Lowering Volvo 940 and improving handling.

Date 26 October 2020
Category
Product explanation, Volvo
Lowering Volvo 940 and improving handling.

The Volvo 940 was designed by Volvo as a luxury family car that allows you to get from A to B very safely and comfortably. To this day, they still have this image. Meanwhile, the other character traits of a Volvo 940 are well known. With a few upgrades, the comfortable family car can be turned into a seriously sporty Volvo 940 with handling not inferior to modern cars.

The standard handling of a Volvo 940

Soft springs cause extreme lean in corners

As indicated, the Volvo 940 was designed as a comfortable cruiser. As a result, the car is very comfortable and thus softly sprung, and the center of gravity is relatively high.

Soft springs in the Volvo 940 ensure that all small potholes, pebbles and other uneven road surfaces are eliminated. Ideal, you might say. For the sportier driver this is more of a disadvantage than an advantage. Because of the soft springs, the Volvo 940 tilts over enormously when taking corners, especially short, fast turns or long turns on the highway. Because of the tilt, the center of gravity of the car will first be shifted by the steering input after which the car will actually change direction. Also, the tilt puts much more pressure on the outer wheel in a turn and the car loses grip faster.

The standard tire size focuses on comfort

Most 940s come with 205/55/16 or 195/65/16 tires. The first number indicates the width of a tire, the second number is the tire’s cheek height in percent (i.e. 55% of 205mm) and finally the last number is the inch size.

A 55 or 65% sidewall again provides great driving comfort because the tire sidewall itself also acts as an additional damper for uneven road surfaces. The disadvantage of this type of tire is that the cheek is quite slack and cannot maintain its shape during sporty driving which results in loss of grip and/or indirect steering feel.

Improving the handling of a Volvo 940

Already mentioned above are some factors that negatively affect the handling of a Volvo 940 when it comes to sporty handling. Several options to improve the handling of a Volvo 940 are given below.

Lowering a Volvo 940 with 40mm lowering springs

For Volvo 940 owners who want better handling than standard and sportier looks with a limited budget, Cobra’s 40mm lowering springs are great.

Cobra’s lowering springs give the Volvo 940 a lowering of about 40mm while being considerably stiffer than the original springs Volvo fitted. The lowering lowers the Volvo 940’s center of gravity and, due to the increased stiffness of the springs, the car tilts many times less when cornering.

Benefits of less lean:

  • The Volvo 940 responds faster to a steering input.
  • As the car tilts less, more pressure is put on the inner wheels/tires, increasing grip.

Frequently asked questions:

  • How stiff are cobra lowering springs, can I still drive this comfortably daily?

    These springs are comparable in stiffness to a modern BMW; stiff but comfortable. So the handling is significantly improved but the car still has comfort.
  • What about the MOT?

    40mm lowering springs are no problem at the MOT. The most important aspect in the MOT is that the springs must not be loose and must be properly mounted. The loosening of springs at maximum rebound is only applicable with more extreme lowering springs.
  • Can I use the original mufflers?

    Yes. The original dampers can be used very well in combination with 40mm lowering springs.

Lowering Volvo 940 with a BC-Racing coilover

The Volvo 940 BC-Racing coilover is a fully adjustable lowering set that allows the car to be tuned to perfection in terms of handling. This coilover kit is ideally suited for the real sporty drivers who occasionally do a track day or just want to get the maximum handling out of their Volvo 940.

The Volvo 940 BC-Racing coilover allows the following items to be adjusted separately:

  • Ride height
  • Stiffness of the dampers. (both inbound and outbound)
  • The amount of camber at the front
  • Spring preload

Because with the BC-Racing coilover the ride height is not determined by the length of the spring but by the height adjustment of the set, the Volvo can be set very low and still use the full suspension travel.

Adjusting damping allows you to set a slightly firmer suspension during track days and a little firmer than during commuting.

Is a BC-Racing coilover better than Cobra 40mm lowering springs?

It depends entirely on your needs and requirements for your Volvo 940. Would you like to have less lean in corners, slightly sportier looks but still drive to work with good comfort? Then the Cobra 40mm lowering springs are best suited.

Can’t corner hard enough, want to be able to tune everything and sometimes go to the Nurburgring for a day? Then your best choice is the BC-Racing coilover.

Frequently asked questions:

  • How stiff is a Volvo 940 BC-Racing coilover, can I still drive this comfortably on a daily basis?

    This set can be called quite rigid. There are many customers who drive it daily but clinker roads you will notice well.
  • What about the MOT?

    If this set is fitted correctly, it should not cause any problems with the MOT. (note: if you live in Belgium then this may be a rejection point)

Larger rims and flatter tires

Earlier you read that tires have a relatively large impact on roadholding and grip. A lowered Volvo 940 with 40mm Cobra springs or a BC-Racing coilover will never be able to take full advantage of its potential with standard tires.

What tire size do I need?
Tires are the 4 most important things on your Volvo 940 when it comes to good grip and handling. There are also very large gains to be made here after the reduction.

For better handling, it is important to choose a tire that has a slightly flatter sidewall. On the more modern cars with slightly more power or that are in the sporty segment, you will almost always find tires with a sidewall thickness of up to 45%. Examples include: 245/40/18 and 225/45/17. A flatter sidewall gives the tire more stiffness, which will improve steering feel and grip.

The exact tire size depends on which rim you will use to mount the tire on. For this, it is best to look around some forums to see what size people have the best experience on your rim.

Don’t skimp on tires!

Unfortunately, there are many cheap Chinese tires that perform very poorly in various tire tests. A longer braking distance of 20 meters is no exception.

If you’re looking for new tires, always look up the most recent tire test in your tire size and make a decision on which one is best suited from there. The difference between an A-brand and C-brand tire is often only 100 euros on a set of 4.