I have just purchased a C70 Convertible 2005(Sept). From start to about 30MPH there is a lot of wheel shudder and suspension shake. The car has not been in an accident and Volvo tell me that this is expected from this model. It is almost that the wheels are not balanced nor aligned! Has anyone else experienced this and IS there a solution.

Thanks

As long as you do not have a wheel balance, transmission balance fault then yes it is normal for a c70 mk 1 to have a lot of "skuttle shake". The body is designed on a earlier model and not for a convertible layout and lacks a regidity that is required to stop this characteristic.

Thank you for that. I understand that there is 'skuttle shake' but is it usual for the front suspension at such low speeds to be so 'loose' as is the case. Itis as though the struts or dampeners are worn out. I cannot beleive that Volvo would expect customers to accept such a sloppy ride as 'normal'. Any thoughts or help would be grateful.

:liebe011: :thumbsup:

i know what you mean as I have the same problem in mine, its seems that the shocks dont work and you can feel every bump. I have even taken mine to volvo and they have checked and mentioned that there is nothng wrong

how about if you change struts and shocks to aftermarket items. a more firmer ride, would that cure this shake. i am also surprised, i haven't heard of this on this side of the pond. oh, by the way congrats on the 70.

I have taken this car to two Volvo dealers and both shrug their shoulders and claim 'that's the way it is'. I can only describe it as like a jelly on athree legged table. Someone has suggested to fit a strut brace! Anyone have experience of this?
Thanks for the help so far.

I have the car 5 weeks now and have put it up it up for sale. I had a 850 T5 estate for many years but I will NOT be owning another Volvo if it was given to me.

Ex Volvo owner!

:amen:

You can give me your C70, one of the best looking cars ever made :beer:

I'm glad to see this topic is being discussed. I have a 2002 C70 and have wondered about the amount of road surface I "feel" through the car. It's to the point where I cringe everytime I see a pothole.

My logic is this: It's a convertible. Convertibles are built on frames, similar to pick-up trucks, and therefore must be rigid like a truck due to the fact there is no hard top roof for support (as there would be in a coupe). My old British convertibles shuttered like this as well.

The tight suspension is a blessing and a curse. You feel the road but at the same time get great handling at higher speeds, allowing for more controlled cornering.

What also contributes to the intensity of the road feel is the fact the C70 uses fairly thin tires (little distance between the road surface and the wheel rim). Most sedans have larger tires designed to give you a smoother ride. My C70 has 17 inch, 18 spoke wheels. If I put larger tires on it, I'd have to cut out the wheel wells!

Any other thoughts? Am I on track here or just utterly confused?

your thinking is slightly off center. larger rims don't necessarily mean a smoother ride. if that was the case, those huge 30" rims on those hummers would mean is was like riding on glass smooth roads. it's the amount of sidewall that cushions the ride, besides the suspension. think about it, steel or aluminum wheels don't compress on bumps. rubber doughnut filled with air, cushion. oh, never mind, i just realized that we said the same thing. that's the greek for you, just answers away instead or reading carefully. that's probably why all my puzzles looked like that when i was a kid.

I found out the problem to mine and its not going to be cheap, I have been told that I need to replace the steering rack, the garage showed me the problem as when he held the wheel at the 9 to 3 position it made a clunking noise, also I need control arms on both sides. Currently thinking about whether to have the work done, or just sell the car.