Its going to sound like an odd question but how do you know if your front springs are knackered?

Only reason I ask is following on from a comment on a different thread concerning the rebuild of a vario it was mentioned about hitting bump stops after bumps.

I noticed this on my 1986 Vario when driving over road humps at slow speed it feels like it hits the stops. I'm guessing that after 20 or more years the springs are past their best, is there any recommendations on here for how to replace the springs and what else you should check (aside from damper as I was going to replace them anyway) when overhauling the front suspension.

Any recommendations on springs? Only I want to keep this car original and not lower it.

Speak to dai about replacement springs, im sure he has some remanufactured glt spec ones.
The concern is that, if the springs have been neglected long enough to 'sag'/fatigue then what other maintenance has been ignored. The bushes and other rubber components in the suspension are gonna be the first things youll want to assess, bets are theyve dried and perished.

A 300 with springs that have not sagged is a VERY rare sight.

If you went for the GLT springs it will lift the front end up slightly and firm up the front back to how it should have been.

I have been considering producing other standard versions but it is only a very small market.

http://www.classicswede.co.uk/Original_ ... 56819.aspx

are the GLT ones. They would lower a 340 about 25mm from how it was new but lift the typical 340 anywhere upto 50mm depending how bad the sagging is.

Is there anywhere documented what the suspension height should be do you know?

My 340 looks level, but the springs must be past their best. Not used to McPherson's as most of my previous cars have either been Citroen Hydro, BL Hydrosag or Citroen A series. Is the shock absorber on the front of a 340 the whole leg or is it something that bolts inside the leg?

The original shock is the leg/strut but it was built as a serviceable part and a new sealed cartridge can be fitted to the strut.

This thread here covers the variation in how much various cars have sagged.

http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... ide+height

Base model cars should have a distance of close to 400mm from the centre of the wheel to the lip of the arch