Suspension: 2003 V70 front strut review

[2.4TSE]

I have owned my V70 2.4T with factory "lowered dynamic chassis" and Nivomat rear dampers since new. It is now on its fourth set of front struts - all with standard lowering springs - so here's a comparison in case it helps other Forum Users since I guess relatively few will have had such variety!

OEM
Pros - They came with the car
Cons - Wooden and clumsy - so when the front lefthand strut met its demise against a kerb the pair were replaced by a set of...

Bilstein B6
Pros - Totally devoid of all float. Very "planted" with sharper turn-in as well as more reassuring steering feel deep in to 3 digit speeds on my annual Autobahn drive. Better traction whereby 2nd gear would accept all the BSR PPC beans with nary more than a squirm. First impressions were therefore promising
Cons - Initially limited to slight jiggliness but I eventually found markedly increased road noise and very abrupt damping off gentle crests to be wearing and out of character with an otherwise relaxing car - so in search of refinement I replaced them with...

Sachs Super Touring
Pros - Road noise nearly entirely absent (the silence was astonishing) and a Citroenesque magic carpet ride on rutted B roads at any speed over 40MPH
Cons - Horribly baggy on any surface approaching smooth. Floating off crests. Roly-poly behaviour on any roundabout and with a vague transition between the two states on exit. Add four bicycles on the roof and the understeer was horrid. With no idea that I was unhappy with the car's handling my eight year old son started complaining that he was car sick on cruisy motorway drives. After 15 months since fitting I had had enough so replacing them with...

Bilstein B4
Pros - Planted and tactile steering. Compliant damping that is devoid of float but which still allows the car to settle without choppiness
Cons - Quieter than I remember OEM struts to be and hugely quieter than the B6s but not as quiet as the Sachs items were

So, I've now sunk a fair sum in to struts, I am probably two pairs up on where I would otherwise be, and it is early days with the B4s but I feel that I finally have what I have been seeking. Whether my son now ceases to be car sick will be the acid test compared to the Super Tourings but a promising sign came from my wife; she had no idea of what I'd had done - simply that the car had been in dock for servicing - but has just returned home after driving it on a mix of freely running roads and commented "how nicely it sits on the road".

[Georgeandkira]

Hello, Great reporting.
I must say the next step toward assessing shock/strut performance would require instruments.

It would be nice to experience the difference between the Bilstein H4's and H6's as you did.

After fitting a Saab 9-5 with H6's (additionally referred to as "Heavy Duty" in my source's listings)-thus resurrecting the car's feel- all I can say is that I'd select the same were I to redo my V70.
I can't see the larger, heavier Volvo reacting harshly as the H6's are heavenly on the Saab. Crisp, yes. Harsh, twitchy, abrupt, no.

NOTE: I installed the Sachs SuperTourings on all 4 corners of my V70 and while I have enjoyed a restored ride it is horribly docile-as you too concluded.

Did your wife drive the car after the B6's? Good luck with them. Kira

[cheshired5]

Excellent info 2.4TSE!

I fitted some Meyle last year as funds were tight and a certain mot fail loomed.
They've been great in an adequate and good value for money kind of way but I've been wanting a full refresh for a while.

My heart wanted to lower slightly and use Bilstein B6s and my head wanted B4s.

Your review is as I would have expected so B4s it will be.

[2.4TSE]

Thanks for the comments, Both.

Kira - The B6s weren't what I would call harsh or twitchy but they were certainly abrupt on my V70 with OEM sports springs that I guess are themselves stiffer than the OEM "non-sports" ones. As an example; there are some pronounced sequential stretches of subsidence on a 60MPH stretch of road near my home and with the B6s fitted the front end of the car behaved like it was magnetically attracted to the road surface, accurately following it to the millimetre. Ugh ugh ugh ugh over each change of horizontal direction. To your question; my wife has been a regular driver of the car since it was new and when I purchased her C30 T5 R-design she commented how it was much more compliant on bumpy roads than the V70 - despite 18" wheels on the 30 vs 17" on the 70 - and with less road noise. The V70 was wearing B6s on the front at the time.

As a further comment to my post; there may well be cheaper places but as a guide, I paid £228 for the pair of B4s from Demon Tweaks.

[Welton]

Nice write up there 2.4TSE, having just fitted B4's to my S40 I can concur that they match the standard chassis beautifully. The vastly reduced road noise was unexpected but very welcome and the car takes on a settled and precise stance whatever you throw at it. Pound for pound they have been the best modification/upgrade I've ever tried.

[Longhouse21]

Brilliant write up and excellent info. I've just bought a set of B4 to fit all round, front & rears and I'm heartened by your comments - PFS £248 delivered for the set (almost have the rears for free at that price!).

[4candles]

Wish i had this great info when i did mine, i have been utterly depressed by the Boge ones i fitted over a year ago. Their motto should be 'Games a Bogey'.

[oragex]

Adding my early experience with Boge struts. The seller said they were replacement for Sachs. So I run on front Boge struts and rear Sachs shocks.

I would say it's pathetic. The front stays higher and the Boge struts are crappy all around.

[Shires]

Originally Posted by oragex

Adding my early experience with Boge struts. The seller said they were replacement for Sachs. So I run on front Boge struts and rear Sachs shocks.

I would say it's pathetic. The front stays higher and the Boge struts are crappy all around.

Boge are Sachs, same company just different branding. They have many different shocks for each model of car.

Boge/Sachs shocks work brilliantly on my old 5 series but they are original equipment on that car so I imagine quite a bit of effort has gone into getting the setup right in that case.

[oragex]

Originally Posted by Shires

Boge are Sachs, same company just different branding. They have many different shocks for each model of car.

Boge/Sachs shocks work brilliantly on my old 5 series but they are original equipment on that car so I imagine quite a bit of effort has gone into getting the setup right in that case.

It seems indeed to be the same company, but the products have different prices.. On the Boge box there is no mention of Sachs, same on the strut. The original struts on Volvo are Sachs, but then again, I would guess too that getting a new Sachs from the store doesn't mean it's the exact quality as the original one. As you mention with the original suspension the car was handling much better and also was way better balanced. Alas, they were worn and rattling my dentition over street cracks, even worst in winter. Dental repairs tend to be expensive here

Edit: all in all, I would not go with Boge again. But I would give Sachs a try.