I'm having some troubles with a recently purchased 88 sedan. The car makes a loud banging noise at low speeds (in first and in reverse). It also makes a whining sound depending on the speed.It seems like the central driveshaft support is the problem. The rubber boot is completely outside of the bracket (I've attached some pictures of what's going on). Would anyone have any ideas on how to fix this? Do I need to get a new rubber support and remove the driveshaft?

Thanks!

Yes, as Heck notes, the center support is clearly visible. You wouldn't get far without it. You'll need to loosen that for this repair or remove it entirely if you dropping the shaft.

I would add, buy quality parts, i.e. Volvo, for this.

And there is a front and back for the rubber piece. There are indicators that should point towards the front of the car when installed correctly.

Also, there should be index marks on the two lengths of the drive shaft, near where they couple. They look like arrows and are stamped in the metal. They may be obscured by grime. Point them directly at one another and you will have the driveshaft in phase.

One other thing. Check your u-joints for a grease point. There may be a plug with a recessed hex. Remove that with a hex key, fit a zerc and shoot some grease in there with a grease gun. Remove the zerc and replaced the plug. Not all u-joints will be so equipped, though.
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'80 DL 2 door, '89 DL Wagon

Another poster made mention of the "strap" being missing but it looks to me as though it's clearly there in your center photo. It is actually a stamped steel bracket rather than a "strap". As the other posters have suggested you will need a new driveshaft support (the rubber collar), spring and spring cup and probably a bearing as well (replace it if you have ANY doubt). There's undercoating on the u-joint so it's probably original. Before you pull the shaft down check the alignment of the two sections just in case it had been apart at one time and not asembled correctly. This is something that has to be visualized--all the joints should be aligned so the "t"s are on the same plane. The very front (tranny end) flange should be 90 degrees opposed to the very last flange (diff end) so that if they were put together they would form one complete joint. For balance purposes only one position is correct (if original) but alignment wise the rear section can be (could have been) installed 180 degrees off. If the joints are aligned properly mark the two sections and reassemble them that way. If the alignment is off (could be a reason for a destroyed support) reassemble with proper alignment--if the balance is off afterwards try rotating the rear shaft 180 degrees. It's important that you check each joint before putting it back together. They tend to seize as often as they wear out so you have to check for smoothness of motion as well as for "play". There should be no notchiness in any direction of motion. Hope my descriptions are clear enough to fathom---Dave

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'll try to see what I can do.

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That rubber is supposed to be in a 'U' bracket. I don't see the 'u' Bracket at all.
It looks like the Bearing section of the Rubber is very beat up from the Shaft rotation. If the bearing spins freely. I might try replacing this rubber holder . Of course it seems you need the 'U' bracket, the small spring and little washer that sits under this Rubber.
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'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.lyse.net/brox/TonyPage4.html

It looks like the strap that holds the rubber collar is missing. You will need to find one of those and buy a new bearing and rubber collar. The driveshaft will have to be removed to replace these parts. Remember to make an alignment mark on both sides of the driveshaft, so when you reassemble it, the two parts line up. The shaft is balanced as a unit, so it's important to keep the two halves lined up with one another. The bearing gets pressed off. I think you can do it with a hammer and drift, but someone else with more experience might have better advice how to do that.
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I'd say that is your banging. The rubber housing, a spring and a cup should be replaced. I would also check the U-joints and the center bearing while it is apart.

Art strikes again.
http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1323601/220/240/260/280/replacing_carrier_bearing_driveshafts_come_apart.html

Dan

Yes, you probably need a new bearing also. Is there a strap with bolts in both ends there?
If not, you may need a new holder for it.