98 V70-XC Front Suspension ?

vernersan · Post by **vernersan** » 26 Feb 2012, 23:20

Looking for some assistance as a newbie DIY'er. Have read several posts on this topic and am still unsure of my exact diagnosis.

1998 V70-XC, with 135k. Front right suspension makes a good deal of noise when going over anything but a smooth road surface. On bigger bumps, there is a loud clank noise. I can turn the top of the strut with a wrench (is this good or bad?) When pushing down on the front end, the car will return to level in one trip. Same for hard braking, car pops back up just once, no bouncing. 35k ago both front struts and spring seat mounts were replaced. I pulled off the front right wheel to see if anything was visibly wrong and found nothing (not exactly sure what I was looking for).

I am considering replacement of the upper strut mount (called a support plate in my Vadis manual) and spring seat on both sides of the front. Does this sound correct? Anything else I should consider? What about all the other washers, etc?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Post by **jblackburn** » 26 Feb 2012, 23:37

Your struts are fine if they're not bouncing. The spring seats are for sure dead - you may choose to go for the strut mounts as well while you're in there.

Sway bar end links may cause a lot of rattling and "clumsy" handling as well. Grab one with a hammer and tug on it a bit to see if it's loose.

For everything here, go with either IPD's HD parts or OEM replacements - cheap out on these things and you'll be throwing away money when you have to do everything again in just a few months.

deltajets · Post by **deltajets** » 27 Feb 2012, 07:31

I would be suspect of the sway bar end links first.If you have some one rock the car back and forth you may hear or feel a clunk.I've found the best way is to discontect one end of the link and feel for play at both ends of the link,there should be none.lower ball joints are also a problem with these cars as they get higher miles.As the last person who posted said I would only go with oem sway bar links.I used aftermarket ones and they failed after a year.

Post by **JRL** » 27 Feb 2012, 08:27

Did you use aftermarket spring seats when you replaced them?
They should last longer than 35K
NEVER use aftermarket spring seats or stret bearing plates OEM Volvo XC90 or IPD HD ONLY (for the spring seats)

vernersan · Post by **vernersan** » 03 Mar 2012, 17:52

Thanks for the responses. A volvo shop replaced the strut and seats 35k ago and I have no idea what they used.

I checked the sway bar links and they appear to be solid and do not make any noice when moving the car side to side.

I will replace the sping seats and upper strut mounts on both sides with OEM or IPD HD and see what happens.

vernersan · Post by **vernersan** » 03 Mar 2012, 17:58

A few more questions before I order all this stuff.
1. Would recommend getting all the other washers at the top of this assembly, in addition to the spring seat and strut mount?
2. Is a torque wrench essential? I suspect so.
3. IPD is suggesting a strut top nut wrench and socket.... does not seem necessary but is it worthwhile?

Thanks

vernersan · Post by **vernersan** » 29 Mar 2012, 22:03

Just to wrap up this inquiry, I had my local volvo shop replace the seat and mounts along with some other misc parts and washers at the strut head. The problem has been fixed! No more terrible noises from the front end.

They checked the sway bar links and as hoped for, they were fine. The only part which showed signs of failure was the spring seat. The mounts were fine. The shop said they typically only replace the seats and rarely the mounts on the 98 V70XC's

Thanks again for your advice.