'86 740 wagon strut/spring issue?

hi all,

thanks again for all the help that i've received here about compressors.
i decided to do it myself (replace with a new compressor from ebay and
do a retrofit as well).

as i've been driving my new (old) baby, i've noticed something that
might be a suspension issue. i've heard on cartalk that you can't test
the spring/shock condition by bouncing on the car on a corner anymore
(i.e. if it bounces like a yo-yo, it's time to replace).

here's the symptom. i had to do a lane-drift correction (a mini-swerve
manouver) at approximately 35 mph, and the tail of my 740 wagon felt
like it was fish-tailing. i actually counter-steered in fear of wiping
out. so i've taken her to a empty road and tested the mini-swerve in
both directions. when i jerk the wheel to the left and correct to the
right, she really fish-tails. the other direction seems not so bad. i've
also noticed when crossing the railroad tracks at a non-90 degree angle,
the back of the wagon really does jostle around.

now the question is, i think the rear left shocks are gone. do you agree
with my assessment? how easy is this to do by myself? i've done shock
replacement on my 94 jetta, and that took two people and half a day. is
the volvo just as easy? any special tools that one needs?

thanks in advance again!
jun

 

I would check not only the shocks, but the rear pan-hard rod as well.
It is bolted up near the rear differential. Just make sure it is still
secure.

 

g

Screw cartalk.

Push up and down and see what happens: old school.

It's an easy R&R.

 

Our 756T let us know when the shocks were bad - the tail bounced like any
car does. In any event, the shocks are pretty straightforward to replace
with common tools. I did it alone in a couple hours before I even had air
tools, and I work very slowly. Rust on the bolts might modify that prospect
:-(

Mike

 

I'm going to be putting some Bilstein HDs on in the next couple months.
I was planning on buying the spring compressors, but do I need the tool
to remove the nut on top of the strut?

I have an 87 740 and I see there is a tool that looks like a socket
head welded to a spanning wrench.

 

No - on ours it was a matter of removing the wheels, unfastening the brake
calipers and then removing the bolts that held the shocks. Yours might be
different, it occurs to me, because the 765T had Nivomats and might mount
differently. Anyway, the shocks limit the travel of the rear axle. Look at
yours to do a sanity check, but the springs on mine are unloaded when the
shocks are removed and the axle is left to dangle.

Mike