S60 2.0T front strut & spring knocking???

[Pixel-Snapper]

I've had a slight knock on the old girl for a while now while driving on uneven roads and it's starting to annoy me.

I had to replace a top hose jubilee yesterday as it was leaking every where.

While I had my head under the bonnet I had a look at the nearside top mount. Which is where the knock comes from.

And I noticed this!!! As you can see it's right on the piss.







As opposed to the drivers side.



Any ideas?

I've got the feeling it's either a spring or strut knackered possibly both.

How difficult are they to change as I've got the MOT soon.

[Pixel-Snapper]

Here it is deciding to take a rusty coloured piss all over me mams drive. oops!

[martinrpeachey]

It's just the rubber spring seat that's gone, about £20 from most motor factors.

Strut out job tho I'm afraid.
Wheel off, remove 2 of the 3 nuts on top of the strut turret (in the engine bay) and loosen the 3rd, Undo one end of the drop link, remove the 2 bolts holding the strut to the stub axle (you may need to replace these as they are usually ruined when you undo them), remove ABS wire from strut, hold bottom of strut and undo the remaining nut on the turret. Strut is now free to remove.
Take the plastic cap off the top of the strut and loosen the nut underneath.
Use spring compressors to take the strain off the top nuts (bearing plate should wiggle about freely) and remove the top nut, star nut and bearing plate. Spring seat (or remains of) will now just slide off. Fit new spring seat and refit all parts in reverse order.

Make sure you support the stub axle and not allow the driveshaft to move away from the gearbox as the inner CV joint likes to fall apert and that's a real ball-ache!

[Pixel-Snapper]

Brilliant knew I should have just asked you.

Would that be this part by any chance?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-S80-S60-V70-00-Fro...

[Pixel-Snapper]

or this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380555548732?ssPageName=...

Thanks Martin

[Pixel-Snapper]

Also just realised I don't have a spring compressor. Looks like a job for my local garage.

[martinrpeachey]

Pixel-Snapper said:

or this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380555548732?ssPageName=...

Thanks Martin

That's the one EDIT - NOT THAT ONE!!!

Spring compressors are pretty cheap these days and something well worth having in any toolbox, you'll save yourself a fortune in the long run.

Here's a snippet from a how-to guide I did on another forum that should help explain the job...

Ok, Now the shocks... First, crack the top nut on the shock, this will save some agro later...(thanks for the tip, Duane)

Give the hub mount bolts another dose of Plus-gas and take the ABS wire out of it's brackets and drop it down, out of the way. Haynes book of lies says to disconnect it but it's not needed and will take longer.

Because these bolts are notorious for corroding and refusing to undo, I wound another nut up the bolt to clean the thread a bit. More Plus-gas.

Note the droplink is already off, 18mm open ended spanner and a torx key, easy peasy (and I forgot to take a pic)

To undo the bolts, don't try to undo the nut side, you could bend the bolt. Undo the bolt-head side, pinning the nut with a socket and bar against the subframe. These are really tight. Treat it like tapping a thread - 2 turns out, 1 turn in so as not to damage the thread (if you want to re-use the bolts).

Repeat on the lower bolts... at this point, I propped the hub on some wood, so it didn't wander off.

Don't forget to soak your nuts! (and bolts)lol

Now undo the 3 nuts at the top, leaving a few turns on one, to hold the strut while you get your hand on the base.

Grab the bottom of the shock and undo the last nut at the top. now carefully remove the shock (careful not to catch the ABS wire)

Now we have one shot shock! (I know the top mount is a bit iffy, gonna get that sorted when I got some more funds!)

Compress the spring until the top mount plate wobbles about freely (lots of elbow-grease required)

Just for Mr. Fandango... the top mount assembly in order of removal...

The little plastic bracket that holds the ABS cable will need transferring to the new shock. Punch - out the little plastic pins and close the rivets from the other side, remove the bracket then reverse the process to refit.

Take the opportunity to clean and inspect all parts.
Fitting is the exact opposite of removal.
And TADAA!

Edited by martinrpeachey on Monday 3rd March 15:18

[martinrpeachey]

OOPS... I quoted the wrong one, you want the bit that looks like a snail shell!

I must learn to concentrate lol

[Pixel-Snapper]

martinrpeachey said:

Just for Mr. Fandango... the top mount assembly in order of removal...

So looking at that picture I need the seat on the far right.

But also the small rubber bush second from the left looks shot on mine.

Does the seat come with that?

[martinrpeachey]

Pixel-Snapper said:

So looking at that picture I need the seat on the far right.

But also the small rubber bush second from the left looks shot on mine.

Does the seat come with that?

Yeah, the big seat thingy but if the other thing is cheap enough, why not

I've never changed mine tho and they have 209k on them now.

I'm not even sure what it does to be honest lol.

[martinrpeachey]

Oh, by the way, the 9mm i/d pipe that feeds the vacuum system for your brake servo has been routed the wrong way round your inlet manifold
Might be worth checking to see if that one way valve is still working

[Pixel-Snapper]

Awww dear!!!I've just found these too.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231159296619?ssPageName=...

If I've got to take the strut out might as well stick some lowering springs on.

There goes this months commission.

[martinrpeachey]

...and your aux belt needs changing

[martinrpeachey]

Pixel-Snapper said:

Awww dear!!!I've just found these too.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231159296619?ssPageName=...

If I've got to take the strut out might as well stick some lowering springs on.

There goes this months commission.

Don't fit those if you value your fillings - got them on mine and they're hard as hell.

Fitting the rears is a pig too.

Looks like your TCV isn't attached to the airbox where it should be but I could be wrong about that.

[martinrpeachey]

The car does sit well on those springs mind...

[Pixel-Snapper]

martinrpeachey said:

Oh, by the way, the 9mm i/d pipe that feeds the vacuum system for your brake servo has been routed the wrong way round your inlet manifold
Might be worth checking to see if that one way valve is still working

...and your aux belt needs changing

Hahaha you what. The what's the wrong way and what needs changing.

[Pixel-Snapper]

martinrpeachey said:

The car does sit well on those springs mind...

Wicked that looks awesome. My misses already complains about it crashing about so perhaps not then. Although that might be my driving!

[martinrpeachey]

Pixel-Snapper said:

Hahaha you what. The what's the wrong way and what needs changing.

Your alternator belt looks like it's not got long left of this world and the pipe that comes out of the middle of the inlet manifold and goes off to the right and disappears down the side of the engine, with a "flying saucer" like thing in it. That's the vac feed for the brake servo and shouldn't be where it is. The "flying saucer" thingy is the one way valve, you can guess what that does...

[martinrpeachey]

Pixel-Snapper said:

Wicked that looks awesome. My misses already complains about it crashing about so perhaps not then. Although that might be my driving!

If you want to maintain the ride quality and lower the car by about 35mm for a good price, have a look at these...

http://www.partsforvolvosonline.com/product_info.p...

[Pixel-Snapper]

So list of things to do is:

...Re root the vacuum pipe thingy and check the one way valve works

...Aux belt this also has a small annoying squeak come to think of it, thought it might be a belt. It's also about due a cam belt + tensioner so might leave that till then.

...Strut seat