XC70: Suspension Ride height

[FreeNet]

This is my first post so I will introduce myself before I dare asking any question.

I own a Volvo XC70 P3 bought used in 2019 as an import. Always liked Volvos and this model in particular so when opportunity arose I went for it. The car is nice, had it's fair share of small problems, like raining through the roof antenna seal, but no major work was done on it. I maintain my cars by myself because in the recent 25 years I had a lot of unpleasant service experiences (mainly dealership but not excluding indie). As a result, in time, the hobby became a useful skill.

And now my question to those with more experience: is my car too low?

I measured 70mm from arch to tire, car is leveled, I have the same gap on all corners. It is true that for summer tire I upsized to 245/50 R18 which could mean an extra 5mm from stock tires 235/50 R18, so let's say the gap is 75mm.
This question arise as a result of:
- compared with another XC70 in a parking lot mine seems lower
- compared to the same car which had a neutral camber stance my wheels look to be negative cambered
- the rear seems to reach the coil spring damper on moderate loading (I would suspect nivomat but it does seem to keep it's leveled stance)
- a few times, on bumpier roads i heard front unexpected hard noises like the shocks would bottom out

All these make me wonder if my coil springs/shocks are ok? The installed ones do not look to have been anyone's tuning project in the past.

Does your XC70 have the same wheel arch gap? Any measurement would be greatly appreciated!

[Tatsfield]

On my 2012 XC70 I also have 235/50 R18 tyres which are brand new with virtually no wear at all. The clearance from the top of the tyre to the edge of the arch is 85mm, front and rear, so yours does seem a bit low. However, as your car is an import, the spec may be slightly different. I assume that it is a Japanese car which may have a bearing on the spec.

[FreeNet]

Thank you for your quick reply and precise information!

Only 10mm... I was expecting something in the range of 25mm, that is strange, I will lift the car a little bit and see what would be necessarys to achieve a neutral camber. I will check control arms maybe my bushings are shot and that is where the negative camber is, a neutral stance would almost certain gain me those 10mm and would explain the noises. I am thinking that coil springs should be ok, I mean I had broken coils an other cars but never 4 "tired" coils. "Police" coils presumably are even sturdier than the normal ones.

Sorry for the created confusion, the car is a intra-community EU import, from Netherlands to my country, at least this is what I have been told! I just realized why you thought at a Japan import car.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by FreeNet

This is my first post so I will introduce myself before I dare asking any question.

I own a Volvo XC70 P3 bought used in 2019 as an import. Always liked Volvos and this model in particular so when opportunity arose I went for it. The car is nice, had it's fair share of small problems, like raining through the roof antenna seal, but no major work was done on it. I maintain my cars by myself because in the recent 25 years I had a lot of unpleasant service experiences (mainly dealership but not excluding indie). As a result, in time, the hobby became a useful skill.

And now my question to those with more experience: is my car too low?

I measured 70mm from arch to tire, car is leveled, I have the same gap on all corners. It is true that for summer tire I upsized to 245/50 R18 which could mean an extra 5mm from stock tires 235/50 R18, so let's say the gap is 75mm.
This question arise as a result of:
- compared with another XC70 in a parking lot mine seems lower
- compared to the same car which had a neutral camber stance my wheels look to be negative cambered
- the rear seems to reach the coil spring damper on moderate loading (I would suspect nivomat but it does seem to keep it's leveled stance)
- a few times, on bumpier roads i heard front unexpected hard noises like the shocks would bottom out

All these make me wonder if my coil springs/shocks are ok? The installed ones do not look to have been anyone's tuning project in the past.

Does your XC70 have the same wheel arch gap? Any measurement would be greatly appreciated!

I'd question the springs/shocks. If you're hearing noises and feeling "bottoming out", that would be where I'd start. Those shocks could be original on the car, although I don't know how old it is or how many miles it has done.

Personally, I'd be jacking the car up and having a good look at the condition of the suspension overall and checking for any unwanted movement etc. If you do replace shock absorbers or springs, get a proper 4 wheel laser alignment done afterwards.

[FreeNet]

The car is from 2016 and has ~100.000km now.
Yes, I will check the shocks and the coils (at first look, no rust, no signs of intervention).
I am thinking the negative camber might be a consequence of the failed control arm hidro bushing. The 10mm difference is much less than what I expected.

I need to carefully inspect/replace all failed rubber parts and shocks and then and alignment is in order. I checked the prices on Nivomat shocks, almost gave me a heart attack