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IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Paul S. on
Saturday, 31 January 1998, at 10:25 p.m.
WOW!!!!
I just installed the IPD 260 1" sway bars on the 262C. (I should say "we", John Laughlin cruised over to help)
Whoowee...the car stays almost totally flat on corners. A boat no more!!!
Easy install (especially since I was doing the ball joints also).
Don't have IPD sway bars yet? Buy 'em.....they're great!!!
Paul "No, I don't work for IPD" S.
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by WARREN BAIN on
Sunday, 1 February 1998, at 9:26 a.m.
I agree, I put them on my '86 740 Turbo, with KYB shocks, and they take the car
from an 'also ran' to a leader of the pack. Why doesn't VOLVO put them on their
performance cars? Lawyers maybe?
warren
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Dennis Nordin on
Sunday, 1 February 1998, at 4:39 p.m.
Ipd sway bars were recommended to me by a SCCA driver from Atlanta Ga.
Two years ago at Sebring race track he told me that for every day use they were the best.
He was a driver from the Volvos From Hell team.
Put them on my 240 Turbo SE and gave the old ones to a friend of mine.
Had to change the rear shocks, the KYB were too stiff and seemed to make the end hop in corners, your not going to beleave this, I replaced them with Sears Gas Turbos and the problem went away, never thought I would say anything good about Sears, except for thier tools!
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Dan Bennion on
Monday, 2 February 1998, at 12:34 p.m.
Why didn't Volvo use IPD, or IPD quality swaybars on their cars? Cost. It would cost a LOT to put similar swaybars on their sport versions. It probably cost them under $50.00 for the swaybars that they put on their cars. They could proobably get some IPD quality bars for $200.00. $150.00 per mass-produced car is a LOT of $!
That, of course, was during the 80's, when Volvo couldn't afford to screw with their image too much. Their furthest jaunt into the realm of performance handling was the 240 "flathood", which was produced in small numbers so that Volvo could qualify to race a "production" car.
If you'll notice, the 850 R, S70 T-5, and the C70 all have 24 or 25mm swaybars. They finally got with it!
-Dan
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Ed Lipe on
Monday, 2 February 1998, at 2:50 p.m.
Dan, Take Volvo dealer's price and cut it in half, then take 20%-25% off of that and you'll get a reasonable price of actual cost. Less of course, the freight, shipping, and marketing costs. About $40 for a good sway bar...raw cost. Probably $2.00 more in production costs over the stock bar.
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by meb on
Monday, 2 February 1998, at 4:08 p.m.
Dan,
You can't compare the bars on the 850/70s with those of the 200 series. It's
apples and oranges. Also the suspension on the mythical "flathood" production car was no different than that on the regular 242 Turbos.
Regards,
meb
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Crispin Glymph on
Monday, 2 February 1998, at 4:33 p.m.
I have a 97 850R Wagon. What size are the sway bars that come with the car?
I'm interested because IPD sells in their sport package 25mm front and 22mm rear. Do I need them? Or am I replacing perfectly good equipment?
-lost
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Dan Bennion on
Tuesday, 3 February 1998, at 6:54 p.m.
Well,
I stand corrected abouot the 24/25 mm's on the sport package. It sounds like the sport package on an 850R offer 20 or 22 mm swaybars. I would definately go with the IPD bars if I had an 850R.
Do take the rest of their sport package, as it offers other great improvements over stock.
-Dan
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Paul Elliott on
Tuesday, 3 February 1998, at 12:31 p.m.
>>
If you'll notice, the 850 R, S70 T-5, and the C70 all have 24 or 25mm swaybars.<<
Sorry, but its simply not true! The standard setup is for 20mm front, 19.5 (or 19.75) rears. Sport suspension gets 21mm front, 20mm rears. Only with IPD's Sport bars can you get 25mm front!!
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Stan on
Tuesday, 3 February 1998, at 12:35 a.m.
I guess that I'm just dense, but I put the IPD HD sway bars on my 91 240 and really notice no difference. I use the car for daily commute (actually my wife does), and we use it for high speed touring (90 - 95 MPH) on the autobahn, and really notice no difference since installing the bars.
I thought that I'd notice a difference in lane changes and when exiting the autobahn. When you're traveling 90 - 95 MPH for long distances it's easy to take an exit 15 or 20 MPH too fast (slowing to 60 MPH feels like you've stopped), and I've done so on occasion, and really didn't notice that much difference with the new bars.
Putting new radials on the car seems to have "tightened up" the handling more than the bars did.
Has anyone else installed the bars on a "non-racing" 240 and not noticed any difference, or have you noticed a significant difference in your daily handling?
Stan
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Steve LeFever on
Tuesday, 3 February 1998, at 9:20 a.m.
I replaced the sway bars on my mom's "non-racing" 1984 240 DL wagon. But I did not go all the way to IPD specs. I replaced the front bar, which was 18 or 19 mm with a 23 mm bar from a 1982 GLT turbo and the rear bar, which was 16 mm, with a 19 mm bar from another 240. Both bars for $15 from the self service wrecking yard.
The stock wagons have smaller rear sway bars than the sedans. Possibly because they have heavier springs in the rear for load carrying? I kept to the same front/rear ratio to avoid any oversteer problems.
Even with this very modest (and inexpensive) enhancement there is a stunning improvement in handling. My mom, who is 72 and not from Pasadena, noticed and appreciated the improved qualities immediately. Freeway driving is more controlled, the car staying in the lane it is put instead of wandering over the road.
What size sway bars did you have before the switch? Maybe the 1991 models have stiffer bars to start with, or perhaps the previous owner added some. Some models are already 23/23 mm so a switch to 25/25 mm might not be very noticable. If you have soft tires you may not notice the difference, either. The roll stiffness is affected by the softest spring in the total suspension system. Try the car with the new tires and the old bars.
Regards, Steve in Orange
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Stoney on
Tuesday, 3 February 1998, at 10:06 a.m.
Stan,
Just wait until you have to take "evasive" action around a Trebbi on the Left lane!
Then you will see the difference! But maybe Steve is right, the later 240's had slightly bigger bars so the change isn't as noticeable.
"Just keep it between the ditches, Son!"
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Stan on
Wednesday, 4 February 1998, at 12:02 a.m.
Thanks to both Steve and Stoney for the info. Perhaps you're right and my original sway bars were doing what they were supposed to do all along. And perhaps Stoney is correct again in saying that it'll become noticable only when really quick response is required to an unexpected obstruction. Hopefully I won't ever find out. Again, thanks for the info guys.
Stan
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by HAN CHUNG on
Wednesday, 4 February 1998, at 6:48 p.m.
I have a 97 850T5 wagon and just got IPD sway bars. Did anyone experience any problems during installation? Do I need any special tools? How much of a DIY is it?
Apprecialte anyone's iinput.
thanks
han
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Paul S. on
Thursday, 5 February 1998, at 8:29 a.m.
Han,
The 850/70 bar install is not impossible for the DIY selfer.....but after I read the instructions I decided to have my dealer do it. The main reason: They have a lift, I have a floor jack and jack stands. 'nuff said. Well not quite enough, because the car will need an alignment anyway. The dealer charged me 2 hours labor and an alignment charge(The total was about $160).
One last reason (pretzel logic): I just installed IPD bars on the 262C (same as 240) and it was a POCEJ (piece of cake easy job). Approach is from the front outside in and the back outside in. The 850 must be approached from the inside of the wheels underneath....I'm not a very large fellow...but without a lift it looked like a pain the Bill.
Paul S.
'96 855
'81 262C
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by HAN CHUNG on
Thursday, 5 February 1998, at 11:53 a.m.
Paul,
I didn't know alignment is needed with the bar install. did you just do it cuz you needed one? i look underneath and it didn't seem like it affected the alignment. i hope i don't need one. i was gonna DIY to same me some money.
Thanks for the info.
han
97 850 T5 wag'n ...........
Re: IPD Sway bars[ALL/1988] posted by Paul S. on
Thursday, 5 February 1998, at 12:39 p.m.
Volvo and IPD recommend an alignment after removal and replacement of 850/70 sway bars.....even the rear one...
Does the car really go out of alignment? I don't know. I don't have any scientific proof either way.
Paul S.