How do I remove the steering U-joint on my 1995 850?

AlanS · Post by **AlanS** » 01 Jul 2009, 18:25

How the heck do I remove the steering U-joint on my 1995 850? I got the bolt out...Do I now have to remove the entire steering column from inside the car? The Haynes manual is not really helping me.

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 02 Jul 2009, 06:47

I don't think so- start at about where the "remove steering shaft boot (gaitor) and needle bearing" section begins in the file below-

850 steering column.pdf: (713.2 KiB) Downloaded 2277 times

AlanS · Post by **AlanS** » 03 Jul 2009, 20:43

DONE!!! 2 hours...no snags. All the parts came aparts smoothly. Stiff steering problem: Solved.
Thank you all!

Krikkit · Post by **Krikkit** » 23 Jul 2011, 10:54

I need to change the lower u joint on my '97 850, am I understanding correctly that the steering wheel and column don't have to come out? Is there room to seperate the upper joint from the lower without pulling the steering column?

Thames · Post by **Thames** » 18 Oct 2011, 10:56

I'd like to know me too, if I have to unmount the entire steering wheel or not... my car is a '98 S70 N/A.

Krikkit · Post by **Krikkit** » 18 Oct 2011, 18:09

The steering wheel and shaft do not have to be removed, the steering coloum is telescopic, so once the clamp on the upper part of the u joint is undone the upper steering shaft slides upward towards the steering wheel and seperates from the u joint. See the pdf that's linked in the post by 'made in Japan' above for step by step instructions and pictures.
I changed my steering joint in about an hour using these instructions. The lower part of the u joint was seized to the shaft that goes into the steering rack, I used a die grinder to cut the old u joint length wise on two sides (it's soft aluminum) down to the shaft and split the two halves away from the shaft. once the old one was off I cleaned up the shaft with a wire brush and put the new joint on.

Once again, Matt's forums comes through for me. The garage that discovered the bad joint (while doing an MVI) wanted $750 to replace it, they told me the sub frame and steering rack had to be dropped. My Haynes manual said the same thing for a rear wheel drive model but a local mechanic who has a lot of Volvo experience said they were 'out of the park' and that he does them in 1/2- 3/4 hour.

I got a new joint from FCP Groton for about $100 and put it in myself. Would they have discovered the difference if I'd had them do it and charged me only for the one hour, or done it in an hour and charged me the $750 anyway because I'd OK'd it????

SpeedyPete · Post by **SpeedyPete** » 19 Oct 2011, 20:58

YES!!! Kirkkit! You would have gotten hoooooooosed!

Post by **LamboSE5** » 31 Jan 2012, 19:46

Krikkit wrote:The steering wheel and shaft do not have to be removed, the steering coloum is telescopic, so once the clamp on the upper part of the u joint is undone the upper steering shaft slides upward towards the steering wheel and seperates from the u joint. See the pdf that's linked in the post by 'made in Japan' above for step by step instructions and pictures.
I changed my steering joint in about an hour using these instructions. The lower part of the u joint was seized to the shaft that goes into the steering rack, I used a die grinder to cut the old u joint length wise on two sides (it's soft aluminum) down to the shaft and split the two halves away from the shaft. once the old one was off I cleaned up the shaft with a wire brush and put the new joint on.

Once again, Matt's forums comes through for me. The garage that discovered the bad joint (while doing an MVI) wanted $750 to replace it, they told me the sub frame and steering rack had to be dropped. My Haynes manual said the same thing for a rear wheel drive model but a local mechanic who has a lot of Volvo experience said they were 'out of the park' and that he does them in 1/2- 3/4 hour.

I got a new joint from FCP Groton for about $100 and put it in myself. Would they have discovered the difference if I'd had them do it and charged me only for the one hour, or done it in an hour and charged me the $750 anyway because I'd OK'd it????

What shop is that? Incase I need to, and am not able to do this job... I'm in Nova Scotia as well. (the shop that said he could do it in 30 minutes?

Thanks.

Post by **LamboSE5** » 31 Jan 2012, 20:50

I was wondering where this was:

universal_joint.jpg

..when I went out to my car at the steering column...and saw this:

IMG_1287.jpg

I noticed them in there, after I came across this cool animation of a steering u-joint in motion.

I love learning new stuff

Post by **LamboSE5** » 16 Feb 2012, 11:55

Hello,

I was just looking at my steering column and I have a question or two..

1) Can the U-Joint (the "plus symbol" (+) looking piece) be removed independently, or is that not how one replaces it/them?
2) It appears to me that there are three "u-joints" present; two are on the inside - above the rubber "boot", and one is on the outside - below the "boot - outside of the car.
3) Is this what must be replaced?:
http://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo-s ... nt-1359403
http://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo-s ... nt-6819550

Note: I don't see the third one, that I question is there or not, on the outside of the car...

This is what I'm wondering about being the third u-joint.

IMG_2188.jpg

...this is on my parts car/past car - which had really good steering. My current has tough steering. Wondering if this area could be the culprit. As I don't see the "clean" looking ones on the inside of the car causing problems - but what do I know?

Thanks.