My car began undergoing suspenion work around November of last year--I say "began" because getting everything to where it should be is taking some time. The car has a little short of 120,000 miles on it and as far as I know, much of the suspension has never been replaced.

First, my dad replaced the shocks and struts. The car now rides on Monroe SensaTrac shocks and struts, according to the receipt from NAPA. The mechanic at the time noticed that the passenger's side ball joint was worn, but he said a replacement wasn't immediately necessary.

Towards the end of December, as I got ready to go to school (I had been out of the country and the car wasn't driven by me or hardly at all September-December), I took the car into Midas to get some spot welding done on the muffler system. I casually mentioned that I would be taking the car up to school soon, a 300 mile trip, and they indicated that it would probably be a good idea to get the ball joints replaced very soon. In addition to the mechanic's advice, I had noticed some popping noises while turning the wheel, and the ball joints did indeed need replacing.

So, second, we had the ball joints replaced. The parts were purchased from Advance Auto Parts (and at the same time the belts in the engine bay were replaced). I took the car up to school and intended to get an alignment, since the car rode more or less fine but the steering wheel was cocked to one side, and I also was going to get the power steering belt tightened up since it was loose and squeaking upon startup and just about all the time at night (when it is cold outside).

I took the car to get an alignment at PepBoys, and the guy only had it up on the lift for a few minutes before he informed me that the "alignment wouldn't hold" because I need new tie rods. (I'm pretty sure he just said inner tie rods but I would think it would make sense to replace all of the tie rods at once.) They didn't do the alignment and unfortunately didn't tighten the belt either, so I'm still dealing with a squeaking, unaligned car, and the tie rods have not yet been replaced.

I have two questions:

First, is the car likely road-worthy for a roughly 250 mile trip? I have an obligation tomorrow that is about 125 miles away, and if I were to go I would be returning later in the day. The car seems to drive pretty straight, and things are a lot smoother "at speed" now that the struts and ball joints are new. Nevertheless, there are still some popping noises, I presume from the tie rods. I need new ones regardless--is it a stupid and dangerous idea to take the car on such a journey?

Second, what kind of suspension work should/remains to be done? I'm on FCP Groton's website right now, and at about $20 a part I would like to handle all of the things related to suspension that I can. From what I know of suspensions, about the only parts left to replace are the bushings and things like the springs and strut mounts! What parts do I need to order--is it two inner and two outer tie rods ends, for four things total?

I also see that it's usually uncertain as to whether a car has a Cam Gear or a ZF Rack. I checked the service plate in the trunk and my steering gear was a "2," which according to FCP Groton is a Cam Gear. Should I get the Boot Kit they offer as well?

Is there any reason that any new parts wouldn't be able to be re-used? I can't imagine an excuse anyone could invent as to why the ball joints were irreparably damaged and must be repalced, but is there anything for which I should be on the lookout?

Any other parting advice? (Bushings?) I'm hoping this time will be the last the front suspension gets taken apart--my dad did the shocks and struts as an early Christmas present. Little did he know that he just set off a chain reaction of mechanics noticing small things that needed fixing--I'm certainly glad they're getting replaced because they can be safety hazards, but it's not going easy on the wallet!
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'89 244 GL -- 116,100 miles (see profile for info on car)

I just jacked each front wheel up and checked for play--there is a small amount on the front right tire. That's also the wheel that needed a new ball joint badly, so I guess everything on that side got worn through pretty thoroughly.

The left side tire had no noticeable play at all, and the right tire wasn't loose in the "parallel-to-ground" axis"--just in the perpendicular one.

I'm still undecided as to what I'm going to do. I'm going to see if things could easily be postponed; i.e., I could get out of my obligation, but I still don't know what's up.

At least I've narrowed down the problem and know exactly what needs to be fixed. Is there anything else that could be causing popping noises, or should new tie rod ends make the car ride like new?
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'89 244 GL -- 116,100 miles (see profile for info on car)

Ball joints are new, so they should be tight and have no play. Do the tie rod check yourself - jack up a front wheel and attempt to wiggle it around an axis perpendicular to the ground - i.e. grab the front and back of the wheel and attempt to rotate it the same way it rotates when the steering wheel is turned. Any play is a bad thing.

However, if you can also wiggle it about an axis parallel to the ground, your problem is more likely a loose wheel bearing. In that case, remove the cap in the center of the bearing and tighten the bearing locknut (remove the cotter pin) while spinning the wheel until the wheel stops (no more than 20ft-lb). Then back the nut off until the wheel spins freely but there is almost no play in the wheel. Insert a new cotter pin and reinstall the cap.

As far as the power steering belt, tightening it yourself isn't a difficult job. First tighten the A/C belt - remove the rear part of the air cleaner (2 clamps) and hose to the air mass meter to get room to work, loosen the 13mm nut holding the A/C compressor on top, and crank down the 10mm tension screw until the belt has about 1/4 to 1/2" play in the middle if you push on it. Retighten the 13mm nut and reinstall the air cleaner and hose.

The power steering pump has the same mechanism for tightening its belt.

-b.

Thank you and to everyone who has responded. I think tomorrow I'll take a good look over the car using the tips you've provided in the message--the only problem is that I'm now at the university and away from home where I have all of the tools I could need (and also another car, if I mess up badly!). Still, I think I'll try to do the tie rod check and see what I can do about the belt. I'm pretty sure I've got a 10mm wrench in the back and there are probably a handful of parts on my car that use the 13mm size--looks like a run to Lowe's is in order.
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'89 244 GL -- 116,000 miles (see profile for info on car)

I agree that you might as well fix everything that is actually bad. If the tie rods are bad, they should be replaced. It might be due for rear a-arm bushings, especially if they are original with over 100k and were stressed when replacing the strut inserts. Find an honest mechanic to assess the front end. Sometimes it's worth getting it done once and for all, by replacing all the marginal parts. On the other hand, some of the parts might be able to safely go many more miles. It's tough to say without giving it a close inspection. One bushing that very well could have many thousands of miles left in it is typically the front a-arm bushing. There are two total, one on each side. They usually last much longer than the rear a-arm bushings. Good thing too, because they can be tough to get out of the a-arm.
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Thanks for all the help. DougC. 1981 242 Brick Off Blocks, Turbo bars and wheels, M46. 1990 245, auto, 113k. 1993 245, M47, 154k.

First, don't trust what places like Midas or PepBoys have to say. Find yourself a place that specializes in Volvos and develop a relationship with the owner. Also, get the Bentley shop guide so you can at least double check these diagnoses, if not do them yourself. I figure if I can do it, prety much anyone can.

Second, get some good parts sources. I use the chain stores for little things like lightbulbs and electrical connectors, and for things I need in a hurry, especially if they carry decent name brands, but be very careful of what brant of parts you're getting from places like Advance and NAPA. You'll want to ride on those balljoints for several years to come, so they better be good ones.

That said, an '89 is old enough to need tierods, but 116,000 miles, IMO, is a little on the early side, unless it was driven hard. So it's altogether possible. Actually, you're going through much the same experience I did recently. I did my ball joints (Moog from FCP), and went in to a shop I trust to do the alignment, only to be told they wouldn't do it because I needed inner and outer tierods and a wheel bearing adjustment (is that done by a chiropractor?).

I'd be surprised at the inner tierods needing to be done, but not the outers, unless the outer tierods have been previously replaced. Definitely, do the boots. For only eight bucks a pair, you might as well. The sticker you looked at should be conclusive for type, but you can also see that, on the Camgear rack, the boot has a hole only as large as the tierod itself. The ZF rack has a hole in the end about the size of a quarter.

I can't see why bad tierods would eat up your new balljoints. In fact, they don't even need to come off to do the work. But bad tierods and/or misalignment will chew through tire tread life at an alarming rate, so get it done soon. And definitely check those front suspension bushings. Pops and clunks could be due to those, too. If you really want to stay out of the front suspension for a while, and you don't mind paying for it, you might as well get it done.

By the way, I like the quad round headlights. I'm hoping to something similar.
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'90 240DL Wagon 'Lola' -- '72 1800ES 'Galadriel'

KeplerNiko:

Sorry to hear about the suspension and steering issues you are dealing with. Please remember that if a tie rod end decides to cut loose, you will probably lose control and crash (bummer). These are safety critical items, so I can not and will not provide you any advice that says "sure... go on the trip"! I would recommend replacing all four tie rod ends at the same time, even if some of them are still in kinda good shape, this will save you the cost of another alignment or two down the road.

On the rack boots, inspect them for tears and cracks, if there are any at all, replace them without question. If they seem to be soaked in oil, assume the rack needs replaced as well since its seals are gone.

Worn tie rods shouldn't trash the new ball joints unless the wheels are flapping in the wind.

When it comes to front suspension bushings, if one is bad, replace them all on BOTH sides. The can also impact alignment.

Other items that can cause klunks and squeak noises in the front end are:
The four bolts that mount the cross member to the frame rails (2 per side), tighten them up.
Worn out sway bar end bushings.
Rare, but the upper strut bearing plates.
Loose bolts on the rear A-arm mounting brackets.
Loose castle nuts on the top of the strut tubes.

Be safe, fix the problem first.

Jorrell