Performance: Battle Wagon Parts
Preparation is everything
Story and photos by Budd Stanley
In our last installment, we took our Volvo 850 to the track to gather base data that would determine our direction in this series. We lapped the big 850 around our custom-built “Little Donington” course at the B.C. Driving Centre, operated by Drivers Unlimited. This use of a closed course and the ability to set up our own testing circuit proved incredibly useful for gaining knowledge of the abilities of our 850. The track yielded results that were both predictable and surprising. Weight, braking and handling we knew would be challenges, while drivetrain, driving position, balance and traction also proved to be important candidates for improvement.
So, we have learned where we need to make our improvements, and now we just have to throw bigger, stronger and stiffer parts at the problem areas – right? Wrong!
One thing I don’t like about many projects is the lack of attention to Stage 0. Other than your SEMA specials that will likely never see use, projects you and I build will be based on a used car. Our Volvo is a quarter-of-a-million kilometres old, and simply throwing high-performance parts at a problem will inevitably result in even more problems. This is where Stage 0 comes in to play. Stage 0 is bringing your car’s mechanical components up to “as-new” condition, as well as doing all major services. Fresh hardware will also hold up better to the increased stresses the car will be facing in our hands, a repercussion we’ve already witnessed with the 850 when the radiator exploded on the track. The cheap plastic end-caps had degraded to the point where stress fractures finally let go under the strain of track duty. A trip to Scandia Motors of Maple Ridge, B.C. has put our cooling worries to bed with a new replacement.
The most obvious starting point is a basic tune-up, which is the usual air filter (which we left out as we will be upgrading to a cold air intake), oil filter, engine and transmission fluid flush, spark plugs, wires, distributer and coil. We wanted to go with an 8 mm set of silicon spark plug wires, but being a five-cylinder engine, these are a tough part to find. In such cases, it pays to find a specialist, especially with such a rare car to modify, so we went to Volvo specialists, ipd (ipdusa.com), which produces the rare five-wire heavy-duty lead wire set.
We now shift our attention to the chassis. The importance of new engine and subframe mounts usually goes unnoticed in the tuning world. Worn engine and subframe mounts cause increased movements on the body with throttle manipulations and hard cornering forces as the lower suspension arms connect to the subframe. To keep everything in check, fresh subframe bushes and engine mounts are installed. This tightens everything up in the front end and will withstand the punishments we will soon throw at the car.
Next, we move closer to the wheels dealing with downstream components that will connect the upcoming modifications to the rest of the car. In our case, we will be heavily concentrating on suspension and steering. With the amount of mileage the 850 has seen, parts like tie-rod ends, ball joints, wheel bearings, upper strut mounts and CV joints all represent wearing joints that produce a sloppy feel in the way the car reacts to driving inputs and road irregularities. Things can get a little pricey here with a lot of expensive parts. If your budget doesn’t account for such maintenance, directing funds to the weakest links may be called for. These tend to be the joints that see the most movement such as the ball joints, CV joints and tie-rod ends.
After a test drive with all the new componentry installed, the big 850 feels much more invigorated and refreshed. The car’s front end and steering all have much tighter tolerances and are now communicating much more effectively with the driver, even if the go-fast parts have not yet been installed. Many of the vibrations, creaks and knocks that have been felt during driving have now disappeared, making for a much more confident feeling. It all goes to show just how important regular maintenance is.
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