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Noob 240 wheel and spring questions

whiskeytango

New member
Joined
Nov 3, 2017
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endless summer
I was interested in getting some "beauty rings" for my 87 240's 14" steel wheels and I see there are a lot of non Volvo, new universal rings for sale very reasonably on ebay... will these fit https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-14-Sta...ash=item5adb198b03:g:uVoAAOSwQcJaAcVD&vxp=mtr is there anything I need to know about depth or anything (I see these are 1 3/4" deep)?

I also have a question about springs- I understand the '79 GT had the highest rate factory front springs, is there a new spring made by anyone that is a direct replacement for that? Did the turbo cars from 81-85 have the same front springs (I see those for sale on ebay sometimes)? Any info or links to threads about this (I'm sure this has been discussed, it's just difficult to find hard data on spring rates) would be appreciated. thanks
 
Those rings have sharp claws that will rip the paint on your wheels.

Yes 240 turbo springs are a little stiffer, and repop '79 GT front springs are available.
 
I bought the aftermarket 'turbo' or HD springs from FCP and they are spec'd to the 242 GT part number. They have been a good spring. I bought them about 2006 and now have about 160k miles on them. On the rear I used over load springs. I think I measured mine being 14.3mm when they were new.
 
I bought the aftermarket 'turbo' or HD springs from FCP and they are spec'd to the 242 GT part number. They have been a good spring. I bought them about 2006 and now have about 160k miles on them. On the rear I used over load springs. I think I measured mine being 14.3mm when they were new.

Ah, FCP is selling the 14.5mm Lesjofors with the GT/HD part # https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo-coil-spring-lesjofors-1229337

That is the same setup I am after. What shocks / struts did you go with? Are Bilstein HD's valved for stockish springs like that?
 
I used KYB gas front inserts and they have sucked for a long time. They were good for about 50k miles. I can't remove the spacer in the bottom of the strut tube on my wagon. So the Bilstein shocks didn't fit well. I couldn't get enough threads to start. Sometimes it works. But mine didn't. I will probably try out the ebay Albo shocks I have. The Albo shocks are the yellow ones on ebay for about $90 a set.

One thing I recommend is the front body braces and also the strut plates for the top strut tower. They make the car feel much better.
 
One thing I recommend is the front body braces and also the strut plates for the top strut tower. They make the car feel much better.

Are strut plates the same thing as strut mounts, I'm new to suspension? Interested in what brand of mounts you guys recommend, and how can you tell if the ones in there need replacement? thanks for all the info

This will be first time replacing everything, including suspension bushings on a car. My only experience previously was using "quick struts" on a Japanese car.
 
Volvo and now the aftermarket make a reinforcement plate that goes between the top of the strut mount and under the top of the sheet metal strut tower. They stiffen up the mounting surface of the strut to the body and spread the load out a bit. When you get all the bracing it will cost a bit but it's worth it.
https://www.ipdusa.com/products/5050/105225-upper-strut-reinforcing-plates

I would suggest considering the strut mounts from Kaplhenke. For stock rubber mounts I don't know what is good anymore.
 
^ The eBay struts aren't bad, but the shocks are garbage.

I ran into this with my KYB stuff. The front struts were ok but the rear shocks were garbage. The front struts were the regular KYB gas inserts. Were good for about 50k or so. The rear shocks were the gas-adjust ones. They were blown out after about 20k and always lacked good rebound control with the overload springs. Whether the car was loaded or not.

I figured I should try another brand of affordable shock.That is why I bought the ebay Albo shocks. Maybe I will look for some Tokico shocks. They used to be a good affordable brand. At least for the rear they may work better. With cheap shocks I expect and usually get a shorter service life and I am ok with it. But the calibration should have at least an attempt at being right for the application.
 
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Gabriel Ultras for the rear. Damped surprisingly aggressive and dirt cheap. I'm currently at around ~20k with them on my DD, and 8-10 stage rally events on another pair. Zero failures yet.
 
Volvo and now the aftermarket make a reinforcement plate that goes between the top of the strut mount and under the top of the sheet metal strut tower. They stiffen up the mounting surface of the strut to the body and spread the load out a bit. When you get all the bracing it will cost a bit but it's worth it.
https://www.ipdusa.com/products/5050/105225-upper-strut-reinforcing-plates

thanks for the link!

Gabriel Ultras for the rear. Damped surprisingly aggressive and dirt cheap. I'm currently at around ~20k with them on my DD, and 8-10 stage rally events on another pair. Zero failures yet.

out of curiosity, what is in the front of the rally car? (spring rate / damper)
 
Custom Bilsteins inverted 50mm struts, 8.8in of travel, 290/130 damping and 225lb/in (maybe 200) springs.

Cost aside, would you say that's unsuitable for dd / street use on street tires that might do the occasional grass-o-cross? the spring rate isn't as high as I would have thought.
 
Cost aside, would you say that's unsuitable for dd / street use on street tires that might do the occasional grass-o-cross? the spring rate isn't as high as I would have thought.

It's not that great for a DD. For grass-o-cross, stock springs and struts are fine.
If you want something stiffer, HD front springs which are probably in the 140lb-in range are cheap and decent.
 
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