Front suspension PN confusion.

[MacNoob]

2007 XC70. 200,000kms (120k miles). Has already had new struts and sway bar end links. Control arm bushings obviously torn. Lots of rattling and clunking over bumps.

Looking for replacement lower control arms (LCA) with ball joints, I keep running into this note on parts sites:

"2001-2007 XC70 (up to chassis number -269745)".

My chassis number is later than 269745.

ONE site says this:

"Volvo introduced two different control arm and ball joint designs on their P2 chassis models. The earlier style control arms were made of aluminum, and the later style control arms were made of steel. The two control arms are not interchangeable, and each have uniquely design ball joints."

There is a sticker on my RHS LCA with the number: 30635232. This number crosses with the regular aluminum LCA available anywhere. The LCAs are definitely aluminum based on a magnet test. So are the steering knuckles.

Has anyone run into this confusion before? Looks like I have the earlier style aluminum LCA despite all the dire warnings on parts sites.

[MacNoob]

Alrighty. Checked PNs in VIDA. Shows newer part numbers. Checked those part numbers against photos of the parts at various parts sites. Looks nothing like what I have in my car.

So, my '07 has the older style control arms and ball joints despite what VIDA and parts sites say. Easy to tell the difference, the older ball joints have a straight shaft and use a nut with a tapered washer (kinda like the tapered washer on a wheel bolt) that fits into a taper on the aluminum control arm. The newer ball joints (XC90/newer S60 style) use a normal flat nut and the ball joint has a tapered shaft.

We'll see what they look like when my order arrives!

[MDK]

Mcnoob...if you have the aluminum..then get the aluminum ones..MDK

[MacNoob]

Those are the ones that are on the way!
I have a feeling that the steel LCAs were more an XC90/S60 thing rather than XC70.