Suspension: 2003 V70 front strut review

[Georgeandkira]

Don't. Go for Bilstein 4's or the 6's. Kira

[4candles]

I want all decent shocks to be made by Ronseal (it does what it says on the tin) and i want them supplied in a tin....

I would also buy a set made by Carlsberg (Probably the best Lager/Shocks in the world) and i want them supplied in a crate!

[2.4TSE]

Updating this thread over three years later:

With 75 thousand miles on the B4s, the front suspension started to feel baggy over the past few weeks. I couldn't find anything better on the damping front so today went for a new pair of B4s - along with new wishbone bushes since those previously fitted were the near 16 year old originals with 173,000 miles on them. (To be accurate, it was Meyle wishbones with HD bushes that were fitted today, rather than faffing with a press and bushes in the original wishbones)

Full disclosure: the nearside original B4 was weeping and past its best.

I have no idea if this is normal for this damper (especially nearside, dragged through all the kerbside muck and potholes) or I got unlucky, but the combined result of new bushes and dampers is ride and handling restored to what I described for Bilstein B4s at the start of this thread; in my opinion the definitive go-to dampers for a well-damped, quiet and comfortably-riding P2 V70.

[john493]

Originally Posted by 2.4TSE

Updating this thread over three years later:

With 75 thousand miles on the B4s, the front suspension started to feel baggy over the past few weeks. I couldn't find anything better on the damping front so today went for a new pair of B4s - along with new wishbone bushes since those previously fitted were the near 16 year old originals with 173,000 miles on them. (To be accurate, it was Meyle wishbones with HD bushes that were fitted today, rather than faffing with a press and bushes in the original wishbones)

Full disclosure: the nearside original B4 was weeping and past its best.

I have no idea if this is normal for this damper (especially nearside, dragged through all the kerbside muck and potholes) or I got unlucky, but the combined result of new bushes and dampers is ride and handling restored to what I described for Bilstein B4s at the start of this thread; in my opinion the definitive go-to dampers for a well-damped, quiet and comfortably-riding P2 V70.

Good luck from just up the road in Banbury - I fitted Meyle HD bushes to my lower arms in 2016, now the front ones are shot in 30,000 miles.
I've got some poly bushes to fit next.

[vorticity]

Apologies for the resurrection of this post.

I am looking at replacing standard shocks/springs with B4s and Eibach Pro (30mm) on my 2005 D5 with 136k. Will also replace control arms, ball joints, drop links and suspension mounts with OE or IPD.

How do heavy loads affect the rear of the car (think 3 kids, tow bar bike rack, roof box and boot totally full). I would like the improved handling and cornering, but without overly comprising the load carrying capabilities (will accept a little compromise).

Cheers

[davebb]

Hi I have Koni Sports adjustable yellows with Eibach Pro and they are very good you can set them to how you like,,
Dave

[oragex]

Originally Posted by oragex

Adding my early experience with Boge struts. The seller said they were replacement for Sachs. So I run on front Boge struts and rear Sachs shocks.

I would say it's pathetic. The front stays higher and the Boge struts are crappy all around.

I would like to correct and update my comment I made 4 years back. The struts sent were not Boge (the seller either lied or got the wrong information on their site)


This being a 'strut thread' I would like to add my impressions, after having tried perhaps 5 or 6 brands.

Please bear in mind that shock absorber 'ride' quality and durability depends heavily on the quality of the roads

I now have new Genuine struts purchased from the main dealer. The new genuine struts sold now by Volvo are made in Turkey by Sachs. I'll call these the 'Turkey' struts to differentiate them from the original ones which were made in Germany (when the car was new). The Turkey struts are of much lower quality than the German ones. I'm sure many will be surprised by this, but the explanation is actually simple: Volvo has cut costs in parts manufacturing during the later years. We can simply remember the changes in the cars from 2004 on, when the quality glass headlights were replaced with cheap plastic headlights. There were other cost cuts Volvo did. Same happened with the genuine replacement struts, which are now made in Turkey. These struts are very harsh over road imperfections - bumps, cracks, etc. You can feel every bump harshly. The only moment when these struts are fine is on smooth pavement. Even then, they ride without any 'feeling'. Good stability at speed.

In comparison, I had Monroe OE Spectrum ones, Made in Spain - these are the more expensive Monroe part #71485. The OE Spectrum ride well over road bumps, not harsh at all. They don't feel sporty or luxurious, but comfortable enough. There is also another Monroe, less expensive, which are harsh and of low quality.

I also had the Sachs Super Touring and those were giving a rather subpar driving, not stable and not damping bumps properly. These also wear out very quickly on poor roads.

Of all these, for bumpy roads, for a better ride quality with a smoother feeling but slightly less stable, the Monroe OE Spectrum would be my first choice.

If the roads in your area are all smooth, the genuine Turkey replacement would be the first choice.

Off all these struts discussed above, none felt as good as the original suspension. Don't expect the car to ride close to a 'luxury' sedan with any of these. I think the original ride quality of the car cannot be brought back. The original struts when the car was new were of high quality (internal components), and would be too expensive to be sold today.

Finally, all these struts lifted the front of my car by about 1 inch. The stability and handling are inferior compared to the original suspension. I only replaced the struts, and kept my original coil springs, and the car was always lifted with all these replacement struts.