xc70 front shock will not fit

[waynedear]

2006 xc70, 4cs.
I am changing my front o/s shock, got the old one out ok, the replacement will not go back in, I have measured them side by side and they are the same length, the top plate on the one I removed is bent on one corner, the replacement is not.
I can get the shock in and the 3 top mount nuts on, the issue is I can not get the steering arm down low enough to get the bottom 2 bolts in.
I tried levering it down with a pry bar, no joy, removed hub from steering arm, got the shock bolted up, can not get it back in the arm.
Should the top plate be bent or straight, what am I doing wrong ?
I did all 4 corners on a previous V70 without an issue.
The car has previously been a cat s on the corner I am working on.
I am pretty handy with cars, this has me stumped, what am I missing or is it the top plate…

[TLPower]

It's the top plate. The bend will allow the top plate to seat higher up I'd guess by at least 20-30mm.

Do they both have electrical connectors?

[Lancee]

I suspect the answer may lie in "The car has previously been a cat s on the corner I am working on"?

If the one you removed is the bent one, is it not possible that the suspension mount it was attached to was distorted and bent down which is why the "new" one with the more flat plate will not go up as high and seat flat ?

[John97Tdi]

Hi, have a look at https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=298793 for the trials and tribulations I had when changing control arms on my XC.

I came to the realisation that the geometry of the XC with 4C is different enough from a 'normal' shock that it is physically impossible to relocate the shock/balljoint/control arm (using the otherwise excellent videos of Cheshire5, et al) unless the bottom bolts of the shock are at least loose or the strut spring slightly compressed. No amount of 'gentle persuasion' (and I like to think of myself as over equipped with brute strength and ignorance) with ratchet straps or bars would allow the ball joint to locate in the control arm cone.( I came to this conclusion when I realised I had forced the control arm so far down it was actually pressing on the subframe and the ball joint would still not locate) I'm convinced the strut is under slight compression when located - something you don't appreciate when you dismount it but is enough to prevent its re-installation using the 'conventional' technique. (I'd also guess any changes to its geometry due to the cars history won't help but the top plate should be flat)

Hope this helps

John

[TLPower]

I think my 2005 V70 has the "curved" mounting similar to the one you removed. I may still have the old ones I replaced to check.

[waynedear]

Thank you everyone, much appreciated.
To answer, yes both have the electrical connections.
I’ll try with a bend in the plate, putting a driveshaft in as mine popped at the bearing, they are worn and grease is watery, putting ball joint on while I’m at it, lucky I am not in work until Thursday and I have a spare car. 😁

[John97Tdi]

I'd be willing to bet you can't get the old strut with the bent top plate to relocate either without a different fitting technique - that was something I tried when I couldn't get mine back together. If you look at adverts for the mount that was bent on your car( ebay/skandix) you will see the mounting studs are slightly 'splayed' but the plate is flat and there certainly isn't the bend that you seem to think is the problem. Having said that,if the steering/suspension geometry was somehow correct with the bent components in place (was the alignment checked after the car was damaged?) refitting 'straight' replacements to bent mounting points sounds like a recipe for further difficulties.

[waynedear]

Originally Posted by John97Tdi

I'd be willing to bet you can't get the old strut with the bent top plate to relocate either without a different fitting technique - that was something I tried when I couldn't get mine back together. If you look at adverts for the mount that was bent on your car( ebay/skandix) you will see the mounting studs are slightly 'splayed' but the plate is flat and there certainly isn't the bend that you seem to think is the problem. Having said that,if the steering/suspension geometry was somehow correct with the bent components in place (was the alignment checked after the car was damaged?) refitting 'straight' replacements to bent mounting points sounds like a recipe for further difficulties.

Hi John, the cat s was before I bought it so I have no idea if it was geometry checked.
I only wanted to change the shock as I thought it was knackered, sat maybe half an inch lower on that corner.
Now I have pulled everything apart I am starting to think the shock may be ok, soon as it stops raining I will go and get my head up inside the strut tunnel, I did notice when I tried to do up the 3 strut top mounting nuts something was not right.
Also found that the lower ball joint and track rod end are past their best.
May just have to cobble it back together so I can get back outside the house.

[TLPower]

The strut/damper shouldn't alter the ride height unless it was seized. The springs carry the vehicle's weight, the dampers are there to stop the oscillations of the springs.

If you can rebuild everything I would start measuring. Are the panel gaps between the wing/door/bonnet consistent from side to side and the gap between the front doors and back doors to rear wings?

If they are consistent measure wheel center to wing edge at 12 o'clock, 9 and 3. Then measure front wheel center to rear wheel center.

I forgot to ask if there was any evidence of a stress marks on the original top mount.

[John97Tdi]

As I understand it a category S is damage to crumple zone and/or chassis so its more than likely that the geometry between the strut turret and the subframe/chassis has been compromised giving rise to the half inch drop on that corner. With the best will in the world,unless you are a very competent mechanic,I'd be seeking professional help to make sure the car can be made not only straight but safe without throwing much more money at it.