Rear wheels "drifting"

Post by **cowboysvolvofan** » 20 Jan 2010, 19:45

Hi everybody. First, I want to thank everyone for your great advice. You all have made fixing the nick nack problems on my first Volvo a breeze, so far.

Hopefully, the problems don't get any worse.

Has anyone ever spoke about the rear of their Volvo feeling like it's drifting? I only notice this on certain stretches of certain highways. Also, regardless of the speed, I feel it. It feels like the rear of the car goes from side to side, wanting to leave the road.

Do you all think this is an alignment issue, or something more serious? I STILL have to get the passenger side control arm replaced before I do an alignment, but I would like to know what you all think. Thanks.

Post by **jblackburn** » 20 Jan 2010, 20:09

The rear of my car will slide out...a bit too easily in my opinion, but only if pushed pretty hard in corners, or braking hard in snow/wet conditions (don't ask how I know this). However, apparently to a lurking police officer who almost caused the accident himself trying to pull the speeder in front of me and not looking before he pulled out, and was also not amused by my witty humor, avoiding a near-accident by fishtailing around him does not count as "wreck-less" driving, not "reckless", and couldn't seem to grasp the concept that he was an idiot and I really did nothing wrong. I assured him that next time he pulled out in front of me, I would do the right thing and slam into the back of him. /end rant

Back to the point. Is yours a wagon or sedan? Rear tire pressures could also make a difference.

Many people with 850/V70 wagons install a rear sway bar to help stiffen up the back of their cars.

The entire 850 series has a semi-independent rear suspension regardless of the model. Ideally, the concept is that the rear tires can 'steer' a little bit depending on the direction the car is moving. I suspect your trailing arms or bushings have gone bad or are loose, and causing the floaty feeling you describe.

Take a look at the PDF I attached to learn a little about it yourself better than I can describe

Post by **cowboysvolvofan** » 21 Jan 2010, 11:38

I have a sedan. I'll check the trailing arms. A sway bar sounds like a good idea in the future too.

I don't know what it is about cops and Volvos!

Thanks!

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 21 Jan 2010, 14:43

That's an interesting problem. I have never been able to get the tail to slide. If I take a turn too sharp the front starts to slide towards the outside of the turn (NOT GOOD) haha. I wish the 850's would have been rear wheel drive like the classic Volvo's. Justin, you mentioned putting a rear sway bar on the back end, does that mean you don't need to put one on the front if you put one on the back?

Post by **jblackburn** » 21 Jan 2010, 15:51

It does understeer in front in the corners, as will any nose-heavy FWD car. It'll give you plenty of squealing warning you to back off before barrelling straight ahead though. It's those same characteristics that make it good in bad weather...try driving a 2WD Ford Ranger in a foot of snow sometime.

I think the types of tires you put on it certainly make a huge difference. I have the Turbo model, with the upgraded suspension and fatter tires, and it corners pretty good for a big heavy car...better even than my tiny old 2500 lb Accord. The rear only tends to lose traction in already-slippery conditions, e.g. an exit ramp in the rain, gravel roads, corners in snow, and quick avoidance manuevers. ABS is a big help, but it can't save you if you go into a corner too fast.

I think most people with the wagons simply put a rear sway bar on them to make it feel less floaty and twisty. The same reason convertibles often have some kind of brace bar at the back. I'm not entirely sure that a sedan would benefit from it very much.

IPD sells a nice strut brace for the front if you choose to go that way. New struts would be the next step.

Post by **JRL** » 21 Jan 2010, 20:59

Alignment
Tires

These cars DO take a 4 wheel alignment you know and if your rear toe is way off, that can happen.
If the rear toe link is bent or broken, that too can do this!

wickid54 · Post by **wickid54** » 22 Jan 2010, 17:20

i have a 96 n/a 854.

have never had that issue.
although this car has almost every other symtom you'll find here.

i do know that there are turns i can take in my mom's 96 bonneville at 50, i can take in the volvo at at least 75.
in a turn, it seems to dig in, and hold on, powering throught he turn.

it's nice.

hope you get yours repaired.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 22 Jan 2010, 19:17

i do know that there are turns i can take in my mom's 96 bonneville at 50, i can take in the volvo at at least 75.
in a turn, it seems to dig in, and hold on, powering throught he turn.

Don't let off the gas mid turn or you will be in for a big surprise. It will swap from a delightful slight under-steer to an incredible over-steer in a heartbeat. The banking on the corner that you are taking will make a huge difference as well. There is one corner that is tricky on my trip home from the cabin that goes from slightly banked to off camber near the apex into the exit of the turn. I have learned that for that corner I just roll it through the corner until I get back to a neutral banking angle before I nail the throttle again.

The rest of the corners on the trip to and from the cabin are banked OK and you can nail the throttle at the apex of the corner and accelerate through it on the exit.

Many people don't understand the passive rear steering on these cars.

Back to the original poster - worn or even broken bushings between the delta links can cause the sensation you feel as can worn out end links where the delta link trailing arms bolt up to the chassis. The latter caused a huge clunk in the rear of the car when I went over bumps on my 850 where I have personally had such a problem. I have not had issues with my bushings that tie the links together but the sensation is similar without all of the noise.

...Lee

Post by **cowboysvolvofan** » 25 Jan 2010, 19:42

Bushings. Hmm. Heard that before!

I'm going to get the control arm put on professionally, I think. It's way too cold here right now, and I've got to get it fixed. The closest dealership is in Denver, so I'll have the guys here put it on the rack and see if they or I can see anything unusual in the rear. The best I can do now, until summer. Hopefully nothing else too serious goes wrong. Like I said though, for a car with 164K, it's been pretty well taken care of.

Post by **cowboysvolvofan** » 01 Feb 2010, 08:21

UPDATE

Got the control arm put on and alignment done. The alignment seems to have solved the problem. I also got new tires on the back.

Thanks!