replacing front strut on 2002 S40

jnosacka · Post by **jnosacka** » 25 Mar 2009, 10:06

Anyone have any instructions on how to replace the front strut on a 2002 S40?

jnosacka · Post by **jnosacka** » 29 Mar 2009, 14:21

I started this topic but got no replies before I was ready to do the job. I was able to find basic instructions elsewhere, but some S40 specific advice would have been helpful. I thought I'd go ahead and post a few things I found out on my own from doing the job for the other novices like me.

Also, as I've mentioned before, this is my daughter's car. She just moved back in with us because of financial trouble while she's trying to finish college. I enjoy being a handyman around the house and can change parts on a car, but I am nowhere near proficient enough to diagnose problems on my own. I attempt repairs mainly when I just can't afford, or in this case she can't afford, to pay someone to do them.

I took the break shoes/caliper assembly off to be able to get to the 2 lower bolts, but that still didn't help. The real trouble maker was the metal brace that sticks out to hold the brake line in place. Any old socket will do to hold the head of the bolt, but you need something a little deeper for the end of the bolt with the nut. I used an 18mm, 3/8" socket on the bolt side. On the nut side, the side with the brake line, I used a 1/2" drive socket since it was a little deeper and a 3" extension. If you've got a 18mm deep socket, that might work, but my socket set didn't have any.

To compress the springs, I got a spring compressor set on loan from a parts store. I was able to compress the spring by myself, but wished I had an extra set of hands as the spring became more compressed.

It was suggested to loosen the top nut while the strut is still on the car. I couldn't apply enough resistance. The center part of the strut is so smooth and slick, it would just slide around in the jaws of my pipe wrench. I finally got it loose after taking a grinding wheel that was attached to my drill and scuffing up the old strut until my pipe wrench would grab it.

I did need another pair of hands when it was time to reseat the top not when I was putting the old spring on the new strut. The spring was compressed, but about 1/2" too short for me to do it without applying a little downward pressure on the strut mount.

Speaking of the strut mount... I had 2 problems with the car. A clanking when the car hit a bump and a constant vibration that became downright scary when you got to about 45 mph. The vibration problem is now gone, but I've still got the clanking. I'm starting to believe that it has something to do with the strut mount.

The local independent volvo guy told us he wanted to swap out the strut for about $600. We didn't have it. I called the volvo dealer and asked what parts were needed. He suggested strut, the bearing, the spring seat, and the mount. I didn't have the money for all of it so I went with the bearing and the spring seat since, the mount costs about the same as the both of those parts. Now that I've seen them and done the job, I wished I had gotten the strut, the bearing, and the mount and just used the old spring seat.

The spring seat is all metal and is not a moving part that gets a lot of friction and there's a rubber gasket between it and the spring. The bearing is hard plastic on the outside. The mount is difficult to describe. The outer area is flat, somewhat triangular, with 3 screw sticking up. The center has cylindrical cavity through which the top of the strut passes. In the center is something like a washer with rubber around it. Someone else may be able to clarify this better, but I believe the rubber is supposed to be like a gasket that holds the center fitting in place, thereby holding the upper shaft of the strut in place.

The underside of my mount was covered with pulverized rubber shavings, the significance of which I did not understand. When I put it all back together, I still had the clanking and I now believe it's coming from the top of the strut and the top nut hitting the metal part of the strut mount. The pulverized rubber, I believe, were shavings from the inner gasket. I believe the center, washer-like piece is supposed to only move slightly and snap back to center. Mine "floats" all over.

I'm planning to do the job again as soon as I can order a new strut mount. If any of you enthusiasts/experts see any flaws in what I've described here, please let me know.

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 29 Mar 2009, 18:12

Sorry I missed you post- this is probably a little too little too late, but here it goes:

02 S40 Springs.pdf: (1.13 MiB) Downloaded 2128 times

jnosacka · Post by **jnosacka** » 29 Mar 2009, 20:25

thanks MadeinJapan. Like I said above, I have to do the job again so this will help.

Here's a question about removing and replacing the top nut. The pdf file says: "Remove the nut using special tool 999 5500
(socket) and 999 5758." What do people do who don't have the special tools? I didn't care about the old strut so I took a grinder to it. But on a new strut that you plan on using again, how does someone stop the shaft from turning when you're trying to remove that nut?

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 29 Mar 2009, 20:33

I've used a pipe wrench...so there you go.

robky35 · Post by **robky35** » 13 Apr 2018, 06:17

jnosacka wrote: ↑29 Mar 2009, 14:21 I started this topic but got no replies before I was ready to do the job. I was able to find basic instructions elsewhere, but some S40 specific advice would have been helpful. I thought I'd go ahead and post a few things I found out on my own from doing the job for the other novices like me.

Also, as I've mentioned before, this is my daughter's car. She just moved back in with us because of financial trouble while she's trying to finish college. I enjoy being a handyman around the house and can change parts on a car, but I am nowhere near proficient enough to diagnose problems on my own. I attempt repairs mainly when I just can't afford, or in this case she can't afford, to pay someone to do them.

I took the break shoes/caliper assembly off to be able to get to the 2 lower bolts, but that still didn't help. The real trouble maker was the metal brace that sticks out to hold the brake line in place. Any old socket will do to hold the head of the bolt, but you need something a little deeper for the end of the bolt with the nut. I used an 18mm, 3/8" socket on the bolt side. On the nut side, the side with the brake line, I used a 1/2" drive socket since it was a little deeper and a 3" extension. If you've got a 18mm deep socket, that might work, but my socket set didn't have any.

To compress the springs, I got a spring compressor set on loan from a parts store. I was able to compress the spring by myself, but wished I had an extra set of hands as the spring became more compressed.

It was suggested to loosen the top nut while the strut is still on the car. I couldn't apply enough resistance. The center part of the strut is so smooth and slick, it would just slide around in the jaws of my pipe wrench. I finally got it loose after taking a grinding wheel that was attached to my drill and scuffing up the old strut until my pipe wrench would grab it.

I did need another pair of hands when it was time to reseat the top not when I was putting the old spring on the new strut. The spring was compressed, but about 1/2" too short for me to do it without applying a little downward pressure on the strut mount.

Speaking of the strut mount... I had 2 problems with the car. A clanking when the car hit a bump and a constant vibration that became downright scary when you got to about 45 mph. The vibration problem is now gone, but I've still got the clanking. I'm starting to believe that it has something to do with the strut mount.

The local independent volvo guy told us he wanted to swap out the strut for about $600. We didn't have it. I called the volvo dealer and asked what parts were needed. He suggested strut, the bearing, the spring seat, and the mount. I didn't have the money for all of it so I went with the bearing and the spring seat since, the mount costs about the same as the both of those parts. Now that I've seen them and done the job, I wished I had gotten the strut, the bearing, and the mount and just used the old spring seat.

The spring seat is all metal and is not a moving part that gets a lot of friction and there's a rubber gasket between it and the spring. The bearing is hard plastic on the outside. The mount is difficult to describe. The outer area is flat, somewhat triangular, with 3 screw sticking up. The center has cylindrical cavity through which the top of the strut passes. In the center is something like a washer with rubber around it. Someone else may be able to clarify this better, but I believe the rubber is supposed to be like a gasket that holds the center fitting in place, thereby holding the upper shaft of the strut in place.

The underside of my mount was covered with pulverized rubber shavings, the significance of which I did not understand. When I put it all back together, I still had the clanking and I now believe it's coming from the top of the strut and the top nut hitting the metal part of the strut mount. The pulverized rubber, I believe, were shavings from the inner gasket. I believe the center, washer-like piece is supposed to only move slightly and snap back to center. Mine "floats" all over.

I'm planning to do the job again as soon as I can order a new strut mount. If any of you enthusiasts/experts see any flaws in what I've described here, please let me know.

sway bar is probably what your clanking is.i had the same problem. changed the links and bushings and it stopped