check your spring seats!

cordrayl · Post by **cordrayl** » 28 Dec 2012, 22:19

Can it wait until spring? Or is it a safety issue?

If you had to go to a shop in Omaha, where would you go?

Our local guy has ordered Volvo parts for the work he's done, and if I insisted I'm sure he'd replace the springs seats and bushings for me even if he didn't think that was the problem.

Other than the front end noise, the car is fantastic! It only has 160K, still gets around 30mpg, and the engine is in great shape. The roof trim is starting to peel (I can fix that), but the body is still shiny red. I never thought I'd drive a car 17+ years, but this one hasn't given me a single good reason to replace it. We joked when we bought it that it could be our child's first car--and we didn't have children then. Our oldest will be driving in a few years, and it just may be her first car (if we're willing to let her have it).

Post by **erikv11** » 28 Dec 2012, 23:44

Either spring seat(s) or strut mount(s) is a good bet. Neither one of them is a safety issue. The fact that lubricant alleviated the problem makes me think the strut mount bearing is getting creaky. Spring seats are more squeaky, strut mounts are more creaky. Yes I'm serious.

Replacing either one requires pulling the strut, although you can replace the mount without disassembling the strut tower. If they are original at 160k, then they need replacing.

How to test for a totally ruined spring seat: Open the hood, put a wrench on the top nut, on top of the strut tower. Try to rotate the top nut, although don't crank on it or force it. You should meet resistance. If not, if the nut spins, then the spring seat is wasted. If you meet resistance it may still be breaking down, but until it rotates it isn't completely gone. One of the spring seats is gone on my wagon right now, I am going to change it in the spring when it warms up.

A remote possibility is sway bar endlink(s) not tightened properly. But those usually clunk.

Post by **erikv11** » 28 Dec 2012, 23:50

cn90 wrote:Where are you in Nebraska?
...
1. Strut Mount Bushing the strut mount, Volvo PN 8646713.

2. Spring Seat Bearing, Volvo PN 3546189.
...

The way you wrote these names is a little confusing, it reads like you have them backwards. In common terms,

#1 is the spring seat (8646713)

and

#2 is the strut mount (3546189).

Post by **cn90** » 29 Dec 2012, 07:42

erik,

There are no commonly agreed terms, Volvo calls this and that (BTW, Volvo terminology is retarded), autohausaz calls this and that, eeuroparts gives these all kinds of names, FCPEuro gives them different names.

The bottom line is, I look at these items from an engineering perspectives, so:

- One item is a "Bushing", basically engineered as a metal plate coated with rubber. This part is in direct contact with the Spring. This part acts like a rubber cushion, so "Bushing" is a good term.

- The other item is basically a "Bearing", therefore I call it bearing. Nothing more than a fancy bearing embedded in a metal plate with 3 studs.

This is why I give the O.P. the PNs so it is accurate.

PS: 3546189 is $95 at Volvo, but is $65 online for Sachs-Boge.

Post by **cn90** » 29 Dec 2012, 07:53

cordrayl,

Attached is a photo from autohausaz.com website, personally I think this brand (Sachs-Boge) is OEM, prices are good (free shipping if > $50) and you should replace these items anyway.
Do not fix this piecemeal because the labor will kill you.

The swaybar endlink is a piece of cake and can be done later.

: strutmount.JPG (40.61 KiB) Viewed 1873 times

cordrayl · Post by **cordrayl** » 29 Dec 2012, 10:16

erikv11 wrote:How to test for a totally ruined spring seat: Open the hood, put a wrench on the top nut, on top of the strut tower. Try to rotate the top nut, although don't crank on it or force it. You should meet resistance. If not, if the nut spins, then the spring seat is wasted. If you meet resistance it may still be breaking down, but until it rotates it isn't completely gone. One of the spring seats is gone on my wagon right now, I am going to change it in the spring when it warms up.

Ok, I did this. The nut does not spin on the threaded piece that sticks up about 3/4" from the strut housing. Rather the entire assembly turns--at least the part that's visible, but there is some resistance and it makes a squeaky rubber sound when it turns. When I stick an allen wrench into the top of the threaded piece in order to hold the housing still but turn the nut, the nut does not turn any more. It's tight.

Post by **erikv11** » 29 Dec 2012, 11:44

What you describe indicates there is a broken spring seat. Are both sides like that?

The spring seat has a metal collar fused to the rubber, the assembly should not turn.

Listen to cn90 on the pricing, he knows what he is talking about. Same thing with his sway bar end link comment.

Since you KNOW the spring seats are a main problem, I am not sure about replacing the strut mount (bearing plate). On the one hand replacing the mount/bearing is easier than the spring seat which requires pulling and disassembling the strut tower, on the other hand replacing the mount still does require pulling the strut assembly from the car. Any time you pull the struts you should get the car aligned. And they MUST come out eventually, to fix the spring seat.

If you think the strut mount is original, then I'd bite the bullet and replace it with the part cn90 recommends.

Post by **cn90** » 29 Dec 2012, 12:04

1+,

cordrayl.....if one is a DIYer, then one can gamble and replaces only the "Seat", not the "Bearing" and goes back there later should the Bearing goes bad.
However, you are not a DIYer, so replace both of these.

Parts costs: ($21.95 + $64.18) x2 = $172.26.

Not a bad price for something you replace once every 14y/150K+ miles.
Replace them and enjoy the ride for the next 10y.

cordrayl · Post by **cordrayl** » 29 Dec 2012, 12:25

Both sides are the same.

I completely agree--if I have to get in there to replace one thing, I'd prefer to just bite the bullet and fix everything that is nearing the end of it's useful life. Unfortunately none of this is work I can do myself--so I'll be paying labor hours regardless. It sounds like replacing it piece meal would end up costing me a lot more in the long run. This is why I'm a bit frustrated that these parts weren't replaced when we replaced the struts 3 months ago, so I think I'll essentially be paying twice for the labor and realignment. And this is also why I'm finding the need to educate myself. I'd really prefer to be lazy and just count on my mechanic, but that's proving to be an expensive way of not solving the problem.

Another question: Are Volvo strut mount assemblies fundamentally different than other makes? My mechanic (maybe my former mechanic) and my dad (a former car guy--he designed for GM back in the 60s and 70s but has been working in heavy equipment for the last 30+ years) think that it's ok for the assembly to turn. Both are admittedly not familiar with Volvo. I can see by looking at the part (the metal and rubber one) that it shouldn't.

Post by **cn90** » 29 Dec 2012, 12:42

The Mount has a fixed relationship with the spring, so it only turns when you turn R and L.
If you can freely rotate the Mount, then it is broke, common problem after 100K miles.

Just replace them all, don't waste time go back and forth with these.

check your spring seats!

Re: check your spring seats!