I'm hopefully picking up a 94 940 Turbo Wagon tomorrow.
I swear I've been over this thread 100 times.
But it doesn't appear we've come to a general consensus.
How much tube should be welded in? 2", 2.25", 2.5"?
What size tire fits best?
What rear shock fits best?
What about rear springs? Stock Spring + 2 Hockey Pucks, ZJ Springs, XJ Springs?
etc
I'd like to have this relatively ironed out before I make the leap.
I don't have a lift, welder, or a suitable garage for any of this. (Its currently about 12* F Outside) So I'll be using my friends shop, but I'll only have one day to get everything done. (Figured I'll do Pads, Rotors, Plugs, Wires, Oil Change and Air Filter while I'm there.)
Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I'm hoping to have an awesome winter beater.
Dear lifted Volvo enthusiast,
There should be a sticky for this.
When I did this I wanted ground clearance above all else. I chose to go with 30 inch tires for that very reason and I had the LS that was planned for future so I didn't mind gearing changes.
If you're going to keep it stock turbo, I would go with 235/75/15 whateveryouwant tires. BFG's are my jam but there are some cool tires out there.
Front:
2.5 inch lift: Cut strut, add 2.5 inch tube in the middle area so you will not hit the perch with the bigger tires, weld up, put 2.5 inch spacer in bottom of strut housing for strut to rest on. Reinstall strut. 2.5 inches will clear the tires. 2 inches is stupid and not enough. The front strut tubes are 2.25 OD I believe and they're galvanized. Clean that **** off because zinc will wreck you. Bevel the tubes. Make it look nice.
Bonus points for building lower control arms to compensate for the positive camber you will now have. Remove the swaybar if you wish. I did. Never rolled. Never died. Corners well. Use your stock struts unless they really suck since Bilstein HD's are too stiff. Your suspension is now functioning outside it's sweet spot so it will be stiff. If you build the lower control arms or add heims (I can weld cast aluminum so I just got an idea) than you can remedy this issue.
Rear:
Remove stock springs.
Install I6 Cherokee front springs as they're softer than the V8 in the rear. You will have two inches of lift. If you so desire for more add hockey pucks for additional lift. One puck is around a half inch or so. Shocks will be the durango ones or whatever your heart desires thats a little longer travel than stock but with a relatively similar body so your bump travel will be nearly the same. The vanagon ones seems to be the right size and valving but untested.
Bonus points for chopping your panhard bar apart and threading in or welding an insert into the bar for a heim joint to correct your track. I did not. The car drives straight. I don't care. Now, your springs
WILL pop out at full articulation. My solution was to cut some tow straps and wrap them around the seat and the coil and I cut them long enough so it will barely hold the spring in at full articulation so I would have maximum flex. Drill a hole through them and put a grade 8 bolt through it with some big washers. I wanted to mount a tab for limiting straps but I didn't know how to weld then. This will save you on the trail or wherever you decide to jump at 70. My top speed is 95mph. THIS CAR IS SLOW.
As for how it drives:
It's excellent. It's tall. It's badass. It goes over a lot of terrain. Your gas mileage will go down with 30's but improve with 235's. Everyone will look at it. Everyone will love it. You will be out of step with the world.
Congratulations. You have built a Jeep Cherokee with two less cylinders, two less driving wheels and it will still go many places. Put some XJ flares on it and 1 inch wheel adapters with 5x4.5 wheels and you have a Jeep imposter.
Ideas I have thought about:
Camburg I beams. Longtravel front. Modify car to fit them. Probably +12 width all around in the front. hahahaha
960 front suspension with xc90 or forester struts in the front. More travel and more options for struts.
Fox coilovers in the front.
Chopping out the whole rear and doing a triangulated 4 link like a trophy truck.
Basically making a prerunner.
Remember it looks cool.
this is quite rad. Good show.
