Jure Urbancic's VolvoPAGE - Bill Garland's Nuclear Engineering Page

Oil Change intervals
Rear end sags; early 240s (mainly for 244/242s)
There seems to be a lot of aggravation amongst Volvo users, (lovers), drivers about rear
end sag. 245 models have stronger springs but they also sag, although when not loaded
they don't seem to be that much affected (only in optical way) because roofline is higher
and doesn't create an optical lowering as by sedans.
I have to admit car does look awful when rear end drops down. Most times cure is a
mixture of new shocks (stiffer ones do better because they offer greater resistance to
spring compression), new bushings (trailing arms) and stronger springs on occasions.
Shocks with auxiliary springs help too as shims will .
There are few versions of rear springs; normal sedan springs, normal wagon, reinforced
sedan, reinf. wagon, ambulance springs. Last ones are the strongest, used in ambulance
240s seen all over Europe in late 70s. Usually normal wagon springs used on sedan offers
adequate height on the other hand Volvos too high on rear end aren't nice either.
Maybe the cheapest solution is adding shims under lower seat of the rear springs. Left to
Right unbalance can be cured this way too (check for worn bushing on one or other side
first!). Car will be higher and no part of the suspension will suffer (riding quality stays
more or less the same*). Some models, especially old ones (round lamps) are prone to
"sag" rear end. That isn't real sag, because even when you restore it up to specs rear end
will be (or seem to be) lower as front. I don't know whether weak rear springs or strong
front ones cause this phenomenon. It seems like later models, especially after '81 do not
suffer from it that much or maybe it isn't so evident any more since front end seems to be
lower. Even in sales literature for '74 244 cars had that typical sag. I wonder if those had
more than a couple of hundred kilometres before they took pictures and perfect bushings
etc.
Can anyone confirm whether later (aft '80) front springs really are weaker or shorter?
* Riding quality may be worse when extra heavy duty springs as ambulance or other are
installed. It may also worsen when too stiff shocks are installed.
Made by Jure Urbancic, July 1996
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http://www2.mf.uni-lj.si/~jurbancic/sag.htm [12/25/2001 11:17:00 PM]