I've found this thread with a JVL goodies list for the XR4TI:

http://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?5,39306

I was wondering if a similiar list exists for the Volvo?

I'm finally starting my build over the winter and would rather buy proven stuff than try to re-invent the wheel everywhere.

I know I could call, but living at the other side of the continent and English being my second language, written text is way easier for me.

Thanks in advance!

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Francois

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Francois
I've found this thread with a JVL goodies list for the XR4TI:

http://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?5,39306

I was wondering if a similiar list exists for the Volvo?

I'm finally starting my build over the winter and would rather buy proven stuff than try to re-invent the wheel everywhere.

I know I could call, but living at the other side of the continent and English being my second language, written text is way easier for me.

Thanks in advance!

Mais Françoise, je parle aussi Franc...(ou une version entre la métropole et québécoise et disent peut-être appelé à mi-Atlantique.) Français, en particulier les termes techniques ou piste de course.
Donc, je suis certain que nous ne devrait avoir aucune difficulté à comprendre les uns les autres.
Le plus gros problème est que je suis un peu sordo! (<Et regardez! Lorsque j'ai oublié le français je crache avec l'espagnol!

Quand vous parlez avec moi, c'est toujours un dégueulasse!

I'm gonna call one day for sure!

I tought that maybe have the goodies list on the forum could be usefull to others too.

For now though, I'm thinking about entering a Rally-X (not the Euro type) in the Volvo next January.

It's on a small racetrack so it's not exactly second gear cone squashing, but not really fast either, but last time I did it in my laser they left one chicane way too wide open and I could not resist going through it flat out (despite de co-driver yelling that we're gonna, and it didn't happen ) and I hit about 140 km/h on that straight in my laser. I really doubt the same speed can be achieved in a 2wd car though, and I'm pretty sure they fixed the chicane after that!

Now my question is regarding the suspension. Right now I have 2 sets of springs and struts. One is the stock (probably 31 years old) worn suspension and the other is a "ricer" tarmac setup, the y0 slam to tha ground type, In other words, no good in rallye except maybe Sanair.

What should I do? Buy some stock replacements? JVAB suuuuuuuuper bitchin's? (would love to, but not exactly in the budget for now) or should I just go with one of the 2 setups I already have and see what happens?

The track is usually ice, ice and more ice, but if we don't get much snow it could be all frozen tarmac.

Oh and one last question while at it. Should I do something about the rear diff? I'm not sure if I can drive a welded diff RWD car since I never drove a RWD car... Only my old explorer and my current subburban. Well I did drive the Volvo 2 or 3 times but only on dry summer days in full trafic.

Thanks in advance

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Francois

For icy stuff, you want soft and compliant, so I'd use worn out stock crap, not riced-out chiropractor's dream stuff.

I've done a little bit or rallycross (slow kind) and an endurance rubber-to-ice race with a welded RWD XR4. You have to commit to making your turns. If you don't throw the tail into the turn, the car is going to go straight. That said, on ice, sometimes throwing the sucker into the turn just makes the car go all the way around. Of course, the 100 lb. lead space saver spare we welded in the back may have also contributed to the thing wanting to keep going sideways.....

Well it looks like the rear stock shocks are really shot... I can compress and extend them by hands without any resistance.

I don't think I should ever use them again.

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Francois

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Francois
Well it looks like the rear stock shocks are really shot... I can compress and extend them by hands without any resistance.

I don't think I should ever use them again.

But you have to think what you want to optimise the car for: snow or gravel.

Cause we really need to make it softer for cold and kinda soft in the back for gravel---it is how we get grip.

I think there may be a guy around with some second hand Volvo rear Bilstein shocks.
Let me check---they're soft.

Well I might be dreaming, but I'd like to have 3 suspension setup in the future.

One for gravel, one for snow and one for tarmac. We have rallyes on all 3 around here and being in Quebec, the cheapest way to practice is during the winter, so I really think a snow setup is worth it.

The only tarmac event being Sanair (on a racetrack), I think I can get along with the ricer stuff. Should be "good enough" for me. At least I'll try to make it to the rallye X next spring, so I'll know a bit more of how that shit feels.

The next gravel rallye X is only sometime around june, so I'll try to save some more money until then (or win the loto, that's in my plans hehehe) and will get in touch with you for that around spring if things go as planed.

So for now I want a snow and ice setup. Let me know about the Bilsteins. Rears are an absolute necessity, but I think I would be better of with some new(er) fronts too.

How hard of a spring should I go for a winter setup?

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Francois

Quote
Francois
Well I might be dreaming, but I'd like to have 3 suspension setup in the future.

One for gravel, one for snow and one for tarmac. We have rallyes on all 3 around here and being in Quebec, the cheapest way to practice is during the winter, so I really think a snow setup is worth it.

The only tarmac event being Sanair (on a racetrack), I think I can get along with the ricer stuff. Should be "good enough" for me. At least I'll try to make it to the rallye X next spring, so I'll know a bit more of how that shit feels.

The next gravel rallye X is only sometime around june, so I'll try to save some more money until then (or win the loto, that's in my plans hehehe) and will get in touch with you for that around spring if things go as planed.

So for now I want a snow and ice setup. Let me know about the Bilsteins. Rears are an absolute necessity, but I think I would be better of with some new(er) fronts too.

How hard of a spring should I go for a winter setup?

What tires in winter?
I know in the Lands of the Gods of Snow Rally they do valve and spring softer, but I have talked to guys there often who say with their sick studded tires, their grip is better than summer.
I know that the moto-cross tires I had with around 300 remaining studs were in fact better grip than summer on hard packed dirt.

(Note---I did spend a lot of winters way up north, and we changed OIL but not so much springs but we did have amazing grip AND we did BIG jumps and we REALLY hit things.)
Si, pour vous c'est dependant en l'adhesion.
Quelle pnues? Vrai comme en Finland et Suede?
Ou pauve merde pour le rues ordinaire?

You need these:

http://www.brunowessel.com/catalog/index.asp?display=all&categoryid=1

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

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Rallymech
You need these:

http://www.brunowessel.com/catalog/index.asp?display=all&categoryid=1

No relation to Horst.

Whatever you do, DON'T MENTION THE WAR!

At the rallyecross no studs are allowed (not that I would choose my suspension based only on RC), but for the last 5 years or so at the regional level, street studs are permitted. No rallye studs and only one kind of really mild ones can be run so, as JVL said, "pauvre merde pour la rue" (poor street shit).

But we just had a change in the sanctionning body administrations and maybe that will change, but if it does I bet that would be to "no studs at all".

I guess that means I want something soft since it won't be really grippy even with street studs.

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Francois

Also, I'm trying to educate myself by reading the Escort prep manual, but I think I don't have the correct one (or the rear suspension is not relevant) because it's about leaf springs rear...

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Francois

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Francois
Also, I'm trying to educate myself by reading the Escort prep manual, but I think I don't have the correct one (or the rear suspension is not relevant) because it's about leaf springs rear...

Yeah, they had leaf springs but the spring ios a spring, leaf, torsion bar or coild it exerts a boing, boing is boing only the packaging changes..
And coils, like coilovers are easy to adjust preload and thus height...

Ok so since the Volvo rear end is a 4-link type (it is right?) according to that guide I would want something around 145 lbs/in for gravel.

So for snow it should be even less.

Am I missing something or I sould really use something like 125 lbs/in springs in the rear? In that case I guess the old worn stock ones would be perfect!

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Francois

Are you talking in a coil over position? Then yes. I started with a 175lb inch spring on the back of the XR, was having traction issues so I went down to a 150 and the car works much better.. It does not bottom, as the shock handles the weight well.

Thanks JVL!