Matt01 Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 Finally i was able to complete my research to swap out the nivomats and have a normal ride height on my 850 AWD using regular OEM shocks. It would be the same procedure for any AWD 97 to 99. Basically you buy shocks part #9461631 at 85.31 each it costs alot cheaper than 286$ for a nivomat. These WILL BOLT DIRECTLY INTO PLACE. http://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo-shock-absorber-rear-s70-v70-awd-marked-8 If you install those without changing your springs the springrate will be way too soft and the car will sag.. Alot! Meaning it will look like this in the back: The next step is to buy the correct springs. This is where it gets unknown. Thanks to this site i found springs from a c70AWD that came from the factory without nivomats. I verified the chassis code as "2" on this car AWD. "2" means no nivomat, therefore the car had the shocks that i had, and the springs i needed. Short of going to europe this was the best I could do, AWD non-nivo cars are hard to come by around here. I bought them, and just installed them. THE PART is #9203935 and can be bought BRAND NEW at a dealer for about 160$ a pop. Or you can source them used like I did. They give the car almost the AWD height and a better spring rate, although still Volvo soft ( I would assume the C70 is lighter than my wagon, or wasnt meant to be as high) but it reminds me like a stock 850 height. This is what it lookes like: front (with AWD springs) Back with (c70 AWD and above shocks) I'll update in the daytime with better pictures, it'll be more clear, Im glad that i finally gathered my thoughts on the matter and was able to complete the writeup. Basically what I'm going to do is swap in stock 850 springs in the front (14mm lower) so that it'll look just like a stock volvo wagon and equal( no saaaaag) as my "winter mode". Best of all NO MORE NIVOS! You can save alot of money. Let me explain. Nivomats @ 286x2 = 572$ :: whereas non-nivo's 85$ x2 = 170$ + 160x2 = 490$!! if you buy brand new! Much more to be saved if you want to do some junkyard searching! Any q's let me know. Good Luck -Matt01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Will Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 Matt - good information and it will help a lot of folks as they make the decision of whether or not to stick with nivomats. However, where are you getting this mythical C70 "AWD"?? There's no such car in the US or in Europe...at least not produced by Volvo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt01 Posted January 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 i meant S70.... sorry i wasnt too concerned about that, i was busy ensuring my part #'s were good and such Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Will Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 Thanks man - makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnout8488 Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 If anyone needs the shocks BNIB hit me up! Matt01 converted to non-nivomat using my old springs, and I converted to Nivomats using cut V70 AWD springs on my sedan. (Removed AWD and rear diff, 200lbs less weight in the rear and had to cut em!) I've never seen an S70 AWD in the junkyard but I'll keep an eye out in case anyone else is keen on doing the non-nivomat conversion! They're a good bit stiffer than the wagon springs. (And jacked the tail of my car up in the air considerably, at least 2" over stock when the AWD components were removed) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin850AWD Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Hello, good job! I want to do the same but couldn't finde the shocks in Germany so far. Even Sachs doesn't know them. Is this a special made for the US-Market? CU Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan A Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Can someone measure the spring diameter with a caliper and post a pic of the spring? I've not been able to find any info on these springs, so well done! I presume you could run these springs with different shocks, like koni yellows with and adapter for the bottom shock mount? Can you describe the ride a little more? Does it bottom out on the bump stop when going over speed bumps? How does it compare to the ride when you ran the nivos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt01 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Hello, good job! I want to do the same but couldn't finde the shocks in Germany so far. Even Sachs doesn't know them. Is this a special made for the US-Market? CU Martin read more carefully, i put a link to the shocks in the first post. Anything we have in NA you have in europe and alot more! Can someone measure the spring diameter with a caliper and post a pic of the spring? I've not been able to find any info on these springs, so well done! I presume you could run these springs with different shocks, like koni yellows with and adapter for the bottom shock mount? Can you describe the ride a little more? Does it bottom out on the bump stop when going over speed bumps? How does it compare to the ride when you ran the nivos? at the stock height, why would it bottom out anywhere? The rear is very soft ( the way it was meant to be at the factory ) If i were to stand on the rear bumper and bounce the car up and down it would move significantly, but it drives very well. My car when i bought it never had nivos so i cant comment. Yes you can get the rear mounts for the konis or any shock you'd like. I could get the measurements of another rear AWD spring thats an ohlins volvo AWD spring next to a nivomat AWD spring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan A Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 In the past I've tried various things to get rid of the nivo's and use koni yellows but I could not get the right spring/shock combo. I've tried various spring rates back there. So I'm curious as to an accurate measurement of diameter of the non-nivo springs and a picture so that I can calculate approx what the spring rate is. The ohlins would be great to measure as well, just for curiosity. And you're right, with as much height as you have, I would doubt you'd ever hit the bump stops. When I was experimenting with different springs, I was also trying to lower the car. No matter how stiff the spring, I'd still hit the stops going over speed bumps on the rebound. My guess is that the shocks just weren't up to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt01 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 the ohlins are for nivomats so no good for me. The way i figure it, if your AWD is still there, it needs like a 600 spring rate or more. The rear end is all over the place. Stock is like 300 with nivo's or maybe like 400 without nivos, I know the info is out there somewhere, i don't remember. Im going to find the springs we need next summer, i'll find the right one.p.s. the ohlins are sooo soft.. not much better than stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Will Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 p.s. the ohlins are sooo soft.. not much better than stock You are talking about the AWD lowering springs made by Öhlins meant for their rear shocks or are you saying that the Öhlins suspension itself is too soft? If you mean the spring that's probably because it's meant to be used specifically with their shocks developed for the Volvo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEU Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 read more carefully Hello Pot this is Kettle... So I'm curious as to an accurate measurement of diameter of the non-nivo springs and a picture so that I can calculate approx what the spring rate is. The ohlins would be great to measure as well, just for curiosity. The stock Nivo springs and TME Nivo springs are both 12mm, 10 coils on the stock, 8 on the TME Nivos. The Ohlin springs are 13.5mm and 10 coils (Thanks Will for getting me that measurement years ago ). All of them are linear springs. The TME Ohlins springs that are no longer made are progressively wound and were 13.5mm too, I no longer can find pictures of them to know how many coil turns they have, or over all height of the springs, but I'd assume they are equal to there TME Nivo height to get car to sit lower. the ohlins are for nivomats so no good for me. The way i figure it, if your AWD is still there, it needs like a 600 spring rate or more. The rear end is all over the place. Stock is like 300 with nivo's or maybe like 400 without nivos, Ohilns springs are not for Nivos, they are for Ohlin/Volvo shocks. And a 600 spring rate is WAY too much! Hussien is going to be using a 350-400 spring rate for his Kaplhenke coil overs. Also stock Nivo spring rate is much less then 300 since they don't do the heavy lifting, I don't recall if anyone has ever figured out what the rate is for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan A Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Yeah 600 is too much. I think I calculated the stock R nivo springs to be around 225 or so. But your measurements posted would put them near 250. In any case I think that's about the right ballpark. I've tried springs up to about 450# and boy was that a stiff ride. I always suspected it was the shocks I couldn't get right. If Hussein is getting 350-400 springs then that proves it because I already tried those rates mated with off the shelf koni yellows. The difference is the custom valving that Ben had Koni make for him. I wonder if Ben would be willing to sell just the shocks. I still have the springs I used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEU Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Remember Hussein wants to limit the rear end from squatting when he launches so for his needs he'll want the stiffer spring rate. Making lower mounting brackets shouldn't be too hard. You just need to get some heavy duty "L" brackets to mount thru the lower eyelet of the shock. Or have a shop make it for you and it doesn't have to be made of aluminum. So did you mount shocks? Or did you use the 450 spring rate with Nivos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan A Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Shocks - Koni yellows. I had a local welder make some adapters on the lower mount for about $20. Ugly but functional and strong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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