Just by chance on Monday I noticed the cup on my nearside suspension leg was badly rusted out and level with the front tyre, another week or so and I reckon it would have broke completely and let the large coil spring drop down! (I had both front legs go on my previous 340 wrecking the tyres in the process)

I managed to source a decent suspension leg from a local scrappy but it was off a Volvo 340GL 1.7 which was an E-Reg like mine. The guy at (www.classicvolvoparts.co.uk) said it would transfer Ok onto my 1.4 even though the spring is under more tension.

I cant say I notice the nearside of the car being higher where the replacement springs been fitted, the only thing I have noticed is that when I brake quite hard the car pulls slightly to the offside.

Jus

Just switch the spring over, its because the 1.7 is heavier poundage so the car should dive to the opp side to this spring?
That right?
Adam

1.4 hub has different camber too from memory, though I don't know if/when this was active.

Chris_C wrote:1.4 hub has different camber too from memory, though I don't know if/when this was active.

When looking through specs i dont see this differance at all and i have swapped struts around loads!!
Adam

340GLT wrote:Just switch the spring over, its because the 1.7 is heavier poundage so the car should dive to the opp side to this spring?
That right?
Adam

Thats correct but when the cars parked on the level it doesnt look as if its dipping down on the opposite side. I cant be arsed swapping the springs around!

I suppose the pay off for having a 1.7 leg on the nearside is that it will dip down on the opposite leg and make that tyre wear slightly quicker.

J

340GLT wrote:

Chris_C wrote:1.4 hub has different camber too from memory, though I don't know if/when this was active.

When looking through specs i dont see this differance at all and i have swapped struts around loads!!
Adam

I read it in one of the manuals I have here, not checked VADIS to see if they are different numbers though.

Mornin' all

Specs are:-

Camber front:-
340 B14 = +30' (+30")

340 B172 = -30' (+/- 30")
340 D16 = -30' (+/- 30")
360 All = -30' (+/-30")

Camber rear:-

300 All = -2 deg. (+/- 30')


KPI:- 300 All = 9deg.35' (+/-35')

Castor:- 300 All = 7deg.30' (+/-30')

Toe-in:- 300 All Measured on wheel rim = 3.1mm (+/-0.8mm)
Measured at outer edges of tyre = 5mm (+/-1mm)
Measured at centre of sidewall = 4mm (+/-1mm)

Taking the '88' model as an example the front springs are the same for both B14 and B172 (pt.no.3209990).
The struts are however different (reflecting the differing camber values)
B14 have two possibilities (early/late) both s/s to pt.no.3344645/6 (LH/RH)
B172K struts are pt.no.3205221/2.

In real terms the differences are quite small and there is a tolerance in the specs anyway (although the value in seconds is very small) In reality you are looking at a camber difference side to side of about + to - 30' about the 0 point. In normal use with a "loose" car I doubt you would notice the change.

Of interest - prior to '85' B14s had springs of a different wire size (10.7mm) and with a free length of 361mm. B172 springs and later B14 have a wire dia.of 11.0mm and a free length of 352mm. But as I said on your car both B14 and B172 variants had the same springs.

Mac.

Cheers Mac