When to replace struts…?

[91Bravo]

Hello! I recently purchased a ‘11 V8 Executive from Texas. Noticed it had an obvious clunking sound coming from what seemed like the driver side. Took it to the dealer, they came back with an astronomical quote for tie rods and control arms bushings (as well as timing and valve cover gaskets…that was $8500) So I purchased inner and outer tie rods and control arms from IPD and had them installed at an indie. The clunking went away for the most part but it’s not completely gone. Also the ride just seems floaty. So my question is when should struts be replaced? As far I can tell they’re original and I’m coming up on 158K miles. Any advice or recommendations will be greatly appreciated.

[MoVolvos]

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I'm waiting for that perfect V8 myself but have test driven 2, one with the 3.2 and the other 2.5. Strange suspension setup as the SUV feel like the steering is below the front seat. Both were soft so I would recommend Bilstein or Koni if available.

Another option is to put on some sway bars beginning with the rear. Volvos are all prone to under-steering and the with bigger motor it will be more so than the 2.5 or 3.2. The sway bar will also act to smooth the small modulations in the road besides the up and down motions of the wheel and make the SUV feel more hunker down. When one side of the wheel goes up and down the other side pulls it back. Not meant to replace worn shocks but it does firm the suspension up for a more stable road feel.



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[MoVolvos]

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A set of subframe bushing inserts are a must if available beside replacing the front control arm forward and rearward bushings.


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[chitownV]

Hello! I recently purchased a ‘11 V8 Executive from Texas. Noticed it had an obvious clunking sound coming from what seemed like the driver side. Took it to the dealer, they came back with an astronomical quote for tie rods and control arms bushings (as well as timing and valve cover gaskets…that was $8500) So I purchased inner and outer tie rods and control arms from IPD and had them installed at an indie. The clunking went away for the most part but it’s not completely gone. Also the ride just seems floaty. So my question is when should struts be replaced? As far I can tell they’re original and I’m coming up on 158K miles. Any advice or recommendations will be greatly appreciated.

With that mileage and the weight of the V8, it definitely sounds like you will need new struts and associated hardware. I like Bilsteins as they do very well on the XC90. Avoid Sachs as both V8 and 3.2 owners say they are too soft.

Here is a write-up of parts and reviews for the front end. Since you have already started with the tie-rods, the next things to do are the control arm bushings, the ball joints, and the struts (plus mounting hardware). Clunking can come from any of these and with 158k miles, it is recommended to change them all. Getting the foundation and geometry of the front suspension replaced first should always be the first step. I have performance sway bars, but that would be second or third on the list of things to do, and there is no overlap in labor with the front suspension parts. Doing sway bars is not an easy job in the XC90.
Check here for the front-end parts and review: https://www.swedespeed.com/threads/chit ... ts.590829/

[91Bravo]

Great info, thank you!