Thanks to the forum members who replied to my request for suggestions on what best maintenance practices to follow on our newly acquired 240 wagon. As I begin the ascent of the learning curve, I am certain these suggestions with prove to be most helpful. Thanks again!

Well, being a wagon, perhaps it has overload springs installed. I just installed overload springs in my 245, and the ride is indeed notably choppier when the wagon is empty.

Try putting a bunch of heavy stuff in the cargo hold and see if it smooths out.

1. Sounds like someone may have installed stiffer springs or shocks. Our 93 is smooth and nice on the highway with 14 new bushings, Sachs Advantage struts and shocks and Turbo bars.

2. Did someone leave out the forward muffler? I tried that once on my 81 and the thrum was too much for me. I had it put back stock and it's nice and quiet again. A 93 should be nice and quiet, at least compared to an 81 240. But it won't be quiet compared to lots of newer cars.

3. Glad to hear from the other poster that the blades themselves can cause lots of noise. I'm going to check that on mine. I've also had the linkage get noisy. One time on my 81, the linkage came apart at the base of the passenger wiper blade shaft under the dash. They can loosen up at that spot, at least. You can get a look by removing the glove box. It helps to remove the passenger seat, pad the floor, and lie on your back with a good light and watch the system operate.

4. Valves should be pretty quiet. We don't hear them when driving. There is a tool to compress the springs so that you can interchange shims. The only place I've heard of that rents the package is IPD. I've been meaning to get a bunch of shims from a junkyard. The tool itself is pretty simple. Does anyone know where I can buy just the tool at a decent price?

5. Check all the bushings. On our 93, I replaced the torque rod bushings and this helped tighten up things a lot. Once my son got an early 80's 240 cheap because it would not move forward. Turns out the driver's side rear wheel bearing had gone bad. The owner did not fix it. As it got worse and worse the axle developed some "end play." Finally, the axle moved outward to the point where the rotor was rubbing on the outboard brake pad so hard that the car just ground to a halt. The caliper was the only thing holding the axle in at that point. That was some end play, but probably not the kind you're talking about.

6. I've only done two cars with Sachs Advantage, both front and rear. I really like them. The 81 got less harsh because someone had put in some pretty stiff pieces. The 93 got firmer because the previous shocks and struts had 150k on them and were totally shot. I love the ride and feel with the Sachs Advantage and will use them again on the next 240 I do. When combined with new bushings as needed, they provide a solid but comfortable ride and a controlled feel. That's how I feel about them anyway. Some guys like a stiffer ride, but I'm too old for that I think. I like good control though, and to me the Sachs Advantage work great at a fairly reasonable price.

Well, that’s about it. Good luck.


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Thanks for all the help. DougC 1981 242, Turbo bars and wheels, M46 ----------- 1993 245, B230 NA L-Block, M46, Turbo bars.

My 87 240 wagon bounced all over the road after I bought it. The first thing I did was replace the rear shocks. That made a big difference but I still had noise going over bumps. I replaced the torque bushings and that helped alot. I didn't realize how much my front struts were bad until I replaced those. I still get a small clunk when going over bumps (from the trailing arm bushings needing replaced) but nothing like before. I am a firm believer in replacing the rubber on the vehicle.

1) A wagon does ride hard when it has no load in it at all, however, from your description, I would look at all the suspension bushings, including the ones at both ends of the shocks. Just because the previous owner has replaced bushings does not mean that they are OK. Some aftermarket bushings fail after only a year or two.

2) You should not hear the exhaust at all if the pipe is properly suspended. Something is not right there. If they replaced the downpipe with a cheap single-wall pipe, that will pick up a little more rumble at idle, but it would not drown out wind noise.

3) Windshield wiper clunk is usually mostly right at the blade. Replace the whole blade rather than just the rubber insert with a good quality blade and it should improve, though they tend to be noisy. Turn up the radio.

4) If the valves have never been adjusted, they are overdue. They can be quieted down to a non-noticable level. No special tools other than a feeler guage, and a torque wrench would be nice if you choose to pull off the cam rather than push down the lifter cup. I have done it both ways.

5) See #1. Remember that you loose an inch of ride height when your lower control arm bushings fail. Also remember to have the weight of the car on the axle when you tighten the bushing bolts so you don't stress the new rubber when you let the car down. If you need new springs, I've heard that NAPA has the best price. Most folks buy them from IPD. I have never replaced springs.

RE Noise - A brick wagon is a noisy vehicle. You are essentially riding down the road in an empty barrel. Look at the center hangar bearing on the drive shaft. That can be the source of a lot of noise when the rubber fails. Also check the transmission and engine mounts. It sounds like you have some metal-to-metal somewhere.