XC90 pulls left when braking

[adamnw]

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Hi,

First let me say I'm not overly mechanically adept so apologies to those who revel in stripping out engines etc for my lack of knowledge, and,OK - I know it's not a new topic per se, more a new thread on an old topic, however I am keen to understand why my 2006 XC90 with 115000 miles on the clock does this.

The car was only recently acquired (to replace a Mazda5 as the 'impact survivabilty' is much higher) and didn't exhibit any symptoms when I test drove it.

Now it sometimes 'darts' to the left under braking without any associated steering wheel movement and, at very slow speeds (5mph) I get an audible slight clunk that I can feel through the steering column.

I've scoured the boards for advice and most point me in the direction of the Control arm bushings so I took some photos and have attached them. Apart from the oil leak - Do they look good?

Other boards offer the subframe bushings as a possible cause, whilst others suggest an issue with the brake calipers.

I intend to put a GoPro under the car to record what's happening whilst driving but would appreciate any advice from members of this forum who can help me narrow this down.

Many thanks.

Adam

[cuhfs]

I would first check and make sure all the bolts under there are good and tight especially the control arms shown.

[Roger_850T]

Hi Adam,

The bushing you looked at are the "usual culprit", but from the photos, yours don't look that bad. There are also the bushings at the back of the control arm (bolt is vertical, not horizontal) that can also fail - worth inspecting.

My XC90 is also doing the same thing, and I haven't yet figured it out. I think my next step will be replacing the subframe bushings, and maybe the motor mounts too. I have movement on both acceleration and braking.

Which year and engine is your XC90? I have an '05 V8.

Roger

[adamnw]

Hi Roger,

Thanks for the reply. Mine is a 2006 2.5 Turbo. Maintenance is pretty much according to the book and it came with large chunks of receipts.

Only thing I can't find out is if the XC90 ball joint recall was carried out - wondering if that might cure it. Will call tomorrow and check.

Did put the gopro underneath and drove for 20 minutes and all looked normal. Could see movement in the front bushing but not sure if that is normal so currently sat in a church car park with a large masking tape T on the ground waiting for the gopro battery to charge. Doesn't look at all strange! Idea is that I put the gopro under each side, drive to the head of the T, hit the brakes and watch what happens under the car.

What I'm experiencing doesn't make any sense. The nose of the car moves to the left yet there is no associated movement in the steering wheel. So the momentum is taking up slack from somewhere. Just need to find out where from!

Let me know if you come up with any dramatic changes after you do the sub frame bushings as that's where I thinking the issue is as well.

Best.

Adam

[ggleavitt]

Ball joint recall? Was a recall a few years back on outer tie rods ends for all XC90's, not aware about ball joints per se. If you have a TNN or other vendor reference on the ball joints, please send.

Can also check rear trailing arm mount bushings, slight chance this can be the culprit but it's worth checking. Had an issue with my '08 right after buying it, more like a "dip and recover" on braking versus pulling until the car came to a complete stop. Was convinced it was the rear that was at fault, ended up being LCA (replaced under 90-day warranty). Both LCA were replaced with Volvo parts and have not noticed the issue since (2015).

[Roger_850T]

When you step on the brakes, the bushings in the lower control arms have to absorb the force of the braking vehicle. If it's the control arm bushing, then I am guessing probably the left wheel is slightly turning out as the bushings compress (or give up), causing the car to head to the left with no input at the steering wheel.

One note - I find the XC90's tend to go through the control arm bushings with some frequency, and some of the cheap brands don't last nearly as long. I find I get more than 2x the life out of the Volvo control arms, (over the aftermarket ones,) so even if they cost a lot more, it's worth it because I don't have do deal with it again.

Roger

[Roger_850T]

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Here is a picture of one that failed on me, for reference. (Yes, you can see which brand failed after 15k miles, if you look closely...)

Roger

[mrbrian200]

Between veering and the light clunk I would venture to say the most likely candidates will be
Rear control arm bushing (the other one not pictured)
Lower ball joint
Tie rod inner or outer
Strut mount or upper spring seat

[adamnw]

Hi,

Thanks all for the replies.

Having read them I may now be inclined towards the rear control arm bushings and guess that is more easily cured by replacing the control arm complete rather than remove and find a press to re-bush the old units. Though the IPD sub-frame poly bushing inserts haven't disappeared off the radar yet.

I tried to upload the videos from the GoPro to this forum but cant so have put them on DropBox - the link is below. I guess the movement seen is normal. Maybe I need to find a way of videoing the rear bushings?

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/m3xcporggzcq ... hR_ga?dl=0

And, apologies to ggleavitt - it was indeed Ball joint tie rods that were the subject of a recall.

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls ... _xc90.html

Best.

Adam

[adamnw]

For anyone still following this thread - the lurch to the left has been resolved by replacing the sway bar end links and the lower control arms. Purchased both off eBay for $133.90 and had them fitted by a guy who works on cars locally. Problem gone.