Suspension: saggy behind .

[Mike1967]

My Volvo is saggy in the behind , its low . When weight is put in the boot or im towing its very very low . I cant really afford new springs at present , so was thinking about rear spring assisters . They are rubber rings that fit between the spring .

Has anyone tried these , does anyone have a pair to sell me also ?

[PTJS]

I fitted rubber rear spring assistors to my 1988 240GL when I towed for a brief period of time about 15 years ago. Similar problem to you in that the back end soon sagged when any weight loaded - even in the boot. The spring assistors largely got rid of this and I have had them on ever since and the car stands level. It does sag a bit though when the boot is loaded or rear seat passengers in so in these circumstances I need to be careful over uneven ground and humps. Renewal of the springs might help given the age of the car but the usual 'bounce' test shows they are generally ok so I won't bother yet - might be a lot cheaper and easier just to fit as new set of assistors! By the way, I think I bought mine from a caravan centre.

Phil

[Mike_Brace]

I think you will find rear spring assisters won't be that effective. New springs can be obtained for about £30 + VAT each and is well worth the cost.

Mike

[Mike1967]

You know I didnt realise that rear springs where that realistically priced . Im sure I read somewhere that 240 saloon springs where around £100 each .
What has actually happened to mine then as they havnt snapped , the car just sits low on the back . Would just new springs actually bring the rear back upto normal height ? Got to ask but what is the normal sort of height of the rear .

[CTCNetwork]

Hi,

It may be worth asking why the rear is sagging.

Do you have standard shocks on the rear or are they Nivomats?
If Nivomats, then your springs will be a weaker version anyway.
You can tell Nivomats as they are pretty thick and have half length bellows on them..
If not then either the springs or shocks are on the way out (see any signs of leaks from the shocks?) and will need replacing.

If you do have Nivomats, you can get new standard shocks and get new regular springs.
Or new Nivomats or a similar product...
Both involve a degree of amputation!

Des. . .

[Mike1967]

where are you buying items for the 240s ?

[CTCNetwork]

Hi,

Originally Posted by caprimanuk

where are you buying items for the 240s ?

I suspect either GSF or PartsForVolvos online..

Des. . .

[Erling]

Originally Posted by CTCNetwork

It may be worth asking why the rear is sagging.

I couldn't agree more. A sagging rear end could also be a result of worn-out trailing arm bushings - the large bushings that connect the trailing arms to the rear axle. Worth looking at, the original rubber ones tend to last for about 100,000 miles. A bit hard to DIY, as you need to build (or rent) the special tool required. Please ask if you want advice on this.

As for spring assisters, well, they are banned in my country as they are regarded dangerous: What happens to the handling if you should lose one?

[dgbalfour]

I got a pair of rear Lesjofors springs at about £35 each. They are excellent and cured the sagging problem caused by many years of towing horse trailers.

Not only are they cheap, they are very easy to fit.

My car still has the Nivomat shocks. Technically, you are not supposed to use standard springs with the Nivomats, but as they are so easy to swap in and out I thought I'd give it a go. I am having no problems! However, I will get some gas shocks soon.