I have to second Uncle Riverbend's question as to do you have the correct version of the inner tie rods for your awesome, if outstanding, Volvo 240.

Uncle vacumhead, could you please indicate:
- What year Volvo 240 you have?
- Power or manual steering? (I'll guess power steering?)
- The corresponding Volvo OEM PN if each. (Your probably have only the NAPA PNs)

I guess it does not matter whether sedan or wagon. The CAM rack varies. It is usually made by TRW, yet the inner tie rod can vary as to whether the inner tie rod thread has a protruding (outie) or internal (innie) thread where it secures to the rack. I'm pretty certain all TRW/CAM power assist racks from 1990 forward have the protruding thread on the inner tie rod. On older CAM racks, the inner tie rod may have an internal (innie) thread where it mates to the rack itself with a protruding (outie) thread.

Variances abound with power steering racks on 240s. (Fun! Fun!)

Yet whether you have a manual steering rack, or power assisted, or ZF, or CAM rack, I am very certain, about 95%, that the inner tie rods are identical.

I do not know of any variance on the 240 MacPherson suspension between inner tie rods left to right side on any year. However, there may be variance I don't know. A search through the iPd and FCP Groton catalogues year by year indicates the Volvo 240 tie rods are identical on the left and right side for all Volvo 240 steering racks.

To illustrate, the current Volvo OEM part number is 9140505 for my 1990, 1991, and 1992 240s (or 75$ from Tasca, and it seems all after market is made in Chinese JUNK. The Raybestos-Spicer inner tie rods I have now are made in Taiwan, so maybe an improvement. I'm going with OEM from Tasca Volvo Parts for the other 240s.) The Volvo OEM part number is 9140505 is item 1 on the image.



I'm performing this same inner tie rod replacement task on my 1990 240 DL wagon. I got burned buying from AutoZone as they soled me two matching inner tie rods that were too long. I'm also having to remove the power assist function as I went by the STUPID Haynes manual that indicate you use Dexron II for power steering fluid. Go by the Volvo owner manual. For the TRW/CAM power assist racks, it is Ford Auto-transmission Fluid "Type F". (Stewpid me.)

AFTER you've resolved whether you have the correct inner tie rods ....

You can choose to use a press, and NOT a pickle fork, to remove the outer tie rod from the Pitman arm, or unscrew the inner tie rod from the outer tie, leaving the outer tie rod hanging on the Pitman arm.

You can also remove the outer tie rod retaining nut, and carefully bang on the outer pitman arm radius metal with a heavy hammer. Just be sure you do NOT damage the outer tie rod boot! (I use a sold steel tool, like another hammer, braced against the Pitman arm, and bang on that hammer with the other hammer. I use a 22 oz hammer, yet a 3 lb hammer, squarely applied, works better. Do NOT bang on the outer tie rod threaded rod. You can damage the threaded rod easily.)

ON the CAM rack, at any rate, there is metal distortion that locks the inner tie rod at the seam where it meets the racks itself. You have to use a file, dremel, or other like tool to grind away the interference (distorted metal). Keep it clean and capture all metal filing.

Use a 19-22 mm open spanner end to hold the rack as a counterhold, and use a tool like a slip-lick pliers or pipe (chain or water pump) wrench to remove the failing inner tie rods. You want to use a counter hold as the geared-tooth rack does NOT want to be twisted. You can damage the rack if you do not counter hold it (keep it still; from rotating), as you remove and install to torque the inner tie rods to the rack.

IF you find a bunch of red power steering fluid in the boots, your power steering rack leaks. You can replace the entire rack, or you can drain the power steering fluid, like I'm doing on my 1990 240 DL Kombi, Estate, Wagon, whatever, and drive without power assist. You may find living without power steering to not be so bad, save for tight parallel parking ventures.

If the boots have no holes and don't leak, clean the boot interior (brake parts cleaner, paper towel or rag). Clean the inner tie rod to rack thread, both mating thread mating sides, like medical clean room clean with brake parts cleaner. You may want to use RED thread locker. Whatever tool you use to apply torque, it will mar the inner tie rod surface. Smooth the tool marks with a fine file or sand paper. Keep it clean! Capture all filings.

You may want to apply a metal distortion along the inner tie rod side of the tie rod/rack seam to provide an additional locking mechanism like the factory did. You'll note the factory steering rack assembly did not use thread locker. The factory used the distorted metal to lock it in place. You may want to use a conical drift or punch, that you drive with hammer, to make an impression into the inner tie rod metal. You may not be able to make a distortion, as the factory did, to press inner tie rid metal into the flat portion at the seam on the toothed rack side. Sort of inaccessible with a drift (or punch) tool that you can apply with two or three stiff hammer strikes to the head of the drift (or punch).

Your setup may use a locking washer with tabs you bend. Or another mechanical locking method. Replicate the mechanical locking method the factory used you encountered during disassembly.

You may want to allow one day for the thread locker to cure.

You may want to smear grease on the tooth side of the rack (on the N. American driver side). Work the rack back and forth, lock to lock, a few times. Smear some on the passenger side and do the same. Look at your service manual for grease quantities as too much can bock air passage from bellows to bellows as happens when you are steering.

Smear the boot interior with a good quality grease. An NLGI-1 or 2 grease may do. See your service manual spec for proper grease type. Reassemble.

Use durable, UV-resistant plastic zip lock tie straps. Black is the best color for UV resistance. Make it tight, and perhaps use two tie straps on the large bellow end (the rack side). Those spring metal clips on the small bellows end are loose enough to allow some rotational sliding of the inner tie rod arm that secures to the outer tie rod, but sometime these can be so loose they allow moisture and dirt intrusion. So you may want to try plastic zip ties so it is tighter than the loose round springy clips, yet loose enough for the shaft to rotate, as it does a little bit, when you steer.

And of course, yet an alignment to correct toe-in.

I think that does it.

Questions and comments?

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Tunces, the cat who could drive a car, from Saturday Night Live. Funny stuff! See the shorts on YouTube and elsewhere.