V70: Suspension Stability

[tommyweaves]

My MY2011 D3 started to feel bit like that. I've had it from new.

I had originally suspected worn suspension bushes but they were all good.

Replaced rear trailing arm bushes and had 4 wheel alignment done. It was 3 degrees out at the front and 4 degrees rear, Feels much better now.

[simboc2004]

I swapped my rear trailing arm bushes about a year ago and I noticed no difference in handling - it just stopped "crashing" when hitting potholes - and one bush had completely delaminated.

[Sotosound]

Originally Posted by Tony Rama

I'm not after sports car handling. I had a V70 P1 for a while about 5 years back and it was more comfortable than this P3. Very smooth. Smoother than the SAAB. This P3 just doesn't feel right. Not had another car with this kind of wobble.

Thanks to everyone for your replies. I guess I need to compare it to another V70 P3 with the same 17" 225/50 tyres.

Another V70 driver could also drive your car and pass an opinion....

[apersson850]

Those bushings are an item that wear out over time.

[tommyweaves]

Originally Posted by simboc2004

I swapped my rear trailing arm bushes about a year ago and I noticed no difference in handling - it just stopped "crashing" when hitting potholes - and one bush had completely delaminated.

To be honest it was the four wheel alignment I had done a few weeks after the trailing arm bushes that really made the difference!

[Tony Rama]

Thank you to everyone for advice. Will contact a couple of you who kindly offered to take a look.

Some further info. I have a receipt for the trailing arm bushes which done before I bought it. There is no problem with cornering. When driving, even in a straight line, any bumps in the road cause it to rock or wobble from side to side. Front to back stability is fine eg speed bumps are smooth compared to other vehicles I've driven.

[Tony Rama]

Sotosound kindly offered to do a comparison. We met up this afternoon. He has a V70 P3 with the same size tyres and similar mileage to mine.

We both drove each others vehicles. We found the ride quality to be the same.
There is a rocking from side to side on certain road surfaces and bumps which is more pronounced than on a V70 P1 or P2.

The conclusion is that it is not a maintenance issue but a design "feature".

We decided this could be down to a number of factors including higher centre of gravity, and harsher ride due to larger 17" wheels (with correspondingly lower profile tyres) compared to the P1 or P2.

[Simmy]

good to hear that there is no fault on your car . its so good to hear that another forum member let you compare his car against yours volvo forum members at their best .coming together to help each other.

[Sotosound]

Originally Posted by Simmy

good to hear that there is no fault on your car . its so good to hear that another forum member let you compare his car against yours volvo forum members at their best .coming together to help each other.

Guilty as charged.

Tony is one of the good guys.

Tony's car is really nice to drive. I just got in and drove it without a thought. So easy.

Also, that 2-litre 5-cylinder engine has such a lovely sound. Just a little bit envious.

[simboc2004]

That growl is why I am sticking with the 5 cylinder engine... and the twin silencer stainless Jetex exhaust added recently has only made it sound even better :-))

On the handling side, I would definitely recommend trying other options - I swapped from 17" to 18" wheels and have fitted Bridgestone Potenza tyres and they are amazing. The handling is really good, as is fuel consumption and noise. The ride quality is good - in my opinion - and it hardly rolls at all (helped by the 40mm drop in ride height - approx the same as an R Design). I don't miss the "wobbly" ride as was original on my car when I bought it. If you're in Norfolk/Suffolk area you'd be welcome to try it out.