Front end noise when turning

[Rocketfish]

There is a noise coming from the front drivers side when we make a right turn. The noise sounds like what you hear when your ABS kicks in when stopping on ice. The noise only last for 1 or 2 seconds at most. It's a 2005 xc90 v8. Any ideas or repair cost would be great.

[scootay45]

Yep, sounds like wishbone bushes top and bottom, same noise i had both replace wishbones and top, bottom bushes cost £510.00 inc labour , sorry about price after you have got off the floor

[skeeter123]

Could be CV joint going bad; check under there to see if CV boot torn, lots of thick grease flung about.

[wa98146]

most likely CV... check that first~

Unrelated Noises
Some driveline trouble symptoms are also common to the
engine, transmission, wheel bearings, tires, and other parts of the
vehicle. Ensure cause of trouble actually is in the drive axle before
adjusting, repairing, or replacing any of its parts.
Non-Drive Axle Noises
A few conditions can sound just like drive axle noise and
have to be considered in pre-diagnosis. The 4 most common noises are
exhaust, tires, CV/universal joints and wheel trim rings.
In certain conditions, the pitch of the exhaust gases may
sound like gear whine. At other times, it may be mistaken for a wheel
bearing rumble.
Tires, especially radial and snow, can have a high-pitched
tread whine or roar, similar to gear noise. Also, some non-standard
tires with an unusual tread construction may emit a roar or whine.
Defective CV/universal joints may cause clicking noises or
excessive driveline play that can be improperly diagnosed as drive
axle problems.
Trim and moldings also can cause a whistling or whining
noise. Ensure none of these components are causing the noise before
disassembling the drive axle.
Gear Noise
A "howling" or "whining" noise from the ring and pinion gear
can be caused by an improper gear pattern, gear damage, or improper
bearing preload. It can occur at various speeds and driving
conditions, or it can be continuous.
Before disassembling axle to diagnose and correct gear
noise, make sure that tires, exhaust, and vehicle trim have been
checked as possible causes.
Chuckle
This is a particular rattling noise that sounds like a stick
against the spokes of a spinning bicycle wheel. It occurs while
decelerating from 40 MPH and usually can be heard until vehicle comes
to a complete stop. The frequency varies with the speed of the
vehicle.
A chuckle that occurs on the driving phase is usually caused
by excessive clearance due to differential gear wear, or by a damaged
tooth on the coast side of the pinion or ring gear. Even a very small
tooth nick or a ridge on the edge of a gear tooth is enough the cause
the noise.
This condition can be corrected simply by cleaning the gear
tooth nick or ridge with a small grinding wheel. If either gear is
damaged or scored badly, the gear set must be replaced. If metal has
broken loose, the carrier and housing must be cleaned to remove
particles that could cause damage.
Knock
This is very similar to a chuckle, though it may be louder,
and occur on acceleration or deceleration. Knock can be caused by a
gear tooth that is damaged on the drive side of the ring and pinion
gears. Ring gear bolts that are hitting the carrier casting can cause
knock. Knock can also be due to excessive end play in the axle shafts.
Clunk
Clunk is a metallic noise heard when an automatic
transmission is engaged in Reverse or Drive, or when throttle is
applied or released. It is caused by backlash somewhere in the
driveline, but not necessarily in the axle. To determine whether
driveline clunk is caused by the axle, check the total axle backlash
as follows:
1) Raise vehicle on a frame or twinpost hoist so that drive
wheels are free. Clamp a bar between axle companion flange and a part
of the frame or body so that flange cannot move.
2) On conventional drive axles, lock the left wheel to keep
it from turning. On all models, turn the right wheel slowly until it
is felt to be in Drive condition. Hold a chalk marker on side of tire
about 12" from center of wheel. Turn wheel in the opposite direction
until it is again felt to be in Drive condition.
3) Measure the length of the chalk mark, which is the total
axle backlash. If backlash is one inch or less, drive axle is not the
source of clunk noise.
Bearing Whine
Bearing whine is a high-pitched sound similar to a whistle.
It is usually caused by malfunctioning pinion bearings. Pinion
bearings operate at drive shaft speed. Roller wheel bearings may whine
in a similar manner if they run completely dry of lubricant. Bearing
noise will occur at all driving speeds. This distinguishes it from
gear whine, which usually comes and goes as speed changes.
Bearing Rumble
Bearing rumble sounds like marbles being tumbled. It is
usually caused by a malfunctioning wheel bearing. The lower pitch is
because the wheel bearing turns at only about 1/3 of drive shaft
speed.
Chatter On Turns
This is a condition where the entire front or rear of vehicle
vibrates when vehicle is moving. The vibration is plainly felt as well
as heard. Extra differential thrust washers installed during axle
repair can cause a condition of partial lock-up that creates this
chatter.
Axle Shaft Noise
Axle shaft noise is similar to gear noise and pinion bearing
whine. Axle shaft bearing noise will normally distinguish itself from
gear noise by occurring in all driving modes (Drive, cruise, coast and
float), and will persist with transmission in Neutral while vehicle is
moving at problem speed.
If vehicle displays this noise condition, remove suspect
axle shafts, replace wheel seals and install a new set of bearings.
Re-evaluate vehicle for noise before removing any internal components.
Vibration
Vibration is a high-frequency trembling, shaking or grinding
condition (felt or heard) that may be constant or variable in level
and can occur during the total operating speed range of the vehicle.
The types of vibrations that can be felt in the vehicle can
be divided into 3 main groups:
* Vibrations of various unbalanced rotating parts of the
vehicle.
* Resonance vibrations of the body and frame structures caused
by rotating of unbalanced parts.
* Tip-in moans of resonance vibrations from stressed engine or
exhaust system mounts or driveline flexing modes.

[shiloh51933]

Most of the time CV joint will make noise like that when it's going bad or needs to be greased if your lucky.

[cbotd]

I wanted to bring this topic back because when I searched the site for this problem on my XC90 this is what came up. I was having a similar issue and here's how I fixed mine. Spoiler alert... sway bar end links.

I have a Volvo XC90 2.5T AWD. This is a heavy SUV and handling has always been a little soft for my taste. I recently have experienced a popping noise from the front driver side while hitting certain dips in the road bellow 45MPH and while turning. It was driving me CRAZY as you can feel it, hear it and it sounded like the entire front end was going to fall off.

My Control Arms and associated hardware are all new OEM and I rechecked and tightened them accordingly. To no avail, noise was still there.

I have tested spring seats and had the dealer check and tighten the front end components. they re-assured me all was well. However, the noise persisted!

I researched some more and found out what might be causing the problem is that the sway bar end links are a common weakness on the XC 90s. After calling the Volvo dealer they confirmed it would be a good move to replace mine given my 110,000 mile mark.

I found a few positive reviews of a Moog product on other car and performance forums and thought it would be my best bet. At less than $50 shipped for the parts i needed how could I go wrong.

Once the end links arrived and I unboxed them, it was immediately apparent that they were much heavier duty than the Volvo links currently in place. I would say they are twice as thick as the OEM pieces. I was also happy to see that they are serviceable with the ability to re-grease and keep them lubricated properly.

Installation was fairly easy and straight forward. Removing the OEM links is the worst part. It requires either an Allen key, or as in my case, a 30torx bit. Try not stripping that out while attempting to break loose an 18mm nut that has been on for 110,000 miles...

The replacement with the Moog links went quickly once the original pieces were removed. Tightening and finalizing the install is much easier with the Moog design. You use a 3/4 open ended wrench to stabilize the back side of the bolt and torque the top nut with an 18mm deep socket or 18mm box end wrench. The bottom bolt is the same 3/4 for bracing the back and a 15mm nut. I originally did not torque the nuts enough and subsequently had a worse popping and crunching noise on both sides than I did before I replaced the links. It did make me think that the introduction of the same noise on the other side after changing this one piece confirms that was my noise culprit. After re-tightening and really torquing those suckers down tight, all pops and creaking noises have gone away.

I added a bit of new lithium grease until the rubber boot bulged just a bit on both the top and bottom joints. The difference in handling was immediate on my Missouri country back roads. The ride quality improved as well over my gravel road and bumps on the highway. Much more solid feel and not as soft as I previously had with the worn and thinner diameter OEM links.

Overall I am very pleased with about 1,000 miles on the new Moog end links. And the best part is my POPPING and CRUNCHING noises have gone away! This fix was a low cost, DIY (30-45 minutes a side) solution and it worked.