Can shock absorbers be repaired?

Can shock absorbers be repaired?

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IAmTheWalrus

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

43 months

Friday 24th June 2022
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Smint said:
To be honest i'd be wary of letting someone loose on your existing shockers unless they've successfully refurbished similar self levellers before, that is unless you have a spare set from a written off (hopefully lower mileage) suitable donor car and send the worse of the two pairs for potential refurb.

If they prove impossible to reseal whilst under considerable gas pressure effectively after being worked on then they're only fit for the skip, and if its the only set you have then you've spent possibly several weeks with an undriveable car and still have no choice but to buy new.

If twer me, i'd be underneath closely examining the existing for any details on the parts, then measuring accurately and taking myrid photgraphs, possibly even nip one off for precise measuring/photgraphing, also checking the other side in case the parts have left/right fittings, then search worldwide for the most economic solution new...in the meantime doing all i could to find suitable used parts, i've found almost brand new self levellers fitted to scrappers for two of my cars in the past, no reason why you shouldn't have the same luck.
I don't think I will be getting the same luck but I'll try. Someone mentioned there's a big volvo scrap place somewhere. Can I take off the shocks with a standard tool set?

Smint

1,686 posts

34 months

Friday 24th June 2022
quotequote all
That big scrap yard is at Wyboston, St Neots, on the left going north 1/2 mile north of Black Cat roundabout A1.

I only went there once many years ago, not exactly the friendliest of places at the time, i'd be more inclined to ring around the Ebay ads showing your model being broken.

Unless they are inside the springs, like a strut, shockers normally come off ok, normally decent 6 sided sockets will undo the bolts and i would urge you to use 6 sided sockets impact or otherwise as less chance of rounding any nuts off, there might be corrosion issues with any through bolts so i'd give them a soaking or two in Plus Gas (not WD40 which isn't penetrating oil) a few days before trying to undo them.

Edited by Smint on Friday 24th June 13:15

IAmTheWalrus

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

43 months

Friday 24th June 2022
quotequote all
Smint said:
That big scrap yard is at Wyboston, St Neots, on the left going north 1/2 mile north of Black Cat roundabout A1.

I only went there once many years ago, not exactly the friendliest of places at the time, i'd be more inclined to ring around the Ebay ads showing your model being broken.

Unless they are inside the springs, like a strut, shockers normally come off ok, normally decent 6 sided sockets will undo the bolts and i would urge you to use 6 sided sockets impact or otherwise as less chance of rounding any nuts off, there might be corrosion issues with any through bolts so i'd give them a soaking or two in Plus Gas (not WD40 which isn't penetrating oil) a few days before trying to undo them.

Edited by Smint on Friday 24th June 13:15
Thank you *very much* for the directs, not sure a place would let me prat about spraying stuff up a couple of days before hand, I've always heard wd40 is penetrative?

IAmTheWalrus

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

43 months

Saturday 25th June 2022
quotequote all
Here's a thought, could I not just find out the specs of the nivomat shocks exact size and contact normal shock suppliers to see if they have any to fit? Then it's just a case of getting the ecu sorted to avoid a light.

Kawasicki

13,041 posts

234 months

Saturday 25th June 2022
quotequote all
IAmTheWalrus said:
Here's a thought, could I not just find out the specs of the nivomat shocks exact size and contact normal shock suppliers to see if they have any to fit? Then it's just a case of getting the ecu sorted to avoid a light.
The part number defines the spec.

It’s not a normal part. A normal damper manufacturer has no economically sensible way of making one.

Smint

1,686 posts

34 months

Saturday 25th June 2022
quotequote all
IAmTheWalrus said:
Here's a thought, could I not just find out the specs of the nivomat shocks exact size and contact normal shock suppliers to see if they have any to fit? Then it's just a case of getting the ecu sorted to avoid a light.
You could, but i suspect the fittings and mounts are unique to the chassis your car is based on, and so far even the Volvo indies you've contacted seem to think there's no alternatives, at least currently, if there was a work around the Volvo indies would be straight on it.

If you did find an alternative shocker then you'll still need stronger springs as the back end will likely sag even without a load, fitting spring assisters in the coils would mask this up to a point but not a permanent solution and handling may be dire due to the back end not performing as designed.
The other issue being, are the spring perches alone up to taking the stresses involved, the car may have been designed with self levelling shock assistance from scratch, with spring perches and fittings designed to share the loads involved.

Would the suspension and body be up to all the weight being imposed on the springs alone? i don't have a clue, it might be fine but if the estates on your chassis have the same design based around self levellers being there, then i'm left wondering why someone hasn't already made what you are looking for as a conversion kit...if the estates are different again then i suspect not enough saloons for a kit to be worth designing just for the S80 version.

IAmTheWalrus

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

43 months

Saturday 25th June 2022
quotequote all
Well this is turning out to be an expensive problem. The parts guy at pfs seems to be understanding part sizes down to the mm. I just wondered if I had the specs for the shock I could email a load of shock makers to see if they had something. It's strange that the car looks like the ones I see on YouTube and they have normal shocks. I can't find any s80 for parts on ebay, I'm awaiting a response from the big volvo breakers.

Smint

1,686 posts

34 months

Saturday 25th June 2022
quotequote all
I punched ''volvo s80 breaking'' into ebay, 4 on the first page alone, whether they have the correct self levellers you need i haven't a clue.

Kawasicki

13,041 posts

234 months

Saturday 25th June 2022
quotequote all
IAmTheWalrus said:
Well this is turning out to be an expensive problem. The parts guy at pfs seems to be understanding part sizes down to the mm. I just wondered if I had the specs for the shock I could email a load of shock makers to see if they had something. It's strange that the car looks like the ones I see on YouTube and they have normal shocks. I can't find any s80 for parts on ebay, I'm awaiting a response from the big volvo breakers.
The parts are produced for Volvo by ZF in Bavaria to very specific & unique specs. They do not use normal damper tech... the parts are not just shocks, they are hydraulic pumps that power a hydraulic ram too. They are not just shocks.

E-bmw

9,105 posts

151 months

Saturday 25th June 2022
quotequote all
IAmTheWalrus said:
Smint said:
That big scrap yard is at Wyboston, St Neots, on the left going north 1/2 mile north of Black Cat roundabout A1.

I only went there once many years ago, not exactly the friendliest of places at the time, i'd be more inclined to ring around the Ebay ads showing your model being broken.

Unless they are inside the springs, like a strut, shockers normally come off ok, normally decent 6 sided sockets will undo the bolts and i would urge you to use 6 sided sockets impact or otherwise as less chance of rounding any nuts off, there might be corrosion issues with any through bolts so i'd give them a soaking or two in Plus Gas (not WD40 which isn't penetrating oil) a few days before trying to undo them.

Edited by Smint on Friday 24th June 13:15
Thank you *very much* for the directs, not sure a place would let me prat about spraying stuff up a couple of days before hand, I've always heard wd40 is penetrative?
A common mis-conception not advertised by the makers, it is rubbish as a penetrating fluid. It is after all a "Water Displacer", hence the name.

Lowly diesel is many, many times better, a 50/50 mix of acetone/atf is also excellent (I keep an oiling can full of it in the garage) search for "best penetrating oil" on YT.

Edited by E-bmw on Saturday 25th June 10:23

trumpet1608

76 posts

193 months

Sunday 26th June 2022
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I've just found this kit that replaces your self levelling set up. All for €369.

https://geparts.se/en/rebuildingkit-nivomat/volvo/...


Kawasicki

13,041 posts

234 months

Monday 27th June 2022
quotequote all
trumpet1608 said:
I've just found this kit that replaces your self levelling set up. All for €369.

https://geparts.se/en/rebuildingkit-nivomat/volvo/...
Wow. Very reasonable. Nice job.

IAmTheWalrus

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

43 months

Monday 27th June 2022
quotequote all
trumpet1608 said:
I've just found this kit that replaces your self levelling set up. All for €369.

https://geparts.se/en/rebuildingkit-nivomat/volvo/...
Thanks however everyone is saying that my car cannot be done, though that kit may be not fit as my car is front wheel drive. I've emailed them on Saturday and awaiting response.

Smint

1,686 posts

34 months

Monday 27th June 2022
quotequote all
trumpet1608 said:
I've just found this kit that replaces your self levelling set up. All for €369.

https://geparts.se/en/rebuildingkit-nivomat/volvo/...
Great find, well done.

Lets hope it all measures up and does the job for the OP.

IAmTheWalrus

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

43 months

Monday 27th June 2022
quotequote all
trumpet1608 said:
I've just found this kit that replaces your self levelling set up. All for €369.

https://geparts.se/en/rebuildingkit-nivomat/volvo/...
I just realised looking at the link, my Volvo indy told me the part number is 31304101 and this is not on the link for parts it replaces.