hello

I have this '89 245 that i've owned for about a year now.
I have done many repairs and sometimes i have been wrong.
I hate to be the guy that writes in to ask members for advice on various sqweeks and noises or the one who describes a thump or clunk like a >insert any animal sound here<

But i just replaced a passenger wheel bearing that didnt need replacing. The skills gained and spare wheel bearing set are my only condolences. So i'll turn it over to the board and see wht comes of it ...

I heard this bearing noise 2-3 months ago, i could hear it when i was either breaking or coasting to a stop especially at low speeds with minimum drivetrain, road or engine noise. (So that is to say, yes i'm being fussy) But the car is beautiful and I want to treat her right so ...

Now with the passenger bearing eliminated... is it possible i'm really hearing it through the parking break handle in the center console? does this mean a sagging tranny mount ? (which i havnt done yet) engin mounts are new... Is this possible it a bearing noise from the center driveshaft ? is there a way to check it without paying big bucks for the part first (as learned from passenger side wheel bearing mistake) It's gotten to the point where i have to sneak around and pay cash for parts, so my wife doesnt find out ..

thanks for any help, as always, i appreciate it and sorry for the long post.

ok after reading some more posts, i've decided to have a go at the center driveshaft support bearing. I saw some pics Art has placed on the website in this post

http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1332234/220/240/260/280/help_stop_wagons_drivetrain_growl.html

now can anybody chime in about regreasing the thing before i go out and buy a new one ? i read recently about someone who pulled the dust cover off the bearing and found it to be bone dry and slightly rusted... see this post for more

http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1140126/220/240/260/280/drive_shaft_bearing.html

can anyone offer advice on how to pry the cover of this bearing without dropping the driveshaft ? is it possible ? has anyone ventured into that territory yet ? i sent 'yama' the original author of the above post an email, but can anyone offer any help on how to access this bearing while it is still in the car .. i heard about prying the cover off with a pocket screwdriver, but it still unclear to me if it can be done while the driveshaft is on the car

thanks again , i appreciate the responses so far

Hi,


The way I confirm a failed bearing is via the temperature. A hot brake hub while the other is cold indicates a dragging brake or incorrect bearing adjustment / damage. You need to establish that the hubs are cold after a nice highway run.

There are many factors involved in your description of the unusual noise. You need to eliminate them one by one.


Goatman

It is true that a wheel bearing can be very hards to diagnose correctly. Noise tends to telegraph through the car frame and comes from everywhere. I recently changed a wrong bearing on our S80. The only way I could confirm it was really the other side was to get it up on the lift, wheel off, then slowly and carefully turn the rotor while listening and feeling for the roughness. However the normal failure mode for a wheel bearing is to hear it a higher speeds, not lower speed as you stated. Yes,the center support bearing can make a noise as can the rear tranny output bushing. Worn rear tranny mount should be obvious.

A front wheel bearing is not that expensive, hope you are not buying parts from a stealership.
--
David Hunter