front struts

sncmain · Post by **sncmain** » 19 Dec 2004, 18:32

I have a 1996 850 Volvo with 95,000 miles on it. There is a clunking noise coming from the left front wheel. Would it be time for strut replacement??

steve · Post by **steve** » 20 Dec 2004, 20:15

Have the sway bar bushings checked too. Especialy the ones that attache the sway bar to the frame. They will rattle when worn.

Post by **dosbricks** » 01 Jan 2005, 15:14

Good advice from steve, but more than likely the clunking is from the hard rubber upper spring seat which has failed. Check the space in between the big steel washer (with the tabs on the bottom that is bolted to the top of the strut) and the upper strut mount (visible from the engine bay). If there is about 1/4" space that is normal. If there is no space the upper spring seat is broken. Bounce the car and see if it clunks and there is movement in that space.

With 95k you are about due for struts which have to be removed to take off the spring seats anyway. Replace the sway bar links at the same time.

AB · Post by AB » 05 Jan 2005, 17:22

I had the same problem in my 850 and also first thought Struts. Upon examining the suspension carefully, I found that the "sway bar link" was worn out. This part has two ball joints: one connects to the strut (which makes one think the noise comes from there) and the other to the sway bar. I would recomend that you check the condition of this part before dismantling the entire strut assembly. Changing this part takes only about 30 mins and costs vary from 26 dlls aftermarket to 60 dlls from your dealer.

Suspension noises are always tricky in my experience since they reverberate throughout the car and the car body itself serves as a great amplifier (same way a speaker cabinet works) for the smallest knock produced by a loose link.

A~