As for the brake mods, the added rear bias helped knock seven feet off the stock car's 228-foot 80-0 mph braking distance.
Like the moderate engine mods, the subtle benefits of the suspension upgrades are perhaps more noticeable on the street than on the track. Body roll is less of an issue, as the car now sports a more neutral balance. The wheel/tire package and lowered stance also allow for greater control during on-throttle cornering.
Disconnect the lower radius rod arm when removing the strut to allow a greater range of motion in the hub assembly.
Reuse the OEM rubber seal from the old springs. It only goes on one way and helps orient the spring into position.
The Bilstein shafts are nearly twice as thick as the OEM struts. The front bump stops won't fit, but the trade-off is worth it. The larger shafts are significantly stronger and are able to withstand additional lateral loads.
The OEM components on the right, excluding the bump stop in the upper right corner, must be reused on the Bilstein front dampers. The original bump stop is too small and won't slide over the larger Bilstein shaft.
A thick coat of paint prevented our Bilstein struts from sliding into their housings. Sandpaper or a grinder should be used here to remove material on the strut base.
The rear shocks are fastened to the chassis with two bolts and the entire assembly can be disassembled from beneath the car.
Save this rear shock mounting bolt for last; it's the easiest to get to and allows a free hand to grab the shock as it's removed.
A pry bar is used to raise the lower control arm and compress the spring. The lengthy bar provides additional leverage and makes raising the arm easier.
Use the end-link set screw of the rear anti-roll bar to keep the ball joint from spinning when adjusting the nut.
Reuse the upper mounting plates of the OEM rear shock and bump stops with the Bilstein shocks. The bump stops barely fit but should be installed.
The IPD rear anti-roll bar, on the bottom, is 2mm larger than the OEM one. IPD supplies the polyurethane bushings, brackets, lube and hardware with the kit.
IPD recommends using the entire package of grease. The grease increases the bushings' longevity and reduces squeaks.
The anti-roll bar end links must be hooked up first. Once the bar is fastened to the rear crossmember, there won't be enough room to swivel the end links into position.
This front strut tower brace is available as an option on the S40. It includes nuts, washers and the four special hex bolts.
Once the end links have been hand tightened, swing the IPD bar into position and bolt down the brackets. The holes on the IPD brackets are slotted, making things easier to line up.
The guys from IPD replaced the rear pads and rotors. Cleve Mason of Volvo's Monitoring and Concept Center supplied us with these prototype aluminum rotors. The lightweight ridges on the discs encompass the hub area for increased cooling.
These special bolts from Volvo are required for installing a front strut tower brace. The hex positioned in the center of the stud spaces the bar up just enough to fit.
The OEM grille pulls out easily and the Heico piece simply snaps in. The guys from IPD put some silicone behind the tabs to ensure it stays put.
These plastic clips tend to break when removing the OEM front bumper spoiler. The trick is to push in the center portion while pulling on the round tab.
Rivets are used in lieu of the OEM plastic clips to fasten the Heico front bumper spoiler in place.