Volvo V70 Mud Flaps

All Series 1 850 / 70 series come with front mudflaps in the UK which are about 50% effective- they're abit too short and mud still sprays up over the front doors and keeps the stones off the paint, as comparision- without rear ones fitted you'll loose quite alot of paint off the painted plastic bumper in time as I've found- the paint doesnt seem to stick that well.

Tim..

Got all 4 on my '95 estate (wagon). You are right they are too short at the front, but seem to do the job nicely at the back, my biggest gripe on the

I suspect the major marketplace - USA, didn't consider these as an essential feature. Rather than produce a fully equipped car, as they did previously, the decided to cut costs and allow the customer to "customize" their Volvo. My 1999 XC was fully loaded with mud flaps, yet the current 2001 had many standard features disappear. Yes, the sticker price was less than the '99 but ended up more expensive when I added the features I fully expected: mud flaps, trip computer, roof load bars, security screen, rear mesh holder (only 1 on '01 and 2 on '99), CD player, etc... I notice the '04 has the security cover, grocery bag holder and a CD radio included with the XC, but unfortunately no mud flaps!.

Installation: You must remove the rear wheels, maybe fronts as well, then drill out the pop rivets where the mud flap attaches to the plastic trim or wheel arch. Then use the supplied pop rivets to re-attach the mud flap through the plastic moulding.

Effectiveness: Not as good as the older style that lined up with the tire, but they seem to likely catch a stray rock. In winter time, the snow build-up can distort and possibly dislodge the rivets.

I installed them on my 2001 and could scan the pictorial diagram to give you a more precise idea of what's involved to install them.

Best of luck... Cam

Cameron Price Newington, Ontario, Canada

F2000SL 4,240.2 km Cannondale Volvo Team Replica R600 2,882.5 km Cannondale road bike Jekyll 3000 4,653.0 km Cannondale Volvo Team Replica

God knows who designed those silly rivets, I broke two installing them, and in the end substituted a flat headed troughing bolt (M6) with square nut in the lower mouting hole each side as the supplied rivets usefulness is approaching zero. (Even if I hadnt had broken them!)

Tim..

Poprivets work best if you use a poprivet tool and use a washer on the back side. Then they are a snap. Pun intended.

Err not to appear dull but thats what I have been doing- for quite some time- and even now I still dont think I have made enough use of the professional Sykes Picavant pop gun[1] I bought several years ago.

Tim..

Never heard of a poprivet gun. My poprivet tools are completely mechanical. You open the tool, insert the poprivet, then when you squeeze the handle, the wire stem on the poprivet is slowly pulled until it breaks at the proper pressure. The reason for using the washer on the backside is for added strength at the breaking point of the stem. I have been using this technique for decades with no problems.