How to Maintain Your AWD Volvo’s Driveshaft

Driveshaft Maintenance For all AWD Volvo Models

MVS Forum member Jimmy tells us explicitly how to make your AWD Volvo system go well over 100k miles. If you’re reading this with 150k+ miles on yours, and you haven’t “done anything” to extend the AWD system’s life, you’ve probably been kind to your driveshaft, for instance keeping all 4 same brand / same tread depth tires on her (for 1st gen AWD Volvos), or you’ve driven gently, or you’re lucky.

But if you hear chirps or a bumping noise on acceleration, it will progress to a vibration when the joint gets dry and balls wear and joint fails.

The driveshaft from angle gear to viscous coupling needs to have the CV joints lubed by 100K miles or there is a great likelihood you will end up replacing the whole shaft assembly or at least the front joint if available.

It is not a hard job but there are precautions.

Driveshaft Tips and Precautions

jimmy57 » The driveshaft from angle gear to viscous coupling needs to have the CV joints lubed by 100K miles or there is a great likelihood you will end up replacing the whole shaft assembly or at least the front joint if available.

It is not a hard job but there are precautions.

• Safely lift car with adequate room to work underneath at front and rear.
• Clean out the 6mm hex cap screws that hold CV joints to flanges at each end. Dirt collects in the cavity and bit will not go in deep enough to prevent stripping bolts!
• Remove the rear strap below driveshaft. (maybe XC90 only)
• Remove the 6 bolts at front CV joint and rear CV joint. On earliest in this series there may be balancing bolts. This is noted by seeing some of the bolts threads sticking through flange by a few mm. If you find this then you MUST mark the CV joint to flange and then remove bolts and keep them sorted to go back where found. I suggest a piece of cardboard with 1 thru 6 in a circle and push bolt in next to the number and reference your mark on your cardboard, basically a map of bolt location.
• Remove the brackets for exhaust pipe at rear axle area so the pipe can be pushed aside easily for withdrawing driveshaft.
• At the midpoint of the driveshaft there is a bracket secured to floor with two bolts each side. Up above the exhaust pipe you will see two bolts, these hold the support bearing carrier to the main bracket. Remove the two bolts. I find it easier to remove the 4 bolts for main bracket as the bearing will pass by the heat shielding easier if the bearing is lower. The bracket doesn’t have to come off completely.
• Be careful when removing shaft, watch fingers! The shaft slides out the rear and tying the exhaust pipe over with wire may make it much easier.
• Avoid letting the shaft flop and bump around. The center joint has a bumper of sorts but it can be damaged by rough handling.
• Once removed get newspaper or other to place where each joint is on a long table or the floor.
• You can re-pack the joints on ends easily. A cap will tap off without much trouble from the end of the joint with a small hammer and a drift. Inside will likely be caked dried grease and the irregular shaped cap seal. The seal may be out of place. I do not recommend you try to use solvent to get it clean. Residue of solvent may foul the new grease. Dig out all you easily get to and then use a latex or nitrile glove and pack the joint with CV joint grease. This is available at most auto supply stores but usually you have to ask. It will come in a squeeze tube or in a pack like a large catchup package. I think 3 ounces per CV joint is ample. I get a portion of grease in palm of glove and push cupped palm over joint and push. Then clean the end up and fit the rubber seal around the CV joint at the ridge with the humps placed to be to the inside of where bolt will pass through. Tap cap back on with a bolt in one of the holes so the bolts will pass through for installation to flange later.
• Repeat on the other end.
• Now clean the center joint bolts and mark the center joint to that flange in some way you can assure you put it back as you found it. The whole shaft is balanced assembled and changing it could give you vibration.
• Hold the shaft and remove the bolts and then tap the CV joint out of flange and then service it like the others.
• The bolts holding shaft together and holding CV joints to flanges on AOC and angle gear tighten in two steps to 20 ft-lbs.
• The first step is every bolt to 7.5 ft-lbs and then every bolt to 20 ft-lbs.

Driveshaft Care Summary

The front joint is a guaranteed to have extremely hardened grease by 100K, the middle CV joint to a lesser degree and the rear usually has grease that is still serviceable. The initial problem from lack of this service will be chirps or a bumping noise on acceleration. It will progress to a vibration when the joint gets dry and balls wear and joint fails.

Have fun, wear grungy clothes you aren’t terribly attached to.
Note: this procedure is written to be applicable to all AWD Volvo models and there will be some minor differences depending on model. For instance the center joint in shaft is a conventional U joint on earliest models with a middle CV joint being used on later models. The shafts with conventional U joint in the middle position do not require service. There is no way to lubricate the U joint and if it fails you will have to replace the whole driveshaft.

Read the rest: Volvo AWD Maintenance Procedure DIY
photo credit to holler1