After researching (incl. great help from this site), I tackled the replacement of my Control Arms. To my great surprise, as soon as I knocked the C.Arm free of the steering hub, the ENTIRE front suspension seemed to slam forward about 4-6 inches, to the point that (I think) the brake line / ABS wiring were the limiting factors. Also, the rotor ended up turning outward about 20 degrees. I was able to push it all back to roughly normal positioning (but I am a bit worried about whether the brake line / wiring could have been damaged???).

Is this normal? I haven't read any mention of this in Haynes, Brickboard, or Volvo lit. The Volvo TSB (61-0002) does say to "Use Holder 9995563 on the control arm when the ball joint is detached."

Could my experience be the reason??? Will a front end alignment resolve all of this? Thanks in advance!

Yes, it's normal. You are suppose to support the ball joint/front axle when you remove the control arm. Some movement is unavoidable. That's why they say you have to get your car realigned after changing the control arm. Good luck and I hope your brake lines aren't damaged.
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Current owner of a '04 V70 2.5T. Previous owner of a '94 850 Turbo Wagon

Nope, no need to do an alignment when replacing a control arm, ball joint. Nothing changes. Caster, camber, toe are uneffected by replacing THAT part in itself.

As to the original question, not sure that it makes sense to me. I do this job often and nothing is under great pressure, violently shifts position.

Thanks, Frank, for the help. OK, maybe I was being a tad dramatic, but the "shift" was the front rotor/wheel traveling forward ... to the pt. that the brake line/wire had no more slack in them. I can push it all back where it can rest, but it's beyond the pt. where the steering hub lines up w/ the ball jt. When I then try to line up hub w/ ball jt by pulling it forward a little, the rotor/wheel definitely want to again push all the way to the front again. Is THAT normal or is the front rotor/wheel supposed to just hang there limp?

2) My control arm shipped (genuine volvo) w/ a cheap hard plastic sleeve over the ball jt. with "LD-PE" printed on it, and it comes off/on easily. I DO remove that prior to trying to install, correct?

3) Tips on how to get the ball jt. inserted up into the steering hub? Does it take
a rubber mallet, etc??
Thanks!

I did the control arm replacement myself in my 1995 855.

1) When I tried to take the ball joint out, I supported the brake rotor with a floor jack to allow me to pry open the ball joing holder by using a 1/2" chisel.

2) You DO remove the plastic cover/sleeve (as you called it) to install the ball joint into the holder.

3) Yes, ball joint is inserted upward as the old one came out downward. No rubber mallet is needed because the holder was already pried open for removing the old ball joint.

4) No front end alignment is needed because nothing changed.

Ching-Ho Cheng
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1995 855 NA, Bilstein Strut & Shocks, Volvo Protective Grill, K&N Filter, E-Code Lens, Alpine CD-Changer, AutoDim RearView Mirror, 6000K HID

Funny thing...when my control arm was changed, I watched the whole process. Everything was supported, and was told that an alignment afterwards was a must. Had it done right after the change and no problems at all afterwards. Maybe I was just taken for the alignment, but seems that it was appropriate. I went back and checked the Haynes Manual and you are right...nothing about a "have to" alignment. All it mentions after a tie-rod end replacement (nothing about control arm replacement and alignment) is to "check" the toe-in and make adjustments as necessary. I guess after the porcedure, if the car drives fine (no pulling) then go for it. Sorry if I mis-lead you.
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Current owner of a '04 V70 2.5T. Previous owner of a '94 850 Turbo Wagon

OK......as for needing an alignment, I forget that some like those listed here do this the hard way, unbolting the lower 2 strut to knuckle bolts which is an extra and un-necessary step to replacing a control arm.
NOW....IF that's what was done AND the person doing that failed to mark, using a punch, TU paint, etc, to mark the lower strut to knuckle....THEN YES.....IF the two joining parts aren't positioned as they were before, then your CAMBER can be off and you might then need an alignment. Loosening those two lower strut bolts is how one makes slight camber adjustments when needed during an alignment.

Now....there's NO reason to do that step above to replace a control arm. One should just unbolt the one bolt that holds the balljoint in place and the two bolts at the other end of the control arm that attach it to the subframe. It's easy and I fail to see why anyone would unbolt the strut bolts to do that.

Yes...you need to tap the ball joint upwards but it's just a tap until you get the bolt to slide in.