I like to share a few tips I learned the hard way so you can avoid them. The example I described below is for rear springs, but it also applies to front springs.
When replacing broken rear springs, instead of replacing the broken spring first, I suggest it is best to replace the good spring first (this is assuming springs are replaced in pairs), this way you get to compare the height of old spring with the new spring. And in case it doesn’t match, you can address the issue before proceeding any further. Couple years ago, I replaced my broken rear spring first then proceeded to replace the good spring after. By the time I was done I noticed the rear of my car was slightly lower than the front of the car. The dealer re-assured me I had the correct springs for my VIN, The OEM rear springs made my XC70 about ¾ inch lower in the rear than the front.
After driving the car with reverse rake look for sometime, I finally decided to re-install both rear springs this summer with aftermarket springs from Lesjofors, and sure enough, the aftermarket springs are about 1 inch taller than the OEM springs I replaced earlier and it made the car look level again. Now, did the rear OEM springs sag or was Volvo’s database wrong? It is no longer relevant in my case, the only thing that matters is my 2011 3.2 XC70 is now level again. It spears the correct rear spring dimension for MY2011 3.2 XC70 is 14 inches tall and coil thickness of 14 mm (0.55 inches). The oem spring I replaced was 31300140 and it measured just over 13 inches tall.
- comparing old oem with new aftermarket springs
- height of new aftermarket spring
- thickness of new aftermarket spring which is the same as oem spring
- side view of the car with aftermarket spring installed