Inexpensive Replacement Struts for Volvos
Just wanted to put it out there that if you are looking for a good set of struts for your Volvo, I just picked up a pair of Monroe Sensa tracs for $48 each through Amazon with free shipping. These are a great OEM quality strut.
But is this the smart decision?
Matty Moo » A couple of months ago I drilled an incredibly large pothole, bending a wheel, bubbling a tire and blowing out a strut. This was on my Platinum wagon. It was one of those hits where you instantly KNEW you did some damage.
So, I read up on Monroes, since I had to replace the struts. I didn’t hear anything bad about them, so I ordered a pair from Amazon. I wasn’t being cheap, just wanted to try them and see how they were.
They don’t ride bad, but they are valved differently than the stock struts. They seem a touch softer and the rebound seems to be a touch quicker. More of an American ride than a European ride. Almost Buick-ish, if you’ve ever driven one.
The bad….my front end now sits about 5/8″ higher than it did before. I’ve always kept my headlights aimed to the max without getting flashed by others, now I’m getting flashed every single night. I don’t like the way it looks either.
So, they’re coming off and I’m putting some oem’s back on.
chernobyl1 » After reading through this forum (and a few others), I chose the Bilstein TC’s to replace my wifes 145K OE struts on her ’99 V70. Big mistake. The ride is definitely better than the worn out struts, but way too firm for a family car on busted up Michigan roads. I’ve driven them about 7k miles since install so any breaking in would’ve happened by now. I wish I had thought about this factor a little bit more and saved myself $70 for each shock.
Now its time to replace the shocks on my 150k 98 V70. I chose the Monroe’s for the front and OEM sachs for the rear (I haul around a full load sometimes). I personally prefer a sporty ride, but after the experience with my wife’s car I’m starting to think that I prefer my spine a bit more.
These shocks should be in by the end of the week so I’ll make sure to post my observations when the job’s done!
Last Updated on January 20, 2022
