2002 V70 Saggy Backside

[kymg]

My jalopy seems to sit low at the rear end so much so that the towbar (trailer hitch) will ground out when reversing out of some driveways.

My trailer does not really sit parallel to the ground but tends to slope downwards toards the car when attached

So I am after a 'raising' kit or some other method of lifting the back of the car up.

I do not think the shock absorbers are the issue - the car has not been used to carry heavy loads and has only done 107,000 kilometres.

Are ther any any other options out there that will keep my saggy backside higher off the ground?

[abscate]

Measure from the ground to the fender and report the distance. It's the springs that wear out on these cars, not the shocks. The rear springs are pretty easy to DIY

[oragex]

Could it be that the front end is sitting too high? If you look at the front and rear shocks, do they appear to be the original ones? How about the coil springs, do all 4 look original. I know new shocks will rise the car about 1/2 inch and I guess springs will do the same.

If your replace the shocks, absolutely go with the original Sachs, $100 on Ebay /1 rear piece.

[GBS]

we have a 02 V70 too and its been low since day 1. We now have 195k miles on ours and just replaced the rear shocks. I didn't notice any ride height difference but there is certainly less bounce. This car is already a low and we bottom out even without trailer. Our rear ride height is a bit higher than front when on flat ground and empty, if yours are lower or same something might be off.

We had a XC90 with self leveling Nivomat shocks, worked very well and I think they are available for V70's too but they are expensive and might require some other mods to install... my plan for the XC90 was to replace with regular shocks should the leveling ones fail, I seem to remember they were $8-900 for a pair, part only.

Congrats on a low mileage 02, we've had ours since new and she still runs like the day we bought her.

[vtl]

Measure from the ground to the fender and report the distance. It's the springs that wear out on these cars, not the shocks. The rear springs are pretty easy to DIY

In my experience it was not easy. Well, it is easy if you did it once and know how important is it to remember how spring compressor was sitting on the old spring, otherwise you'd be doing it several times....

Front springs are easier IMO.

[abscate]

The rear springs can be compressed with a floor jack under the shock mount. The fronts you have to use a compressor and position it just right, IMHE

[vtl]

The rear springs can be compressed with a floor jack under the shock mount. The fronts you have to use a compressor and position it just right, IMHE

If you need to replace rear spring, you have to use internal spring compressor, and the process is more complicated until you learn to mark compressor's position on the spring.

And it was not easy to take out/put in compressed spring from its place on V70 - too little space is there. The spring was almost fully compressed, I even bent the plate of compressor.

[cleven]

Nice to know the rears arent as easy as the older p80 v70 :/