The internal design and function of them are the same.Our cars have Front Struts and Rear Shocks, as do most if not all new / er cars.A 69 Camero on the other hand has Shocks on all four corners. The term shock and strut are used interchangeably because there is no difference in their function."SHOCKS VS. STRUTS Struts work just like shocks to dampen the movement of the suspension to help control ride motions and keep the tires in contact with the road. However, unlike shocks, struts are an integral, structural part of the car's suspension. In many front wheel drive applications, the strut forms the mechanical axis around which the front wheel turn. The hydraulic systems inside struts are very similar to those in twin tube shocks. It's the outside structure that makes struts different than shocks. Some struts are constructed using cartridges that house the hydraulic assembly. These struts can be rebuilt be replacing the cartridge. However most struts use an integrated design and must be completely replaced when they fail or become worn. While many do-it-yourselfers can tackle changing shocks, replacing struts is a much more complex job requiring specialized equipment. In most cases, when struts are replaced, the car's front end must be aligned. http://www.kyb.com/support/shocktypes.php"Forgot to mention. Expect labor to be around $400.00 for installation. If you go to a Volvo Specific shop they probably have a fixed labor price.If they do not encounter any problems, the whole job takes less than a couple of hours. Oh, and expect to pay for an alignment at the same time. Whether they include this in the cost I do not know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theunderlord Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 http://members.shaw.ca/heeeeee/strut <-- By XtremePsionic"I just changed my OEM struts/shocks/and new mounts to Bilstein-TC last weekend using the URL-instructions above. Yes, you can do it yourself if you have floor-jacks and a full set of metric socket wrenches. You will also need a set of metric allen-wrenches; again, make sure it has every size because Volvo loves to use ones that are not normally included in the set. A visit to Sears will take care of those missing links."EDIT... http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/index.php?s...=0entry118910 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JehovArob Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Forgot to mention. Expect labor to be around $400.00 for installation. If you go to a Volvo Specific shop they probably have a fixed labor price.←$400!? Seriously? Is that for the whole deal?I hope to get new shocks/struts soon, and plan to replace the rear ones myself (as I have read it's not too hard), but the front looks like too much for me to tackle. If I just get those done, how much would you expect that to cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JehovArob Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 No answer?Well, I have another question that would probably be good to add to this thread.I've read that you should replace the mounts and spring seats and such when you are replacing the shocks. Could anyone point out for me exactly what needs to be replaced? Like, which of the items on this page at IPD need replacing? And can they be gotten for cheaper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Brick Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 If you have 113k on your car, your suspension is most likely certifiably shot. I just replaced the shocks, struts and springs on my '96 854T at 115k miles and I can honestly say it's the best money I've spent on the car yet. I chose Koni Yellow adjustable shocks and struts and iPD sport springs to get the job done. The ride is much improved compared to before. It is much much softer and smoother over large bumps/dips in the road compared to before and the car doesn't bottom out like it did with the worn-out stock stuff. This setup is just slightly less comfortable over small bumps, such as on a limerock road that needs to be grated. I think that can be attributed to the stiffer springs. Overall, though, I'm happy I went this route. The handling and traction is improved 3-fold and the adjustability is just sweet.I did the install myself but I'm a bit of a gearhead so your mileage may vary. It's all really very simple, it just takes time and a bit of thinking if it's your first time installing suspension on one of these cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JehovArob Posted December 4, 2004 Report Share Posted December 4, 2004 Can anyone answer my questions? (or atleast maybe some?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mesoam Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 the items cost about 300ish total (from FCP) upper mounts, spring seats and shock mounts (if you are doing the rear too)... you need35461898647613 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JehovArob Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 $300? Wow... Should I definetly change these parts as well as the shocks?Are the upper mount and the upper spring seat different parts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobricks Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 $300? Wow... Should I definetly change these parts as well as the shocks?Are the upper mount and the upper spring seat different parts?←Yes, the spring seat and the upper strut mount are different. The latter rarely goes bad unless you have high performance struts. Also they are expensive at about $100 each.You will need to borrow a spring compressor from the local auto parts store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JehovArob Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 Ok. So, I just want the spring seat?Also, I don't plan to do the front struts by myself. Sounds like too much for me to handle, as I don't really have the equipment (jacks and tools and such) nor the space to do it. Someone said labor would be around $400 for the install. Can anyone else verify this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobricks Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 Ok. So, I just want the spring seat?Also, I don't plan to do the front struts by myself. Sounds like too much for me to handle, as I don't really have the equipment (jacks and tools and such) nor the space to do it. Someone said labor would be around $400 for the install. Can anyone else verify this?←Yes, definately replace the spring seats. With only 85k your strut mounts are certainly still good. Labor only should be about $200.Also replace:lock nuts that hold the strut mounts - 6 @1.25 ea.strut bolts - 4 @1.50 ea.strut bolt lock nuts - 4 @2.00 ea.(fcpgroton prices)And don't forget the sway bar links - 30.00/ pair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JehovArob Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 Ok. But, dang, $200 is still a lot more than I was expecting to pay for labor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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