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Upgrading a 89 740 GL[ALL/1998] posted by Allan Chen on
Sunday, 12 October 1997, at 9:31 p.m.
I have a 1989 740 GL. I want to do some upgrades to the suspension and wheels/tires. The suspension stuff I'm going to handle with a local shop (who can do it right the first time and more professinally), but I wanted to try and locate some good prices on the wheels and tires. But I don' tknow what my restrictions are.
For instance, how big of a rim can I use? There's this local guy selling Oz5 16" rims that fit on his 96 850. Will they fit on my car? Are there restrictions on what kind of tire I can use (so they won't hit the tire well or whatever)?
Any help is greatly appreciated. E-mail is preferred, but I'll check here, too since it's probably a more likely place to find responses.
thanks,
allan chen
Re: Upgrading a 89 740 GL[ALL/1998] posted by Coop on
Monday, 13 October 1997, at 5:09 a.m.
One should always research the mods first.So far your doing well,dont just cut the springs and keep in mind your ride will not be the same.
850 wheels DO NOT have the same offset.Have a look at the after market for a suspension kit.
BR/C
Re: Upgrading a 89 740 GL[ALL/1998] posted by Steve Seekins on
Monday, 13 October 1997, at 7:36 a.m.
There are numerous wheels that you can use, however, wheels from an 850 do not have the correct offset to fit your car. Volvo has some nice 16" wheels - either the 5 spoke ones that came stock with the 90 700 turbos, or the 'Galaxy 7-Spoke' 16x7 optional rims. However, the Volvo rims are VERY expensive and you will have difficulty finding second hand ones.
I would recommend that you try the TSW rims - available in a variety of sizes and styles. The Hockenheim 'R' and Blade styles look pretty good on both 700 and 200 series anc are available in 16x7 with the correct offset. On these rims you can mount a 205/55-16 tire or a 225/50-16 tire. Check out the Nitto 450 Extremes for a nice but inexpensive all season performance tire.
For suspension upgrades, go with the IPD sway bars front and rear. Bilstein shocks are nice on the highway, but very expensive and quite harsh for around town driving - especially with the 16" wheels and 50 series tires. I would consider the KYB Gas-A-Just shocks for good control without the harshness. Other brands to consider are Tokiko and Boge, though I prefer the KYBs
For springs - IPD's lowering springs are prety much the only game in town right now. I would avoid simply cutting the existing springs down. However, you might try just the swaybars and the shocks initially - you might find that this and the wheels/tires will give you all the performance you need without the necessity of lowering the car. For most drivers in most situations, the only need to lower the car is for appearance sake. And with the lowering springs, you will add a lot of harshness to the ride, not to mention the loss of ground clearance that will accelerate deterioration of the splash pan, bottom of the fuel tank, and fuel pump from road hazards.
Steve
Volvo Club of America
Re: Upgrading a 89 740 GL[ALL/1998] posted by Brian Feltovich on
Wednesday, 15 October 1997, at 1:21 p.m.
I believe this car would have 15" wheels stock.
I have a 1990 760 turbo wagon and the wheels are 15".
Also, they're not the 5-spoke version, but the multi-spoke version with a large, flat center. I thought these were the stock wheels but I could be wrong.
Best of luck.