Please help

loganfrost · Post by **loganfrost** » 17 Sep 2020, 14:43

Hello,
Can anyone tell me what I'm looking at here in this picture? I've checked owner's manuals and online diagrams and can't seem to identify these but one definitely looks defective. Thank you in advance.

Post by **June** » 17 Sep 2020, 14:49

That's the top of the strut. It's time for new struts with new hardware ie strut mounts,spring seats, bearings. June

loganfrost · Post by **loganfrost** » 17 Sep 2020, 14:55

Thank you so much!

Post by **June** » 17 Sep 2020, 15:57

Here are mine which are normal. The gap is normal like on your other side. June

Post by **- Pete -** » 17 Sep 2020, 17:16

If the “shock” or “damper” doesn’t appear wet from oil leaking out you may likely be able to simply replace the spring seats. If the top bearing plate/mounts are still smooth, tight, and not gritty feeling (and don’t exhibit axial play) they may still be ok. Original Volvo top plates are very durable & long lasting, despite being rusty & an eyesore.

I don’t say this to contradict June, but the original equipment shocks on these seem to last a very long time (Especially XC’s). I have almost 300k on one of our P2’s and just one of the front shocks has recently started to show some wetness but still rides very well.

For spring seats I’d run Rein seats.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/Volvo-parts/XC7 ... ing%20seat

If your top bearing plates need replacing I’d avoid anything Chinese/Taiwanese. I’ve been running Meyle HD’s and they seem to hold up pretty darn good. Allegedly they are made in Germany but I have yet to see one that is marked as such, which makes me skeptical. Regardless, Chinese top mounts will likely fail in extremely short order. I had a set (Lemforders) start making noise in just a couple thousand miles and ended up replacing them at just about 10k miles. That is dismal.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/Volvo-parts/XC7 ... d=586&v=97

So basically, If the shocks aren’t wet from leaking oil, if your springs aren’t cracked, if your top bearing plates are still tight and smooth, simply replace the spring seats and keep running the rest of the components.