Nivomat Shocks on ‘98 V70XC

[blakemcelroy2000]

Hey all. So the Nivomat rear shocks on my ‘98 V70R look and feel pretty blown (boots torn, very loose rear end feel) but I really don’t want to spend the ~$300 per shock, especially since I eventually want to swap all the suspension with lowered coil overs. Do ‘98 V70XCs have the same Nivomat shocks as V70Rs? Ive seen quite a few while diggin around in junkyards and would prefer to just get a used set for now.

[dl242gt]

I would say the shock may be longer since the XC is higher suspension settings. If the length is close you'll probably be fine. You can also get the parts from a non nivomat car for less than the price of one new nivomat. You'll just need shocks and springs.

[Kjets On a Plane]

^this. The V70R nivos are unique.
No non-nivomat AWD P80 models in the USA market that I know of?

Not as easy as a solid axle 7/9 with nivos where you can just go to a USA junkyard & pull parts off a garden variety USA non-nivo model (usually a more basic 744/745 (or similar more basic / less optioned 900 series) if you had a 764/765/945SE or -‘94 965?) or order some moog or IPD sold/distributed overloads or replacement rear coils easy enough.
Or even 960 (face lift 960 they sold either way, self leveling transverse leaf spring setup or not/conventional shocks) or even MK1 irs 7/9 where you can recombine junkyard parts from USA model cars to convert to conventional shocks/springs.

The diameter of the rear P80 AWD springs & their length is very usual if you don’t wish to lower it/do a lot of other suspension modifications & just want to stop at conventional shocks/springs & stock ride/ride height& forego the self leveling shocks.

There’s a good post over on Volvospeed (I’m too lazy to search) on how to convert to conventional springs/Bilsteins (or OEM Sachs/boge ?) rear shocks from an ‘rest of world’ or base model S70 T5 AWD (or or whatever they call thst trim level in varying markets that uses the same mechanicals (2.3 bore T5 motor & ecu & sportier suspension…they call it S70R in some markets I believe? & same engine in ‘98 as a 98V70R & T5?) in Canada/elsewhere?

Apparently, theoretically (idk if anyone has corner weighted them but measured the OEM spring, yes?), the s70 weighs about the same in the back & it matches the V70R front height fine?

No more self- leveling, but the results look good, drives fine (did the conversion to another car not my own/someone else’s money) picking the bones of a kelowna, BC Canada junkyard S70 AWD T5 sans nivos/self leveling suspension option on the rare half-off sale day following the Volvo speed article/part #s & what to look for.

Worked great when V70Rs were super rare in the JYs here (still kind of are but there was a little flurry when they were fully depreciated between ~14-18 years old there but seem to all have mostly all expired, now (minty fresh kills, especially?) ) , much less minty well maintained fresh kills with replaced low mile nivos (now they’re usually all high miles/ridden hard & put away wet but there was s little golden seam of fresh kill Rs especially 99-00s over desirable ‘98s for people in the know 5-6 years ago?).

Idk if those springs are still available new…iirc at the time it was ~200-300 to buy the springs & conventional replacement shocks new (depending on the day/year & where you sourced them & what rear shock you selected), so about half the cost of the nivomats & no more self leveling as the compromise?

I’m down to my last spare pair of replaced lower mile V70R rear nivomats that aren’t the XC quasi-x-over-SUV-height & Valving…
…that said the XC nivos/springs aren’t *that* much taller/softer if you just need something to get you by and happen to find an XC with replaced minty nivos in the JY & yours are totally shot!…

BTDT and the rake/ handling on the fwd chsssis wasn’t *totally ridiculous* like it is/can be on the RWDs If you get them out of balance like that if you’re budget is like mine ($100 & 2 hours junkyard time?) & you find the idea of paying $600 or having to wait for them to go on sale for ~$400 absurd and are a JY dog/have those cars in your junkyards…

[Appelsap]

I have new xc nivomats on my v70r, they fit fine. The "r" version is nla, so you can't get them anyway. The xc nivomats wil ride high, but you can lower them. Just search v70 or p80 drop bolts/ fooler bolts, easy and cheap mod. I can take a picture if you like.

[Kjets On a Plane]

^I saw guys do that to MKII 960s w/nivos to lower them, seems like a good fix (drop bolts or perches/mounts) if you can find an XC with minty replaced nivos in the JY & your jy has reasonable prices or doesn’t try to gouge you because of the large boots/think it’s an ‘air bag / air shock’ (which it kinda is, but they don’t know that/can’t see Inside it or likely how it works for some hand full of obscure euro cars that use those shocks) but there’s no air hose connection/it looks like a conventional shock otherwise when you bring one up to the counter & they usually can’t see the part # to research it thru the grime).

Didn’t realize the V70R nivos were NLA?
My replaced p80 V70R nivos that I scored are low mile/use, but *at least* a decade old…
I think I paid uh…self serve JY ‘regular shock’ price after some negotiation after a couple attempts (did have to drop one pair of replaced minty V70XC nivos like a hot rock on the counter after they tried rape me on price once for ‘premium air shock’ or some such nonsense…JY dogs beware/evaluate counter clerk for greed/viciousness smelling blood & act (politely but) accordingly? ) on half off…

Presumably you can also use nivos (if you want nivos / don’t convert to conventional springs (you need the stiffer conventional springs) & shocks setup some of the ‘rest of world’ AWD P80s got…I did like the sportier conventional shock/spring setup better from a handling perspective & cost of new replacement wear part(s) perspective (just the conventional shock itself is the actual wear part, not the spring really (or internal air pump & defacto air bag in the nivomat, basically) with some brand choice like a revalve-able/rebuildable long life warranty Bilstein HD monotube gas shock/strut insert ) from a USA S70 AWD If you don’t mind the damping rates (& can’t buy new nor find good used V70R nivos?) & want the regular ride height & are too lazy to use drop bolts or perches (those cars (USA S70/V70 AWD non-XC) take regular ‘car’ sized tires & aren’t lifted, but still have nivomats standard)?