I rebuilt the rear suspension on the XC - replacing the springs required tweaking the angle of the upper mount to the rear shock. At 260,000 miles the car needed new rear springs.
Lesjofors springs worked just fine, as did Sachs struts, on the rear, along with new upper mounts. They are a challenge to get out, as you'll need to pull the arms down. The very large ratchet strap that Volvo recommends is a requirement for solo work. If you have a helper, a big pry bar would work to lever the suspension arms down sufficiently to get the strut out. You'll need a spring compressor.
For the front - I used IPD HD control arms. Excellent product. IPD ball joints. Also excellent. Do the spring seats (IPD HD or XC90 mounts), and if it's been more than about 30,000 miles since you did either inner or outer, then do the both inner and outer tie rod ends (Lemforder makes a good kit, with boots, for that, for a whole lot less than Volvo, check FCP Euro for latest price).
IPD sells a Sachs strut kit that has springs, struts, spring seats and strut bearings for about $300 each. This is an excellent value, and saves spring compressor time, which is always a bit risky.
I would also do the sway bar end links while you're in there. They are a frequent source of rattles.
You're going to need an alignment after any front end work, so I prefer to amortize that alignment over the entire set of front end parts, otherwise, you're adding an alignment at each step, which adds up very quickly.
Also, take a hard look at your front swaybar bushings. At 260,000 miles the front bar bushings on the XC were toast. Replacing them means replacing the bar, as they're vulcanized onto the bar itself. You can get a Volvo bar for about $200 (on line) or get the IPD sway bars for about $450 for a front/rear set. Replacing the front bar requires lowering the front subframe. This is muscle work as the bolts are on tight. Something like 90NM + 120 degrees of turn - don't use my numbers - but the point is: it takes some muscle to loosen, and then tighten the bolts as well as muscle to move the subframe down.
When you're done with the subframe, you'll need, yep, another alignment, so be certain that they're OK.
Current Fleet:
2016 Tundra Crewmax 4WD 1794
2005 MB S600 (126K, Michelin AS4, HPL 0W40)
2005 MB SL600 (55K Michelin AS4, Mobil 1 0W40)
2004 V70R (143K, six speed M66, HPL 5W40)
2004 XC90 (235K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
2002 V70-XC (295K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
2002 V70-T5 (225K, IPD bars, Bilsteins)
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1932 Packard Sedan (straight 8, dual sidemounts, original paint and interior, Shell Rotella 15W40)
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