2004 xc70 alignment problem

[RZmike]

I hope someone here can help me. My AWD xc70 had broken springs on 3 corners. I replaced the struts and shocks with cheap (unity mfg) units. I took it in for alignment and they found the pass side inner tie rod end had play (a lot!). We replaced the tie rod end, but when we tried to align, it wont come into spec for tow or camber. I bought some camber adjustment bolts (moog) but still no go. He said the rt side is as short as it can go but still not close. He wonders if the struts are wrong, I checked with the mfg and supposedly they are right. There is also a weird feeling when turning the wheel sharply. It almost feels like the wheel is "tipping". Any assistance or suggestions will be appreciated. the car has 110,000 miles on it.
Thanks
Mike

[hoonk]

I replaced the struts with cheap parts, it wont come into spec for camber. I bought some camber adjustment bolts

If you install struts for a s60/v70 on your xc the ride height will be ok but the camber will be very negative. I would be willing to bet your cheap parts are not designed to fit an xc70 :(

And you should not need special camber bolts if you put the correct parts on.

[RZmike]

Any ideas how I can make these work?

[Astro14]

I don't think you can. Get the XC parts....

[RZmike]

What would be the difference between the v70 and the xc70. I am talking to the mfg, maybe I can get them to send me the right ones.
Thanks again. And any ideas on the feeling from the front end when sharp turning.

[nickbw]

What would be the difference between the v70 and the xc70. I am talking to the mfg, maybe I can get them to send me the right ones.
Thanks again. And any ideas on the feeling from the front end when sharp turning.
They are as different as night and day. I've just done new front struts, not Sachs but German and they were easy and quick to replace. I marked the strut turret nuts position before I started. On completing the work a 4 wheel alignment showed the front nearly perfect.

[Astro14]

What would be the difference between the v70 and the xc70. I am talking to the mfg, maybe I can get them to send me the right ones.
Thanks again. And any ideas on the feeling from the front end when sharp turning.

The geometry is off. Front end geometry isn't simple; you've got both caster and camber in addition to toe. As the knuckles pivot about the shaft of the strut, which isn't purely vertical, you change the relationship across all the components. The knuckles themselves are offset from the center of the shaft, so they're not at the center of rotation, and they translate a bit forward/aft as they move from straight ahead.

Because your struts are too short, the caster and camber are both off, so, when the wheels are at an angle from straight ahead, the incorrect angles add up and change the stability of the front end. You've got a front end that's negatively stable (a slight bit of toe in with the wheels straight ahead adds stability), so the wheels pull in the direction of the turn and the steering wheel "flops" over in response to the pull from wheels that aren't operating at the correct angles.

[AKAMick]

Did they get the correct inner tie rod? if that is wrong you are never going to come close to the toe in, and that is going to not allow the correct camber, measure the old tie rod against the replacement one.

[billr99]

Did they get the correct inner tie rod? if that is wrong you are never going to come close to the toe in, and that is going to not allow the correct camber, measure the old tie rod against the replacement one.

Keep in mind that XC tie rods are a bit longer than V/Ss but it looks to me that most aftermarket outfits just put the same ones out there for all models. I can just barely get enough toe out on my VR with the rods the PO put on it and they are the same length as those on my XC which are Lemforders.

Cheers,

Bill

[RZmike]

Thanks for the advice so far. I am not sure about the length of the tie rod end. The original was thrown away. But the tech said he needed to make it shorter, not longer. I got the mfg of the struts to take them back, as soon as I can get some replacements. They said it fits the v70 and the xc70, I told them it does not! I found these, that say they fit the xc but not the v. Does anyone here have any experience with them? The sachs are budget busters right now. http://www.autozone.com/suspension-steering-tire-and-wheel/shock-strut-front/sensen-loaded-strut-shock-strut-front/765920_6880_18474 .
Thanks in advance again.

[RZmike]

Thanks for all the advice here. I didn't check the new tie rod end against the old one. The tech threw it away. He said he needed to make it shorter anyway. I got the mfg to take back the Unity struts that don't work. They were helpful when the vendor was not. They said the same struts would work for the xc and v70. I told them that they don't! I found some at autozone from SenSen that say they fit the xc70 but not the v70. Does anyone here have eperience with these? I would love to get OEM but the budget is not there right now.

[UCrazyKid]

4 years ago I bought the entire front suspension kit from FCPEuro. https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo-front-suspension-xc70-v70xc-sachs-vfsk5-xcfullfront It fit up just fine and I have been happy ever since. I did new springs at the time too because I had heard spring failure was not uncommon in these cars. Or you can just get the struts for about $200. https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo-strut-kit-front-2-piece-v70-xc70-kit-p2xcstrtkt2p2 And you will know that they fit.

[JRL]

Is there some reason you people just refuse to buy the correct OEM strut or shock just to save 20-30 bucks?
Buy from VOLVO or FCP or IPD

[RZmike]

For $20-30 I would have bought the struts from FCP. But Add in the springs, mounts, bearings, plus the added aggravation of assembling the units, the aftermarket units seemed like a good deal. Had I known they wouldn't fit, I obviously wouldn't have bought them.

[RZmike]

An update on my car. I put the SenSen struts and it went into alignment. The Unity quick struts will not work for the xc70, only the v70. Hopefully this may help someone down the road.
I don't know how long they will last, but they do fit.

[USHGAPB]

About one year ago, one of the front springs broke on my '03 XC70. I just didn't have the time to do the work myself, so I took it to a local business named Swedish Car Specialists. Should be a no-brainer, right? Just replace both struts/springs and do an alignment.

I picked up the car at night after they had already closed, and I immediately noticed the ride was harsh and the headlights were aimed noticeably low. These "specialists" had installed a strut with six coils from some other Volvo model I'm not familiar with, instead of the seven-coil springs for the XC70. Sometimes, vendors want to sell me V70 parts because "they're the same as the XC70." I wonder if that may have happened to you.I had to bring them a picture of an XC70 to show them how the body sits up higher than a regular sedan.

Don't even ask me how long it took to convince them of their mistake and get the right ones installed.