I will replace my shocks soon and want advice on brand/style. I have a 240 wagon. I want utility and not the top of the line Bilstein. Has anyone had good luck with KYB or other Japanese brands? Is it that important to have "monotube" units? I know from my youth to stay away from Gabrial and other American brands. My friend's dad got me Gabrial shocks free for my 240Z. After 2 sets I finally bought BOGE because I was replacing the strut carts almost monthly! I later found that it was good to fill the small space between the cart and strut tube with oil to transfer the heat away from the cart. Is that the current practice with VOLVO as well???? Thanks

Last Nov I replaced front with KYB and rear with Monroe. Though KYB are good but they do not give a firm ride for my taste. Since it is lots of trouble to change these and more so in my case as I had to borrow lots of tools (Advanced auto) and did it in apartment parking lot and on rear shocks lower bolts was frozen.

In retrospective I think one should go for high end shocks , Bilestiens etc .
FCP grotten has every brand at cheaper rates.

There is also a spacer ring at the bottom of strut tube and if you do not remove it then cartridge will sit 1 - 1.5 mm higher.

And by the way do you have Merc G Wagon ?If yes then how is it.

Regards
Gopesh

I put Sachs Advantage front and rear on two cars and like them a lot. The ride is comfortable and the handling is good too.
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Thanks for all the help. DougC 1981 242, Turbo bars and wheels, M46............1993 245, B230 NA L-Block, M46, Turbo bars.

I've changed rear shocks on our 240s maybe half a dozen times. On the last one, which was my first shock change on that particular car, the driver's side lower bolt was solidly rusted in place.

Probably a torch would have gotten it loose. I ended up grinding off the nut and the bolt head with cutoff wheels. Had to cut the bolt somewhere in the middle too, and pound with a hammer. Took quite a while but the next time the shocks need changing on that car it won't be a problem. I suggest some grease on the bolt where it goes through the bushing.
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Sven: '89 245, IPD sways, electric rad. fan conversion, e-codes, 28+ mpg - auto tranny. 850 mi/week commute. '89 245 #2 (wifemobile). '90 244 (spare, runs).

I just put KYBs front and rear on our '93 240 and am very happy with the ride and handling they provide. My experience with KYBs on other vehicles has been that they are long lasting, good handling and good riding.

Oil would just run out of the 240 struts, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to coat the new strut insert with the silver colored anti-sieze compound as it wouldn't run off and might help with heat transfer. Certainly it would help in removing them if needed again :).

John

If you want to save a few bucks, I have a pair of KYB rear shocks which have under 1000 miles on them. They were just too stiff with the overload springs on my 245; the Bilstein Tourings worked better with that setup and all the freakin' speed bumps out here in AZ.

KYB gas adjust or GR-2s are very fine stock replacement struts/shocks. When it comes to adding oil between the strut insert and the outer tube, I have not done this on Volvos as they fit pretty snug already. On my the old 240Z and 280Z race modded cars I had (they both died an honorable death), I did fill the outer tube with oil and it helped a ton for longevity and consistency of handling on the road course.

If I recall correctly, the bottom of the Volvo 240 outer strut tubes are not sealed, so I would avoid filling them with oil... hate getting oil on the rotors!

jorrell

Sounds to me like KYBs are the way to go for you. They are an excellent value for the money, and in my experience, plenty durable. They ride a bit harshly over minor imperfections in the road but do a good job of preventing wallowing over larger dips. I believe the Gas-A-Justs are firmer than the GR2s

I've heard of some people having trouble with (I think) Bilstein Touring rear shocks. It appears that the bolt holes are too large in diameter, and they are prone to clunking, even if tightened to the specified torque. No such difficulty with the KYBs

My Bistein Touring shocks have ratteled everyday since they were first installed on my 92 240. I have had two shops agree they were bad. Do you think IPD will take them back. This is the first time I havee heard of wrong sized topshock mounting wholes.

My Bistein Touring shocks have ratteled everyday since they were first installed on my 92 240. I have had two shops agree they were bad. Do you think IPD will take them back. This is the first time I havee heard of wrong sized topshock mounting wholes.

Were the strut mounts replaced at the same time as well?

I think that some combinations of aftermarket mounts and aftermarket shocks don't have the right stacking height which causes the top nut to not seat all the way against the inner bearing race. This happened to me on our 240. I fixed it by adding a large hardened washer between the nut and the bearing race and it completely resolved the rattling problem I was having.

John

There was a post with several replies on this subject a couple months ago. Might be worth searching the archives.