Suspension: 140: Suspension and Handling Question

[Wiseman]

HI eveyone.

Just bought my First Volvo 144 at Auction. Car is very very straight no rust, complete original condition and runs like a dream. ( also bought it for a song).

No the only Issue i seem to think it has at the moment is that suspension is Really really soft. Are the 144's usually a very soft ride, to the point that u nearly fall out the window going around corners due to excess body roll.

Am i looking a Spring Shock replacment? or just shocks first up. Any suggestions would be great. At this stage i am just looking at keeping car orginal, just want it handle a little better.

[sainthonore]

Originally Posted by Wiseman

HI eveyone.

Just bought my First Volvo 144 at Auction. Car is very very straight no rust, complete original condition and runs like a dream. ( also bought it for a song).

No the only Issue i seem to think it has at the moment is that suspension is Really really soft. Are the 144's usually a very soft ride, to the point that u nearly fall out the window going around corners due to excess body roll.

Am i looking a Spring Shock replacment? or just shocks first up. Any suggestions would be great. At this stage i am just looking at keeping car orginal, just want it handle a little better.

I had the same problem on my low mileage 164 until I replaced the shocks (which I think were original). I would do this first as it was a very easy job to do. If it's the same as the 164 then on the earlier cars there is a small extension tube on the bottom bushes on the rear shocks (pre 1972 I think but I'm not sure) which later cars don't have. So you will have to get the rear shocks with the correct bottom bushes for your year (if it's the same as the 164).

[john h]

Hi, and welcome.

The 140/160 suspension, whilst simple, is well designed and can be quite easily tailored to your needs.

Before spending any money, think about what you are aiming for. Is it a comfortable classic with slightly more modern behaviour, a sports saloon, or race spec?

All can be done and I can advise, but you need to know the objective first.

Cheers

[Snowman]

I remember the first trip in my 144, wow it was soft but then, so were most saloons of that vintage.

Because of how I use it, I've gone the Bilstein shocks route and dropped the car about one inch on 30% uprated springs. It's obviously harder than before and the excessive body lean has gone, I like it this way and people following comment that the car seems to corner pretty flat from what they see.

Replacement stock shocks are cheap though so as suggested, try them first and see what you think.

Have fun!

[Audrey Old]

Welcome to the select few of us who run 140s and 164s. I agree about the simplest parts to change are the rear shox, but I have just one thought. If bought at an auction, if it was anything like the one I was at last year with my car-buying son, looking underneath a prospective bid isn't easy.
The live rear axles on 140s and 164s have an anti-sway bar about 3foot long, linking it to the body across the width of the car and above the axle: if this has rusted away, been disconnected or the bushes have perished away, there will be nothing to stop it swaying all over the place.
If the front end sort of plunges at eact slight turn, have a look at the bottom mount of the front shox: a huge pot-hole broke a lower mount here on my Amazon, and it was frankly very scarey to drive home.

If its performance upgrading you want, listen to Johnh, for he knows!

Let us know how progress goes.

Paul
Still with 3 164s, a 142 and Amazon!

[Wiseman]

Thanks guys. I am going replace all the shocks (just with std new monroe ones) see how it goes. I am not looking for a sports ride just something that feels a little harder espically in the front. The shock change over looks very straightforward so hopefull it will be a easy fix.

Once i get that done just got to sort out the indicator's not working and i should be good for the roadworthy test. Looking forward to legally driving the vehicle.

[john h]

After your shocks, the next steps for handling:

Decent tyres (good quality and not too old)
Adjust the steering box (but not too tight)
Check that all suspension bushes and the engine mounts are in good condition
Geometry check

At this point, the 144 will be a good handling car that will not bite you, albeit feeling a lot different to a modern car.

If you only ever do one upgrade, I suggest it should be a larger front anti-roll bar (e.g. IPD or KG Trimning). This gives a big improvement to stability with very little loss of comfort and is easy to fit. (Or the cheaper way is to mount two standard anti-roll bars in parallel - very minor mods required to mountings).

Later, if you decide to go faster and hot things up some more, let me know!

Cheers

[Pigeon]

What is the effect of upgrading the front anti-roll bar only? On my 164 I don't want the actual ride any harder than it is, so I don't want to change the shocks or springs from standard. All I want to change is the arrrr-Jim-lad roll on cornering. Thicker ARB ought to sort this out but what does it do for the understeer/oversteer balance? I'd have thought I'd have to increase the rear roll stiffness at the same time to avoid having it understeer even more.

[john h]

Other things being equal, you're quite correct; more front roll stiffness would mean (relatively) more understeer. But, you guessed it, other things are not equal!

Suspension geometry is key.

Whether the car rolls a bit or a lot, the live rear axle keeps the rear wheels perpendicular to the road (unless you have so much roll that a wheel lifts - unlikely). So rear end grip remains fairly constant as the car leans.

The front is a different story. The 140/160 front suspension has (approximately) parallel geometry, i.e. as the body leans, the front wheels stay parallel to the bodyshell. Therefore, with big roll angles, the heavily loaded outside front wheel adopts a large positive camber angle, massively reducing front-end grip and causing roll understeer.

I couldn't find the right 140/160 action photo, but the 240 below (albeit with different front suspension) illustrates the point.

So, with our suspension geometry, more front roll stiffness than standard definitely reduces understeer. The theory is sound, but I also speak from experience. The IPD 25mm front ant-roll bar was the first mod I did to my 164 and the driving experience was transformed.

Even better if you do the rear bar as well, but the front gives a big gain. Live-axle cars can often handle well with high front roll stiffness - witness the 3-wheeling Lotus Cortina!

Cheers

[Wiseman]

Fitted some new shocks to the brick. Seems to of help heaps. See below pic of my recently aquired 144. Old girl came up well with a polish previous to this it was a lovely faded orange colour.

Car was rescued from Auction yard. It was abandoned by some German backbackers In Darwin Aus. I have neer owned a volvo but i just had to have it, Something about the look hopefully i dont live to regret it.

Car runs great, drives well only thing i have done to it was some polish and some new keys cut. Fort for me the orginal owner in WA kep the key codes before he sold it to the backpackers (also left his phone number in the glove box)

Only thing needs done, Sealt belts front (stuffed), crack in muffler, hand brake not working to good and she should be good to go.

Think it was a good but for $200 aus