Shocks for 940

Does anyone know who made the shocks for a 93 940 turbo when it was first
built? (OEM)
I have 205,000 miles on mine and I would love to get the ride back like it
was new...how does one tell when the shocks are bad?

 

I'm not sure who made the OEM shocks, but they're stamped Volvo. At 205K
they're almost certainly worn, if not completely bad. The usual way to test
shocks is to press down sharply on the bumper and watch the car. It should
rebound and stop, if it oscillates at all then the shocks are bad. There's
other good choices for shocks too, if you want the ultimate better than OEM
ride, try a set of Bilsteins, but they're expensive compared to OEM.

You should look into replacing all the suspension bushings and at least
check the ball joints, in my experience those make a bigger difference than
the shocks and if they're original the rubber will certainly be worn.

 

not sure...i think we put bilsteins (sp?) on all 4's
on our old 940t...1993 > 285,000 miles....the ride
was a bit stiffer...but still fine.....

 

I know Volvo used Boge quite alot, certainly on the 300 series, but they
really were rubbish, wearing out after about 80K miles.

I put Bilsteins in the rear after my self leveling ones were down right
dangerous (almost a tank slapper in some conditions, if you can use the
term for a car) and havn't bothered with the front yet (140K). They
are not V bad but will change soon.

I changed the tapered bushes that join the radius arm to the bottom
lever arm at the front. The rubber was gone on the old ones and the
metal rust away and merged with the lever arm, had to chip it out. Made
a lovely difference to the steering quality, much less bump steer and
veering.

 

On my 93 240 I have 4 BOGE. Really rough the first 2-3 years. I
heard that Bilsteins are even harder than BOGE. Also got new coil
springs at same time.

 

Well, getting the ride back to like when it was new will involve
purchase of replacement shocks/struts from Volvo and not some after-
market company. That along should make a big difference. And it will
involve having someone look over the rest of the suspension to replace
any worn bushings, etc. And it could possibly involve replacement of
a couple of springs.

 

Well, getting the ride back to like when it was new will involve

You can get excellent aftermarket shocks and struts, Volvo didn't make the
original ones and they weren't spectacular to begin with.

 

You are missing what the specifically O.P. requested. By doing what
you suggest he will end up with a car that does not ride as it did
when new. And when new it was a good riding well controlled road car.

 

I'm just saying that you can buy "aftermarket" shocks that are the same
brand Volvo originally used, but that don't say Volvo on them and are thus a
fraction of the cost. Volvo doesn't and has never manufactured shocks.

 

And there is no reason you would want to buy the Volvo branded ones, as
we have deduced the Boge units are poor quality and are the OE.
Bilstein or Monroe for example give lifetime gurantees. Most
aftermarket suppliers offer standard damping rates or uprated rates,
this is what dictates the 'feel' for the shocks, although the shocks are
only a part of the equation.

Also don't forget about the strut top bushes, changing these makes a
good difference.

 

Yes, I understand that Volvo like most car manufacturers does not have
an in-house assembly line for shocks and struts. But the point I was
trying to make is that the most reliable way of satisfying the O.P.'s
request to have a car that rides as when new is to buy shocks & struts
from Volvo. Buying aftermarket will potentially involve a lot of
guesswork to get the ride back to what it was originally.