Swedish carmaker Volvo is one of the industry leaders able to initiate the shift from the blast-and-casting school to manufacturing sport utility vehicles. To make room for occupant comfort in high-performance cars, Volvo cars feature an integrated suspension setup that boasts best-in-class drivability. The Volvo suspension assembly consists of a number of STRUT tower struts and STRUT links, which are integrated into the vehicle body, facilitating even weight transfer along the vehicle’s suspension. With all Volvo STRUTS ready for body flex during high-speed cornering, the Volvo frame is reinforced and makes the car resistant to body roll.
Unites the Volvo STRUTS tower strut and sway bars in the vehicle. Collectively, these rods and towers form a frame within the vehicle’s frame and absorb the flex structure, protecting the vehicle’s cabin from excessive roll especially during hard cornering. Newer Volvo models come equipped with the STRUT tower bracket. Standardizing the suspension settings of an old Volvo can be done with a simple drilling and bolting procedure. Because the front suspension turns left and right while steering, the front STRUTS are bolt-on and require no drilling, while the rear struts are drilled into the bodywork.
Volvo’s front and rear STRUTS are designed to take the brunt of a flexible chassis. They are steel brackets that are engineered for durability and are reusable. They are mounted on heavy-duty chrome posts to withstand stress. However, the front strut mounts must have pivot points to allow the front wheels to steer. The strut mounts on the head of the Volvo suspension assembly have rubber joints with bushings and bearings to provide a flexible coupling. The front struts with rubber joint are used on Volvo compact cars which have the McPherson STRUT package. This type of STRUTS can also be used on the rear end of a vehicle if it is 4WD capable. In most cases, fixed chrome posts are used in the rear handlebar to make the car better equipped against the body flex.
When the Volvo hugs bend, the stress is absorbed by the STRUTS and flows down the anchor points. Chrome shafts in the rear strut mount relieve stress, while the rubber portion of the front strut mounts is subject to wear from the bushings and bearings in the body’s flex face. While the shaft can accommodate the re-routed flex structure, the bushings and bearings can succumb and reduce the flex of the pivot points. Due to the typical stresses that Volvo front strut supports meet, STRUT MOUNT BUSHINGS and BEARINGS are outstanding assembly parts that require regular maintenance.
A worn STRUT MOUNT BUSHING can make steering difficult and negate the cabin comfort provided by the Volvo suspension. It results in erratic steering and makes a squealing and popping noise. Even at cruising speed, a broken base can rear its ugly head in the form of excessive suspension play. This can break the rubber part of the MOUNT and snowball into disproportionate bounce and collapse of the front STRUT. In most cases, the squealing noise precedes erratic steering, and is one way to tell if your Volvo STRUT MOUNT BUSHING has passed its peak performance.