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960 Estate Nivomat (or help) needed

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Old Jun 26th, 2019, 20:21   #1
dagobert
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Default 960 Estate Nivomat (or help) needed

Good Evening Everyone,

I have just bought a 960 Estate MY95 with SL suspension.

The back of the car sags and failed on MOT due to "serious oil leak from offside rear suspension".

My mechanic checked the car and it needs new shock absorbers and coils on both rear sides.

I read after on this forum and as I see the car has nivomat shox.
These cost a fortune but some members changed the nivos to standard shox and heavy duty coils.
I was wondering which company makes standard shox and heavy duty springs to this car?

Thank you very much in advance!
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Old Jun 26th, 2019, 23:00   #2
Ian21401
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My understanding is that if Nivomats are fitted then it is not necessary to replace both. Only replace the faulty one. I appreciate that they are expensive. The rear coil springs are completely separate from the shock absorbers so why does it need new coils?
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Old Jun 27th, 2019, 00:25   #3
Laird Scooby
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dagobert View Post
Good Evening Everyone,

I have just bought a 960 Estate MY95 with SL suspension.

The back of the car sags and failed on MOT due to "serious oil leak from offside rear suspension".

My mechanic checked the car and it needs new shock absorbers and coils on both rear sides.

I read after on this forum and as I see the car has nivomat shox.
These cost a fortune but some members changed the nivos to standard shox and heavy duty coils.
I was wondering which company makes standard shox and heavy duty springs to this car?

Thank you very much in advance!
Have a look on eabay, standard rear coil springs and shocks are available at pleasntly affordable prices for the 7/9xx series.

Nivos weren't fit for purpose even when new IMHO as they didn't actually level the car, only brought the rear to about 30mm below normal ride height when fully laden. As such, they don't level the car at all, just minimise sag when laden.
A decent set of normal springs and shocks does the same job without the need to carefully drive between 0.5-1.0 mile to enable the shocks to "charge" up from the bounce.
Meanwhile you run the risk of ripping the exhaust off or similar and feel seasick - not nice!



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian21401 View Post
My understanding is that if Nivomats are fitted then it is not necessary to replace both. Only replace the faulty one. I appreciate that they are expensive. The rear coil springs are completely separate from the shock absorbers so why does it need new coils?
The rear coil springs for Nivos are deliberately wound longer and weaker than normal rear springs to give the extra movement the Nivos need to charge up from the bouncing motion of the car when laden. Using them with normal shocks will kill the normal shocks very quickly and give a saggy rear end to boot.
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Old Jun 27th, 2019, 00:58   #4
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Are you just wanting springs that are used with normal dampers or something stiffer for towing or loading the car?
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Old Jun 27th, 2019, 11:35   #5
dagobert
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Normal loading but the boot would be fully packed occasionally.
I do not have a trailer no towing at all.
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Old Jun 27th, 2019, 11:42   #6
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Thank you very much Dave your post helped me a lot.

Is there a specific brand you recommend? There are lots of noname shocks and coils on ebay. :/
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Old Jun 27th, 2019, 13:00   #7
Laird Scooby
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I've got Suplex springs and KYB shocks on mine, both were clearance items when i bought them so were cheaper but many other sellers still have them.

I'm not 100% on this but i think Suplex is a subsidiary of Lesjofors who were OE suppliers to Volvo. I do know that Kilen are definitely a subsidiary of Lesjofors so that's 3 spring brands that are good to look for.

Obviously Boge were the OE suppliers of the Nivos on yours, i'm not sure who the "normal" shock suppliers were to Volvo but assuming you want a standard ride and not anything lowered/uprated etc, KYB shocks are good (OE on many higher end Japanese cars and others) plus the usual names such as Monroe, Delphi and so on.

If your car is a 1995, there's a strong chance it's the Mk1 960 so these should fit :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rear-Coil...x/372655057974

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fit-with-...2/392138551130

Being the estate, you've almost certainly got the live rear axle so any 7/9xx estate normal/non-leveling rear springs will do the job. If memory serves my Suplex springs were those i linked to above.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rear-Shoc...m/312577571366

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fits-Volv...r/293041000835

Two links for rear shocks, first is KYB (which matches the spring in the first spring link) and second is a Monroe.

That should get you started or you can just go with one or other of those suggestions.

Fitting is easy enough on a DIY basis, jack up the rear and using the jacking points support with axle stands, remove the rear wheels, find the blanking grommets in the wheel arches for the shock top bolts and remove, put a jack under the trailing arm near the spring and just raise it enough to just take the gap up, remove the shock absorber lower nut and bolt followed by the top bolt.
Lower the jack under the trailing arm and there is a nut or bolt in the centre of the spring at the top, remove this and the spring should be free. Clean the spring seats and rubbers top and bottom, fit the top of the new shock in place with the bolt (finger tight only at this stage), fit the top end of the spring and replace the nut/bolt, locate the bottom end of the spring in the lower arm (may have to raise the support jack as the standard springs are shorter than those for Nivos) and guide the lower shock mounting into place, securing with the lower shock bolt, again only finger tight for now.
By this time the spring should be secure in the trailing arm so tighten the spring top nut/bolt, raise the support jack under the trailing arm so the weight of the car is on it (i.e. just off the axle stands under the sill jacking points) and tighten the shock lower bolt (it's only about 35lb/ft from memory but double-check that) and refit that wheel.

Repeat for the other side, remembering to torque the wheel nuts once the car is back on the ground.

Take it for a test-drive - enjoy!

After i'd done the rear ones, it showed just how bad the front springs and shocks were on mine so you may end up coming back after the test drive and ordering new front springs/shocks the same as i did. I simply searched the suppliers of the rear springs and shocks that i'd used for the front versions, ended up again with Suplex springs and KYB shocks.
Over two years later, they still feel as good as when first replaced.
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Old Jun 27th, 2019, 20:55   #8
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...... nearly another year gone by and the MOT looms in early August. I guess it time to think about completing the refurb of my 'spare' Boge Nivos to replace a weeping n/s Sach if 'specialist treatment' nearer the time to the existing Nivos doesn't convince!

They just need a paint job, pop on the new gaiters, and lock up the bottom bush should I be able to find them on my work bench!!

Bob
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Old Jun 28th, 2019, 23:32   #9
dagobert
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Thanks again Dave.
I spoke to my mechanic today, and mine is a Mark2 with a transverse leaf spring so it's a bit more difficult to converse the Nivomat sys to standard shocks.
He doesn't know how to do it properly so I'm trying to find something on the internet but all conversion descriptions I found are Mark1-s and 760s.

Don't you know a volvo specialist who has done this work before?

Thank you very much in advance.
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Old Jun 28th, 2019, 23:51   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dagobert View Post
Thanks again Dave.
I spoke to my mechanic today, and mine is a Mark2 with a transverse leaf spring so it's a bit more difficult to converse the Nivomat sys to standard shocks.
He doesn't know how to do it properly so I'm trying to find something on the internet but all conversion descriptions I found are Mark1-s and 760s.

Don't you know a volvo specialist who has done this work before?

Thank you very much in advance.
Eek! That sounds a very strange set-up indeed! I've not heard of anyone converting that set-up, mainly because i've only recently discovered it actually exists! I knew there was an oler version of it somehwere (besides the Model A Ford i think it was) but having looked it up online, an idea crossed my mind :





Top one is what i think you've got, bottom one is the idea i had.

Remove the rear leaf spring and replace the Nivos with "coil-over shocks" similar to the Jag system from the mid-60s (E-Type, Series XJ models) so the spring and shock are pretty much the same unit.

Someone like Dai (Classicswede) may know of and perhaps even be able to supply a conversion, failing that i'd suggest hunting down some working used Nivos fro a Mk2 960 which might be easier said than done.

You could try Lakes or Norfolk Volvo Spares, there are also a few breakers on ebay (pilsdonautos in Dorset, kommensiecake in Scotland, gruesometwosome or awesometwosome - can't remember exactly) and also Tom on here, known as P505DEF, i've bought from all of those at one point or another, either in person or via ebay.

Alternatively find an MoT tester with a Labrador and a white walking stick, tip him a buck and then move the car on in 3 months with 9 months test still left.

Then it's SEP - Somebody Elses Problem!
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