My latest educational project has been an '86 245 with about 200,000 mi. The PO changed the oil ok but that was all. For example, all but one dash light was burned out which I would never allow. Anyway, I just finished replacing the big trailing arm bushings and the torque rod bushings. The bushings, especially the trailing arm bushings were broken and crumbling. What a grunt job! I knew the loud "clunk" when reversing and then going forward would go away but there were some other great benefits I should have anticipated but didn't. They were:

1. the clutch no longer chatters!

2. the jiggly ride has improved

3. the loud engine vibration is no louder heard and felt

It's nice to have all that improvement.

I didn't have the energy left (senior citizen,you know) to do the track rod bushings. Does anyone know the symptoms of these bushings going bad? They looked OK but it's hard to see them very well.

In case you want to know, I did buy and use the special Volvo tool for the trailing arm bushings. I used various pipe fittings on the torque rod bushings. I used one of those 12 ton Harbor Freight shop presses on the torgue rods and it was barely able to pop the bushings out. I had to enlist a son to help with this. Even if I could have found the right fittings to press out the small trailing arm bushings, I doubt the 12 ton press would have been enough. Those bushings are longer than the torque rod ones.

The advice and information on the BB has really been a great help thanks to all.