New Suspension and Brakes fitted!
Posts
Post 563590 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-18 16:32:31
The new lowered suspension including mounts along with the new brake discs, calipers and pads are all fitted! Yikes, looked at it with the wheels off at the garage and the running gear looks 100x better! I'm off in the morning to get a 4 wheel alignment done as the steering wheel is now super wonky, but I won't see the benefits until the snow clears and I can take it out for a good run.
Watching the workshop trying to fit the last rear strut and coil I can tell you that it looked a right pig of a job! I'm glad I left it to a garage and unless any of you are mechanics with all the tools, I'd suggest you do the same unless you want a nightmare on your hands when fitting these bits (if you do).
Looks great now though, and I have to say and from the small amount of driving I've done in it, it feels alot sharper too.
Pictures to follow! :beer: :B_thumb:
Regards
James
Post 563592 by V70 Graham on 2013-01-18 16:45:11
I'm glad you've decided to get the 4 wheel alignment done James, I don't like the sound of a 'super wonky' steering wheel, though I'm sure you just mean it's off centre, swinging off suspension is best left to people like M-R-P.....all the tools, knowledge and knowhow.
Looking forward to hearing how the 4 wheel alignment goes.....along with pics.
Post 563594 by M-R-P on 2013-01-18 17:00:56
It's a bloody physical job when you're doing it on axle stands with inadequate tools.
I imagine it was somewhat easier for the why's at the garage (well, I'd hope so)
Looking forward to your review tomorrow mate ;)
Post 563619 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-18 18:02:14
Went to get the other half from work tonight and I'm 'fighting' with the wheel to keep the car in a straight line and if I let go of the wheel the car suddenly drifts heavily to the left. So the front tracking miles out and the alignment is going to be out as well. It's booked in to ATS for 09:30 and I'll get there snow, ice or whatever because I don't fancy scuffing my tyres until payday and also it ruins the enjoyment of the car. :D
The other half let me use her phone to take some photos at the garage this morning but unfortunately it was too dark and the photos are unuseable. I will however get a photo of the lowered suspension and you can see for yourself that it looks much better.
Post 563655 by deathrider311271 on 2013-01-18 19:41:15
was it the Koni yellows you went for? if so i have this set up on my car with Eibach springs, you will be suitably impressed altho the rears are a pain to change the settings, fronts are dead easy.
Post 563670 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-18 20:07:36
[QUOTE=deathrider311271;563655]was it the Koni yellows you went for? if so i have this set up on my car with Eibach springs, you will be suitably impressed altho the rears are a pain to change the settings, fronts are dead easy.[/QUOTE]
No, I went for a complete kit from Parts For Volvo, the shocks are Meyle and the springs are Lesjofors. To be honest, I never went out to lower the car but as I wanted to replace my coils as well, I thought I might as well buy the value for money kit from PFV and get it lowered by chance. Now the wheels look like they need to be changed too, maybe with some Nebulas or Pegasus but for now my peeling Amaltheas will have to do.... :D
Post 563694 by HowHard on 2013-01-18 20:39:38
looking forward 2 the pics, very jealous mine could definitely do with the same but a few other bits in desperate need first :)
Post 563696 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-18 20:42:28
[QUOTE=HowHard;563694]looking forward 2 the pics, very jealous mine could definitely do with the same but a few other bits in desperate need first :)[/QUOTE]
Oh don't get me wrong, I had to work my nut off for a whole 2 months doing like, 70 - 80 hour weeks just to scrape together the cash to get the work done. been well worth it though! :)
Post 563946 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-19 16:16:56
Ok, so after spending 4 and a half hours shifting snow, I decided I'd go out and finally get some shots of the T5 with the new lowered suspension. I apologise on two counts, a) It needs a wash and b) the light was fading, but for those who are interested the photos are below.....
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19977[/ATTACH]
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[ATTACH=CONFIG]19979[/ATTACH]
Interestingly, I had a wheel alignment done today and the back camber is now a whole degree out (negative camber), which the guy said would give me better road holding but will wear my tyres down quicker. He couldn't find a way to adjust the back camber. The rear toe was within an acceptable tolerance but as I suspected the front tracking was miles out, the front camber was spot on.
In the end, the garage was only able to adjust the front tracking as everything else was non adjustable or within acceptable tolerances. The only thing bugging me slightly is that even after the tracking was done, the car seems to want to drift left but I'm wondering whether this is just the characteristic associated with lowering the car because the tracking was spot on after I had it done and everything else was fitted and brand new.
I wonder if the stiffer suspension has the tendency to make the car follow the natural camber in the road, usually towards the verge?
Regards
James
Post 563951 by V70 Graham on 2013-01-19 16:24:22
Hope the steering wheel is now spot on, lowering the car would not make it drift to the left, as you say it may be following the camber of the road, go for a spin in the middle lane of a motorway, tbh not the best road conditions to check at the moment.
Post 563968 by silverhorse on 2013-01-19 17:39:31
[QUOTE=JamesT5;563946]the car seems to want to drift left but I'm wondering whether this is just the characteristic associated with lowering the car because the tracking was spot on after I had it done and everything else was fitted and brand new.
I wonder if the stiffer suspension has the tendency to make the car follow the natural camber in the road, usually towards the verge?
Regards
James[/QUOTE]
Car is looking very nice James. Its amazing how much difference a couple of inches makes to the whole appearance of the car (my wife says that about a couple of inches!!)
The lowering springs should not cause it to pull as you have not altered the geometry of the suspension. However, as you have had the car in bits and then reassembled, something may still be out. As Graham says, you need to get onto the crest of a road and see if is stable there. Also, under braking or hard acceleration might highlight any setup probs.
Post 563969 by stribo on 2013-01-19 17:43:32
Has a really good stance now. :B_thumb:
Post 563970 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-19 17:45:24
[QUOTE=silverhorse;563968]Car is looking very nice James. Its amazing how much difference a couple of inches makes to the whole appearance of the car (my wife says that about a couple of inches!!)
The lowering springs should not cause it to pull as you have not altered the geometry of the suspension. However, as you have had the car in bits and then reassembled, something may still be out. As Graham says, you need to get onto the crest of a road and see if is stable there. Also, under braking or hard acceleration might highlight any setup probs.[/QUOTE]
The suspension was fitted by a team of very experienced mechanics and I doubt very much whether something is out of balance and everything 'looks' even. I'll give it a run tomorrow and see how it handles, whether I get pulling with the brakes applied or under acceleration. The only other thing is that the wheel alignment equipment could be at fault and has been giving duff readings to the display when the guy was adjusting the tracking, although everything looked right when he was adjusting it from what I could see on the screen.
As I say, it could be me, but I'll let you know how it goes over the next couple of days. :)
Regards
James
Post 563971 by M-R-P on 2013-01-19 17:45:28
Looking good James. Lower but not too low, like it should have been to start with.
My car followed the camber of the road more after I lowered it, you may find it tramlines more too.
Try it on level ground and have a play to confirm the drift. Then look into possible reasons (tyre pressures can be a factor.)
Post 563973 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-19 17:48:44
[QUOTE=M-R-P;563971]Looking good James. Lower but not too low, like it should have been to start with.
My car followed the camber of the road more after I lowered it, you may find it tramlines more too.
Try it on level ground and have a play to confirm the drift. Then look into possible reasons (tyre pressures can be a factor.)[/QUOTE]
Oddly, I had the tyre pressures (and tread depths) measured today. I've got 100% N2 in my tyres so I asked ATS to check the pressures and make sure they are all even which they are now. They were a bit low (25 psi), but even after that the car steering seemed to want to take me off to the left. As stated above, I'll give it chance and see how it handles on different roads.
Post 563976 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-19 17:52:53
Oh, as for tread depths, see what you make of this....
I had the current set of 4 tyres put on in May last year, they're Kendar tyres so lower mid range and probably had about 8mm tread on them when they were new. Here we are 9 months later and I've still got 5 - 6mm of tread left on them having done around 12,000 miles on the tyres.
All of a sudden, cheaper tyres don't look so bad do they! :D
Post 563989 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-19 18:02:31
At least that's most of the major components changed at long last. Now I can concentrate on the simpler things like changing the wheels, a remap and bodywork. Unfortunatley all of this takes money so it could be a while before I spend any big money on it - depends on how much overtime I can get my hands on this year. ;)
Post 563996 by stribo on 2013-01-19 18:11:10
[QUOTE=JamesT5;563976]Oh, as for tread depths, see what you make of this....
I had the current set of 4 tyres put on in May last year, they're Kendar tyres so lower mid range and probably had about 8mm tread on them when they were new. Here we are 9 months later and I've still got 5 - 6mm of tread left on them having done around 12,000 miles on the tyres.
All of a sudden, cheaper tyres don't look so bad do they! :D[/QUOTE]
I've had cheap tyres previously, and they do seem to last along time, but this is down the the fact they're a hard compound rubber, which also explains why the grip levels are low, especially in the wet.
Post 563998 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-19 18:12:56
[QUOTE=stribo;563996]I've had cheap tyres previously, and they do seem to last along time, but this is down the the fact they're a hard compound rubber, which also explains why the grip levels are low, especially in the wet.[/QUOTE]
That might explain why at full throttle in 1st the STC light goes absolutely nuts, especially in the wet.
Post 564001 by silverhorse on 2013-01-19 18:14:39
[QUOTE=JamesT5;563998]That might explain why at full throttle in 1st the STC light goes absolutely nuts, especially in the wet.[/QUOTE]
I think it would probably do that in 1st if you had slicks on!!!
Post 564002 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-19 18:16:46
Next year, I'm putting winter tyres on the front although there's nothing stopping me doing that anyway in the Summer, they'll probably be cheaper then too as the demand is lower.
Post 564003 by V70 Graham on 2013-01-19 18:16:46
[QUOTE=stribo;563996]I've had cheap tyres previously, and they do seem to last along time, but this is down the the fact they're a hard compound rubber, which also explains why the grip levels are low, especially in the wet.[/QUOTE]
You pays your money and takes your choice, I went for Avon ZV5's when I got the Comets, must say, grip is good, they are quiet and very good in the wet, only time will tell how long they will last though.
Post 564004 by silverhorse on 2013-01-19 18:18:50
[QUOTE=JamesT5;564002]Next year, I'm putting winter tyres on the front [/QUOTE]
Ha! I was just going to start a thread on that!!
Post 564547 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-21 00:43:52
Gave the car a good run tonight and I have to say that it's 10x better and actually on the main roads the steering was spot on, the wheel alignment now means the steering wheel is dead centre and the whole car just feels solid again.... mostly.......
There is some rattles coming from underneath, I suspect these are the anti roll bushes so I'll need to get these checked out and no doubt this issue was no doubt previously masked by all the other bad suspension issues. The other thing is my brakes are now squeaking, mainly when I turn the wheel but also when I pull up at times. I wonder if this is normal for new brakes (they're budgets), but also it could perhaps be a stone or bit of grit stuck between the disc and the brake pads as the gap between them will be much less when they're new.
Anyway, overall a massive improvement and I recommend the lowering kit from PFV.
Regards
James
Post 564549 by graemewelch on 2013-01-21 00:49:18
copper grease one the rear of the pads will help. new or old they shouldndt squeak. glad to hear you noticed a difference though. dont forget to pm me postcode
Post 564550 by Kingsford G on 2013-01-21 00:50:21
[QUOTE=JamesT5;564547]Gave the car a good run tonight and I have to say that it's 10x better and actually on the main roads the steering was spot on, the wheel alignment now means the steering wheel is dead centre and the whole car just feels solid again.... mostly.......
[/QUOTE]
Told us so.With winter tyres get all 4 `cos the tail gonna skid,I know that by my own experience and fitted 2 in the back and was great.
Post 564577 by V70 Graham on 2013-01-21 08:18:49
As Graeme says copper grease should stop the squeaking.
Post 564592 by stephenevans99 on 2013-01-21 09:02:03
What's this I'm reading? 250bhp 150mph+ running budget tyres and budget brakes....nutters lol.
Seriously though, I know it's all down to budget - that's why I'm chuggin' a D5 & not a T5 - but when it comes to tyres and brakes, fit the BEST you can afford. The difference between budget brakes and decent brakes is just a few extra £ - it just doesn't seem worth it.
Post 564616 by M-R-P on 2013-01-21 10:00:42
the difference between budget 305s and Brembo 305s is about 40 quid from GSF but pads don't vary much.
I just bit the bullet and bought some goodrich brake lines. My brembo fronts were £86, pads were £40.
Tyres also make a good difference too.
Post 564688 by partsforvolvos.com on 2013-01-21 14:41:08
I'm glad you are very pleased with the kit James.
I've had very positive feedback on it so far and everybody agrees it's excellent value for the money.
Post 564730 by graemewelch on 2013-01-21 17:11:37
think ill soon be investing in this kit. not sure if ill use the springs as ive already got eibach but my shocks arent the best on the front
Post 564738 by JamesT5 on 2013-01-21 17:34:40
[QUOTE=graemewelch;564730]think ill soon be investing in this kit. not sure if ill use the springs as ive already got eibach but my shocks arent the best on the front[/QUOTE]
The car feels much more solid and I'd advise replacing the mounts as well!
Post 564740 by graemewelch on 2013-01-21 17:43:00
my mounts are terrible. i can hear them knocking if i rock the stearing on the spot. at same time ill be sorting droplinks and wishbone bush. that should sharpen things up a bit.
Post 667296 by Kingsford G on 2013-12-08 12:50:37
Are you still happy with the suspention kit James,any changes since fitting or still nice and solid?
Post 667364 by JamesT5 on 2013-12-08 17:19:49
[QUOTE=Kingsford G;667296]Are you still happy with the suspention kit James,any changes since fitting or still nice and solid?[/QUOTE]
Yes the shocks, mounts and lowering coils are still going well. The only let down now is the new wishbones put on just over a year ago are starting to go on the front bushes, my plan is to Powerflex Black Series the wishbones front and rear. At the moment the car seem to go off on a tangent left and right under heavy acceleration which means the control arm bushes are allowing the wheels to deviate from their parallel position (very annoying)!
Post 812591 by T5boy on 2017-06-25 18:14:59
I'm intersted in the PFS lowering kit but have nivomats - if I change the mounts etc I can't see why this kit is wouldn't work on my P2 V70 T5?
Be grateful for any feedback please on handling improvement / reduced ride quality as I'm running 18" Pegs, cheers!
Post 812592 by Ettienne on 2017-06-25 18:22:30
It's a pity James and his legendary skills aren't available. MRP lowered his t5, Are you thinking of using p1 parts?
Post 812600 by M-R-P on 2017-06-26 09:43:36
[QUOTE=T5boy;812591]I'm intersted in the PFS lowering kit but have nivomats - if I change the mounts etc I can't see why this kit is wouldn't work on my P2 V70 T5?
Be grateful for any feedback please on handling improvement / reduced ride quality as I'm running 18" Pegs, cheers![/QUOTE]
When removing the nivomats, you only need to fit standard shocks. The mounts are fine.
If you go from standard shock to nivs is when you need different mounts.
Post 812619 by LeeT5 on 2017-06-26 19:51:43
[QUOTE=T5boy;812591]I'm intersted in the PFS lowering kit but have nivomats - if I change the mounts etc I can't see why this kit is wouldn't work on my P2 V70 T5?
Be grateful for any feedback please on handling improvement / reduced ride quality as I'm running 18" Pegs, cheers![/QUOTE]
May I suggest you start your own thread as having to refer back to this one makes me twitch!
Also, for you're own safety, please ignore everything said from post #35 backwards......infact, Never read anything said by JamesT5. It will probably kill you or destroy your car! :wink: