99 V70XC front end noise confusion

ForestVolvo · Post by **ForestVolvo** » 16 Apr 2018, 15:50

I've searched numerous terms and scores of threads about front end noises for our beloved cars. I still have no decisive direction.

I come home from work and my wife mentions that the car is making a horrendous sound at the front right wheel, starting out with taking turns and lasts into going straight. I take it out and nothing happens for the first several miles of straights and turns. Finally, it happens...I thought the front right wheel was going to blow apart from the car. I had never heard or experienced something like that in the couple of decades I've been turning wrenches under the shady tree.

I've heard the clicking from an outgoing CV joint.
I've had a wheel bearing go out on a Cherokee (hot metal smell and pull to that side), along with also hearing bearings whine. That bearing fell apart when getting replaced.
I've heard the infamous spring top hat clank/clunk as the suspension travels.

This noise, while clearly emanating from the front right area of the vehicle, used the front structure of the vehicle (mainly the floor pan & dash) to make itself known. It is only rotational and independent of engine RPM. It is a thumping, a violent thumping, that ironically, 1 can not hear from outside the vehicle.

Now, I've read the posts about how if it is a wheel bearing, take a right hand turn and if it gets louder, its the left side bearing, etc, etc. I took a RH turn and that's when it started, from the right side. Go straight and it continues. Take a left and it reduces only a bit and it sounds like a bit of noise from the LH corner is beginning.

We just had tires replaced. So I checked lugs. They're the usual gorilla tight. PSI is a little off from desirable, but I've driven worse. Hoping I wasn't going to have to leave it and call my wife to wake up the sleeping kiddies and come get me, I aimed for limping it home. Get back on the main boulevard and nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. No noise. I drop the tack hammer....still good. Claw...still good. All the way up to full XC sledgehammer and nothing. Get on the brakes for the turn, followed by a couple more turns and nothing until the final turn into the driveway and it gives me a final few thumps for the night.

Research, research, research. Next day, jack it up & look at bolts, bushings, gaps, seals, boots, etc. Inner axle boots have cracking, but no perceivable openings. Outer tie rod boot is blown, but ball joint still solid (yes, RH). Checked for 12-6 bearing play. Nothing. We replaced the crank engine mount a couple years ago with new Volvo parts, along with the upper engine bushing (for the mount that ties into the firewall).

I take the car to a large parking lot near the house and have wife drive it. I'm hoping I'll be able to see or hear something. She's driving around and I'm waiting for some obvious sign. Nearly the whole time she's driving, I see & hear nothing, she's got a thumping storm.

Steering feels normal.
There is no pull to any side.
No funny or odd smells (aside from chronic coolant whiffs).
Yes, I have a non-OEM suspension set-up in the rear...but that produced nothing like this for the past 2+ years.

In looking through the forums, I have yet to come across a description like the noise I experienced. What I've gathered is that it may be the:
wheel bearing
half shaft
propeller shaft

Looking for ideas to narrow it down more decisively.

Thanks,
Matt

ForestVolvo · Post by **ForestVolvo** » 16 Apr 2018, 16:54

In addition:
- there is no degradation in driving feel
- no pulsating/jerking in the vehicle rolling along
- no shimmy in the steering wheel
- no rubbing on the tires
- brake dust shield is NOT interfering

The only sensory experience is a thumping that matches the rotation of the wheel/tire assembly.

Thanks.

Post by **theWIFES_S70** » 16 Apr 2018, 19:52

Sounds like your ABS is triggering. Does the acceleration of the car act all funny when the noise occurs? That's the only thing that can cause a sound like that.

Check the integrity of the connector. I might also take it out, clean the sensor contacts with electric parts cleaner and plug it back in again and see if it happens again.

Post by **scot850** » 16 Apr 2018, 20:16

Does your car still have its front to back prop-shaft fitted?

If so, check the front bearing on the shaft for play and also check the center donut/support bearing for the rubber having failed, and finally check the viscous coupling housing front bearing and casing mount at the front of the unit.

Finally also check the heat shield above the catalytic converter hasn't broken free from it's mounts and is sitting on the prop-shaft.

Neil.

Post by **mrbrian200** » 16 Apr 2018, 22:25

I've heard tire noise due to a slipped/broken belt that I might describe in such terms...thumping and rumping only heard inside the vehicle. I don't recall it singin the karma chameleon though. The noise was consistent/all the time.

ForestVolvo · Post by **ForestVolvo** » 16 Apr 2018, 22:45

In order of appearance:
theWIFES_S70 - While there is no issue with acceleration, coasting or drive-ability during the noise, and there is no ABS brake action occurring to slow the car down, I WILL check the sensor.

scot850 - Yes, the front to rear prop shaft is still installed. I came within a few hairs of motivation to remove the prop shaft today, at the suggestion I read out of one of the many searches I did. I caved and sat in front of the computer looking for better leads instead. I think I will remove it (despite the potential for it being a pain in the rear and troublesome as it was for OzarkLee).

I'll check the heat shield, although there is nothing tinny (or even tiny) about the sound.

mrbrian200 - Thanks for the heads up in terms of belts letting go in the tire, but in my case, the noise "belts out" a few tunes and then decides to take 5....then returns for more karaoke when it chooses.

I appreciate your quick replies and will apprise you of any developments.

As a somewhat related aside, if this is in fact related to the prop shaft, this will be the 1st vehicle in 7 vehicles I've owned that has had prop shaft issues (and they've ALL had prop shafts: trucks, jeep, and a couple of Subies.)

Thanks again!
Matt

Post by **wizechatmgr** » 17 Apr 2018, 17:06

Sounds to me like the heat shield - mine made that kind of noise at first - ignored it and it became a symphony of metal on metal rubbing noise. On the bright side, my shaft was polished until it was nice and shiny!

ForestVolvo · Post by **ForestVolvo** » 17 Apr 2018, 22:51

Volvo fellows,
I got under the car today.

- the ABS sensor was 0.5% covered in rust particles. Cleaned them off.
- No heat shields were loose or needed tending to.

The propeller shaft was removed today. I found a couple of things. The carrier bearing rubber cushion was half torn...or fully torn halfway around the bearing.

Ironically, as I was beginning to lift the car onto jack stands, I was getting up off the ground when I spotted something I normally see at work, a steel dowel pin (I'm a machinist). It was dusty/dirty and starting to rust. Well, I thought it odd, as I work with stainless dowel pins. Hmm, maybe its a roller bearing.

Upon further inspection, 1 of the 4 bearing caps of the U-joint in the prop shaft is nearly obliterated. Dowel pin? No,...roller bearing. I take the car out for a test drive tomorrow. I ran out of time today with company coming over for dinner.

Again, I will update as I find things.

Thank you!

Post by **scot850** » 17 Apr 2018, 23:04

If you want to keep the AWD, at least Colorado Driveshaft is just up the road in Denver. If you don't know, they are the #1 recommendation for repairing these driveshafts in my opinion and many others on this website have also recommended them in the past too.

Neil.

Post by **abscate** » 19 Apr 2018, 04:15

ForestVolvo wrote: ↑17 Apr 2018, 22:51 Volvo fellows,
I got under the car today.

- the ABS sensor was 0.5% covered in rust particles. Cleaned them off.
- No heat shields were loose or needed tending to.

The propeller shaft was removed today. I found a couple of things. The carrier bearing rubber cushion was half torn...or fully torn halfway around the bearing.

Ironically, as I was beginning to lift the car onto jack stands, I was getting up off the ground when I spotted something I normally see at work, a steel dowel pin (I'm a machinist). It was dusty/dirty and starting to rust. Well, I thought it odd, as I work with stainless dowel pins. Hmm, maybe its a roller bearing.

Upon further inspection, 1 of the 4 bearing caps of the U-joint in the prop shaft is nearly obliterated. Dowel pin? No,...roller bearing. I take the car out for a test drive tomorrow. I ran out of time today with company coming over for dinner.

Again, I will update as I find things.

Thank you!

Your Volvo loves you. It’s spitting out the bad parts to tell You what’s wrong