How to tell if the engine mounts are bad?

[oragex]

The shaft would move in and out of the wheel CV joint for about 1/2in ?

[wczimmerman]

The shaft would move in and out of the wheel CV joint for about 1/2in ?

I could shift the entire axle shaft between the wheel and differential equally on both sides (both rear axles). I just grabbed it and tried pushing parallel or in-line with the axle itself. I hope that's a clear description.

[oragex]

Well, maybe the rear axles are different. That would surely not be ok for a front one. Wait see what others have to say.

Tires rotated and balanced (with one wheel that seemed to give some trouble to the shop) within the last month

May be worth ask another shop to try balancing the wheels. Not all places work well, and when a wheel appears to be more difficult to balance, there may be an underlying problem. An example, I had a quality shop working 20 min on a wheel, they had an expensive machine with digital screen, etc. In the end it turns out, there was a little bit of sand (actually rust debris) rolling inside the tire, so impossible to balance properly. If you,d roll the tire on the ground, you could hear the sand inside moving. Just an example, of course

[wczimmerman]

Found this today:
How to maintain your volvos awd system

I plan to call Colorado Driveshaft tomorrow and see what their thinking is on this: symptoms, etc. At the risk of hijacking this thread, I'd like to know what others have run into with regard to this.

[SuperHerman]

As I posted earlier - check the center carrier bearing and the front CV on the drive shaft.

Most drive train problems of the type you describe are a worn out drive shaft. Either the center carrier bearing has run its useful life and/or the grease in the front CV gets dried out due to use and extra heat from the exhaust.

The link you provided appears to be a good source to start. You have to get under the car and do a little digging.

I have used Colorado Driveshaft on two occasions with good results. Not sure on your specific year/model but the center carrier bearing is generally not a serviceable item for most DIYers. You will have to do some research for your specific year and model to see if the assembly is welded or not. The front driveshaft CV is servicable, and many times if it is the issue, cleaning and relubing is successful.

[wczimmerman]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=50850&start=10#p469713

Sigh. This almost perfectly describes what I'm feeling except that I don't have the low speed vibrations but that could be fewer miles on mine.

So, I don't have a problem pulling the driveshaft itself but when I was fixing the fuel leak last weekend I could not figure out how everyone is removing the exhaust bolts that are fairly stuck in place without destroying them. Granted, this vehicle has never seen salty roads but exhaust bolts tend to seize up.

[- Pete -]

If you end up deciding to service your driveshaft, forget about the exhaust bolts. You don’t need to lower the exhaust to remove the driveshaft. You will need plenty of extensions, of the wobble type, though.

If you decide to lower the exhaust be prepared to do some cutting. The studs & nuts pretty much weld themselves together with the help of corrosion. Also, if you separate the exhaust from the DP, you will probably need to make or buy a new 2-hole gasket for where those two flanges meet.

Free center “hanger bearing”. Free the front CVJ from the bevel gear flange. If needed, next free the rear CVJ from rear final drive.

Colorado Driveshaft has great CV’s. If I’m not mistaken, the CV’s I’ve purchased from them are made in Poland.

If you need help freeing the CVJ’s from the flanges it’s a pretty common issue to run into. There are a few tricks. We’re happy to help.

[wczimmerman]

Ok, I think I will remove the driveshaft and do a test drive to ensure that removes the vibration. I spoke with Colorado Driveshaft today and he agreed that the vibration is likely from there. He suggested the same approach: remove it, drive it, confirm it, replace it.

What I am understanding is I don't need to remove the exhaust, just work around it.

So:
1. Lift the car off the ground
2. Remove the center hanger first, then the front CV, then the rear and wiggle things out.

[chrism]

Are the front center axle-to-hub bolts good and tight?

[SuperHerman]

I was able to remove mine (XC70 and XC90) leaving the exhaust in one piece. One uses the exhaust to support the drive shaft as it will sit on it once one end is disconnected. I would tie it to the exhaust with a wire and support the exhaust as required - you don't want the drive shaft to sharp bend at the joint as it can cause damage. It has been a few years, but I may have dropped the rear of the exhaust from the hangers to gain some room - but I had it supported by a jack to limit stress (but this may have been on another car). Pay attention with these comments in mind and proceed accordingly - if you need the space that is how it is created and limit stress by having supports in place. Better careful and planning ahead then being caught unawares.