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I'm reading FAQ for help w struts. Found this post on link below.
This is a great help. I will be replacing struts in my '92 245 automatic w/ABS within a few months.
I'm also searching for opinions and feedback on the various struts available. I'm just looking for a smooth tight ride. I haven't done anything to suspension beyond original stock, but I'd consider a series of incremental improvements.
I'll be replacing all front and rear susp bushings at same time.
Maybe add that well known stabilizer tube under the hood between strut tower top bolts. Does it bolt to middle of firewall?
I'd appreciate any advice or links.
Replacing struts- a few lessons (long)
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I would recommend installing a set of reinforcing plates to beef up the strut towers while you have the struts out.
https://www.ipdusa.com/products/5050/105225-upper-strut-reinforcing-plates
If your replacing the ball joints I really like the MOOG's with the grease fittings. MOOG sells them under part numbers k9350 and k9351.
Yes GT braces bolt to middle of firewall in pre-tapped holes.
https://www.ipdusa.com/products/7149/103886-lower-chassis-tie-bars-240
You can also install lower braces.
https://www.ipdusa.com/products/7149/103886-lower-chassis-tie-bars-240
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Do 240 owners have any good strut mount options?
FWIW - I put Sachs struts and Volvo strut mounts on my 850 about 5 years ago. No issues. What the hell is going on with these 240 parts???
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Chinese owned and most likely not being made to volvo specs anymore and its 240 parts so they dont give a rats ass anymore in my opinion.
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yep, joekidd. It's been like 24-25 years since the final 240 rolled off the production line.
I also blame Volvo Group AB for selling to Ford for 6.4 Billion in like 1999 or 2000. Ford then uses it's accountants to bean count their way to profitability. Then Ford sells Volvo Cars AB to Geely China, for like 1.8 Billion, one of the worst auto manufacturers of the most unsafe cars.
That no financial interest could scoop together a wad of Kroners or Marks or Euros or Dollar or Yen to buy Volvo Cars for fire sale prices. Volvo Cars AB is doing rather okay and meeting the sales marks set by the Geely CEO some years ago.
jwalker, yep, well, all that remain, at least that available to the North American, if not the Americas market, are all made in Chinese junk strut mounts.
Volvo 240 strut mount. Volvo PN 1272455. Read the turbobricks article. I'm KGV over there too, yet rarely post there.
Volvo OEM strut mounts .. early Failure?
http://www.turbobricks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=315522
I may add your experience of the Volvo OEM strut mounts failing in two months, joekidd, to the thread.
My guess, is that the only enduring choice, is using on of the camber plates for Volvo 240, which is a strut mount, made of machine metal. It has a bearing assembly of some design, and you must keep it lubed with soft grease.
http://www.kaplhenke.com/
Two choices, the lesser expensive is just fine, and provides some camper adjust beyond the factory design strut mount.
In the 1980s, if you look at the turbobricks thread, Volvo had two strut mounts. The one made by SKF or Boge with the big ball bearing race, open to the top, so you can pack some grease there (silicon synthetic is preferable as it does not eat and melt carbon vulcanized rubber). Then restore the domed shaped dust cap on all our 240 strut mounts, well, used to.
Volvo used the Meyle, which is all you get now, including the Volvo OEM now, design on 240 with the sealed bearing and crimps. (I dunno who actually made it.) Two different part numbers with the 1272455 being preferred. The Meyle design sealed bearing would fail and get play in it rather quickly. Though the bushing material was as good as the Boge or SKF (the made in Sweden or Germany PN 1272455 one as it was when well made).
I installed Meyle strut mounts on my 1991, replacing the well domed, yet not failed, factory 1272455. And well, in three years and less than 10,000 miles the Meyle bushing material was well dome and showing seperation from the center sealed bearing assembly.
So, again, the lest option for a secure strut mount are those made by and like:
http://www.kaplhenke.com/
The top of the strut piston, the tapered, narrower to the thread, or conical, section, secures in the ball You pack that with grease, and a cap goes on it.
I'd looked at SKF, all the ZF (own Boge, who owns Sachs), catalogues, and nuttin' no moar.
Maybe something is made in Europa of quality not available here?
Some are willing to replace the strut mounts like Meyle or the Febi (Bilstein) variety. I'd read these testimonials. I think KYB was also mentioned. Of course, APA/URO still offers them. Same design: sealed bearing pressed in and secured at four crimps in the bearing shell. All made in China.
It's a safety issue, for me. Also, as with a failing 25+ year old factory, the strut damper piston rod can punch through the bushing, carrying the bearing assembly with it, and sort of crunch your hood a bit. Or a dent.
I'm still upset and find the whole thing utterly revolting.
I guess the FWD / AWD OEM strut mounts have yet to be redesigned to be so bad.
I've read folks with 700/900 series after market strut mounts have some problems. Also, in the BMW forums, OEM remains the ONLY way to go, and you can still get them for 1600 and 2002 and other ancient BMW models, so I've read, yet am not sure.
Sorry to go on so.
Happy Friday. Hope that helps you.
Itchy and Scratchy MacDuff
--
Give your brickboard.com a big thumbs up! Way up! - Roger Ebert. 
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DO NOT USE OEM VOLVO MOUNTS. Replaced as PM as I was replacing struts and shocks, on my 88 original mounts rubber cracked a bit not bad bearings were fine. Within 2 months the rubber was separated from the inner bearing mount. COMPLETE GARBAGE.
As far as struts go Bilstein HDs will most likely outlast the car and provide the best overall durability, handling and stability on the road.
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Without a doubt, if you are replacing your struts definitely replace your spring seats (upper mounts) at the same time. Just those two alone will make a big difference. That will tighten things up! Do the rear shocks too for best handling balance. I suggest doing the struts, strut mounts and shocks first: See how you like it, then later you can always upgrade further with bushings, sway bars, braces etc...
If money is a concern, then OEM (was Boge, now Sachs) struts and shocks will give you a comfortable ride with reasonable performance w/o a big outlay of cash. I agree, Koni yellow are probably the best as they are adjustable but they are expensive!
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The Sachs (By Boge?) or Boge (by Sachs?) are made in Mexico as a Sachs factory.
They offer two models:
- Sachs Advantage (what were called Boge Automatics - and the rears clicked!)
- Sachs Super Touring (were Boge Turbo Gas)
iPd misnomers these as Boge by brand and model. They are not.
The Sachs and Bog models are unrelated. Unaffiliated. Just that Boge bought Sachs some years or decades ago. Boge no longer bulds dampers for RWD Volvo, AFAIK. I've read the current Boge and ZF catalogues. Yet these are more for Europa and other markets outside of the Americas, I guess.
FCP Euro sells the Sachs Super Touring. iPd and FCP Euro sell the Bilstein Touring.
Factory installed dampers on your 1992 Volvo 240 were Boge, made in Germany. Volvo offered several models that were merely purely hydraulic dampers to the equivalent of Boge Turbo Gas, if not better. Volvo had R-sport offerings. The i-net may offer, through search, accessory catalogues from the late 1980s, early 1990s RWD Volvo era, if you want to know more.
Installed Boge Turbo Gas in the late 1980s. These were superior to Bilstein Touring of today, about just.
I have Sachs Super Touring from iPd (they label them Boge Turbo Gas). HA. They suck. Though better than the 23-year old 1990 Volvo 240 wagon, at replacement time, with failed factory installed Boge dampers with failed large (rear) control arm bushings and torn and failing strut mounts, better than it was.
Though I prefer the Bilstein Touring on my 1992 sedan where I went through the same rigmarole as you will do so soon.
We'll get to strut mounts later in another response to your thread as it makes me rather incensed.
--
Give your brickboard.com a big thumbs up! Way up! - Roger Ebert.
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Hard to beat Koni yellow's.
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The best bang for the buck is Sway Bars. The bigger the better for a wagon. I run Bilstein HD front and rear and poly bushings everywhere. Went with 1995 940 SE 16" wheels. They just seem to handle a bit better. But if you just want a comfortable ride just do the Sway Bars and Touring Bilsteins. I promise the sway bars will keep you happy for many months while you decide you want even better handling. Max.
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I recommend Bilstein Touring shocks/struts. I run Bilstein HDs on my 245 and the Touring on my 945. HDs are too "tight". Touring units tighten the ride, but are still comfy.
I suggest replacing front struts and rear shocks at the same time. Mixed units can create problematic handling.
Bushings... Look into a mix of stock rubber and aftermarket poly (like SuperPro). I used the IPD mix of rubber and poly. Tightens things a bit.
I'm a believer in "upgrading" suspension parts as replaced. Stock is good, but some aftermarket parts do help the ride.
The "stabilizer tube" you mention may be the strut tower brace, a good upgrade.
My suspension upgrade suggestions; IPD heavier sway bars. Firewall braces. Strut tower brace. And maybe a lower chassis brace. This really tightens things up, taking away most of the factory understeer.
Also, double check your strut tower mounts and replace if needed. Swapping them when you do the struts is easier than having to go back in there later.
And don't forget a front end alignment once the front struts are in.
Good luck.
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Bilstein Touring front and rear ++.
Any knocking I encountered was loose hardware at the upper rear shock damper anchors I had to re-tighten.
If the damper securing hardware is rusty, I use a wire brunch or one of those coarse 3M scrubby pads and remove the rust. Then I use grease, like white lithium or something, and lube up where the lower anchor bolt passes through the sleeve and on the upper anchor thread and nut secure.
It helps to use a heavy washer under the upper nut and on top of the damper anchor tube to distribute the torque under the nut to the securing hardware stack. I usually find the washer missing. Galvanized or stainless.
If you go for Koni yellow, and they will fit your 1992 front strut tubes, consider heavier springs, not necessarily lowering springs. The Volvo 240 factory springs always seem soft to me. Though dunno what quality normal ride height springs there may be. They are all lowering / sport springs. Something HD.
Bilstein HD dampers WON'T fit your 1992 Volvo 240 front strut tubes, ABS or not.
Unless it is Made in Germany Boge Turbo Gas, and Boge no longer makes these, do not get the mushy Sachs by Boge or Boge by Sachs
Also, consider the inner and outer tie rods on the steering rack with the inner tie rod boots off, wipe off the old grease and work in new NLGI-1 or (stiffer) NLGI-2 grease. Enough to lube the rack through the bushing and the gear teeth, and a good amount, yet not too much as to obstruct air exchange between the inner tie rod bellow cover as you steer. I dunno how much grease that is.
Ball joints okay? Left and right ball joints are a different PN for power steering. The Lemforder seems to be okay and hold up well. Lemforder is made in Germany (at least the last set I bought some years ago, still waiting for install. Lemforder is owned by ZF who also owns Boge.
Consider a front wheel bearing inspect if plenty of grease, and the grease is still good. The front grease seals, that seals in inboard side of the hub assembly from flinging out too much grease, may be stiff and worn where the flare seal side contacts the rotating hub. Else, just check and adjust free play and pack same or compatible grease soap complex in there.
(May not hurt to check, inspect, clean, and hopefully all's well to repack NLGI-2 grease for the rear wheel hubs. Yet rear hub work can go horribly wrong .... slide hammers suck, yet we have presses that'll pull out the in the tube rear wheel hub bearing race.)
Use Timken or SKF hubs if needing to replace. SKF is at NAPA. A good machine shop can press on a new rear axle shaft outer grease seal as well as removing the axle shaft bearing race without damaging the shaft. No scratches are permissible on sealing surface anywhere. (Like the nick I did in the lower camshaft bore when replacing a failed oil seal. Ha! Incompetent me.)
As for the front (small) and rear (large) control arm bushes, well, it would seem you can get Volvo OEM from iPd. They sell a kit that is thrown together before ship, so it may not be entirely OEM.
I'm wary of aftermarket. Though who know, maybe they hear our quality pleas?
The rear (large) control arm bushings also come in a right and left. On North American, left hand drive, market, the left rear large control arm bushing has less material inside to transmit less road vibration and such. So, I put in right rear large control bushes both sides. The FCP Euro page itemizes these parts better than does iPd.
Use a press with proper mandrels to remove old bushing and presss in with new (a little silicon grease on the shell exterior where it bits into the rear control arm housing can help. Or find a good, honest auto machine shop with a press with proper mandrels to remove and more importantly, install new bushes with distressing the bushing material.
With solid rubber bushings, you do not apply final torque before setting the car down on a flat surface with properly inflated tires, else you can rip the center bushing shell from the bushing material. You preload the sold rubber bushing as it sits as a part of the suspension, and then secure all rubber bushing material. An auto alignment rack is perfect for this task as part of alignment. Your alignment mechanic can do this. Or, if we have access to an auto service trench, like at an oil change store garage, you apply final bushing seurcing hardware troque then.
Loosen the hardware fully, and tighten again to torque.
Not an issue if you decide on urethane bushes. Whiteline may be a good choice for 240 bushes in a daily driver.
When treating the rear suspension, some will recommend solid urethane bushing for the torque rod bushings. The factory torque rod bushings are the first to fail, and the play can make haste with trailing arm bush failure. Some will use urethane bushes on the trailing arm. Primarily the large (rear) trailing arm bushing.
Replacing the large (rear) trailing arm bushing is an odyssey of foul language even with the proper Volvo press. Patience and allow some days. And many redundant axle stands, chassis lift braces, or use a lift. Secure the chassis on the lift points used by the spare tire jack.
You can lift using a trolley floor jack for the front under the engine support member at the center of it, to the one side of the 240 chassis that is heavier. I forget right now what side is heavier for an even lift at the front. And use the differential pumpkin, yet do not press on the drain plug.
I guess that does it.
A different post on strut mounts upcoming.
Questions?
Hope that helps.
Peanut Better and Jelly MacDuffy's Tavern Birthday.
--
Give your brickboard.com a big thumbs up! Way up! - Roger Ebert.
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Have you had any problems with the notorious clunking from the Bilsteins in the rear? I have a set of 4 to install on my '93 245, but the HD fronts and Sachs/Boge rears are still holding up.
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Sorry for the delayed response.
No problems, no banging sounds from the Billy Touring rear shocks.
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