Hey guys! I need an answer to a question, and I need it fast.
As I wrote in another topic, I just purchased a 1994 850 on ebay and I'm going to pick it up on Saturday. I got a call from the dealership today, very friendly people, telling me that after they have checked everything on the car, they found that the front struts are bad and need to be replaced.
They are offering to knock $300 of the price of the car, or have them replaced - the total cost will be $690, but they are going to split it with me, so I will be paying just $345 for both front struts.

Should I tell them to replace the struts? How much would it cost me if I did them by myself with a friend of mine, and is it an easy job?

Also is this critical - is it a safety issue? Will the car stop running if I leave the old struts?
What is your advice?

 

For $345 I would just let the dealer replace them.

 

I would have the dealer do it too, but tell them you want want new spring seats and sway bar end links too. These parts are known to go bad and are replaced frequently and the parts are not that expensive. If they ask you to pay an extra $50 or so to have them included, I would do it. Start by asking does that include these parts cause they may have already considered them if they are charging $690.

 

Well, here is the thing - they will drop $300 off the price, and for that money I can get the Strut Kit from FCP Groton. I have a friend here, who is a mechanic and he is going to help me replace the struts and it will not cost me anything.

Besides, who know what they are going to put on the car if I tell them to replace the struts.

Question now is - is it safe to drive 600 miles with bad struts? Can anything go wrong? I don't think so...but I want to hear your opinion.

 

If you get them from fcpgroton you may want to go with Bilstein Touring. I just put them on my car and they are great. Chances are the dealer is using OEM which are good too, but the Bilstein are rated better. If you check msg boards most prefer Bilsteing touring (not HD) to all other brands for the money. If you want to spend the money it's Koni adjustables.

 

Thanks for the advice, I will look into those!

But again, I ask - is it dangerous to drive the car like that for 600 miles? Can something break down completely, and then cost me even more to repair? And is it safe, more importantly?
(I know it will be bumpy and noisy)

 

It really depends on what is wrong. If they just need replaced cause they are worn out, then you shouldn't hurt anything buy driving 600 miles. If something is broke that's a different story.

 

You can drive the car with no problems (at your own risk)....my dads 540i had a messed up strut and we drove on it for a good month, till we had time to replace it.......BUT

BUT....please note you might have uneven tire wear and/or clanking noise when driving.

Just dont do any spirited driving!

 

hey _HighVoltage_,

i think it would be important to mention that it is NOT a volvo dealership like u told me in our PM's.its an independant dealership that sells mostly european cars so oem parts may not be used.

call the dealership and ask what condition the struts are in..if they say just worn go ahead and drive it home as is.

BTW,did you ever get them to send you an ebay/paypal invoice for the deposit?

good luck

 

They never sent me the paypal invoice, but it's okay. I made sure it's not a scam

I'll call them tomorrow to ask what kind of struts are they going to put in.
The way I see it - I can give them the extra $345 and then, supposedly, have a car ready for the road.

Otherwise, I will have a crappy 600 mile drive home. Then I have to order the parts and wait at least a week to arrive. Then talk to my friend to see when he is available, rent tensionners, buy bushings if needed etc...it will be another week. At the end I would save $200.

If I am convinced that they will do a good job at the service and will actually replace the mounts as well, I won't care about the $200. The things is...who knows what they will put on. I'm really suspicious that they will not replace the mounts.

What would you guys do, if you were in my place? I' m on a really tight budget, so that $200 can go into a potential new timing belt in the very near future.

 

I got new struts for 280 installed, but then again I had my High School do it. I think its a little much for struts thoughl.

 

I would not worry about driving six hundred miles on worn struts. Since it's not a Volvo dealership I would probably not give them a dime more than I have to and do the work myself. That way I know what was done. Did you have the car inspected by a Volvo technician? I would rather spend money on that than have the shop replace the struts. That way you know exactly what you are getting.

 

I could not get it inspected by a Volvo tech. I contacted them today and told them not to replace them, I will do them when I get the car home. They said that the mounts have gone bad, and on the highway it's not noticeable at all, only when the road gets bumpy I will feel the play in the suspension.
I think I made the right choice, or at least I hope so. Basically, they wanted $650 to do the struts, and I can get them done here, by the mechanic I trust, for $430 and I will get the Bilsteins.
Tomorrow is the day - 600 miles, 10 hours....wish me luck! Do you have any tips on how to drive so I am not brutal to the worn struts? I won't be pushing the car, I will drive it steady and safe.
Actually, can anything really happen to the worn struts/mounts - I mean, there is no chance that the car will stop in the middle of the road because of them...right?

 

I would not worry much about driving 600 miles on worn struts and bad spring seats. You are really not going to hurt anything that I can think of unless they are so bad you can’t drive, but the dealer should have told you if they were that bad. It will probably ride a little rough and you will hear some thumping on curves at low speed. That will be caused by either the spring seat or the sway bar end link. Both of which I would replace.

Now I am going to tell you a secret, but promise not to tell anybody else: If you go over to volvospeed.com and becoming a supporting member (I think you can do that for as little as $10) you will get be eligible for an fcpgroton coupon code that will give you 10% off and free shipping for any order over $100.

I know we do not want to advertise another board here, but I just used the code about two weeks ago and my son is also using it. We are both members of volvospeed.com. I hardly ever post there, but he is there way more than here. I am JimKW there and I think he is JustinV70R or something like that.

 

remember to check all fluids before your drive...also since you were not able to get it inspected before the drive watch the temp. needle closely for a while.check the fluids again if you make a rest stop just to make sure there are no leaks.

good luck!!! remember to stock up on beef jerky...and a couple minutes of spirited driving wont hurt..YOU NEED TYO ENJOY YOUR NEW VOLVO!!!

have a fun and safe drive

 

The car wont stop running but its never good to drive with bad struts. I would recommend going to strutmasters.com and checking out the conversion kits. These kits are powder coated, American made steel coil springs that are guaranteed to last the life of the car. This will take car of the shocks and the air suspension. If you go with the dealer they are more than likely going to use someone elses old struts. I posted the link below so you can take a look.

http://www.strutmasters.com/volvo-su...parts-s/35.htm