'08 V70 2.4D harsh ride remedies?

[macaulays]

Afternoon All,

Have recently taken on an 08 V70 which I'm pretty happy with (even if it needs a little more tlc than I expected!). One area I'm surprised by (and never having had another I don't have a baseline to compare against) is the ride quality. Pretty decent when on the motorway but on rutted town roads and out in the country where I live it seems to ride extremely firmly, lots of jiggling on uneven surfaces (to the point that it made me feel a bit quesy compared to our other car at one point!) and really crashed in a bone jarring fashion over any pot holes or dips - curse me for test driving only on the M90...

While it's a bit spine shattering, there aren't any squeaks or clanks, everything sounds pretty 'tight' still so am presuming this is just a feature of the default setup rather than something having worn out? Is there anything I could do come component renewal time that might soften things up a bit / make life a little comfier?

Any thoughts most welcome.

Sandy

[40t]

I'm afraid it is a feature, though I had trailing arm bushes and four new dampers on my '08 last year - it made a big difference and removed the painful crashing over potholes you're experiencing - but it could still be better on poor surfaces. The more surprising improvement with the dampers (despite it being low mileage) was the handling.

[macaulays]

Many thanks 40t - do you mind if I ask roughly how much you were looking at for the dampers work? Did you have an issue that required their replacement or was it a 'planned renewal' as it were? Wonder if that's something I should consider proactively doing...?

Cheers!

[tommyweaves]

What size wheels, and what tyres pressures are you on?

[macaulays]

Hi Tommy,

I think its 225/50/R17 at 38 if I recall?

Sandy

[tommyweaves]

Originally Posted by macaulays

Hi Tommy,

I think its 225/50/R17 at 38 if I recall?

Sandy

Doesn't sound like that's your problem then!

[40t]

Originally Posted by macaulays

Many thanks 40t - do you mind if I ask roughly how much you were looking at for the dampers work? Did you have an issue that required their replacement or was it a 'planned renewal' as it were? Wonder if that's something I should consider proactively doing...?

Cheers!

Hi macaulays, I started with the trailing arm bushes - the garage picked up on that. The crashing over potholes had seemed worse at the rear, and indeed it made a big difference. But the front still felt harsh. Like you, not having owned a newer one, I didn't know what it should feel like. So I took a punt and had all four dampers replaced - Sachs - they were £310 + fitting. They did the tailgate struts at the same time. A total of 5 hours. An excellent generalist garage I use between annual dealer services, but I don't think they'd done this job on a P3 V70 before and said it was 'fiddly' in some areas. Possibly a Volvo specialist would take less time.

As I say, it's a great improvement but not the complete answer - I believe it was a weak point from new. I understand the XC70's are better, if anyone with experience of both can comment?

[ferg55]

Originally Posted by macaulays

I think its 225/50/R17 at 38 if I recall?

38 psi sounds quite high for a 50 profile tyre under normal driving conditions. My S80 on a 40 profile (18") has 33 psi for the fronts / 30 psi rears written on the label (in the door shut) for sub 160kph speeds. I think it goes up to 38 only for Autobahn speeds and with 4 passengers and luggage. I run at 35 all round, as I commute on a motorway everyday and prefer the steering feel over 33. Also 33 at the front does make the tyres look a bit soft under the heavy D5. I have put 38 in before and they felt rock hard. I'd suggest checking your label, and if permitted then dropping the PSI to what you feel applicable to your circumstances, you should notice a big improvement in comfort.

[Tatsfield]

Tyre pressure for standard loading for your car is 33 psi with 38 psi for short term use for heavy loads. I'd reduce the pressure to no more than 35 psi if you like a firm ride or 33 psi if you want to conform to Volvo's recommendation.

[macaulays]

Good plan - will give that a try and see what difference that makes!