Koni's now on :-)

[AndysR]

Well it's been a while since I've been on and updated the thread, not really been up to a great deal so far but I have done one thing which i've been meaning to do for a while. A member was breaking his 855R and as a result I managed to obtain a full set of Koni adjustables with 40mm lowering springs.
I'm not really a fan of purchasing second hand parts but the suspension hadn't done a great deal of work/miles and for the cost I thought it was worth a gamble. So after purchasing the kit I set about cleaning up the springs and repainting the shocks as the paint had taken a bit of a hit from salty winters and stones etc. I didn't manage to get any before or after shots of the suspension itself, and whilst not being my finest hour, it is all now presentable and protected from any further water and salt collections. During suspension replacement I put an order in with my local Volvo garage for all new bolts, nuts and mounts related to the suspension so as to have the best I could and make sure any nasty corroded bolts weren't going back on the car after being removed with the original suspension.

Since fitting the suspension it's quite obvious the old suspension was well past it's best. Now squating on acceleration, diving when braking and leaning when cornering has been greatly reduced. Turn in is much much crisper and the car feels like it has a lot more to give with traction on exiting corners and roundabouts having been greatly improved. I currently have both front and rear shocks set half way between firm and soft and will experiment with the settings as I go, that said I am actually really quite happy with it so am not really bothered if adjustments either way don't see an improvement for my driving technic.

Here are a couple of pictures I have taken today.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/Andyrs/Lowered%20on%20Konis/100_2939.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/Andyrs/Lowered%20on%20Konis/100_2938.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/Andyrs/Lowered%20on%20Konis/100_2937.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/Andyrs/Lowered%20on%20Konis/100_2935.jpg

Having taken these shots today it's clear that the old suspension at the front had sagged quite a lot as even with the lower springs the front sits approximately where it used to, the rear however has now dropped a bit and helped to level the rear of the car which is something I am pleased about as I always used to hate the high rear end appearance the car had.

[t5 stealth]

iv got that suspension on mine,
but iv got mine set up on hard lol,
its a tab bumpy but it does like corners :)

[t5_monkey]

Dampers make an epic difference to the ride and handling - transform a creaky old bus into a taught racer!

Looks the biz BTW :) nice spec too! What power you getting on the dyno with that setup?

[Giles]

Nice one....I got Koni FSD and Eichbach and can confirm that in the 3 Volvo 850's I have owned, this is way above them in handling.......no comparison

[stu_850t5]

andy........ive honestly run out of comments to say about your car! lol

glad your happy with the way she sits and handles, hope to see you about soon mate

probably in the be em on the wrong lock haha!

[martybelfastt5]

looks great andy,has had a big impact on its rear stance,

[leet5r]

thats a very nice stance m8 , a like this a lot , what make springs or on with the konis m8
cheers

[AndysR]

Dampers make an epic difference to the ride and handling - transform a creaky old bus into a taught racer!

Looks the biz BTW :) nice spec too! What power you getting on the dyno with that setup?

I agree, tbh as I had said previously I hadn't really noticed a major change in the handling of the car since I bought it. I have already previously had IPD roll bars front and rear, front strut brace and had the lower arm poly bushes fitted with new arms and a new Volvo steering rack so I guess that's helped to maintain rather than improve the steering and handling feel. However when the front legs were removed from the car it became clear they were definately past their best. With the spring removed from the strut you could then extend the shock fully and only rest the spring on the top of the shock and it would almost instantly fall to the bottom of it's travel and yet strangely the car didn't drive terribly...
That said unsurprisingly the car feels great now really positive but whilst not ruining the general ride of the car.

Power wise, the figures in my eyes don't really do the modifications and work that have gone into it justice. At a recent rolling road day readings at the wheels were 231 bhp and 251 ibft. Another 850R auto with a Rica running well put out 217 bhp at the wheels although I didn't see what torque it produced. I would like to think it's producing a good figure but in the real world it's wheel power that is the counting factor and that's 231 bhp and 251 ibft.
It would be interesting to know what others have seen from their auto's at the wheels and also manuals as I only see calculated flywheel figures and it would be interesting to compare. Although tbh would only be a guide due to differences in temperature, traction and the rolling road itself.
Plus points I did take away from the rolling road session were that importantly the boost and afr graphs were solid and stable, from the graphs it's clear to see why the power delivery is so smooth and consistant on the road.


Nice one....I got Koni FSD and Eichbach and can confirm that in the 3 Volvo 850's I have owned, this is way above them in handling.......no comparison

Thanks, I haven't much experience other than the extremes with 850 suspension but it does seem rather a good kit for the money.


andy........ive honestly run out of comments to say about your car! lol

glad your happy with the way she sits and handles, hope to see you about soon mate

probably in the be em on the wrong lock haha!

Thanks Stu, I shall have to be careful when pulling out onto a roundabout around Braintree from now on. How's life with a zee Germans treating you?Catch up soon,


looks great andy,has had a big impact on its rear stance,

Yes and as I said something I have hated since buying the car so exceptionally pleased with the outcome.


thats a very nice stance m8 , a like this a lot , what make springs or on with the konis m8
cheers

Hi Lee, the springs are PI 40mm. I wasn't overly impressed with the idea of fitting Pi as I have heard some nasty stories about them. That said I am very pleased with their performance and the cars stance so perhaps I was slightly too quick to judge prior to fitment...

[LiamT4]

Similar to the other thread, 4spd autos are a bit funny on a dyno.

Just for info, i got (around) 216bhp and 340nm - i think thats about 250lbft.
S70R auto (16t and whites as standard), on its old map.

Cars looking good btw.

[AndysR]

Just seen that thread Liam and commented...

Ah right so when you say old map do you mean standard map? Makes my figures look rather pony if it was lol.

Thanks for your comments.

[LiamT4]

Just seen that thread Liam and commented...

Ah right so when you say old map do you mean standard map? Makes my figures look rather pony if it was lol.

Thanks for your comments.

It was already done before i got it, that was the map that i got a 15.1 1/4mile with (wish it could do those times as standard!). Then had my current (hlm) map put on, not a big difference but was pulling better past 4.5k.
Unfortunatly i haven't had it on the dyno with this map.

Of course this was before it's little issue (feels like its down on power high up the revs now) and is now slower than on the old map.

But it will be sorted over the next couple of weeks.

EDIT. At the time we were confused as to if it had been mapped as it wasn't boosting very high, 10-11psi? (think 9 is standard), but i just can't see a standard s70r auto doing the 1/4mile in 15.1.

[AndysR]

Ah right, well even so that's quite good power for such a low boost reading...

One day i'll get the car along to a 1/4 mile event and see what it puts out but until then I shall just stick to enjoying the drive within the limits on UK roads :)

[WOODY T5]

Ah right, well even so that's quite good power for such a low boost reading...

One day i'll get the car along to a 1/4 mile event and see what it puts out but until then I shall just stick to enjoying the drive within the limits on UK roads :)get your car up to york in may should be a good day

[LiamT4]

It would be good to see your car one day as it looks excellent in the pics and you obviously take good care of it.
From what i'v read of your car i think it should run under 15 secs no problem, 14.5 maybe.

[AndysR]

get your car up to york in may should be a good day

I did see that your all having a gathering at York, tbh I may have to work that day. Fingers crossed I don't but... maybe see you there :)

[AndysR]

It would be good to see your car one day as it looks excellent in the pics and you obviously take good care of it.
From what i'v read of your car i think it should run under 15 secs no problem, 14.5 maybe.

Yeah would be good to meet people, put names to faces and speak to like minded people face to face. The car is ok I am afraid to confirm the camera does indeed do it's fair share of lying as the pictures do do it a fair bit of justice, tbh it has collected it's fair share of stone chips and things now and ideally i'd like to get it painted on the front end along with the mirror caps and rear bumper, having said that it still looks presentable and I do like to do my best by it.

1/4 mile time wise I genuinely have no idea what to expect although a pre 20's would be nice.. lol
What sort of speeds do you see up the 1/4?

[The Flying Moose]

Andy, what can I say that hasnt already been mensioned. Its without doubt the best looking 854R on here in my opinion.

Could agree more on the stance the car sits perfectly. Its the front I find usually sits high and yours looks just right.

[AndysR]

Andy, what can I say that hasnt already been mensioned. Its without doubt the best looking 854R on here in my opinion.

Could agree more on the stance the car sits perfectly. Its the front I find usually sits high and yours looks just right.

Thanks for the kind comments Emlyn :)

[LiamT4]

Yeah would be good to meet people, put names to faces and speak to like minded people face to face. The car is ok I am afraid to confirm the camera does indeed do it's fair share of lying as the pictures do do it a fair bit of justice, tbh it has collected it's fair share of stone chips and things now and ideally i'd like to get it painted on the front end along with the mirror caps and rear bumper, having said that it still looks presentable and I do like to do my best by it.

1/4 mile time wise I genuinely have no idea what to expect although a pre 20's would be nice.. lol
What sort of speeds do you see up the 1/4?

Well it sounds like, mechanically, its a good un.

At the last run i was only getting 93mph in 15.3secs.
Sub 15s with a 100mph terminal is my target.

Ed was getting 14.5@102mph in his 855T5 (with a 16t, whites, mte map@1.2 bar, exhaust), which is good for an auto, the terminal speed is very good.
His 0-100mph time would be about 14.3(ish) which is excellent for an auto.
Going on my times, i think mine would probably do it in about 17secs:pants:

[stu_850t5]

bmw going well mate, will have to meet up one RAINY day lol

[Jamest5r]

Have to agree with the other comments, the stance is now perfect as is the colour.

[leet5r]

Thanks for the kind comments Emlyn :)

cos he hasnt seen mine, jokes , nobody likes green

[AndysR]

Well it sounds like, mechanically, its a good un.

At the last run i was only getting 93mph in 15.3secs.
Sub 15s with a 100mph terminal is my target.

Ed was getting 14.5@102mph in his 855T5 (with a 16t, whites, mte map@1.2 bar, exhaust), which is good for an auto, the terminal speed is very good.
His 0-100mph time would be about 14.3(ish) which is excellent for an auto.
Going on my times, i think mine would probably do it in about 17secs:pants:

14.5 seconds does sound an exceptional time for an auto, I doubt I'd get that in mine, probably nearer 15 IMHO. When you launch yours do you load the box by reving the engine in drive and pressing the brake to get a good launch as I've seen this done a few times on various 1/4 and 0-60 style videos. IMO personally it would probably help times and acceleration off the mark but I value my transmission too much to do it.

[AndysR]

bmw going well mate, will have to meet up one RAINY day lol

A rainy day?!? The car rarely comes out in the rain.. Lol especially when there are nutters drifting.... ;) lol

[AndysR]

cos he hasnt seen mine, jokes , nobody likes green

Yours is the green saloon with the R boot spoiler right? I actually really like the look of your car tbh ;)

[LiamT4]

14.5 seconds does sound an exceptional time for an auto, I doubt I'd get that in mine, probably nearer 15 IMHO. When you launch yours do you load the box by reving the engine in drive and pressing the brake to get a good launch as I've seen this done a few times on various 1/4 and 0-60 style videos. IMO personally it would probably help times and acceleration off the mark but I value my transmission too much to do it.

At the last meet i did do it once, because i was annoyed with it being so slow, but it only took a 0.1 off. Think i'v only done it 2 or 3 times (at around 1500rpm).
My best time last year was from a normal start.
Normally its just left foot on the brake to hold it and right foot just resting on the accelerator.
For an auto, the terminal speed is a good clue as to its power.

[Ed.]

14.5 seconds does sound an exceptional time for an auto, I doubt I'd get that in mine, probably nearer 15 IMHO. When you launch yours do you load the box by reving the engine in drive and pressing the brake to get a good launch as I've seen this done a few times on various 1/4 and 0-60 style videos. IMO personally it would probably help times and acceleration off the mark but I value my transmission too much to do it.

Your car sits really well with your suspension upgrades. I run the same koni yellows as you do and i have found that i'm happiest with the dampers set in the middle. I find the ride fairly hard and potholes are avoided at all costs, but the benefits are i can actually go round corners at speed now and not worry about the car falling over.

Liam is being generous with his comments about my figures. I actually terminal slightly slower at 101mph, but i'm still happy with that. I don't "power start" on the dragstrip, i like having a transmission that works too ;)

With the list of mods on your car, i would probably say yours should be quicker than mine down the 1/4 mile, so long as your map is good. One thing i would say if you are running an auto though is to get an aux oil cooler. This will help prolong the life of your box if you intend on doing trackdays, 1/4 miles, etc.

Ed

[rappid]

hi mate nice looking car, shame its not for sale lol

[AndysR]

Your car sits really well with your suspension upgrades. I run the same koni yellows as you do and i have found that i'm happiest with the dampers set in the middle. I find the ride fairly hard and potholes are avoided at all costs, but the benefits are i can actually go round corners at speed now and not worry about the car falling over.

Liam is being generous with his comments about my figures. I actually terminal slightly slower at 101mph, but i'm still happy with that. I don't "power start" on the dragstrip, i like having a transmission that works too ;)

With the list of mods on your car, i would probably say yours should be quicker than mine down the 1/4 mile, so long as your map is good. One thing i would say if you are running an auto though is to get an aux oil cooler. This will help prolong the life of your box if you intend on doing trackdays, 1/4 miles, etc.

Ed

Thanks Ed, yeah after the driving I have been doing so far I am actually quite happy with how the suspension is currently set. I may try it slightly softer on the front but tbh I probably won't end up messing with it now. What sort of transmission cooler are you running is it the accessory Volvo unit and if so is it easy to fit?


hi mate nice looking car, shame its not for sale lol

Thanks for you comments. Yes I am afriad the car isn't currently for sale.

[Ed.]

Thanks Ed, yeah after the driving I have been doing so far I am actually quite happy with how the suspension is currently set. I may try it slightly softer on the front but tbh I probably won't end up messing with it now. What sort of transmission cooler are you running is it the accessory Volvo unit and if so is it easy to fit?


Yes it is a volvo aux cooler, i think it was designed to fit s/v70 cars. It basically bolts onto the lower front of the intercooler so it is at the very front of the pack. Its visible in the bumper slot below the front reg plate. I think they were designed to connected up in series with the original oil cooler, however mine bypasses this and runs straight to the box.

I didn't fit it myself, but it did watch it being installed and i would say it wouldn't be too difficult a job for someone competant.

Ed