What causes knocking Volvo 850 struts?
Q: “I’ve recently changed all the ball joint connections on my Volvo 850 with the exception of the inner tie rods. At 80,000 miles and in frigid weather, there’s a knock coming from the top of the struts at every bump in the road. The shocks are acceptable but are a bit long in the tooth, ie. original. Top plates, bushings, etc. should be worn out; but at this point, would it make sense to change the shocks at the same time, or is there a fix from the top side?”
A: “There is a 99% chance your knocking Volvo 850 struts are because the spring seats are broken. The bad news is that the springs need to be compressed to change them so, in terms of labor, it is the same as changing the struts. For the spring seats, replace them with OEM XC90 spring seats which fit fine but are much beefier. They only cost a few dollars more than the standard 850 seats.”
Photo credit via Wikimedia Commons to nakhon100 / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0).
Knock knock, from the top of the struts
If you want some guidance on what is involved in this repair, there are a number of YouTube videos available. This one, from Robert DIY, covers front strut assembly replacement that applies to 850, S70, V70, and other models.
He puts in slightly used salvage units with around 20,000 miles on them. He lists recommended torque values as part of his video caption, along with links to other videos you may find useful.
Last Updated on June 27, 2022
