I installed that exact (aftermarket) mount from Sweden Pro Parts last year - no problems installing, etc. I got mine from FCP Euro so they may have QC/QA the products in order to pass on their lifetime warranty.

 

Well you might have been lucky there. But as you can see from me, really bad experience hehe. Im glad it works for you tho [emoji106]

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As a technician for Volvo for over 10 years, I have NEVER seen a good aftermarket part aside from MOOG sway bar end links that have grease fittings.

Every single customer that had aftermarket parts installed after I recommended something to be replaced has been back to my dealership(s) with a new complaint. Usually aftermarket brakes cause a loud squeak. suspension components prematurely fail, and engine mounts collapse after a few months. I have personal experience with this on my 2006 S60 t5 where I replaced all engine mounts when aftermarket only to have them fail before a year passed.

Dont do it people. I will NEVER EVER put aftermarket parts on my two Volvo's and I recommend the same for customers ESPECIALLY since Volvo parts have lifetime warranty when I install them. Who can beat that?

 

As a technician for Volvo for over 10 years, I have NEVER seen a good aftermarket part aside from MOOG sway bar end links that have grease fittings.

Every single customer that had aftermarket parts installed after I recommended something to be replaced has been back to my dealership(s) with a new complaint. Usually aftermarket brakes cause a loud squeak. suspension components prematurely fail, and engine mounts collapse after a few months. I have personal experience with this on my 2006 S60 t5 where I replaced all engine mounts when aftermarket only to have them fail before a year passed.

Dont do it people. I will NEVER EVER put aftermarket parts on my two Volvo's and I recommend the same for customers (I make no money on parts sales).

Thats abit over the line... i have Lemforder LCA's, Magnum Technogy shocks, Sachs strut bearings, Lesjoms Springs and they work like a dream... not having to spend extra unecessary money. OE parts are equaly as good...

As for the brakes, thats on my othee thread but yeah that is my thoughts, bad quality brakes

Edit: well, idk how it is were you live but here in Europe there is only 2 year warranty... if it had lifetime warranty here i would have goten OEM aswell...

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For one thing, this is a p1 forum where these cars were sub 35k when new; and guess what, they are not new anymore - they are, in fact, somewhat old. And you're right, I can't/won't afford a new Volvo for 55k which is nothing more than an inflated chinese wannabe-bmw. When I do buy a new car, it will be a VAG product. Thanks for reminding me why I (we) don't like dealerships.

 

I guess you missed the "not directed towards you". Sorry if I unintentionally hurt your feelings.

Also, you display a lack of knowledge about the China/Volvo thing. Sure China owns them but they do not direct or interfere with Volvo's design and quality. Vehicles ASSEMBLED in China are still parts sourced and built from all over the world (like Apple products). Volvo is as much Chinese as Apple products. My S90 was Swedish assembled and so is my wife's vehicle that is on order. Comparing them to a BMW is silly. I see our other BMW dealership daily and those cars are junk :thumbdown:

 

I think I have a good grasp on the ownership situation - it's similar to when ford owned a controlling interest in Volvo, right? Well, everything is Ford on the P1 cars except the drivetrain and sheetmetal. And I'm not saying that China always makes garbage things, but their cheap components tend to be very popular in the assembly/manufacturing of goods (that's why Apple uses china - for profitability). And my last comment about BMW - Volvo has purposely directed their new products to compete with BMW and it's a slap in the face to the traditional volvo auto principals IMO. Even if the new Volvos were reasonably priced, I still wouldn't buy them just because of how they are styled - I don't ever want to be confused with a bmw owner. So yeah, if I did own a near 60,000 USD new vehicle, I'd have no compunction taking it a dealer for a measly $120/hr service fee. Until that day happens, this forum is the best resource for the rest of us plebeians that own 'old' cars.

 

Lmao...stirring the ire of the forum. It's funny when it isn't me.

I only go aftermarket if it's an upgrade (or if it's significantly cheaper without sacrificing quality beyond the OEM life threshold). I eventually want to find a way to polyu-fill the OEM mounts. Again another project for when I clear out my current backlog.

Most of us dislike the dealership/mechs because of poor treatment and quality of work. Most of us also have a favored shop to take it to if we can't figure it out. I know at least here, the dealership is the last place I want to take it. It took them 59 days and 1 ruined engine to get my car back to me in working order. Service managers deserved a flogging on that one, techs not so much. I don't like most mechs because of the throw parts at it philosophy. In reality, it takes me as a non-prof-mech no more than 2 parts to fix any single problem. Some of the smarter guys on here can do it the first part. Plus time in the garage means 2-8 hours away from the 5 females in my house. Win-win for me at least and for us older car owners until tech schools swing back the other way and start producing critical thinkers again en-masse.

 

I've always thought that for major mechanical stuff (like the "medusa" coolant hose I had replaced a while ago due to a leak) go genuine / OE, but for consumables like brakes, "good" aftermarket brands are sufficient. Am I doing it wrong?

 

Imho not buying aftermarket brakes is pretty pointless. Aftermarket brands like Bosch, TRW, ATE or Brembo also make brakes for Volvo. It's just that the cheapest which complies will be put in the cars.. and well you might see Trw, Ferodo etc.. they can all be an OEM supplier..

Just like my car, has 4(!) different window brands, and well, that's a Volvo.. and all windows are original.
My front window is a Fuyao (or something like that)
Side front = AGC automotive
Side rear = Starglass
Rear = Sekurit

And like I said, they're all original.. so Volvo just uses which parts they can get the cheapest.. Volvo doesn't have its own brake or window factory.

Last but not least, my aftermarket brakes by TRW are coping well. Both discs and calipers..

The only aftermarket part I have I don't feel is up to standard is a thermostat from Gates.. it used just too much plastic..

 

thanks dovado3gn. super informative and appreciate the photos/videos to make the differences so clear.

appreciate the healthy discussion. as a newish shade-tree mechanic, i've appreciated learning to maintain my P1 volvo as much as i can -- it's been fun to learn from folks here as well as nice to save a few dollars. it's helpful for those of us who do order are parts, to know when to go OEM and when aftermarket is reasonable (or sometimes better, ie upgrading to sportier suspension or firmer engine torque mount).

 

Ya there’s nothing special about Volvo brake pads and rotors. I went with aftermarket slotted and drilled rotors w/ceramic brake pads this time because the OE obviously get hotter and warp and wear really quickly in comparison. I even took it a step further and replaced the caliper pins and boots that weren’t odd ball sized that required a tool that’s next to impossible to find. That was a year ago and the brakes still look and work like new.
2015.5 Volvo xc60 Platinum R-Design Polestar T6 AWD

 

You are very welcome jschinito. I do what i can to help the Volvo family this is a perfect example to when you shluld go OEM and not aftermarket.


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I dont mean to sound rude and this is not directed towards you because I have seen it a handful of times at my dealer, but if you cant afford to maintain a 50-60k vehicle, dont buy one. Kia and Hyundai are much better options. If you cant afford quality brakes or tires, Volvo is not meant for you.

This statement is kind of irrelevant.

As one of the only people on this forum who bought their S40 new (and it cost me about $30K 10 years back I think with every option below the T5 trim, certainly not 60...) I am now in the position of being told my only-dealer-serviced car now needs $2K worth of suspension work after 80K miles (CV boots and controls arms). Irrespective of whether or not Volvo parts are fabulous and this is normal wear point (I suspect I would have gotten 100K out of a Honda Accord) the fact is my "baby" is only worth $5-6K. It has nothing to do with whether or not I can afford the cost of the repairs, rather it is at what point do I recognize I am going to start throwing good money after bad if this thing starts to fall apart slowly after 80K miles and the cost of these repairs just isn't worth it.

Fact is the car is close to worthless at this point in its life and costly repairs may prematurely kill a vehicle that could go on for many more years (I wanted 100K out of this thing before dropping any big bucks). It's a economic question, not an affordability question...

 

Right. And my old Subaru never needed control arms or struts even after 130k miles. So you have to question volvos selection of factory components - not much better than a Mazda from my observations. Anyways I still love the car but it makes no sense to replace with Volvo parts except in some critical areas like timing belt or sensors. Outside of that, go with whatever is affordable, quality, and easy to obtain. That drivel about repair/ownership affordability is bmw-esque snark. That's also part of the reason why I'll be going with another manufacturer next time I buy a vehicle.


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Right. And my old Subaru never needed control arms or struts even after 130k miles. So you have to question volvos selection of factory components - not much better than a Mazda from my observations. Anyways I still love the car but it makes no sense to replace with Volvo parts except in some critical areas like timing belt or sensors. Outside of that, go with whatever is affordable, quality, and easy to obtain. That drivel about repair/ownership affordability is bmw-esque snark. That's also part of the reason why I'll be going with another manufacturer next time I buy a vehicle.

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Lmao...this is ironic...I just replaced my wife's 2012 Outback LCA's and Struts because the rear bushings had about 1 CM left on each side of connected material left, and the car was bouncing like it didn't have shocks. 75000 miles on the odo. Owned since new. The fat lady is very fat.

I know that the only reason I can afford to own a used car is the fact that I can do most of the work. Otherwise this car would have cost a lot more over a much shorter amount of time incomparison to owning a new car like my Chevy Cobalt that I drove from 6-136K without breaking a boot, mount or anything else.

 

That IS ironic. My 2001 outback didn't need a thing, except (of course) headgaskets and fuel line.

 

My c30 is at 215k km, and still on its original shocks etc. Pretty user and usage dependent..

 

Question here: Here in the USA they play commercials that say replace your shocks every 50,000mi (~80,000km). You're nearly triple that, do they play any commercials like that there?

Also, I'd have thought by now even the minor bumps on the highway would have worn out your shocks. Color me surprised.

 

my c70s 1 front and 1 rear shocks needed replacing by 30k. the front end thunked into the lip of my drive way. granted it's the heaviest of the P1 cars and had 2 prior owners, the last of which never did any maintenance so i'm sure drove it into the ground on crappy LA roads. still, in my mind the suspension was always the weak link... just too heavy (close to additional 1000lbs) of a car for a platform shared with a mazda 3/ford focus/c30. a new set of shocks and lower control arms later, it drives ok.

an early mix-up when i was sent volvo c30 lowering springs, instead of the unicorn c70 lowering springs, allowed me to see how low the rear end sagged under the weight of the car on the wrong springs... yikes. interesting to hear how much your stock springs had sagged on your v50 (more comparable weight to the c70).

the koni FSDs on stock springs are holding up fine after nearly 50k miles. but after recently putting in a lot of maintenance (timing belt, etc) and deciding to keep the car another 4-5 years, i just put in an order for some bilstein b8s and h&r springs to try a firmer, sportier suspension. for a heavy car like the c70 it'd be nice to see how it rides on suspension geared to better absorb it's weight. the "drop" from the h&r springs may not be as great as i fear compared to worn stock springs based on what you described.

 

How much does the C70 weigh? I can't imagine it's heavier than an AWD V50 (3400lbs). And it's too bad, I just threw out the oem volvo 'sport' front springs, they probably would have been exactly what you're looking for. For me, I hate the sport suspension that came on this car - just too rough.

 

haven't driven mine onto a scale, but i thought i read somewhere around 3700-3800lbs (i've got a spare tire/jack in the back of mine too)

 

Yeah that's a porker for sure.

 

haha! it's no miata that's for sure....insulated, sound deadening, hard-top w/hydraulic motors, extra bracing, volvo safety, etc...an ecu tune's definitely needed to get this thing moving!
back to the original topic, the extra weight is one reason i've tired to seek out more durable oem P1 parts when available... i'm using the volvo c30 "sport" lower control arms and at over 40k miles, have outlasted the softer factory ones.

 

not sure if it has been stated yest, but did your sounds go away when you switched to a fresh volvo brand mount? because the symptoms you stated could be an axle going bad, a new engine mount would change the angle of the shaft and make the sound worse

 

Nope, my sound didnt go away. I doubt its the axle, there is no play in it at all so idk. Shaft is in perfect condition. Looks almost like new. And no, they didnt replace it. If they did, they replaced eith a OEM unit cause i can see the Volvo seal on it

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Endlink?

 

If you mean swaybar endlink, then no. They were replaced 2 months ago with Moog units. LCA's were also replaced 2 months ago with Lemforder units. Sturt mount and bearing also 2 months ago with Sachs units. Shock and springs were also replaced 2 months ago with Lesjoförs and Magnum's. Brand new steering rack and inner and outer rods. Everything suspension wise is replaced. Only that is not replaced is wheel bearings (which i read on some other forums from other make car they can also cause the noise i have, and is my main suspect right now), axle, caliper, and brake components

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I had the same on my other p1, turned out to be a cracked strut mount on new moog units. I'd check there


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I had the same on my other p1, turned out to be a cracked strut mount on new moog units. I'd check there

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Ok. Will have my mech check that first. Im dropping car off Friday morning. Will let him have a look what the fault is and from there i will replace what is bad.
But you might be right actually. Because i forgot to tighten the top strut bolt properly when i assembled new, so i would get the noise of like a bad sway bar link, it would pop and knock on every little desperfection on the road. Here is a video of what it did: (i got it moving like this while car was on the ground and just pushing with foot on tire at 2 oclock position)

Could this have caused my strut mount to go bad and make that metal to metal clunk/noise when my front suspension dips after a bump or in a pothole?

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That sound did make the clunk sound for mine. My rears came loose at least once each side until I put a thin nylock nut on them.

Metal to metal clunk describes it perfectly.

Could this have caused the strut mount to go bad? I don't think so. It is subjecting the shock to a little more sudden pressure and thus a little more force on that bearing in the middle, but not a ton as the shock only needs 40-80lbs to move. However I will lend creedence to the damaged units from the factory though. When I pulled the subie's mounts, both were damaged as installed from the factory and one of the new mounts was also crunchy.

 

Hmmm. Interesting. The noise only comes from one side (passenger) most of the time. And its quite loud. Sometimes it also sound a little bit on the driver side, maybe both mounts are shot? Tomorrow i will try and stick gopro to the fender and see if i can capture what noise im talking about

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when i replaced the motor mount with a new OEM, i went in and tightened all bolts, sway bar, subframe, struts.... everything was tight.

Noise is only present when i go over the bigger bumps, but when the nose of the car dives down (going down of the bump). I rarely get the noise when the car hits the bump, except one in my town which is uphill and im giving it throttle, dunno if it has to do with anything. Noise is also when the wheel hits a bigger hole on the road or going on gravel road where there is bigger imperfections, not so loud but its there.

 

pretty sure all the P1 calipers use the same guide pins as the other euro cars with ATE brakes BMW/Benz/Audi/VW
if memory serves correctly it was a 7mm socket hex, weird but not that weird

 

I’m 102,000 miles and now needing new control arms

not mine, it utilized an 11mm Allen which can be found nowhere but eBay that I could find. R-designs are different in various ways. The biggest being the 20” rims, the steering wheel is different, the kick panels, the dash display, speed sensing steering rack, the embroidered seats, larger brakes, maybe even some things that I’m unaware of, oh and mine has the 325hp polestar upgrade