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Do 850s Really Ride Like Crap No Matter What?


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I replaced the ancient,blown suspension on my 94 850 Turbo recently with new Sachs struts/shocks,top mounts and bushings and B&G springs. It now looks better, but still rides pretty rough. Even though I didn't get sport-tuned shocks to go with the lowering springs, I didn't expect it to ride this poorly. I have 16" wheels with 205/55/16 all-season Bridgestone RE-92s on it now (they were from my old WRX.....), but I had been running some extremely-loud-but great-in-ice/snow studded Hakkas. I remember my stock 850R sedan having a pretty rough ride,also, but always thought the 17"s had a lot to do with it.

Is the 850 just not great in the ride comfort department?

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Yessir, no matter what you do, or parts you replace, or tires or shocks you run. These cars run firm & rattle at will, much more noticable with age and miles. Plus, living in Maine, (From Sebago Lake) The frost heave capitol of New England, & Now PA isn't far better.

If I still lived up there I think 16's & 55 series tires would be the way I'd go on these cars, rather than bending wheels all the time, & all the while having a better ride.

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When my radio is turned up the harsh ride isn't nearly as noticable. ;)

I honestly think if I could remove all the squeeks and rattles, it really wouldn't seem so harsh.

true.

i don't mind the ride, it isn't too bad. in my mom's S70 with HD shocks/struts, its great. like riding on a pillow, imo.

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an S90 / 960 for example at the time was Volvo's most prestegeous, luxury oriented vehicle and is the Volvo around the same time to get for those looking for luxury cruisers.

an 850 is not really a luxury vehicle as much as it was designed to be sporty while still a safe vehicle the family can use.

I wouldn't say they ride like crap when everything in the suspension is fine as much as I'd say the ride is firm

I just replaced my struts / shocks with Bilstein TC's, OEM spring seats and rear mounts. Handling is improved but ride quality wasn't improved quite as much as I thought so I kind of understand what you're saying. I had a 740 that had Bilsteins and it rode smoother.

Comparing a 960 to an 850 always makes me feel like there were two seperate design teams that went at it independently, on totally different pages each with their own view of what makes a better car. One team chose luxury over sportiness and the other chose sportiness over luxury.

I will say beyond suspension, tire pressure, tires being out of balance and the quality of tires can make a big difference.

I keep my tires at 34PSI measured cold with a digital gauge. I've experimented and found that handling is still good at 34PSI, while ride quality really suffers with anything higher. Ride quality is also reduced when tires are out of balance.

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My 940 has billy HDs and ipd lowering springs. It's very firm, but I prefer it over the ride in my 850. The 850 has more creeks and squeeks. But I think that after I do some maintenance on the suspension it should clear a lot of it up. Hurray for tax return checks and "economy stimulation" checks haha.

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My 940 has billy HDs and ipd lowering springs. It's very firm, but I prefer it over the ride in my 850. The 850 has more creeks and squeeks. But I think that after I do some maintenance on the suspension it should clear a lot of it up. Hurray for tax return checks and "economy stimulation" checks haha.

yea, swedish economy stimulation ;)

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i threw in a set of koni yellow shocks today at lunchtime and retired my 220k mile shocks/struts...lol. i actually lowered the car last year with the eibach's but left the stock shocks for ride comfort. this was an added bonus i discovered on the way home but before in 1st and 2nd gear the front tires would spin from the rear squatting and the front coming up on acceleration when i got in it, now the car hardly even spins from the firm suspension. i just set both front and rear in the middle of soft/firm. major traction improvement to boot! anyways, thats it...was just happy with the koni's..of course, probably could of put anything in and been better that what i had!! lol

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