Greetings,
Thank You for your input in advance.

We had a 1994 940 sedan aligned after installing new Michelin MXV4 tires.

The car pulls to the right slightly when on the freeway.

The front steering doesn't have loose tie rods and doesn't look like anything is bent. Also, it has the correct tire pressure.

Any ideas?

Just for a quick and dirty check, how about getting a tape measure and an assistant to help you measure the toe-in. It won't be perfect, but if it's out by a sinificant amount you'll be able to detect it.

The 940 series has an endemic problem with rear spring sag, causing a steering pull. See the FAQ section on spring sag:
http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/FrontSuspension.htm#WheelAlignmentandSpringSag
The solution is usually two new rear springs, an easy installation.
--
See the 700/900 "FAQ" at the menu bar top screen left side.

I have to stress the point that you have to get the front end alignment checked. The only thing most shops can do or will do is the toe-in angle. All but the most experienced Volvo shops will not do, or will not know how to change the camber. Caster required a slightly shorter or longer control arm strut.

I have has some screwed up alignments from Sears and small tire shops, but nothing but good alignments with small shop I have been using now for years. The alignment mechanic owns a few Volvos and has been doing the job for 15 years.

Tom

"The car pulls to the right slightly when on the freeway."

I just had to replace a sticking caliper piston on my 940 for the same symptom. It's known to happen, and has to start sometime.

Mine was just after replacing the rotors and pads. I may have caused the piston to stick when I had to push it way in to clear the combined new pad + rotor thickness.

Feel for the difference in heat between sides after a short drive. If it's a dragging brake, the heat will be obvious.


--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

Dear 1984GL,

Hope you're well. I infer from your comments, that this car tracked straight, before the tires were replaced and an alignment done.

Thus, it is entirely possible that one of the front tires is defective. Switch the rear tires to the front and move the front tires to the rear. See if there's any change. If so - if the slight pull to the right goes away - then one or both of the front tires is/are defective. If not, then I'd have another shop check the alignment.

While tires come from factories, they are hand-made and thus there is variance from one to the next.

It is also possible, that the alignment, for which you likely paid, wasn't properly done.

Find a straight and level section of road, on which to ascertain the impacts of switching the tires from front to rear.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Thanks for your comments. Yes, already moved the tires around with same result.

Will keep you updated. Thanks

Did you get a printout of the numbers? The equipment many use now has that feature, and gives you the factory numbers and the actual readings from your car.
Although the strut has no camber and caster adjustment as configured, some mod it and dial in whatever number they want. eg. Caster, if you either,
A. use poly bushings of a thicker size on the control arm stay where it passes through the control arm, you change the caster, or
B. Some put a washer behind the rear bushing, which does the same thing. And,
C. Camber can be modded in several ways. One is to simply knock out the front mount bolt, pivot the upper strut mount inwards up to approx. 23 mm, and redrill the bolt hole. Voila, and with some basic geometry you can calculate how far to move it. 23mm gives in the neighborhood of -2deg camber, which is a lot.
There was a Volvo bulletin on doing something like this to cope with outer edge tire wear.
Some don't redrill the hole, they slot the front hole in the tower towards teh inside, thus allowing a similar adjustment to the 240.

Some shops still use the old stuff that clip on the wheel and have a bubble to measure, and a trammel bar for toe. That can work well actually, if done correctly. Toe should be done on each side so the wheel comes out exactly straight, but some only check total toe which can lead to your situation.