Hi all,

I've been on the look out for stiffer rear shock and have been told that LR90 shocks fit. If this is the case do they need any modifying, or is it a straight swap?

Here's the part number I found off ebay: RPM100070

Is there any specific year of 90?

If I put these on the back, whats the best lowering blocks to use too? I'll be aiming for either 6-7'' x 13'' wheels on lowing profile tires. I've read that MK2 escort blocks fit with a little tinkering. Graystones seem to be the common ones for around £25.

Also, I want to drop the front by 2'', so what springs sould do the deed up front. There's another thread stating that MR2 springs fit. With lowered springs, what inserts are the best too?

Any help again will be greatly recieved.

I just put my LR shocks on last night.

as you said, basically. 2" Escort lowering blocks (i did this part about a year ago) basically you need to get 4 x HT bolts to replace the 2 x U bolts for each block, as escorts dont bolt together in the same way. GIVE IT A FEW MILES, THEN TIGHTEN THESE BOLTS. DONT FORGET OR THEY'LL COME LOOSE dont say i didnt warn ya

There is a nobbly bit on the block, also, which locates into the spring, but you will need to shave this down a touch to make it fit

Finally, you have to extend the shock mounting holes in the lower swing arms - a good half inch towards the back of the car - so the shock lines up right.

For the record, standard springs + LR shocks = touring car handling. perfect into and out of bends, very hard but doesnt feel like its hanging on for dear life anymore. Before, i was scared my axle was gonna fall off, now it feels like it's bolted together properly.

For the front, i cut off 2 coils and bought new shocks (not uprated, just new). This needs improving, as i need another 1/2 inch lower really, and dont want to cut 1/4 coil or 1/2 coil. planning to get some proper springs for the right height etc. but it looks HENCH, and i like it a bit soft on the front anyway for grip, and no BMW-esque understeer/snap oversteer

HAHA! Snap Oversteer is exactly what I get, and Im running double leafs and Land Rover Gabriel AGS shocks, you need wider tyres to properly enjoy these mods.

funny you should say that: I was going round to see a mate last night and i booted it around a corner, only to find myself opposite locking and increasing in heart rate, quite significantly...

apparently there was an oil spill there earlier in the week that i didnt know about, which didnt help, but the new shocks certainly didnt help either. Ther are a bit.. "drifty" i suppose you could say.

some might see this as a bad thing, but i dont. read it how you will

i dont suppose you could take a couple o pics of the underneath and post em on here / email me with them? id love to see how your double springs go together etc.

also, do you need longer bolts for the lowering blocks, as i seem to recall there wasnt much sticking out without the extra spring

I have adjustable Konis to go on the back of the 343, but I think I might leave them relatively soft, given how easily it cuts both rears loose in a straight line in the wet at present (it spins both when it's tipped over when cornering, but in a straight line, they both go, and it's FUN!).

cheers

James

i'm gonna give a little bit of inside knowledge i found out, purely by chance as they looked very similar, which i am running on the back of my volvo.

i picked up a set of spax adjustable gas shocks, with 11 stages of adjustment, secondhand, for a tr7, for 21 notes off flea bay. they are pretty much the same apart from being about an inch longer if i remember correctly. no problem if your running 2" lowering blocks on the back.
but i don't know how they compare to other shocks but they are definately alot better than the ones i had on previously!

foggyjames wrote:I have adjustable Konis to go on the back of the 343, but I think I might leave them relatively soft

I've got red Konis on the back of my '60 set to 3 out 5 on the stiffness front and the car is really quite manageable like that. Have you got Yellow ones?

Mine are reds too, Ronnie.

Q...that's cool info. Some Alfa ones fit too. Are the TR7 ones longer than the Volvo ones, or vica versa? I'm always reluctant to run shocks outside of their correct length, although with the 300 series rear suspension setup, that would only happen if you changed the springs.

cheers

James

i think they were about an inch longer rather than shorter ( only on full compression, the same length extended i think) but i got them quite a long time ago and can't remember exactly but i have been running them for at least six months and they've been fine.
I was quite reluctant to use them at first myself but after a bit of thinking i decided to go with them mainly due to how cheap they were and also the tr7 being rwd and having a fairly similar kerb weight.
If memory serves me right the shocks did have a slightly smaller OD on the mounting studs where it goes through the bushes, but the shocks came with new bushes which were the same size as the volvo ones(weren't tr7 ones because they are smaller)

but there are lots of parts listed for other vehicles that fit you just have to take some time and compare part no. and codes and do a little research.
I have a set of predator fast road pads aswell on the front recently (haven't driven with them yet as the car is currently sorn so i can't tell you how they perform) but i found they share pads with an audi 80 which i found as i knew companies did performance pads for them.
but i found the pad fitted so i went and found them as cheap as i could!

there's a website as well which you may or may not kno that has some performance parts listed for the 340 but they are quite expensive (or at least to me anyway as i am skint and as a result tight!)

but the website is - http://www.europerformance.co.uk/

Cool!

How do you go about cross-referencing parts...do you have access to catalogues which tell you where the same part will fit multiple cars, or just by luck?

cheers

James

foggyjames wrote:How do you go about cross-referencing parts...do you have access to catalogues which tell you where the same part will fit multiple cars, or just by luck?

I love this site for doing just that:
http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... 0&start=11

Some of the manufacturers' claims about which part fits what need to be taken with a bit of due caution though ...

Tom

Another good site for that is the bosche e-cat, though limited selection of parts.

http://ecat-online.bosch.de/toc/en/0000 ... ramesetJsp

the view linked vehicles button is useful though.