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Hi,
My wifes '02 S60 awd had a serious vibration start up about 2 weeks ago. We live in VT, and so we have 16" steel rims with hakkas. I thought the vibration way to serious to be things such as mud caked on the rims etc.
We just got the quote!!!
It seems that both front axles are shot, as well as a strut and sundry other things (control arm bushings and tie rod). For a grand total of $3,200.00 (It really sucks that we need to get new summer/all season tires too)
The car has just done 90k we have owned for the past 30k miles. Neither of us are hard drivers although this winter the roads have been absolutely shocking.
So my questions are:
1) Should we expect that these components should have such a short life?
2) If we get it fixed can we expect to confront this work in another 3or4 years?
3) What maintenance issues are we missing (the car has always been serviced by the Volvo Indie place we bought it, there has never been a suggestion that this problem was starting and left unattended).
Any other comments would be appreciated
cheers,
Rod
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Strut and axle replacement do not require engineering degrees to replace or Swiss bank accounts to buy the parts. Especially struts on the FWD are easy. I realize this is daunting if you have no experience (or a 36 mm socket), but none of us did when we started. Cars are expensive if you have to have it all done, so I hear. I have not required a mechanic for a 12-13 years, since internet self help came on the scene. Not once, never. DIY or pay, but it can be done as many of us have found. I think your parts wore out a bit quickly, and yes, there will be more repairs in your future. I do not think that is avoidable. If you can, drive it to Claus's house and block him in 'til he helps you.
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Hi all,
Thanks for the positive comments. We have used Tire Rack before with great success and our indie Volvo shop while charging the going rate $65.00 p/hr are honest and flexible.
When we got the car it had the 17" alloys with Pirelli P6s (the OE tires, but I suspect the 2nd set). They didn't last terribly long. Towards the end there was a lot of vibration, some suggestion of 'cupping' and they were generally unimpressive. While my wife was driving on the I/state she had a flat. This prompted the purchase of some affordable summer tires from T Rack (Yokohamas) that were initially great, but wore fast. I was disappointed to sense minor vibration again fairly early on, but with comments about these tires and this model car's sensitivity to tire choice, put all these vibration issues down to the tires.
What I think I may have been feeling early on is the slow onset of the axle failure. The rest of it I am willing to put down to the roads here.
I am not afraid of the work, have some of the tools and I used to mess around with cars and work in shops in my youth (I am an Aussie, cheap English cars like Morrises, VW beetles and Ford Falcons etc.). Right now we have a tiny driveway covered in snow and mud, but I hope to have a new barn very soon where I can turn my 245 into a garage queen and get back to do doing some work.
I have cause to go to the MN this summer, so I might look up Klaus!
cheers,
R
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posted by
someone claiming to be tom 850 turbo
on
Fri Mar 28 09:06 CST 2008 [ RELATED]
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I took my 850 in for "vibrations" and ended up spending about $2,000 for new front hubs plus new brake pads, rotors, and motor mount. I walked across the street from the volvo dealer and almost bought a Cadillac, but just could not part with the old 850 turbo.
I am wondering if the steel wheels are putting a lot of strain on your front suspension etc... . They are not really designed for that extra unsprung weight. Maybe Klaus would know about this? I run Nokian WR all season tires in Michigan using my original wheels and they work great in the snow.
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Tom,
If the Cadillac were the same year as your 850, you would be spending more than 2 grand! Why not do your own brakes? Engine mount is fairly easy with jack stands.
The only thing that puts a lot of stress on the front wheels are misalignment, lots of 0-60 speed, hard cornering, and pot holes. That and watching a tire guy put one of my tires on in the wrong direction once :(
The steel wheels don't weigh that much more than the cast ones and should have little effect. Getting over sized tires and wheels with the incorrect offset will.
Klaus
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The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)
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Just because the parts are questionable, doesn't mean that you need to have it all done at once.
Get your self some new struts, top mounts, etc. All OEM parts, not the junk that FCP Groton sells. A good shop will charge you around $1,000 to do that, which will include alignment.
Save the other stuff for later.
When you decide to get new tires, shop at Tirerack.com Really shop. Check their reviews and graphs and comparison charts for the noise and grip you need. Then call them and ask for a local mounting store. Go to that store in person and ask about mounting the tires you found. My store ordered the tires from tirerack and I saved shipping charges.
Klaus
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The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)
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I just replaced my front struts with Koni Sport, plus all of the top hardware that goes with the struts. Shocks = $150, other stuff was about $100. $55 for a spring compressor from sears and 2 hours of slow deliberate work by myself.
I already had a tool set and torque wrench, jack stands and floor jack.
Alignment cost $100.
Hmmmm.
Klaus
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The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)
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posted by
someone claiming to be BG
on
Thu Mar 27 15:51 CST 2008 [ RELATED]
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Wow, my condolences to your wallet. 90,000 miles for front axles seems a bit premature to me. What does "shot" mean? Did the boots tear and let grit in? In that case, they could fail quickly.
Control arm bushing and a strut - I can believe that, especially if you have driven on rough roads. Remember, if one front strut failed and the other is original, this second one is probably tired and I suggest you replace it, too.
Many cars need to have front end parts replaced, bushings replaced, etc. at about 100,000 miles or so.
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