Got a very nice, very clean used 1983 244 for free a few weeks ago. Body is good, but the wiring harness was fried and causing many electrical and running problems. The steering rack also leaked like a sieve and it needed some other maintenance items that had been neglected, like TABs.

So, a couple thousand dollars in new parts later, it has:

-A used steering rack from the junkyard that looks almost brand new;
-A new high pressure hose, blue box from the Volvo dealer;
-New Lemfoerder tie-rod ends, ball joints and wheel bearings on both sides;
-New Bilstein touring struts up front and gas shocks in the back;
-New blue box Volvo control arm bushings up front and TABs in the back;
-New water pump, timing belt, tensioner and front seals;
-New hoses and belts;
-New blue box motor mounts;
-All fluids changed;
-A "good" wiring harness from the junkyard; and
-4 new Goodyear tires mounted on a set of Virgo rims that I had in storage.

I also cleaned the throttle body, replaced the main FI fuse and the fuel pump relay, cleaned the grounds and installed new battery cables.

The car runs very well, but the handling is a little weird. If I take my hands off the wheel on a completely flat, smooth road, the car will wander to the right side of the road. It doesn't pull violently, but rather slowly creeps over to the shoulder. Considering that the front end is basically brand new, the only thing I can think of is that my used rack is somehow defective, or I screwed up when I installed something.

Also have a weird thing going on in the rear on bumpy/poorly maintained roads. I could swear that the rear wheels momentarily lose contact with the road beneath them.

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!!

Had a slightly similar experience. Had alignment, + 4 new Michelin tires. Car pulled to right. Went back to alignment shop, they checked. Everything fine and they are reputable. One employee suggested the tires, saying you can have 4 brand new tires but one can cause it to pull over. Went back to tire shop. They checked it out, 1 tire exchanged, (no charge of course); all fixed. Good luck.

Hi there,
I would always question whether any road and some large parking lots to be really flat. Everything is made to control water flow toward drains, especially our highways.

From the center stripe to the outer lanes they are buildt with a crown, so water will drain off the roadway to reduce hydroplane. Standing puddles of water can be treacherous and even unnerving if only one side of the car goes through one.

I would say, you need a front end alignment to start with.
You changed the tie rod outer ends.
Those by themselves set the tow-in on the final alignment.
You need both tires pointed inwards the same amount just a wee bit! This make the tires not wander and go straight without feelling the effects or crown or a roads surface. It reduces or sets a fixed desired behavior at the expense of limited scrubbing on the face of the tires tread.

You cannot have one straight and another pointing in or outwards or the car will wander in the direction of the tire rolling sideways.
If both tires are outward or inward to much the car will feel unstable and tire wear will show up on the inside or outside of both.
Now that was only the tow settings!

You change the struts and the top location ring set the camber. The camber leans the tires inward and outward. Like riding a motorcycle. This causing the same wear patterns and also similar driving pulls. In extreme amounts, additional cornering issues develop and the car can display more under or over steering symptoms.
Caster controls the returning speed of the steering wheel to center, mostly! It's Like the wheels on a grocery cart, they help to cart to go straight. At high speeds it does not have to be very much! It has to be there or the car will definitely feel uncontrollable.

Steering components is applied geometry at work. These settings are determined to reach the best "compromise" while using their various affects to control handling and wear.

The rear end feeling you have?
That may be the rear shocks that could be valving only in the downward (extending) direction.

If the front struts needed replacing I'd ask how old are those rears?
Pull them off and work them back and forth on the bench. An easy direction or a gurgling swirling noise, their done!
If one side only is dead it can affect ride quality first and only the handling a wee bit. That would very hard to detect, IMHO.

Those new TABS will stop some thumping and shifting of the rear axle over the trailing arms.
By the way, they have a support bushing in the front and rarely go bad. But then, back roads can do monstrous things, let alone, to there being old played out rubber underpinnings.

You were wise to do what you have done.

You have gone the extra mile, you just need to turn the corner and add the finishing touch!
'83-'84' are the last of the heavy built cars. Some say "tanks." The PO of my '84 had that name for it.
I have to agree somewhat but then aren't all Volvo's to some extent!

Phil

There is a balance adjustment for the rack. I believe it was discussed either here or tbricks. You might try swapping the front tires and checking for brake drag. Has there been a recent alignment?

^^^^ Tell us more about the alignment AFTER you replaced all the suspension pieces. Problems with a rack usually fall into the category of 1) leaking or 2) significant problems related to turning one way or the other. And when 1) begins, 2) usually isn't far behind.
--
82 242 5.0L; '10 Cayman S; '15 Honda Fit