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strut

Help, Advice and DIY Tutorials on Volvo's P80 platform cars -- Volvo's 1990s "bread and butter" cars -- powered by the ubiquitous and durable Volvo inline 5-cylinder engine.

1992 - 1997 850, including 850 R, 850 T-5R, 850 T-5, 850 GLT
1997 - 2000 S70, S70 AWD
1997 - 2000 V70, V70 AWD
1997 - 2000 V70-XC
1997 - 2004 C70

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Aduzi
Posts: 25
Joined: 31 May 2010
Year and Model: 1996 850 GLT wagon
Location: Pittsburgh PA

strut

Post by Aduzi »

Hello, My 1996 850 GLT has a passenger side front strut noise that is getting to be more frequent. The car has about 90 to 100 thousand miles on it. Question, can the large nut on top of the strut be tightened down to cure the problem?

Thanks

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erikv11
Posts: 11806
Joined: 25 July 2009
Year and Model: 850, V70, S60R, XC70
Location: Iowa
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Post by erikv11 »

Answer, no.

Put a wrench (or even big pliers) on that top nut. If you are able to turn it round and round, then the spring seat is trashed. Could be other problems too, but that is a common one and checking the top nut is diagnostic.
'95 854 T-5R, Motronic 4.4, 185k
'98 V70, T5 tune-injectors-turbo, LPT engine, 304k, daily driver
'06 S60 R, 197k
'07 XC70, black, 205k
'07 XC70, willow green, 212k
'99 Camry V6 :shock: 153k
gone: '96 NA 850 210k, '98 NA V70 182k, '98 S70 NA 225k, '96 855 NA 169k

tryingbe
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Post by tryingbe »

85 GLH, 367 whp
00 Insight, 72 mpg

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RussB
Posts: 570
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Year and Model: '00 S70, '04 S60
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Post by RussB »

Aduzi wrote:Hello, My 1996 850 GLT has a passenger side front strut noise that is getting to be more frequent. The car has about 90 to 100 thousand miles on it. Question, can the large nut on top of the strut be tightened down to cure the problem?

Thanks

If your 20 year old car still has all original parts, you are actually due for all these parts,


Image


Most likely you're also due for control arms, sway bar end links and tie rods


Image
'00 S70, '04 S60 and the never ending quest for Stage Zero

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theWIFES_S70
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Year and Model: 1998 S70 base
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Post by theWIFES_S70 »

Also, if you don't have power tools, the OEM strut parts after decades of use will be pretty hard to remove with hand tools. (Especially the top bolt and the cross-shape bolt, mine was on so rusted on it broke the Volvo strut tool I'd purchased for the job.) I had planned on reusing springs and installing fine German hardware (along with Monroe shocks!) but had to settle on Gabriel Readymounts to get the job done. Honestly, after the experience, I kind of wish I had gone that route to begin with... The Readymounts have about 300 miles on them right now and they're like night and day from what was in there previously. (Now if only I could get rid of all the squeaks coming from the interior dash!)
Retired:
1998 Volvo S70, N/A, 5-speed, 187K
2007 Volvo S40, 2.4i, 5-speed, 121K
2015 Volvo S60, T5, 85K

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skloon
Posts: 526
Joined: 17 June 2010
Year and Model: 94 850 95 850 04 S60
Location: Edmonton AB
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Post by skloon »

Make sure it is not the sway bar brace as it can make a similar noise

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RussB
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Post by RussB »

skloon wrote:Make sure it is not the sway bar brace as it can make a similar noise

Perhaps you mean sway bar end link?
'00 S70, '04 S60 and the never ending quest for Stage Zero

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skloon
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Year and Model: 94 850 95 850 04 S60
Location: Edmonton AB
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Post by skloon »

oops yes I meant the end link -

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