• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

What to get and what not to get? (suspension)

GhengisKhan

New member
Joined
May 16, 2007
Location
Republic of Texas
My fall-break is coming up and now that my 245 is sufficiently boosted I was going to some suspensions work. But I thought I'd ask a couple questions first.

I already have 23mm front and rear sway bars with new polyurethane bushings (made a big difference) firewall braces (didn't make any difference) and I have a strut tower bar on the way.
But I want to know if Bilstein HD struts and shocks will make a significant difference with stock wagon springs (I don't want to lower it). Of course I'll get new upper strut mounts.

Also are adjustable rear torque rods recommended? I'm not going all out, balls to the wall, with my 240, but I'd like a stiff, firm ride for some light autoX in the future.

Right now, besides the sway bars, and the polyurethane bushings, nothing suspension wise has been touched, which means it's all probably nearing 24 years old. :lol:

but is there anything else recommended?
 
you don't need adjustable rear torque rods unless you are going to a single piece driveshaft. Only reason to upgrade to an adjustable unit would be to get rod ends instead of rubber.

If you use poly just put poly in the stock torque rods.

solid upper strut mounts (camber plates) help alot
 
coilovers the koyote way?


are you related to cosmicmonster?? wtf??

coilovers = not to get

they'd offer him 0 advantages besides throwing money away with what he is doing...

Yes to Bil HD's, you'll like them and if your current shocks are shot, you'll notice them even more...
 
i recomend konis and the camber plates from benny. the stock strut mounts are crap and really take away from the polly bushings in the front. get heim jointed sway bar end links, seam weld the thing and go rallying.
 
you don't need adjustable rear torque rods unless you are going to a single piece driveshaft. Only reason to upgrade to an adjustable unit would be to get rod ends instead of rubber.

If you use poly just put poly in the stock torque rods.

solid upper strut mounts (camber plates) help alot

Good to know, same thing with the adjustable panhard rod? iPd's website suggests it for when you lower your car, I'm not interested in that, but would it do me any good?


are you related to cosmicmonster?? wtf??

coilovers = not to get

they'd offer him 0 advantages besides throwing money away with what he is doing...

Yes to Bil HD's, you'll like them and if your current shocks are shot, you'll notice them even more...

Coil-overs are a little over-my-head at this point. The front end is pretty bouncy right now...

Check your big trailing arm bushings [on the axle],and torque rod bushings.
Search '240 Volvo Bilstien' on E-Bay :nod:

My 240's been babied it's entire life, but I assume time degrades and wears down the rear end bushings as well?
I searched "240 Volvo Bilstein" :-P and got this but the description doesn't say exactly what comes with it. Should I just play it safe and go with iPd's website?


i recomend konis and the camber plates from benny. the stock strut mounts are crap and really take away from the polly bushings in the front. get heim jointed sway bar end links, seam weld the thing and go rallying.

Who's Benny? Koni's are probably out of my price range, I'm only looking to spend $600 or so.

One last question, my 3'' exhaust spools my 13c up nicely, how much bigger could I go without having tremendous turbo lag? This is just for future reference for my own benefit.
 
Bilstein HD struts will make a difference if you're on stock struts. For the rear, I'd use something other than Bilstein HD. Koni red or yellow are good. Bil HD shocks are good if they're revalved stiffer on rebound.

Poly in the torque rods is almost mandatory. Adjustable isn't needed. Only advantage to buying the adj. ones is that they come with poly already installed, so it may be cheaper if you can't install the bushings yourself and/or have to pay shop labor rates.

"Coilovers" can mean a lot of things. Most people don't use the height adjustment except to set the desired height when the springs are installed and to dump it to the bump stops for pictures. The main advantage is inexpensive 2.5" diameter springs that are available in lots of rates and lengths. If you get camber plates and want a lot of camber, the smaller diameter spring allows the strut to be tilted in further, so you can get more camber. Usually -1? to -1.5? is the most you can get from the stock diameter springs and camber plates, but that might be enough for a car mostly driven on the street.
 
Good to know, same thing with the adjustable panhard rod? iPd's website suggests it for when you lower your car, I'm not interested in that, but would it do me any good?
Adjustable panhard bar is useful when you lower your car but you said you are keeping stock ride height, correct? If so you dont need an adjustable bar.


Who's Benny? Koni's are probably out of my price range, I'm only looking to spend $600 or so.

I am Benny, aka BNE aka beigepower aka trianglesunlimited aka kaplhenke racing.. Koni Sports are 620 a set shipped.

One last question, my 3'' exhaust spools my 13c up nicely, how much bigger could I go without having tremendous turbo lag? This is just for future reference for my own benefit.

Skys the limit, the 13c will never be laggy.
 
15g is a nice upgrade with no noticeable lag.. i would suspect the 19t would also have a similar lack of lag.

his suspension needs improvement not his turbooooopooooo

19T doesn't have the response that my t25 had but it doesn't bother me...
still much better.
 
Here's my recommendations:
Front:
- Bil's HD struts
- GT Springs, 14.2 mm wire size, keeps the stock height, suspension rock solid, and are at least 20% stiffer than IPD lowering springs. Leigsfors from FCP are cheaper, but you can still get them from Volvo for $90 each.
http://volvowholesaleparts.com/part...=240&year=1990&catalogid=1&displayCatalogid=0
- Volvo OEM optioned hard rubber rear cup bushing on the rear of the A-arm. They are offered for only for the right side bushing, but put them on both sides. These are harder rubber than stock Volvo one's and have better dampening than poly and are just about as firm. Special order from the dealer for $38 each.
- Sway Bar end link bushings on the A-arm, poly if you don't already have them along with poly sway bar bushings.
-Strut mounts from Volvo, not aftermarket. The better quality rubber is worth the price.
-Strut mount braces under the strut mounts. Without these you will punch out the strut towers with Bil's and stiffer springs. The dealer had them for $35 a set last I looked.
-Lower braces as used on the 242GT. I think these are better nose stiffening than upper braces or strut tower braces, worth every penny, ~$60 from IPD, others.
- Add the upper braces, as you already have, and the nose flex will be almost nil
- This combo is an excellent rough road suspension, and works well with the long travel stiff springs and Bil's, great for those crappy TX backroads/dirtroads. :)

A cheaper way out than Bil's is to find a good used set of the OEM Volvo 242GT gas strut cartridges, but good luck finding these.

Rear:
- Lower rear trailing arm bushings, Volvo rubber, as others mentioned. If you want to go to the extent to replace the front, use Volvo rubber, too. They are very hard and last (also hard to get in/out).
-Springs, rear overload coils, Leijsfors or aftermarket, cheap from IPD, FCP, $90/set.
- Torque rod bushing poly (?) I used Volvo rubber and have no complaints.
- Panhard rod, I use IPD adj only because I bent the stock one with the stiff 25 mm IPD sway bar and the poly bushings are better than stock. I found a big improvement with the bar, but there's no huge benefit from the adjust-ability. If you get one, I would weld the nut or Loctite it in place.
- Shocks, Bil HD, nothing wrong with these, but I always wanted to retro-fit a set of big 965 Nivo's and have much firmer rear shock than the Bil HD back there :cool:
 
Bilstein HD struts will make a difference if you're on stock struts. For the rear, I'd use something other than Bilstein HD. Koni red or yellow are good. Bil HD shocks are good if they're revalved stiffer on rebound.

Poly in the torque rods is almost mandatory. Adjustable isn't needed. Only advantage to buying the adj. ones is that they come with poly already installed, so it may be cheaper if you can't install the bushings yourself and/or have to pay shop labor rates.

"Coilovers" can mean a lot of things. Most people don't use the height adjustment except to set the desired height when the springs are installed and to dump it to the bump stops for pictures. The main advantage is inexpensive 2.5" diameter springs that are available in lots of rates and lengths. If you get camber plates and want a lot of camber, the smaller diameter spring allows the strut to be tilted in further, so you can get more camber. Usually -1? to -1.5? is the most you can get from the stock diameter springs and camber plates, but that might be enough for a car mostly driven on the street.

Mix and match shocks and struts? I've never heard of that before. I can attest to Koni's being very nice, me and my brother-in-law installed some all the way around on his Fleetwood and now it handles less like a boat and more like a proper car.


Adjustable panhard bar is useful when you lower your car but you said you are keeping stock ride height, correct? If so you dont need an adjustable bar.

I am Benny, aka BNE aka beigepower aka trianglesunlimited aka kaplhenke racing.. Koni Sports are 620 a set shipped.

Skys the limit, the 13c will never be laggy.

You're Benny? Well maybe you could PM me what all comes with your Koni kit!

Bigger turbo will come much much later, I need to be able to turn and stop before I go fast, right?
 
Back
Top