Rear suspension, can i...?

[dalahare]

What have people done to stiffen the rears on their car? The local wreckers will sell me a set of leafs for $20 off another 360, crawling around under the car the other day i noticed there is enough thread on the d shackles to allow for another spring, so i was wondering, can i buy a set of springs, cut the eyelts off them and whack them on and expect the suspension to be nearly twice as stiff or am i dreaming?

What have others done on the cheap to sort out the rear a little, i am just trying to reduce some roll and be able to carry a little more weight, put two adults in the back and the thing uses most of it's travel.

The local suspension shop has quoted $400 to do the rear properly, i don't want to spend anywhere near this much.

I figure if i can do the rear cheap by doing the work myself, then i should have enough to whack a set of decent springs in the front and the whiteline swaybar and not be too far off what the shop had quoted me to do the rear alone.

The car already has reasonably new rear gas shocks too BTW.

Thanks.

[Ali]

You probably can do that but its likely to raise the rear of the car up a lot aswell. I've fitted koni rear adjustable dampers on the back of mine (off a mk2 ford escort but adapted them to make them fit) and set them to stiff as possible and it make a really big difference, too stiff for normal driving really but zero bodyroll! Best bet is probably to look on ebay for some adjustable dampers, I can't remember the open/closed lengths you need but hopefully someone should be along soon that does (Adam or Dai???) and the 340/60 uses an M10 thread top and bottom. My koni's came with a M10 thread top but I had to make adapters for the bottom....

http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... light=koni

[dalahare]

Thanks for the info, the problem here in aus is that no cars that i have heard i might be able to use bits off are readily available, even the 360s are rare.

I'm not too fussed about the height anyway, the rear is sagged noticably and i do a fair bit of dirt roads ect so the clearance is good, and i have always found that for roads as opposed to tracks, high stiff suspension will cope better than something that is lowered and will run out fo travel, plus i won't be spending much so if it is way too stiff or tall it wont be a great loss.

Just wondering if anyone had done something simialr with the springs. I will sort decent dampers out when i have more cash.

[Fuse]

I have smaller double leafs and red Koni adjustables, rear is stiff enough.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/mtn/images/autot/G ... usitus.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/mtn/images/autot/G ... skari2.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/mtn/images/autot/G ... skari3.jpg

[jtbo]

I have smaller double leafs and red Koni adjustables, rear is stiff enough.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/mtn/images/autot/G ... usitus.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/mtn/images/autot/G ... skari2.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/mtn/images/autot/G ... skari3.jpg

Sorry OT, but Fuse you may like to replace that clamp in tank side of filler hose, mine snapped when it look like that, not nice at all if happens when full tank, I had luck that had no money to fill it

[dalahare]

When fitting a extra spring, if the thread on the bolts is long enough, is it possible to do it by just jacking up the body so it takes the weight of the car, undo the four bolts that hold the plate under the springs and the bottom shock mount bolt, putting the extra leaf in and do it back up? the wheel/axle doesn't need to be supported as the weight from that is pushing down on the spring that is getting left in place right? is it safe to do with one side of the car jacked up or do both sides need to be off the ground?

I've only done it on a car with a solid rear axle, not a de-dion rear end so not sure exactly how this will work.

[mac]

You should be fine - the 300 does't have a true de-dion axle - it's a solid axle that just hasn't got a diff. in it. (instead of half shafts running to a central cased diff in the axle itself you have driveshafts with CV joints running to a final drive fixed to the bodshell).

In a true de-dion set up the axle beam has a sliding joint and forms part of the suspension articulation.

As far as adding an extra leaf goes you can treat the 300 axle the same as any solid rear end (with the proviso that there is only so much movement in the drive shafts - so dont jack the body up high, release the spring clamps and let the beam drop so far as to stress the shafts.).

Mac.

[john.d]

So have you done anything with your back? on my 340 iuse kyb dampers the silver ones. Chep and working very well. Oh i have the back lowered about 50 mm.