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I think Frank Lloyd Wright once said "You know it's a roof because it leaks". Well, "You know it's a Volvo because it rattles and squeaks". I installed the brace when the car was relatively new (the skidplate and iPd bars were a Christmas present from wife.gov that year, the brace followed the iPd bars.) and I didn't notice any immediate change. Since I really don't have any previous Volvo-squeak-and-rattle curve to compare it to I'm not absolutely certain. It does not seem to squeak and rattle any worse than my Saabs did. If anything, my 4 pounds of ovepressure has probably had a more significant effect on the noise level.
When my evaporator was replaced they put the BEST tech at the dealership on it, he carefully eliminated ALL the dashboard rattles and squeaks, they're only now starting to come back.
My biggest rattle comes from the right-side rear seat latch.
Also, since my car is a wagon, it's NEVER been particularly quiet. Fortunately, at this 120,000 mile stage of the game, I can just turn the stereo up, it's old enough to make some unpleasant noises.....
As for the development of "jittery" handling, I wouln't worry too much. There is so much flex dialed into that body by the Volvo engineers and the biggest tires that will fit in those wheelwells are so narrow vs. the car's size and weight that it's NEVER going to handle as nervously as an M3 or Lexus IS300 on sticky tires. In spite of ordering the Volvo with the "sport suspension" I was immediately annoyed by the amount of body roll.
Volvo has traditionally dialed a lot of body roll into their chassis, most likely for safety, to scare the driver off before he comes anywhere close to losing adhesion. I remember R&T complained about it when they tested the 142S! This has made iPd profitable for years.
-Punxsutawney Phil
'98 V70T5M, 120k mi., iPd stabilizer bars, factory sport suspension, Volvo strut tower brace and skidplate, Valentine-1, Mobil-1 always, e-code headlight lenses, Dunlop SP5000s.
'86 944NA (that OTHER 944) 58k mi., factory HD sway bars and Fuchs forged wheels, Valentine-1. e-code Hellas, Yokohama AVS ES100s
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