I have a problem with my front suspension...
What is the standard distance to the wheel arch ???
I have my left side (driver) at 62.5 cm and my right side at 66.5 cm !!!
Does anyone of you know any supplier for that springs or a spring from another car that fits the GLT ???
I need new ones because i bought old ones fronm a scrapyard and it didn't solve the problem...
classicswede on here makes new front coils, any lowering, any poundage.
check the for sale section and look in the performance parts sticky.
measure from wheel center to wheel arch.
If there is that much difference id make sure that the spring cups are in the same place on both struts/they are attached! (8quid a side from hadrian panels) while your at it you mayaswell put some new dampers in, even standard wil lbe a massive improvement over 20 year old parts!
Ben
* Disclaimer
One of the above statements may or may not be true - but probably not.
Hi,
Thanks for your quick reply...
As you see on the pictures I uploaded, the car is "unbalanced"...one side is higher than the other !!!
Anw I have also changed my dampers a month ago...but this didn't solve the problem...
All the pictures I have seen on the net are lowered GLTs...here in Lebanon, people "higher" their cars because of the very bad condition of the roads (bumps,and huge irregularities...)
So when I am driving I sense all the irregularities of the road and even, sometimes, the front wheels touch the wheel arch
I hope that I made my idea clear so you will be able to help me
well on my gle the measure ment between wheel center to the arch directly above is 36cm. IIRC a glt is 1" lower so i recon the measure ment as standard/when new should ahve been about 33/34 cm.
GLT springs were a bit stiffer and lower
classicswede may be able to make them longer than standard im not sure though, its worth asking! longer and stiffer FTW
Ben
* Disclaimer
One of the above statements may or may not be true - but probably not.
Thanks Ben...
I PM'd Dai (classicswede) about that 2 days ago...but he didn't answer me yet...do you have his e-mail ?
On the other side...I went to the Volvo dealer here and of course they doesn't have springs for my GLT so they showed me front springs of a 240 (I think) ... Can I replace mine by these springs ?
If i remember right, 240s rear springs will fit. There is avaible 3 different stiffness rear springs to 240; saloon springs, estate springs and extra load estate springs. Those are longer than 300s springs.
240 rear springs should work, at least what I did eyeball them.
Only thing is that you might need to cut them, they are lot longer and I would think that stiffer too.
Reason why your front end is leaning to other side, maybe yoiur strut top mount has failed on other side or maybe lower spring cups are repaired and not welded to same spot other side?
You need then to lift rear end too or you will have front high and rear low, this might be a problem as front handles far rougher road than rear and you might end up broken fuel tank because of rock or something like that, but as rear has leaf springs it is not too hard to lift.
Jtbo, the Strut top mounts are "new"...the are no cracks in the rubber...
And I didn't touch the lower spring cups...they are genuinely welded...
I already lifted the rear At approximatly 68 cm (from the ground to the wheel arch)
For the Springs, do I have to cut the 240 springs same length or same number of turns as the 360 ones ???
And do I have to strengthen the lower spring cups because of the higher pressure applied on them when I fit the 240 springs ???
I found these specs :
GLT springs, Brand Klien
Length (free):312mm
Outer diameter: 127mm
Wire thickness: 12mm (wire has plastic coating)
Turns: 6,5(4,5 active)
Stiffness: 26,01kN/m
Does anyone of you has the specs of the rear 240 springs ??? Just to compare...
I just measured ones from my 240 diesel sedan.
Outer diameter ~130mm
Length ~410mm
Wire thickness ~13.8mm
Spring rate ~32kN/m
Coil number is indeed around 7ish.
Sorry, using tape measure so there can be slight errors.
As wire thickness is more than springs in 360 these are stiffer, if you cut them to same length as 360 springs front is going to sit bit higher, I would perhaps cut to 350mm to start with and cut more if it is too high, but that way you don't end up with ruined pair of springs, but because of some odd thing with physics of spring, when you cut it shorter it's spring rate will go up, so you might end up with tad harsh ride.
Don't use blowtorch or any other flame to cut springs, heating springs is not good idea, it softens springs, but makes them also weaker/more prone to snap and on rough road you don't like to have weak springs really.
For the amount of hassle you'll end up going through to cut and fit 240 springs (and you'll never get the cut end to seat correctly in the spring cup) why not spend the 50 or 60 quid it is to get proper custom ones made up?
Dai or Falkners springs (or equivalent in your area) will do it and you won't have to worry about a point loading on the spring cup, that'd scare me to death.
There must be places over there that make springs?
First cut, then trim top of coil so that it is straight and flat, it should not be too hard, proper ones for sure are nice if available, those might just be sometimes out of reach.
Thanks jtbo for the specs of the 240 springs...very helpful
How do I have to cut the springs ???
Chris I know that fitting springs like this is not the BEST solution...First I searched for new ones from the Volvo dealer...Second I searched for used ones from scapyards...Third I TRIED to contact (PM) Dai but with NO answer until now... I have been searching for 2 months ! So I have no other solution
Do you have any e-mail for Dai ??? I'm interested in a few things...
!!!
because of the very bad condition of the roads (bumps,and huge irregularities...) 
At approximatly 68 cm (from the ground to the wheel arch) 
???