Installing rear struts, is it much harder than fronts?

[gibbons]

I read JayPinNC's excellent thread about changing front struts. It doesn't look any more invasive than bearings, which I have done an annoying 6 times in 90K miles, 2 rear and 4 front. But he did the front struts. How about the rears, are they easier or harder? My copy of Vadis is on an old PC that won't fire up.

I'm replacing the rears "just cuz" since the new ones are gone, I think. The car is a little floaty on the freeway, is that the sign, or is 90K and 8 years about time anyway?

I'm thinking that new struts all the way around, new lower control arms, new Michelin Primacy's and an alignment should make this car ride like new.

[Astro14]

Howard wrote up the rear shock replacement a month ago...pretty straightforward job.

I think that mine are pretty gone at 137K...and on the short list for work to be done.

[howardc64]

2nd person + big crow bar will help a lot. Need a lot of pressure to press the control arm down to get the strut on and off. The bushing on the control arm is nice and stiff and don't want to give much.

With a single person, you have to press the control arm down with your chest leaning on the crow bar (one hand+arm can't do it) while aligning and putting the strut assembly on. I did it but not fun and kinda dangerous without good control of quite a bit of forces + awkward position.

Here is the old link. Replacement made a big difference on a 100k mile 01V70XC thats never been off road.

http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17428

[madbill683]

I thought the rears were shocks? I was looking under the car (07 XC70) this weekend. I think front struts are worn, as the car hops/slips over potholes (many in downtown Norfolk) just like my '98 S70 did. I'm not upset, since it has 49K on the clock. Am I over-analyzing? I didn't catch this during the three test drives in January, shame on me.

Bill

[JRL]

Rears ARE shocks, no springs to deal with

[billr99]

I read JayPinNC's excellent thread about changing front struts. It doesn't look any more invasive than bearings, which I have done an annoying 6 times in 90K miles, 2 rear and 4 front. But he did the front struts. How about the rears, are they easier or harder? My copy of Vadis is on an old PC that won't fire up.

I'm replacing the rears "just cuz" since the new ones are gone, I think. The car is a little floaty on the freeway, is that the sign, or is 90K and 8 years about time anyway?

I'm thinking that new struts all the way around, new lower control arms, new Michelin Primacy's and an alignment should make this car ride like new.

The job is a bit more involved than a strut but not nearly as complicated as described in VADIS/VIDA. Technically, the unit is more of a coil-over arrangement and you will need a compressor to relieve the spring pressure so that the unit can be dismantled. Its not as much as a strut but enough to prevent you just undoing the nut and going at it. For anyone with basic wrenching ability its definitely a do-able job but figure on half a day, perhaps, to get it all done especially if you include the coffee breaks like I did.

Cheers,

Bill

[howardc64]

Yes, I think Volvo technically calls it a shock. But the shock goes through the spring that is compressed. The spring is compressed against a plate welded onto the bottom of the shock. The top is requires a rubber seat + an aluminum housing and is held in place by a nut. I'd say pretty much assembled like the front struts than a standard shock :) Like Bill said, you need a spring compressor.

I think the rear job is harder than the front. Mainly due to the significant force you need to push the control arm down to get the spring+shock assembly on and off. A second person would have made it really easy. Look at my post for where I used as leverage for the crow bar (I used a piece of wood as a flat leverage surface)

http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showpost.php?p=122042&postcount=1

Oh, be careful on VADIS directions. The plastic cover on the bottom of the control arm is one piece on my car and different than VADIS. But it isn't too hard to remove.

[billr99]

Oh, be careful on VADIS directions. The plastic cover on the bottom of the control arm is one piece on my car and different than VADIS. But it isn't too hard to remove.

And it is only held on by small 10mm bolts going into threaded holes in the lower link arm. If the car has seen any salt at all, those bolts are nearly welded into the arm. I actually broke one off by just trying to see how tight it was and if I needed to give them a squirt of Deep Creep. That is, the bolts are pretty corroded and weak so be careful. In the end I ended up having to use some black zip-ties to put the cover back on.

In regard to the effort to locate the shock onto the lower arm, I did use a rachet strap and a crow bar with the strap tensioned up before I unbolted the shock. Doing that it only took a wee bit of leverage with the bar to get things to all slip back together fairly easily. On this job, a bit of study and thought beforehand will save you a lot of effort later; and I suspect that those who had a hard time, let things get away from them early which is easy enough to do.

Have fun,

Bill

[gibbons]

It looks tight swinging the "shock" outwards to be able to pull it down, I guess the calipers and rotors come off? And to get at the tops of the shocks in the chassis towers, lots of plastic interior comes off?

[billr99]

It looks tight swinging the "shock" outwards to be able to pull it down, I guess the calipers and rotors come off? And to get at the tops of the shocks in the chassis towers, lots of plastic interior comes off?

Nope. Top mount bolts are exposed when you pull the forward floor panel out and move a bit of the foam backing out of the way. No need to pull any of the inner side panels. You then undo the lower shock bolt and the thing comes out as a unit, much like a strut. No need to remove calipers, rotors, etc. I suppose if you have the third seat there could be some complications but if not, it really is pretty straight forward job.

Cheers,

Bill

[haoz129]

Nope. Top mount bolts are exposed when you pull the forward floor panel out and move a bit of the foam backing out of the way. No need to pull any of the inner side panels. You then undo the lower shock bolt and the thing comes out as a unit, much like a strut. No need to remove calipers, rotors, etc. I suppose if you have the third seat there could be some complications but if not, it really is pretty straight forward job.

Cheers,

Bill

Agree, no inner panels nor calipers need to be touch.
Plus, even with 3rd row seat, only a small plastic cover (both side) need to be out.

Thanks.

[howardc64]

[QUOTE=billr99;128623]In regard to the effort to locate the shock onto the lower arm, I did use a rachet strap and a crow bar with the strap tensioned up before I unbolted the shock. Doing that it only took a wee bit of leverage with the bar to get things to all slip back together fairly easily./QUOTE]

Indeed, I had a ratchet strap on as well. I found I couldn't pull the control arm down anywhere nearly far enough to get the spring+shock assembly on/off. I had a set of Costco ratchets. Not the best but definitely not super fragile cheap ones either. The ratchet did keep the control arm down and out of the way while pulling the shock/spring assembly in and out of the wheel well.

Anyhow, to gibbons question, just 1 or 2 nuts at the top under the cargo floor. and I recall 3 bolts holding the spring+shock assembly to the unibody frame and I think one bolt on the bottom of the shock to the control arm.

[myzomela]

I'm gearing up to do this job in a couple of weeks. For spring compressors, would a bog standard pair of compressors from the local car parts shop - like these - do the trick?
http://media.supercheapauto.com.au/sca/images/12548.jpg

[billr99]

I'm gearing up to do this job in a couple of weeks. For spring compressors, would a bog standard pair of compressors from the local car parts shop - like these - do the trick?
http://media.supercheapauto.com.au/sca/images/12548.jpg

Worked for me. I'd recommend getting the type with the safety catch on the hooks though. Just like the fronts, these stock Volvo springs have a fairly long free length and to compress them sufficiently, you are putting a lot of force into those compressors and I never thought the hooks wrapped around the spring wire quite enough.

Cheers,

Bill

[xcdriver902]

I didn't find the rears as difficult as the fronts, and they were definitely in worse shape. The ratchet straps wouldn't do the job of getting the control arms down, but a small comealong like this one worked great.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/6/Tools/ShopEquipment/Hoists/PRD~0618153P/1-Ton+Hoist+Puller.jsp?locale=en

[myzomela]

Worked for me. I'd recommend getting the type with the safety catch on the hooks though.

Good idea Bill, thanks. I'll have to see what I can find locally.

[lichty]

The straps will work if both wheels are in the air, otherwise you are fighting the sway bar.