[BrilliantXC60]

Hello all!

Has anyone had experience with upgrading the suspension on these cars?

I have the standard suspension, and the amount of body roll is a bit more than I like. I know the steering is always going to be a bit numb, but if I could make it more direct I think I would prefer it.

Upgrades I've looked at:

- Front and read swaybars
- strut tower brace
- In the future - Bilstein struts/shocks

If nobody has started this journey, no problem.

Also: I'm not looking to go to the Polestar setup, as I heard it was quite a bit stiffer. I'm looking for a middle ground.

 

[MoRf3uS]

I'm actually considering getting front and rear sway bars as well as strut tower but I'm afraid it will make the ride too stiff. I have the air suspension btw.

Have a look here: https://www.vivaperformance.com/suspension-86/

 

[Bunnspeed]

It has been my experience with multiple vehicles that a single swaybar upgrade can be the most significant bang-for-buck improvement in body control with minimal effect on ride quality.

People with modern Volvos tend to rave about rear swaybar upgrades, at least in the P3 community. Nearly everyone says a rsb completely transforms the way their car drives, and an rsb not only reduces some of the inherent understeer but also helps make the vehicle more planted and stable in a straight line. I’m assuming the rsb is where you’d want to start on the SPA platform which likely has the same sort of suspension tuning. Stiffer springs and dampers can also mitigate body roll issues but generally with a greater ride quality penalty.

A strut tower brace might improve steering precision and feel by a tiny amount but with stock suspension it’s likely to make a negligible difference as modern chassis are tremendously stiff and there are numerous other squishy flex points coming into play (tire sidewalls, rubber bushings) before the strut towers start wobbling around lol. You’ll see a greater benefit if you address that after doing other suspension work, but until then, that money would be better spent on a rsb.

 

[BrilliantXC60]

Thank you so much for the information!

I was never a big believer in the front tower brace on a modern car, but then again I see the Polestar model get it... That made me wonder a bit.

Has anyone dabbled in poly sway bar bushings on the SPA platform to your knowledge?

 

[lamarguy]

The front tower brace makes a noticeable difference in steering feel with larger/heavier wheels (21's or 22's). For lighter wheels, it's questionable.

If you have air suspension, skip the sway bar and lower the ride height by 1" for noticeably improved handling in POWER mode and minimal ride impact in COMFORT/HYBRID/PURE.