Hi all,
I've posted this earlier but have some new information. My 1993 wagon is making a clunk under braking and I've tried all suggestions given but still have not been able to rectify this problem. I have disassembled and checked the brakes and could find no issue as I recently did a complete overhaul. I checked the steering rack as it was recently replaced and could find no issue. As suggested I will probably try a set of chassis ears as well.
It seems like the problem is brake related so here are more details I've noticed. When braking to a stop the there is a clunk/shudder right before the car comes to a complete stop. I cant tell which side this is coming from. there is also a slight movement in pedal when this occurs. No brake warning lights are on. Could there be an issue with the ABS?
Thank you.

Is this clunk happens at the end of brake pedal travel? Especially when braking hard? And it is felt at the pedal?

Amarin

Did you replace the rear shocks?Bilstiens supposedly have a loose sleeve on the top??

Hi,

My 90 245 recently developed a shudder from the rear when braking to a stop at low speed. My ears aren't the best but a passenger of mine described it as a clunk.

Feeling it in the brake pedal, I was pretty sure that I had a seized caliper piston. I jacked up the rear end found a firm resistance on the passenger side that would come and go consistently. I could retract both caliper pistons easily, so I pulled the caliper, checked run out on the rotor, and then went to look at the the E brake.

Turning the bare axel flange, I felt the same resistance that required a pry bar to overcome. Sitting on a milk crate and watching the driveshaft, I noticed the resistance happened exactly twice per revolution of the shaft.

Under the car I could feel no play in the u joints, but turning the driveshaft by hand I saw the center bearing rise and fall in it's rubber mount about a 1/2 inch each time the resistance occurred.

Pulling the rear driveshaft revealed both center and rear u joints to be almost completely seized. The rear I could not move by hand and the center only with difficulty. The needles were all intact but the cups were bone dry with varying amounts of rust forming in them.

This is just another example of what's often been said here. You can never remove the u joints from the equation without dropping the driveshaft.

regards,
Peter

Agreed, a seized u-joint is a good possibility. I would also check your rear bushings.
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....

Do you feel the clunk in the brake pedal itself or do you feel it in the floor board just below the pedal? It could possibly be the cone bushings on the thrust rods. When they get play in them you will feel a clunk in the floor, under braking, just above the aft anchorage of the thrust rod. Also when they get bad enough you can grab the front wheel at 9 and 3 o’oclock and tug it fore and aft and feel the play. You might have to jack the wheel off the ground to detect this play but don’t jack it up from under the control arm as that would restrict any play that might exist.