P2 V70R - what to check or upgrade?
 

I've recently bought a 53 plate V70R. It's on 113k with FSH, and generally tidy.
So far on my list to check / fix are:
- Wheel refurb - all 4 are tatty at the edges. Been quoted £82 each (provided they can match paint colour, or a bit more if they can't and need to buy it in).
- Rear diff and angle box have signs of leaking. Have bought correct oil from Volvo and will drain and re-fill both soon.
- Exhaust - has met a speed bump in the past and is out of shape at the middle box, and expands and rubs the propshaft when hot, causing a ringing noise. Hopefully easy enough to bend back or adjust mounts - but....
- Exhaust. Not blowing yet but rear box is in a bad way. New cat-back system about £650 from Volvo, or been quoted £500 from PowerFlow for a bespoke system. Unsure if this would spoil the 'sleeper' characteristics of the car. I hate chavvy exhaust noise!
- Front bumper a bit low where it meets wing on one side. Suspect the plastic bracket behind there is broken, will investigate.
- Needs a front fog light. £ouch from Volvo so monitoring ebay.
- Eventually needs 4 brake disks, was an MOT advisory for corrosion. Simple enough job. Genuine Volvo or aftermarket?
- There is a slight knock from the front suspension, and I can feel play in the drop-links, so will start there.

The front Monroe shocks look like they have been changed fairly recently, but I've not found evidence in the history yet to confirm this.

Otherwise, everything seems to work.
The clutch is a bit fierce compared to my D5, but I assume that's normal?
Anything else I should be checking or recommended to upgrade?

Check that it is actually 4wd.
Many are not working properly and cost a lot to put right.

I'm not getting front wheelspin, and with the car on axle stands, all 4 wheels spin when in gear / engine running.
I understand that the angle box is a weak point. I assume it's original but who knows.
What is it that fails - usually the spline sleeve like the XC90's ?
Is it the same 'box as fitted to the XC70 & XC90?

Yes the sleeve is made from toffee and has a very sloppy fit at the angle gearbox end as well as not penetrating very far onto the angle gearbox input shaft

Then Volvo coated that soft sleeve with a nitride coating on the teeth as a modification :-(

EVENTUALLY Volvo changed that sleeve to a harder material being I think from memory 300% stronger BUT changed the number of splines BARSTEWARDS!!!

I am NOT sure if the gearbox end of the new stronger sleeve has had the number of splines changed BUT IF it has not been changed then the XC 90 version with more splines at the angle drive end is a good mod BUT you need to swap in the more splines XC90 bevel gear to match the new stronger sleeve.

hand brake shoes can delaminate and cause hub damage :regular_smile:

Ferrita and TME exhausts.
 

You will find the stainless, sports exhausts that I stock from Ferrita and TME in Sweden here on my website:

http://kalmar-union.com/parts/volvo-...v70_-exhausts/

The prices shown include overnight delivery by TNT and UK VAT at 20%.

Don.