Suspension: Ride quality after 14 years

[CondorXC90]

Being the veteran of several 4x4s / AWD vehicles over the past 20+ years, by far the easiest and quickest improvement to ride quality has been to use smaller / winter rims and tyres - makes an amazing difference. Reduces the street cred I guess, which might have bothered me when I drive an X5, but certainly not a problem with the XC90.....

I have the original Vulcanis 19" that came with my 2008 SE Sport, but have simply not changed back since fitting 18" winters. Even the relatively small reduction in rim size makes a big difference to comfort and ride quality.

My XC is nudging 142,000 miles and the indy who does the servicing mentioned that bushes/ wishbones are getting a bit tired and could do with changing in a few months - that will doubtless also improve the ride quality.

[Faybo73]

Just fitted 255/55/19 pirelli all season to much xc90.

What a difference. I wished I had done this year's ago. It's really helped the ride stopped all the nasty crashing of the suspension. I use rural country roads and farm tracks plus normal roads and made it a much nicer driving experience. I got them through national tires at £480 fitted bought online and got 5% discount. Definitely not going back to 50 profile.

[Moose Test]

I had the MOT and service performed yesterday and received advisories for wear to the front bushes on both lower suspension arms ("not resulting in excessive movement"). The garage reports that they are separating. So clearly it's time for some work in that area.

As per Tannaton's post, I checked the rear sub-frame bushes myself and they don't look too healthy either.

Time to open my wallet..

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by Moose Test

I had the MOT and service performed yesterday and received advisories for wear to the front bushes on both lower suspension arms ("not resulting in excessive movement"). The garage reports that they are separating. So clearly it's time for some work in that area.

As per Tannaton's post, I checked the rear sub-frame bushes myself and they don't look too healthy either.

Time to open my wallet..

Shouldn’t be too expensive, the front wishbones are easy to do on a ramp if you change the ball joints as well, you will need wheel alignment afterwards.

The rear bushes are fairly easy if you have (or make) the correct tools. If you are doing those yourself let me know I made my own puller.

[Moose Test]

Thanks for the offer Tannaton. I do quite fancy giving this a go myself but current circumstances suggest otherwise. I've a number of other "projects" in flight that could occupy my weekends twice over already and that notwithstanding, I've not currently an area of safe, flat standing that I'd trust jacks or ramps to save for the odd wheel change. On this occasion it will likely go to a local ex-Volvo dealer who now operate as an independent, with a commensurate drop in hourly rate.

As per your previous post, I'll likely ask them to change the front shocks and seats whilst they're in there (keeping the sport variants).

The replacement of the ball joints being a given either way, do you think it's appropriate to replace the entire control arm?

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by Moose Test

The replacement of the ball joints being a given either way, do you think it's appropriate to replace the entire control arm?

Yep - no doubt about it - I'm not sure if Volvo sell the bushes separately, at circa £120 each new assemblies are much easier. FYI the ball joint is the usual taper fit into the control arm and two bolts hold it into the hub casting, so if you replace the arm and ball joint together you don't need to separate them.

[Moose Test]

I've committed to having the front control arms replaced, along with new ball joints, and will report back on the effects of that once its done.

Other work items suggested may have to wait, or fall beside the way, as the costs aren't trivial and to be honest, were way higher than I was expecting. To replace the front shocks and springs I've been quoted nearly £1200, and the better part of £500 to replace the rear sway arm subframe bushes.

Therefore I'm hoping that the control arms, in conjunction with the drop in rim size, will tame the beast satisfactorily.

[Tannaton]

The springs and shocks I could get if they're replacing them with Volvo originals to match the Sport specification. Changing them is relatively easy, just 6 bolts and you can pull the struts out. You often have to change the drop link as well if the nut siezes.

I cannot understand the cost of the rear bushes, I was say they're 40 min per side with the correct installation tools, no great amount of disassembly is needed.

[Moose Test]

I did ask them to quote on the basis of all Volvo original parts, so wasn't expecting any of it to be cheap. However like you, I can't see how they justify the cost of the rear bush replacement in comparison. The parts themselves come in at around 40 to 50GBP per bush, leaving almost 400GBP of labour charges from a non-franchised garage.

Suffice it to say, I won't be paying that. They don't look in the best condition but nothing came up on the MOT, unlike the front control arm bushes, so I'm content to leave it for now.

[owenfackrell]

I’m sure when I did my rear bushes a couple of years back that they were more like £25 a side for genuine Volvo ones. I did get them from a Volvo dealer on EBay.