Monroe shocks, will it fit?

[boggymarsh]

If it worth anything to you, speaking from experience, I would avoid using aftermarket suspension parts.

With my old 2002 XC70 I spent ages researching the parts I needed to give the front end a complete overhaul. This research included advice from forum members and comparing price of numerous suppliers. I never went through Volvo at this time because the consensus of opinion was that aftermarket parts were perfectly up to the job, so I spent well over £400 and got what I needed.

I spent a day stripping the front end down and replacing everything, taking the time to ensure everything was done properly. Upon completion I noticed that the front end sat abnormally high but assumed that it would settle over a short period of driving. This never happened and many people asked what had hapened to the car.

Out of frustration I took it to my Volvo dealer and asked them to sort it out for me. Together we verified that all the parts were the right aftermarket parts, even to the extent of speaking with Munroe. They stripped everything down and refitted it but still could not get the car to sit right. Measurements of Genuine Parts were compared and despite things appearing to be the same it was just not working. The mechanics could not work out why there was such a difference in the ride height and in the end I agreed to pay for all new Volvo parts. The new parts, once fitted, returned the car to its normal ride height and I was left happy.

I have to had it to the dealer as they never charged me for the time they worked on it as they said they were as perplexed as me and had never seen this problem before. The price I paid for the new Volvo parts was also discounted and so all in all I was overjoyed.

The crux of the matter is that whilst it may appear that aftermarket parts are good value, it does go to show that you can actually save money in the end by staying with manufacturers parts.