Increasing Front Clearance on 2000 V40.

[skyship007]

WOW! A real high rider good for running the surf line on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, in a storm!

Umm, not too cool in cornering speed terms.

I know a muppet who got injured just after winning a night beach race, cos he forgot which truck he was in and fell off the running board!
I did a quick mod and added a small tape player to the door open warning light, it said, "Danger, use the ladder!". The locals then fitted an automatic ladder that was fully illuminated, which did look cool.

[flyhigh]

Originally Posted by Antz

or convert your stock suspension to coilovers but weld the new threaded collars further up giving you increased ride height. this will require longer shocks though.

Sounds like the reasonable thing to do on such an old car. Perhaps instead of full coilover just a longer shock, and then some sort of (hopefully welded) bushing to raise the standard springs up a fixed amount...

[flyhigh]

Originally Posted by kieran40

I found putting 17's on gave me a bit more on mine, on the stock alloys it was very low on the front end and I'm not grounding my towing eye nowadays lol.

I have 17s on my now-for-parts 1997 V40. The problem I run into is that the slimmer tyres required pop all the time on the unavoidable potholes. If I could get my suspension up and then a slightly larger tyre on my old rims, that would be the best solution by far.

[skyship007]

Originally Posted by stuartrf

Buy some ajustable coilovers and wind them all the way up

Umm! There are some kits listed in the ZF Sachs catalogue for lowering a V40, BUT I don't think there are any approved for raising. Oddly enough the V50 rear self levelling shocks can be used (Sachs only) and that will help when the boot is loaded.
That means you should try getting a good tuning center (Or even a main Volvo dealer, if you have a fat wallet) to order and fit the required parts.

Then send a copy of a full receipt (A4 size) to your insurance company. Once they have sent a letter (Or company certified e mail) saying your policy is still valid, all is well. They might ask for a new MOT, but most tuning centers will supply one with major Mod jobs anyway.

DIY with non standard or approved parts that relate to the cars safety related systems (Brakes, steering, suspension, seat belts and fuel system) and you could find that your work has been designated as gross negligence, after an insurance claim.

That designation invalidates the fully comp cover (3rd party only is valid), BUT in a serious accident it can result in your own insurance company taking legal action against you to get their money back, which includes all their legal costs and the amount paid to other parties. Even if you are broke, some insurers take legal action and then sit on the claim until you have enough assets or a good job, before it is enforced. One or two even sell the claim to a sort of debt collector.

[stuartrf]

You don't need specific coilovers to raise a car you just wind the ajustable platforms up as high as you like
If that fails I'm sure you can buy taller springs for them

[happy diver]

Can you fit a wheelchair in that, and your mum?

[mcouchard]

To the OP it maybe worth just replacing the springs for new ones if it still has the original springs they will be tied and potentially sagging anyway. I have noticed that the ground clearance on mine has diminished in the past 12 months and springs haven't broken but are probably suffering fatigue.

Also consider whether you have the comfort, standard or sport springs this may make a difference also.

[skyship007]

Originally Posted by mcouchard

To the OP it maybe worth just replacing the springs for new ones if it still has the original springs they will be tied and potentially sagging anyway. I have noticed that the ground clearance on mine has diminished in the past 12 months and springs haven't broken but are probably suffering fatigue.

Also consider whether you have the comfort, standard or sport springs this may make a difference also.

Yep, very true. When folks start whining on about too low a ground clearance, it often turns out that simply replacing the suspension with OEM standard parts solves the problem.

The warranty terms for new rear shocks often requires that the springs are replaced and that they are the correct rating.