Cheapest way to set up new suspension

[jimknc_volvo340]

Hi all,

At some point in the near future I would like to sort my wheels and suspension. I'm pretty much decided that I'm going to drop it 75mm but I dont want any setup I run with to shake the fillings out of my teeth. I dont drift, I just like volvo cars so rideability is more important than performance. The only other thing I would want included would be a reduction in the roll in cornering - I really hate this at the moment. Any advise for a dropped suspension thats not as hard as nails?

Thanks

Jamie

[jtbo]

I don't think that there is easy way to achieve what you would like to have. You would need coilovers, but also you would need completely redesigned wheel travel as to get softer ride you would need more travel and with so much lowering you need a way to still have nearly same travel as before lowering which is something that needs quite bit of work, wheels need some space to go into, suspension arms etc need to be located so that there is enough movement range.

If you would like to lower car to reduce roll in corners, that is something that can be reduced even without lowering, often result is even better than with lowering. Whiteline sells thicker antirollbars for example and properly tuned dampers can help there, but also changing suspension geometry might help a bit, it is not easiest of things, but still easier than making lowered car to be comfy and able which often have some relation.

Lowering can help rolling, stiffer ride can improve performance, but either is not necessarily needed for improved performance of suspension.

Old BTCC cars from late 80's early 90's had no uber stiff suspension, they had body roll too, like group A race cars, still they run circles around most lowered 300 series cars, it is misconception that lowering or stiff ride would be needed for great handling, but with lowering one needs stiff suspension if bump travel is not maintained.

One general rule is that softer suspension = more grip, it is just bit harder to control.

No easy way, if one can do everything by himself, not silly expensive, but otherwise rather expensive, however I think that without lowering or with very small lowering one could get much better results cheaper when priority is given to not have very harsh ride.

Thicker ARB, add ARB rear, perhaps extra leafs to rear and new adjustable dampers all around, that should give already rather good handling, one can upgrade front springs then too to bit stiffer, but nothing huge, front is quite close, rear is way too soft for sporty ride, that is at least what I have figured out.

If you can get front crossmember modded, get more negative camber to front and it starts to corner well.

For really tight budget, I might start with rear ARB, old ARB tenner or two from junkyard, not very difficult to install, but if that is only mod it does produces some not so great features, inner rear might start to spin in air a bit, that is why front ARB should be done too.

That is at least how I would approach this.

Oh and get beefier tires if you have low profiles now, that is at least what Chris found to be really good for his car.

[Nimminz]

I've got -40mm Springs at front and new standard shocks, 1" blocks at back and new standard shocks, 6J 15" 195/50's and polybushes.It's not uncomfortable at all really, you feel bumps more - sure - but it was so soft to start with. Feels the same as a standard fiesta as far as comfort goes. Know you're after more drop like

Thicker ARB on the front sounds like a good idea, IIRC the 340 arb is smaller than the 360 one, so if you could find someone with a 360 one you might save some cash there. Then you could stick your current ARB on the back for a rear one. Something I'm looking to do soon. Should help cure body roll.
Take a look here: http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... i+roll+bar Page 3 has some pics of the rear ARB fitted to the 363cs in quite a good way.

Dai's (classicswede) adjustable dampers (front and back) might be a good purchase if you have the cash, you can adjust them to what you want so basically means as soft or hard as your springs allow

Larger profile tyres help a bit with bumps and shakey ride so a set of 13" rims would be best.

Jtbo - How much more negative camber up front? Miniswift see's mx-5 style non concentric bolts between x-member and bottom arm working.

[jtbo]

I know that in 360 Geen modena Cup race cars it was -3 to -4 degrees of negative camber that they use, that will cause insides of your tires to wear more rapidly, but also it will make car corner better and reduces tire wear when cornering hard as in race track conditions, but maybe for street -2 could be good starting point, it is still around -2 degrees more than default which was more or less 0 when cars were new, I think it was -0.25 to +0.25 degrees by specs, but it is a while since I looked it up.

That should help with ploughing straight at corners and together with rear suspension stiffening and rear arb it should make thing turn much better, maybe bit too good for street as handling might become neutral to bit oversteer, but that is where thicker front arb could help a bit again. It is a package that must be taken care of to truly make it work, any single change creates off balance and can be horrible at some situations if not whole package is tuned to work, I guess that is part reason why it is considered black art, but what do I know of such, just few simple basic things and I have general idea what affects to which