My '95 855T with 88k has a small amount of play in the left tie-rod / steering rack assembly. The outer tie-rod ends seems fine, and you can feel some play under the rubber boot on the inner end when someone else pushes on the wheel at the 3 and 9 positions. There is no sign of fluid leakage, so I am assuming that the play must be from the inner tie rod end and not a failing rack. I always thought that the outer ends go first, but what I really don't understand is what goes bad and creates the looseness with the inner's. I thought that the inner's were just threaded rods, with one end screwed into the rack and the other screwed into the outer tie rod end (with the ball joint that goes bad). However, I have never removed an inner. Can anyone describe what's going on when play is created?
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Mike Sullivan ('91 745 (184k), '95 855T (70k), '98 V70XC (83k). Past Volvo's: '85 744 (256k), '86 245 (165k), '86 245 (195k), '88 745 (208k), '93 965 (147k) .