Delta Link Evaluation

Post by **Eddystone** » 31 Jul 2021, 13:18

Anyone have any advice on evaluating the condition of the Delta links while they are on the car? I've been up under there with the car on ramps and really can't test them dynamically.

My 1998 V70 has suddenly developed a rather a situation where you need to turn the wheel a fair amount to the side when heading down the freeway. All front suspension parts are fairly new, and I am wondering if this could be a rear geometry question. In some situations, I have heard some squeaking and groaning back there.

What can you check back there that can be seen visually to indicate a problem?

Post by **foggydogg** » 31 Jul 2021, 19:12

There are rubber bushings back there; Robert Spinner is wrestling with the same issue on his 850 wagon at the moment. If you unweight each wheel in turn - jacked up instead of on ramps - and give a good wiggle with a pry bar on the delta link bushing, you should be able to tell if there is gross movement.

Post by **Eddystone** » 01 Aug 2021, 15:11

Thanks, foggydogg. I'll try that.

Yes, I saw Robert working on that.

Post by **abscate** » 02 Aug 2021, 02:59

I’m a bit worried something is loose on your front end, Eddystone. That sounds a bit too personal.

Seriously, I don’t think I’ve seen a delta link lead to steering pull hard enough to need wheel correction

Post by **MoVolvos** » 02 Aug 2021, 11:44

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In this instance the Delta may not mask things.

Do get the sub-frame inserts first and see if that straighten things out.

Also, is the steering straight initially at lower speeds then go crooked? When the steering is not straight does it pull to one side?

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Post by **Eddystone** » 02 Aug 2021, 15:43

abscate wrote: ↑02 Aug 2021, 02:59 I’m a bit worried something is loose on your front end, Eddystone. That sounds a bit too personal.

Seriously, I don’t think I’ve seen a delta link lead to steering pull hard enough to need wheel correction

Well, I just noticed this "cocking" of the steering wheel, and I'll try it again on another road and see if there was just something about the rolloff of the road, but it was an interstate.

I rebuilt the front end with lower control arms, sway bar links and inner and outer tie rods, and it's been excellent.

I was under there doing some other work today, and it all looks fine in the front end. I checked some numbers and noted that the struts are Monroe, but I couldn't see anything from a visual inspection. Upper bearings seem fine.

On a side note, I replaced a leaking lower trans cooling line and noticed that the last guy to work on the radiator didn't replace the AC condenser bolts at the top by the headlights - just the lower bolts. I'm familiar with that because I just replaced the radiator in the T5 and found that the last guy in there had left fasteners off, too. Always fun finding bolts and clips missing when you begin with not knowing what should be even be there. As usual, the 1998 non-turbo V70 is a piece of cake compared to the 1999 T5.

Post by **hausmeister** » 05 Aug 2021, 02:28

If the other 2 bushings go bad (link the pointy part of the deltas, I think "trailing arm end links" is the name) then the rear end kind of drifts around when in a corner or accelerating.