Late 1998 V70XC driveshaft removal

[jsrnsis]

I finally have some time to work on my own car and try to fix a clicking noise when initially hitting the gas, brake, or on turns. Almost sounds like a bad CV axle, except only 1-3 clicks instead of constant clicking.

I'm thinking it's the front CV joint on the driveshaft, as I see a tear in the boot, and some sludge in the area that looks like slung grease.

I've gotten all 6 bolts out, but now can't seem to get the joint separated from the angle gear flange. It appears there's a lip on the flange that's retaining the driveshaft.

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Is there any trick to doing this, or do I need to take the center support down? Every guide I could find either had broken images, or just said "now the front joint should come down easy".
I'd love to know how to do this, I was thinking it would be a 2 hour job

[scot850]

Strange as the 98 I had had an almost flat flange. Yours looks more like the 99- version. The only way I have been able to separate that type (it has an internal 'cup') is to use a narrow chisel or flat screw driver and gently tap it between the angle gear flange and the 'silver' colored section.

The front joint looks toasted. I believe that is the only one that can be replaced without special tooling. Have a really close look at the center rubber support bearing rubber as well. The rear seldom fails. The front joint fails as Volvo stuck the cat right beside it. Not their best idea!

If you take the prop-shaft out fully, then also check the rubber bush on the viscous coupling casing and also the bearing on the 'nose' of the V/C casing. That can cause a clicking or rubbing sound especially when turning.

Good Luck!

Neil.

[foggydogg]

Much easier with the center support out of the way, I have ended up taking the rubber biscuits off the left muffler too, to get the exhaust to
dangle a bit. After that it's just brute force. Don't be dainty. If it's never been out, the Muck of Ages has it captured. It does need to slide back a bit, hence the dangle part.

[BEJinFbk]

To work on the front CV, it's much easier out of the car.
Drop the center bearing and remove the six rear bolts
and get it out into the sunlight.

[abscate]

Center plate down. Impact on the rear hex keys will then let you take the whole shaft out. You can then also drive the car until you finish the job. Make sure you get that tool bit firmly into the hex bolts and preserve the position of both shaft and the location of each bolt in case it’s been balanced. Otherwise fret not and drive it

There are three versions of the 98 99 00 AWD axle drivetrain so be careful on your used parts scavenging

[jsrnsis]

Strange as the 98 I had had an almost flat flange. Yours looks more like the 99- version. The only way I have been able to separate that type (it has an internal 'cup') is to use a narrow chisel or flat screw driver and gently tap it between the angle gear flange and the 'silver' colored section.

The front joint looks toasted. I believe that is the only one that can be replaced without special tooling. Have a really close look at the center rubber support bearing rubber as well. The rear seldom fails. The front joint fails as Volvo stuck the cat right beside it. Not their best idea!

If you take the prop-shaft out fully, then also check the rubber bush on the viscous coupling casing and also the bearing on the 'nose' of the V/C casing. That can cause a clicking or rubbing sound especially when turning.

Good Luck!

Neil.

I bought a front CV kit based on the driveshaft being replaced and the marking on the front joint. Its aftermarket, but if I was going to spend $400 on the Volvo joint kit, I'd just get a rebuilt shaft or have mine rebuilt.
Anything that can be done about the viscous coupler bearings if it ends up being the issue? I was also thinking it might be the rear diff, I have changed the fluid within the last 5000 miles with Volvo 31259380, but I have read a limited slip rear diff might click if you don't use a special additive. I used Liqui Moly LM22090 for the angle gear.
But I'm hoping it's just the front CV as I can see a tear, and I think the PO running it with a burnt valve and the injector to that cylinder still plugged in probably got the cat pretty toasty with all the unburnt gas. Which would do no favors for that joint tucked up there.

Much easier with the center support out of the way, I have ended up taking the rubber biscuits off the left muffler too, to get the exhaust to
dangle a bit. After that it's just brute force. Don't be dainty. If it's never been out, the Muck of Ages has it captured. It does need to slide back a bit, hence the dangle part.

It was replaced by the dealer in around 2013, but that's long enough ago for things to get bound back together. I did notice that while I was spinning the shaft to get the rear bolt out after removing the front 6, the shaft itself spun while the angle gear flange stayed in the same place according to my paint pen markings, so hopefully it will pull out with no issue.

To work on the front CV, it's much easier out of the car.
Drop the center bearing and remove the six rear bolts
and get it out into the sunlight.

That's what I feared, but dropping that support bracket will give me a change to clean it up and slap some paint and woolwax undercoating on the top, it seems Volvo used the same steel as the rear bumper support and tailpipe hanger bracket.

Center plate down. Impact on the rear hex keys will then let you take the whole shaft out. You can then also drive the car until you finish the job. Make sure you get that tool bit firmly into the hex bolts and preserve the position of both shaft and the location of each bolt in case it’s been balanced. Otherwise fret not and drive it

There are three versions of the 98 99 00 AWD axle drivetrain so be careful on your used parts scavenging

I lifted the car on all four wheels, put it in neutral to spin the shaft to get the front ones in position, park to keep it from spinning while spinning the bolts out, and then had to put the e-brake on to do the rear bolts. I believe both my 98 V70XCs have the late 98/99 AWD components, with the lip on the angle gear flange. I had a good thread that ran through all the differences between AWD iterations, I'll have to find it again.

[scot850]

There was a good thread on the prop-shaft variances out there I saw as well. If it is a late 98 car then it is possible it has the later variant. The diameter also changed on the flanges.

Neil.

[jsrnsis]

There was a good thread on the prop-shaft variances out there I saw as well. If it is a late 98 car then it is possible it has the later variant. The diameter also changed on the flanges.

Neil.

This was the thread I was thinking of, took a little bit of searching: https://www.swedespeed.com/threads/98-0 ... gs.163864/

Even then its cursed with broken photobucket and imageshack images like so many good threads, I need to start archiving things like this into PDFs.

If only I could find the one with all the equivalents list for NLA AWD parts.

[abscate]

viewtopic.php?p=570428#p570428

[jsrnsis]

No amount of swear application was able to get the rear joint of the driveshaft out. I didn't want to be too rough and end up ruining that joint, because it's my understanding that the rear CV cannot be replaced for some reason.

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So I'm working like this, I was able to pry the front joint out of the flange by bracing a screwdriver on the sway bar. A lot of frustration could have been avoided if there was no lip on the flange.

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Grease looks cooked to me, there's a big tear in the boot, and lots of cracking.

The center bearing spins free, but no grinding noise. It seems there's supposed to be a little bit of lateral play that gets taken up by the rubber that's between the support bracket and the bearing itself.