posted by
someone claiming to be David Johnson
on
Sat Dec 8 18:09 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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Car is an '86 240DL, 297,000 miles.
There is a clunk coming from the right front suspension traveling over bumps in the road. It can be felt through the floor pan and the steering wheel. If I'm not holding on to the wheel with a firm grip when this happens, the car will pull violently to the right.
I have replaced the strut (Bilstein), the strut mount, the ball joints, and the outer tie-rod end. Clunk and other symptoms persist.
If it's the inner tie-rod end, am I looking at a new rack? The factory rack was replaced at 180,000 with a rebuilt OEM rack that I purchased through RPR Volvo Parts in California. I would think that a rebuilt rack would last longer than 117K, but maybe note.
TIA!
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Hey what a great resource this is!
I came across your topic while trying to diagnose a similar problem. I've been noticing a clunk/knock sound from the passenger wheel, though it does not seem as violent as the one described here. At first I thought it was my imagination, because it's really faint. What should my first steps be to properly diagnose the problem? Also, is this something I should worry about and if so can a DIYer such as myself look after it? Keep in mind we do have a few inches of the white stuff already and I don't have a garage! Any help would be great!
cheers,
Max
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posted by
someone claiming to be ADK Blues
on
Tue Dec 11 10:02 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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Minor clunk/knock could be a damaged swaybar bushing.
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posted by
someone claiming to be David Johnson
on
Mon Dec 10 12:45 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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And the award goes to.....Ken C! Thanks!!
The A-arm bushing on the right side looks pretty chewed up/decomposed. I haven't pulled out the Chiltons yet, but is this a pretty straightforward job, or should I just park it at my indy's garage and let them do it?
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The way I like to do it is to remove the housing burn out the old rubber and replace it with a poly bushing.
Get a Bentley manual. Dan
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posted by
someone claiming to be ADK Blues
on
Tue Dec 11 10:01 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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It is pretty straight forward if you can remove the bushing and press in a new one. Some have managed to do this without a press, using hammers, C-clamps, etc. Some folks burn out the old bushing with a torch and then cut/hammer out the steel shell using dremel, hacksaw, etc. Careful not to ruin the A arm if this is your method.
I use a $100 Harbor Freight 12 ton shop press for bushing work. I have an assortment of metal sleeves and sockets that I use for receiver tubes and drifts. Thus far, it has never failed to work. Removing the control arm assembly is pretty simple. You then press out the old and press in the new. You "might" want to consider doing the smaller front A-arm bushings at that mileage. They last a LONG time, but approaching 300k, they are probably wearing out as well. Much harder to remove without a press. Be careful not to crack the A-arm (BTDT).
There are a few tricks upon reassembly- you have to get the bushing on the car in a neutral position or it will wear out quickly. Volvo recommends final torquing done on the car with wheels on the ground- this is hard to do in reality, especially on the RT side. Basically, you have to get the control arm and the bushing cup assembled and torqued in the "neutral" position before you put it on the car.
Good luck.
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posted by
someone claiming to be bubba
on
Tue Dec 11 04:07 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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The bushing holder is held on by 3 bolts. The nut on the actual control arm, on the bolt that passes through the rear bushing is very hard to get at. Mine was about to fall off.
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KEN C has my vote.. I bet that's your culprit
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.no.net/ebrox/Tony's%20cars.htm
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Okay, the subject line says what I mean. At the firewall (near the bottom where it goes from vertical to sloped), there is a metal "cup" (of sorts) with a large rubber bushing in it (I changed mine to poly, though) that holds a rearward extension of the lower "A" arm. My terminology may not be right, but you should recognize what I mean when you look at it.
When that bushing goes, the A arm jams metal-to-metal against the firewall every time you hit a bump in the road.
I think that's your likely cause based on how you described it.
Good luck, and happy holidays.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Adirondack Blues
on
Mon Dec 10 07:29 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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That is the rear control arm or A-arm bushing.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Adirondack Blues
on
Sat Dec 8 20:43 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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Clunk felt "through floor pan" sounds like a bad control arm bushing is a possiblity. Both control arm bushings could be bad by 300k.
I agree that aftermarket strut mounts are problematic.
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Jack up your right front end, making sure it is stable, pull your front tire laterally (push and pull toward and away from the engine). You didn't note if the strut mount was the upper or lower. If there is no movement (even a slight amount can indicate a collapsed joint), then I would consider replacing the upper mount. It is a job, as I did mine recently, but after reading many posts about the upper mount, I would recommend buying a certified Volvo upper strut mount. I haven't checked to see if they're available from the dealer, but many times I've found the only reliable replacement is a genuine Volvo part. I've seen too many posts about OEM upper strut mounts starting to deteriorate seriously after 2 years. I had a challenge with mine, and plan to replace them soon, even though I put in OEM's earlier this summer. It reduced the clunking, but didn't eliminate it. I have a feeling I also need to replace the lower strut mounts, which is the only thing left on my front end to replace!
Post your findings so all of us can learn from your experience.
Breadman
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