Suspension: After market springs with 4C Suspension

[johnv64]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 2006 XC70 in Africa kitted out as a camping car (long story). When fully laden for camping, I lose a lot of ground clearance and suspension travel which is not good on African roads.

The car has 4C suspension so when I looked at getting longer or stiffer springs, I was told that there are none available for cars with 4C suspension. I have found a lift kit available in the USA (https://www.xc70liftkit.com/) but it specifically says not for 4C suspension, so I assume they are designed as replacements for non-4C brackets.

I have two questions if anyone knows:

1. Are the spring seats for 4C springs different to standard spring seats, or would these springs fit into the existing seats?

2. If they would fit physically, what would happen to the car if I fitted them that makes this such a bad thing to do

I know I could work around the 4C system, replacing the struts and springs and keeping sensors attached to keep the ECM happy, but I would rather keep things simple as a first step unless there is a good reason not to.

Thanks for any advice.

[TLPower]

My Brother in law has a 2006 XC70 with 4C fitted, when the original shocks failed he replaced them with conventional units and put black tape over the warning light. He re-fitted the original springs.

That was six years ago and it's still going strong.

Personally I would have thought a two inch lift would play havoc with driveshaft and steering joint angles. There would be a huge amount of camber changes at both ends.

Have you thought about spring assisters? https://www.towsure.com/towing-spring-assisters

[stuart bowes]

I wonder if you'll also end up with hideous bump-steer as well which would make it nigh-on undriveable

either way really (and I'm not saying this to be negative nancy or anything) but truthfully the XC range was only ever designed to fill a gap in a road car market, it was never an actual off-road car which is what it sounds like you need

personally, in your position I'd probably look to sell it while it's still working (the 4c is a strong selling point) to someone who does mostly road driving and find something more suitable with better ground clearance, a landrover or the indestructible Toyota land cruiser would be obvious first choices but many others are available

the XC's are great cars and all that, but if you're going to hammer it over difficult terrain it strikes me that at some point you're going to end up stranded (think James May, Africa special, snapped rear axle?)

[johnv64]

Thanks for your comments.

My thinking with the ride height and the drive shaft and steering joint angles is that driving around with two full-size spare wheels and a rooftop tent, I lose two inches of ride height anyway. The two-inch lift just gives me back those two inches of ride height, leaving the joint angles where they would normally be.

So far we have travelled up from Namibia, through Botswana and Zambia into Tanzania and the car has been brilliant. Yes, there are restrictions on where we can go as it is not a Land Cruiser or Land Rover, but it really suits what we do and how we travel.

[stuart bowes]

that's a fair point

another thing you could consider I suppose is while the 4c is still all good, swap to standard springs and shocks, use the adaptors for extra height, and sell the working 4c bits which are quite valuable

it's a fair old job, but not impossible

rear springs are notoriously the most awkward things to work on if they need changing (not sure how the 4c is set up at the rear)

[TLPower]

I would need several boxes of brave pills and a few pairs of big boy pants before attempting rear springs with any increase in free length.

Good luck.

[stuart bowes]

On the 4c setup are the springs and shocks still separate items at the rear? I'm assuming so anyway. Presumably the different settings only affect the dampers and not the spring rate in any magical sort of way

Yeah longer springs or trying to fit any sort of spacer would certainly be an interesting job to say the least, unless perhaps its like a C shape spacer and you use internal compressors to slide it in under the spring maybe.. if only doing it to regain original height then standard shock length would presumably be OK

[TLPower]

It would seem the XC has a totally different rear set-up. It looks significantly easier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qFKFgJ7PnM