They should hold your ride height as per standard and with their progressive spring rate should then “ stiffen” up more as the cars load increases. Be interested to hear how you find them towing and solo.
I would Like to thank everyone who helped me out with their knowledge and great advise, my new MADS springs arrived yesterday, and my local Garage fitted them in half an hour. It has raised the tow ball up by 3" making it 21" from the ground before putting the caravan on or loading the car.
I recon that should sort out my problem now.
The car drives differently on its own, a bit stiffer but nice feeling, and seems to hug the road a bit better.
Many Thanks again.
Kindest Regards
Dave Kirk
3 inches is massive!
About 8 years ago I had a Peugeot 4007 (Mitsubishi Outlander). It didn’t ground but tended to bounce. Even with the original low profile tyres on 19 inch wheels.
MAD assisters, in my case, made a world of difference. Also fitting the standard 16 inch wheels. However, they did not noticeably, lift the rear end.
The XC 60 always has the appearance, IMO, of being high at the rear. Another 3 inches would look odd, or not?
I will be interested in how it tows now.
John
About 8 years ago I had a Peugeot 4007 (Mitsubishi Outlander). It didn’t ground but tended to bounce. Even with the original low profile tyres on 19 inch wheels.
MAD assisters, in my case, made a world of difference. Also fitting the standard 16 inch wheels. However, they did not noticeably, lift the rear end.
The XC 60 always has the appearance, IMO, of being high at the rear. Another 3 inches would look odd, or not?
I will be interested in how it tows now.
John
Given the height of the towball that you gave 3 inches would probabky put you over the specified dimensions of height above the ground for a loaded car’s towball.. Three inches unloaded difference is massive and unless you have a typo I would say there is something seriously wrong with the cars suspension such that I would be concerned wrt to its driving safety. I would spend £1000+ to get that extra clearance on an off road car. But not a road car.
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I’d be getting the caravan hooked up to see what it all looks like before coming to any conclusions.
Kev
Kev
Iv never know MAD springs be they assisters or replacements give a three inch solo lift. The HD springs for Skoda Superb used in rough road countries like India or Russia only gave 0.75 inches extra ride height but a more progressive rate under load. With that increase in solo unloaded height there could be negative interactions with the cars sensor activated safety systems.
I would have thought it would also go beyond the shock absorber limit.
Perhaps it's 3 cm, but that is still a lot in the circumstances.
John
I can't help but echo the concerns already raised about the degree of lift the Mad units have created. This should be a wake up call becasue there must have been something wrong with the car in its original condition.
Except for a few specialised vehicles like some utility 4x4's , all car that are type approved to tow ( the car has a GTW figure on its weight plate) when used with the correct towbar should support the trailer hitch within the EU's specification of 350 to 420mm.
If it doesn't then that is an indicator that something is fundamentally wrong .
However if the car has already been modified (for example an after market lowered suspension) then that can cause problems.
Another possibility is that the incorrect tow bar has been illegally fitted. In this case it could be that a standard XC60 towbar has been fitted, when there might be there is a special version for the XC60R.
And especially with more recent cars, it has already been mentioned that some use sensors on the suspension to inform on safety limits. By artificially raising or lowering a car might well disrupt the signals and render some of the safety systems to malfunction and not necessarily in a good way.
I strongly suggest going back to the beginning and find out why the systems is so low.
Except for a few specialised vehicles like some utility 4x4's , all car that are type approved to tow ( the car has a GTW figure on its weight plate) when used with the correct towbar should support the trailer hitch within the EU's specification of 350 to 420mm.
If it doesn't then that is an indicator that something is fundamentally wrong .
However if the car has already been modified (for example an after market lowered suspension) then that can cause problems.
Another possibility is that the incorrect tow bar has been illegally fitted. In this case it could be that a standard XC60 towbar has been fitted, when there might be there is a special version for the XC60R.
And especially with more recent cars, it has already been mentioned that some use sensors on the suspension to inform on safety limits. By artificially raising or lowering a car might well disrupt the signals and render some of the safety systems to malfunction and not necessarily in a good way.
I strongly suggest going back to the beginning and find out why the systems is so low.
Prof'
My Subaru takes its input to the self levelling HID headlights from its rear suspension position.
Hi David,
I also share the concerns of others on this thread as to the suspension on your car.
Google tells me that the
A 2013 Volvo press release (Which one assumes preceded the 2014 facelift) confirms that S60&V60 cars had lowered suspension for R-Design spec, but XC60 had a only a tweaked chassis, but if anything your car should be better at towing a caravan:
I would personally have taken the car to a Volvo dealer for inspection.
You're right; but I think the cargo area side window doesn't help, as it angles up and makes the rear 3/4 panel larger!
When I had MAD's unit fitted to my 2008 Santa Fe, there was no difference to the height of the tow bar, but the caravan didn't, hit speed bumps or the ferry ramps. On my 2014 Santa Fe the Witter tow bar would twist down, causing the caravan to hit speed bumps with the Jockey Wheel, sorted by changing the tow bar to a TowTrust one.
Thanks for the in everyone, I have only driven the car without the caravan connected at the moment, but I am due to tow it down to the west country on Monday. I did have the suspension checked by my main dealer, and they said the original springs were fine, and my R Design model was slightly lower than a standard xc60, mine is a 2016 model.
I must say I was surprised at a 3" lift making my towball 508mm to the centre of the ball unloaded.
once loaded it should drop a bit, but I am not sure how much.
I have been incorrectly measuring the tow ball at the top of the ball not the centre.
it is now definitely a lot stiffer now, but I am hoping that when loaded it will not bounce so much on very bumpy roads.
I suppose the keep the stiffer suspension, and get the tow ball back to a slightly lower level, I could always fit a drop plate to drop it down a couple of inches.
I am not sure that a tow ball at 533mm is legal!
any more views would be very much appreciated
Thank You everyone.
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I understand that the specs for the height of the towball center posted above relate to the loaded car prior to hitching up. Including passengers and driver
3” increase in height may adversely affect the shock absorber performance. Did your garage check them? If the front is still oem will that upset the handling characteristics?
I will be connecting the caravan to the fully loaded car Monday, and will report the Hight of the tow ball then.
Plus if the lights are HID or LED it will have a self levelling lighting function. Mine comes off a transducer on the rear suspension but the car does not have SL, only the headlights.
Bu even so three inches increase for the solo unloaded height seems far too much. Even when I fitted Pedder uprated springs and shocks to my Pajero it only went up just over an inch, and some of that was recovering spring sag over its 15 year life. And that outfit only went on the rear. The front just had its torsion bars wound up and new shocks.
Looks high now...
An Approved Used 2017 XC60 in Osmium Grey with the same Ixion Alloys (images flipped - Couldn't tell if your car was Osmium or Savile Grey.)
Looks about an Inch higher now to my untrained eye compared to my XC60 SE on 17"s and maybe more compared to the identical car.
If the ride height has gone up 3" then someone must have lowered the suspension way more than any factory set up.
An Approved Used 2017 XC60 in Osmium Grey with the same Ixion Alloys (images flipped - Couldn't tell if your car was Osmium or Savile Grey.)
Looks about an Inch higher now to my untrained eye compared to my XC60 SE on 17"s and maybe more compared to the identical car.
If the ride height has gone up 3" then someone must have lowered the suspension way more than any factory set up.
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Here is a picture of the Car with my Caravan hitched up, it is 80% loaded in the picture, plus my driveway is on a backward slope, but without my Wife and me in the car, the jockey wheel is clearing the drive by 8". The car hardly dropped at all when I hitched the Caravan on probably due to the strength of the new MADS.
it will be interesting to see how she handles on our trip tomorrow.
I think part of my problem was having our new Awning on board which is really heavy, plus plus a lot extra stuff in the car.
This time I have not got the heavy awning on board, but a much lighter porch awning.
it will be interesting to see how she handles on our trip tomorrow.
I think part of my problem was having our new Awning on board which is really heavy, plus plus a lot extra stuff in the car.
This time I have not got the heavy awning on board, but a much lighter porch awning.
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