Rear swaybar 850 turbo.

Post by **rguzz** » 05 Sep 2019, 17:08

Forgotten what people think on this subject. It's a wagon 850t with a tight suspension overall. Does handle a bit on the sloppy side when headed in to turns (feels like a boat, basically). Pros and cons to a rear sway bar, where to find one and what size should it be? How much is it likely to help with cornering?

Post by **scot850** » 05 Sep 2019, 17:38

I still find it strange that Volvos came with the rear anti-sway bar as an option. I understand there are the location points available on the rear axle for one. They were know to rust and break with age. I wonder if V/S70 parts would fit?

I know a regular AWD V/S70 front (like my R) anti-sway bar will fit a FWD. Rear though is totally different.

I wish you luck, but they do make a big difference at the back. On my 'R' I swapped the IPD HD front for a regular 'R' one and didn't notice much difference. The rear is still the IPD one re-finished with new bushes. Rear of car is nice and tight, but would replace with a regular one if I had to.

Neil.

Post by **erikv11** » 05 Sep 2019, 18:04

I would be surprised to see a T5 without a rear sway bar, did you look? Anyway it is entirely worth it, easy upgrade, try to grab one from any P80 FWD so equipped at the junk yard. If you can, get a thicker bar e.g. from a T5. However Volvo mixed and matched the bars a lot, you can't be sure what is on a given car. The best way to tell what a bar is, is by the paint splotches on it:

front sway bar part #s:
9173982 O.Dia 20 mm (marked red)
9173983 O.Dia 21 mm (marked yellow)
9173471 O.Dia 21.5 mm (marked yellow/blue)

rear sway bar part #s, probable O.Diameter:
9191459 (marked green) 19.5 mm
9191461 (marked yellow) 20 mm
9191462 (marked blue) 20.8 mm
9191494 (marked black) 21 mm

Or spend up and get bars from IPD, I've never gone that route though.

All FWD P80 cars use the same rear sway. AWD is different, no swapping there; is there even an AWD rear sway?

Post by **Chuck W** » 06 Sep 2019, 07:32

The wife's '97 GLT didn't have a rear bar on it. The rear end always felt a bit "wollowy".

It has a set of 850R bars on it now.

Post by **tryingbe** » 06 Sep 2019, 13:23

I had Konis and IPD rear sway bar and my 850 still feels like a boat.

Don't lose your sleep on it.

Post by **abscate** » 06 Sep 2019, 18:46

IPD heavy springs and a Sachs shocks all around....nice and tight

Post by **rguzz** » 07 Sep 2019, 12:46

Thanks. Yes, might not be a miraculous improvement adding a rear bar. Have a strut bar also ( I realize the controversy) but hoping the combination, strut bar and rear sway will make for an improvement. Not a huge investment if I find a used rear bar, or even go for a new one from Volvo. Haven't spent any $$ on the car in three whole months, so I think I will go for it. Thanks again for the input.

Post by **j-dawg** » 07 Sep 2019, 21:58

Can't comment on the 850 chassis in particular, but generally, adding more anti-roll to one end of a car (independently of the other end) will tend to reduce grip, transferring load to the other end. Adding rear stiffness while leaving the front alone will increase the car's tendency to oversteer. These cars are tuned very conservatively, and the rear suspension is specifically designed to minimize oversteer, so adding rear anti-roll (and/or softening up the front end) will lively up handling at the limit, but it's hard to quantify.

For what it's worth, nobody seems to have ever said a harsh word about the IPD sway bars. They discontinued their "track spec" kit, which had a stiffer rear sway bar.