Requesting advice for installing lowering springs on 2002 S60

[vtl]

What do you mean by "HD" springs? I've never heard that term for springs before.

Anyway, what you're saying is that sway bars will effect the ride quality, regardless of what sway links I use?

I did some offroading (http://jamesbayroad.com/ttr/) this summer and figured out new Volvo springs are too weak for the car heavily loaded (500+ lbs in trunk and on roof). Replaced them with Kilen 66024 springs, which are about 30% stiffer, that cleared some space in wheel arch a bit.

Yes, sway bar affects ride quality: when one wheel goes up on a bump, more firm sway bar does not want to twist as much and, as a consequence, it loads the other wheel as well. Two sets of springs/shocks do not compress as much as only one set, so the car's butt get a kick.

[Cookie-the-Swede]

I did this to my S60 to tighten up the handling:
- iPd sway bars and HD end links
- Poly engine mount inserts
- Strut braces F&R
- Urethane control arm bushings
- All new tie rod ends and ball joints

It seems to have worked.

[jbeebo]

FYI - going from Volvo OEM 15" wheels to Volvo OEM 17" wheels definitely caused significant tire rub. Volvo compensated by murdering the already pretty bad turning radius. They installed larger steering stop limiters on the lower control arms. I kept the original (thinnest) steering stop limiters and added 10mm hub-centric wheel spacers which brought the car back to the "tight" turning radius with only really minor rub at full lock.

If you're going to 17" wheels you'll need 15mm spacers to eliminate rub altogether (I assume, haven't tried yet).

[precopster]

My T5 with factory 17" wheels has a far larger turning circle than both our 2002 XC70 and our 2006 XC90. It's so bad it makes the car tiresome to drive in tight spaces. T5s are pretty low to start with.

In Oz spacers are illegal to use however I've seen them for sale at accessory stores and I'd consider the 5mm ones with smaller steering limiters. Good call.

[keboose]

Thank you all for the advice, Your insight has led me to order my upgrades like so (After fixing my suspension with normal shocks/springs):

• 17" rims with new (good!) summer tires and 5-10mm wheel spacers

• New sway bars, either the IPD kit or the used bars from other cars like what vtl suggested

• If the first two do not do what I want, I will also get the lowering springs

Whenever I get these done, I will reply with how it all went. Though at that point I might be reviving a dead thread, since I won't be buying new tires/rims until spring of next year, about 6 months from now.

[matthew1]

Whenever I get these done, I will reply with how it all went. Though at that point I might be reviving a dead thread, since I won't be buying new tires/rims until spring of next year, about 6 months from now.

Thanks for posting your buy list! I'm looking forward to reading more on your install/impressions.

Please do post back to this thread, or, if your future thoughts are something you want to put in a new topic, go ahead and create a new topic, just link back to this for backstory. Thanks.

[vtl]

• New sway bars, either the IPD kit or the used bars from other cars like what vtl suggested

Used car parts? Me? Maybe in a different reality. New parts from different models (front XC90, rear V70R) is what I suggested.

[keboose]

Used car parts? Me? Maybe in a different reality. New parts from different models (front XC90, rear V70R) is what I suggested.

My bad, I misread your post. Would these be considered drop-in replacements, or am I going to be drilling bolt holes?

[vtl]

My bad, I misread your post. Would these be considered drop-in replacements, or am I going to be drilling bolt holes?

All bolt-on, no drilling or any other kind of mods is required.