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960 960 MK2 multilink transverse leaf removal

wckd

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2008
Location
Estonia, EU
Hey,

As I've finally bought rear coilovers for my 960, I'm going to embark on the journey of swapping the current non-nivo leaf spring for the nivo version in order to lower the rear some. Has anyone gone through / come across a writeup on the removal / installation procedure? Is this something that can be done without a lift (bottom access is fine from below the garage) with limited tools? I'm kinda worried about relieving the tension on the spring...

Thanks!
 
I've pulled and reinstalled the whole IRS on a few late 960s. Its pretty simple and not too bad to do on jackstands. I've never taken the spring off by its self though, I have always split the subframe and left the spring installed on the lower section with the arms too. You can pull it like that without taking too much other stuff apart.

Are you getting the spring from a junkyard? Just pull it like that and its an easy swap.
 

Thanks! I've been through those threads a couple of times and this is the bit that has me wary:

Okay, so to do this you need to pull most of the rear suspension off the car. I did this 4 times with the front of the car on the ground so it’s possible. Keep the jack handy as you’ll need to use it multiple times. Remove the brakes, trailing arms, sway bar, and the other bar at the back of the hub (the upper control arm is the only one that stays). The spring is still under tension when the suspension is completely extended so you’ll need to lift on the lower control arm with the jack to unbolt the hub from it. Then it’s a simple matter of the 10 bolts that hold the lower rear subframe to the upper rear subframe.

While volvoclub.org.uk suggests:

Put the car on stands and put two people in the backseats or the trunk, or secure the car so it can't be lifted from the support stands otherwize. Loosen the bolt bolting the hub-house to the lower control arm. Place a jack under the lower control arm at the hub side and lift it up to compress the leaf spring enough so the bolt bolting the lower control arm to the hub-house becomes loose. Knock it out and then slowly lower the jack to release the spring tension. Then do the same on the other side. Same procedure when mounting it. Mount everything but the bolt holding the lower control arm to the hub- house, this will allow the spring to still be slack. Then make sure the spring is seated correctly in the lower control arm, and jack it up until you can get the bolt to the hub-house in

So I guess my question is - are two people in the trunk definitely enough to keep the car from lifting from the jack-stands? Or is the spring tension actually not that big a concern?


Are you getting the spring from a junkyard? Just pull it like that and its an easy swap.

The nivo spring is already dismantled from another car, now I need to swap that onto my non-nivo rear in my tiny garage without a lift.
 
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There is enough tension in that fiberglass spring, according to my Volvo mechanic of some 30 years, that it’ll cut your arm off if it’s set free the wrong way.

Apparently Volvo made a specific tool for removing and installing it. This is just what he told me, but I trust him - so please be careful!
 
So I guess my question is - are two people in the trunk definitely enough to keep the car from lifting from the jack-stands? Or is the spring tension actually not that big a concern?
No need for extra weight, just a good jack(and pad) for supporting lower control arms when taking apart and assembling. Spring tension is always a concern of sorts and you'll have to think where control arms are trying to move when opening bolts. But nothing out of ordinary. Both quotes include phases of what you need to do and look for.

No special tools needed either, if a rubber mallet isn't one. Changing the rear spring or rear end for a first time can be a handful and naturally easiest to do on a lift.

Transverse lower control arms need some room to come down after releasing from the hub and this is where the jack is most important too. I've taken care of one side at a time and finally left the lower part of subframe hanging from the sway bar while supporting rear end with a jack. Now there is enough room to open the bolts for spring fasteners. At this point hub is hanging from the upper control arm as a complete, no need for disassembling brakes.

The reason I haven't dropped the lower part of the subframe while changing rear spring are sway bar links. Nuts point upwards above the subframe and the winter climate here means rusted out link threads. Opening them without heat is not an option. On the left side tank is next to it so right side is the reasonable possibility. But I've done this only when changing a rear end. After a couple times and with air/electric tools it's not a big job.
 
Transverse lower control arms need some room to come down after releasing from the hub and this is where the jack is most important too. I've taken care of one side at a time and finally left the lower part of subframe hanging from the sway bar while supporting rear end with a jack. Now there is enough room to open the bolts for spring fasteners. At this point hub is hanging from the upper control arm as a complete, no need for disassembling brakes.

So, as I have this on hold for the night - are you saying there's no need to remove the sway bar? I have loosened everything I can see relevant except the swaybar nuts/bolts (these fckrs are fubar'd by rust). At this point it seems to me that:
a) the lower subframe would be held back by the swaybar not allowing enough room to release the brackets holding the spring.
b) The control arms wouldn't clear the support arm (at least as long as it's bolted to the sway bar and contol arm stay) when released from the hub.

The good news is that the GAZ coilovers from classicswede do seem lika a bolt-on solution. And a very easy solution for those looking to replace the nivomats on 960 mk2 IRS.
 
J2BiX5sl.jpg


Yeah, you can do this without removing the sway bar (after rereading Lankku's post I see that this shouldn't come as a surprise really :p). Anyway, this has only taken me a day and a half so far and I still have both my arms so that's good. The nivo spring and the coilovers are in, will tighten everything up tomorrow and see if will sit where I want it to. Yay.
 
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