Driving symptooms are that I get a knock on take-off and with some transmission shifts (auto) and I get a 'pop' in the driveline when slowing to a stop. Rear bushings are all new poly - shocks pretty new.

I first got under the car and grabbed the drive shaft and twisted it. When I twist hard I can get an additional bit of rotation accompanied by the knock in question. When I jack it up, remove a tire and push/pull on the disc, I get axial motion (~.5 mm) accompanied by a clunk. Not necessarily the same clunk, but in this case the tire isn't mounted and on the ground (may dampen the sound?).

So...
Is my whole rear end shot, or do I just need new axle bearings? Or is it something else?

Thanks in advance for the advice,

Tom
245DL 241000k

I know you say the bushings are new. Does that incluse the Trailing Arms? ( the bushings mounted on teh axle?)
That movement you said you have in your axle sounds 'normal' you would hear a whine all the time if you had bearing issues.

I with the rest of the guys and are still leaning torward Bushing issues.
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'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

Yep, the 'new' bushings include front and rear trailing arm bushings and torque rod bushings all poly from FCPGroton. The Panhard rod bushings looked good so I've left them alone.
Thanks for your response,
Tom

Hello Tom:

Those symptoms sound just like when my torque rod bushings were shot-- I didn't suspect them either, because they were 3 month old FEBI/Bilstein bushings from FCPgroton.com that I had paid a shop to install...

It turns out that the bushings had been oriented off by 90 deg, resulting in a premature failure. The rubber ripped, but went back into a normal looking resting position, making it hard to diagnose them without applying plenty of force...

The knock you hear may be rotation of the differential case when it is no longer properly constrained by the torque rods.

I solved my problem with poly torque rod bushings. They can't be oriented incorrectly and they don't require a press for installation (apparently pressing can stretch the circular parts of the rods, resulting in bushings that never fit again).

Good luck!
--
Herb Goltz, Aurora, Ontario, Canada '92 245 w/124K mi

Well, the torque rod bushings were the first set I replaced with poly. That didn't eliminate the clunk and since then I've replace the front and rear trailing arm bushings with poly only to have the rear end clunk grow worse. The only bushings back there I haven't replaced are the panhard rods and they look great.
Thanks for the response,
Tom

You wrote "Rear bushings are all new poly - shocks pretty new."

Would that be the rear trailing arm bushings? There's also a "dog bone" arm (aka Crossbar/ Track Rod) with bushings, plus probably other bushings I don't know about.

Anyway, my first brick ('86) had a major clunk in rear end when putting into gear and start/stop. Fixed with new rear trailing arm bushings. About $200-250 if a shop does it. And not an easy or fun job to do in your driveway, though I've read of a few folks here doing it with some self-made tools used just for that job.
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[aka Sophie's Maintainer] Sven: '89 245, IPD sways, E-fan conversion, 28+ mpg - auto tranny. 850 mi/week commute.

Thanks for your response, Sven.
The torque rod, and front and rear trailing arm bushings are all newish polyurethane installed by me, the panhard rod bushings looked really good so I left them alone. When I replaced the bushings I noticed the ride firm up with each new bushing, but still the clunk grows worse.

Tom

Sorry to hear that.
I don't have any further wisdom on this - you're way ahead of me.
I do hope you find the problem

If it's a bad differential, consider hunting for and putting in a limited slip. I had one on my first 245 and didn't know it untill I no longer had it. Was great though, in comparison to the regular.
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[aka Sophie's Maintainer] Sven: '89 245, IPD sways, E-fan conversion, 28+ mpg - auto tranny. 850 mi/week commute.

I can't say if it's the same, but one less costly possibility to check on...

A few years ago, I had a "pop", too, that happened occasionally when I'd put the car in gear. Happily, it was only the rearmost universal joint (the one adjacent to the differential). Hope your problem is as easy as mine was.

I'm wishing you luck.

Thanks for the response and I wish that was the problem, but I get the play and the clunk even when spinning the yoke behind the last u-joint (with the transmission in neutral so the driveshaft is free in the forward direction).
Tom

I think you are probably right - if you get the clunk even when gripping and turning the axle input flange then it does sound like somethink actually in the axle.
But the test you did at the wheel bearing - you mean you can pull the shaft in and out axially? That certinly means wheel bearing wear, but as you say that may be all.
I would get another scrap axle, but to start with just swap over the hub and shaft assemblies. That is very easy, with no major dismantling, and that would then help you locate the problem. It might be cured, or if the clunk remained then you could go on and swap the whole axle.

Yes, axial play with metalic noise at the the end of the throw. I forgot to mention another of the symptoms and that is a metallic pop from the rear end when the brakes are first applied. I'm thinking that this is caused by the brakes pushing the axle around when applied. Then the clunk on take off could be the axle pushing the brakes around. Is that possible? Anyway, there seems to be noisy slop in there, but no noise that sounds like classic grinding wheel bearings. Just clunks and metallic pops and a little click and lurch when coming to a stop.
Thanks for your help - any advice about obtaining a scrap axle?

Tom