So, just want to thank everyone who gave advice and words of wisdom on my shock absorber replacement job. Car feels and drives 100% better after getting it done.

Now with the shock/strut sounds gone I'm noticing other sounds. Particularly on turns. Right hand or left hand turns. Not simple lane changes, but full 45-90 degree turns. I also hear these sounds when parallel parking.

SOUND DESCRIPTION: Upon turning steering wheel and moving or moving very slowly when getting out of a parking spot, there is a flexing/joint-popping sound that occurs. Its definitely in the front end of the car. Its hard to describe, its not a loud cracking or breaking type of sound, it feels and sounds like when your knee joint or hip joint do a weird but non-painful non-injury related awkward bend.

At first I thought, maybe its the control arm flexing in a weird way, since I was just messing with it while taking out the struts and replacing the shocks. But the control arm seemed pretty tight and I checked all the bushings and loosened and re-torqued all the bolts holding the control arm in place and the cross-member.

Could it be the steering rack? This seems to be a definite possibility. Soon, I am going to have an assistant sit in it while not jacked up or anything and the key in position one and turn the wheel from side to side while I observe underneath.

Now that its pretty much 99.99 percent certain that the control arm bushings (rear at least, maybe front to) are shot....I'm going to replace them.

So, opening a whole can of worms here, i know, I'd just like to ask how difficult it is to remove the front control arm bushing. I've been doing some research and the best post I found, not on this site, said to get the front bushing out to basically use a torch and melt it out, then a hacksaw to remove the metal sleeve holder for the bushing.
Found another post(think on MatthewsVolvosite) where the guy said just buy new control arms as the time spent getting out the old front bushings is greater than the cost of the control arms...depending on your value of your time.....

Anyways, I'm leaning towards just getting new control arms and poly bushings from IPD as I don't mind a stiffer ride as long as it handles more responsively and doesn't make creaks and flexing/popping sounds any longer.
This decision would seem to save me time and effort and be a bit of an insurance if one of the control arms is damaged or tweaked and I can't see it while its in place.....

ALSO: ANother reason I'm leaning towards PolyPro bushings is the huge price difference. The Poly Pro set for rear bushings is $90 whereas the Original Volvo rear bushings are $90 each! This is weird to me as the poly's are marketed as an upgrade to the originals, but normally upgrades cost more......so is it too good to be true?

Anyways, can anyone confirm that getting the old front control arm bushing out without a serious press is a real pain in the keyster? And any other thoughts feelings inclinations in regards to these bushing issues would be very appreciated.

Thanks

Marc

Used my buddy’s press - 5 minutes to press out old bushings. Putting in new poly a piece of cake. AND - with the poly, you can tighten them with the car in the air.

Hi,

I just did one front bushing on the left side of my 1993 a few weeks ago.
The other side had already been replace by the previous owner at some unknown time earlier.
The right side receives a lot more abuse than the left side on any car in most countries!
The Edges of roads have lots and lots of goodies to run over or into.

All you have to do is unbolt the bushing box from the frame and let the whole lower arm hang at a slight angle, to clear the frame, by just pulling the front bolt out that holds the front bushing.
The whole arm slips down about a half inch inside the cars frame. The strut holds it all up.

I got into doing mine this way because you cannot properly tighten the bushing back onto the lower arm if that box is up against frame. The wrenches I have won’t fit and swing in that narrow opening and it’s worse on the right side with the exhaust.

I used Art Benstein’s method of cocking the whole assembly and running the nut tight before raising the lower arm up to the frame.
It saves you from doing in while the wheel is on the ground or supporting the weight of the car!
It’s a guesstimate on how much I it twists when the wheel is hanging and putting it there beforehand, so, when it’s on the ground it’s more or less in a neutralize stressed position.

I don’t quite understand them designing it while putting the rubber in a stress anyway?
It is in there and was meant to be a support and be a noise isolation member only!
I see if it’s not tight, it then became a “goof” on their part when it made clunky sounds.
So consequently, the engineers came up with a compromise procedure for the dealer shop manuals!

I’ll bet the assembly lines didn’t put the car down on the ground. I think the pushed the whole McPherson assembly up in one shot with a preassembled unit set on a holding fixture.
It then got grabbed by a rolling battery powered jack!
Before that, They used to use two large armed Swedes to line things up! (:-)

I used an air impact and backed the nut off the stud of the lower arm. You can do this with out one if you use an extension and 3/4” socket before you yank the front bolt on the front bushing.

Once you get that nut off the stud, the whole box will slide off the lower arm.
You can pound it out with a big hammer and a support underneath the case that holds the bushing.
You would be “ pressed” (pun) to find a great big bench vise!
It is a nice press out though, as it took almost Four Tons of pressure to get it to budge on my press. After that, the pressure dropped to way less than half to slip it on out. Going back with a new one is quite easy.

Anyone with a hydraulic press or a bottle jack can do this.
You just have too get “creative” on supporting the box and using something of the right diameters rams to push on the bushing.
I have used a bottle jack, on top of a four by four wood timber, up underneath my garage door opening or a regular door opening period to build a press.
I used them to bend things or remove bearings in my younger, MUCH poorer days! It’s fairly hard to lift the header boards built in over these openings. You know they are there to support walls and roofs.
I guess if your house is not a a slab you could get under there, as well!

If you don’t have any of this you can always go with threaded rod and makeshift some spacers?
This is the whole thing with all these methods is gathering up the pushing blocks in the beginning.
Once it’s out, the reverse of putting in the new one is already figured out!
I see why some people charge do push things out, as it’s not as easy as blowing your nose! (:-)
Especially without ruining bearings!
I think you are in for a real treat, if you think, you are going to change out the whole lower control arm without doing something with that support box as it is not part of a new arm.

Beside, the prices you are getting on standard rubber bushings all the way around, are way, way out of line!
Shop with better details if on line.

Phil

When you loosened/re-tightened the control arm nuts -- was the suspension at ride height or was the car jacked up? Those stock bushings are designed to twist with the movement of the suspension --- and so should only be torqued to spec with the car sitting at ride height. If you loosen/tighten them with the suspension at full droop (as when working on the strut replacement) you will put them in a heckuva bind. I think watching as someone turns the wheel is a reasonable idea.
--
82 242-6.2L; '17 Mazda3; '16 Crosstrek

+1
Sounds like it could be the control arm bushings if tightened when jacked up. Was also thinking bad strut mount but I assume you replaced those when you did the struts.

It doesn’t sound like a rack problem to me but I agree that watching the steering/suspension while someone else turns the steering wheel is a good idea.
--
Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....

Jwalker,

I recently rectified the situation. Put the car on wheel jacks so I could still comfortably get under it. Loosened and torqued the 3 bolts on the bracket, the front control arm bushing bolt and the two cross member bolts in the engine compartment...(last one maybe unnecessary..not sure)

Results:
Sounded a bit better at first, but the odd flexing, clunking, popping sound is still there. Especially on turning to pull out slowly from parking spots and taking turns from a stopping point.

My assessement:
I think I need to replace the control arm bushings. I remember now, before I even did the strut renovation that this sound was there and happening but it didn't bother me as much as the messed up and overly bumpy suspension from the failing front shock.

I will most likely research some older posts on here about control arm replacements/issues, etc. But that seems to be the most likely culprit, as I think you're right, the steering rack is fine.

thanks

How do, Stallison!

Read your other responses. Your description sounds like what I heard from my 90 240 some years ago. The “popping” type sound in Inga was particularly pronounced when making a slow 90 degree type turn where the two meeting road surfaces were uneven. My conclusion was a bad passenger side control arm bushing. Best way to examine them is on a lift. Short of that you could use a pry bar wedged in there to test for excessive movement.

One additional thought. If you use poly bushings they will be stiffer than stock. So, unless you intend on replacing all of them you might consider going stock.

J
--
Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....

Sounds familiar to me, too. Uneven or sloping road surface. Steering at lock. Backing up especially.

I figure the 240's steering geometry isn't 100% ideal at full lock, so two items are flexing - the tire in contact with the road surface, and the large rear bushing in the front control arm.

When it happens to me, I feel the pop in the steering wheel, and the tire is what springs to a new location reminding me of the stored energy friction cycle that happens in an earthquake.

Gravel surface makes it obvious. Wet surface mitigates the pop. Tire pressure is a factor. Happens with new bushings or worn bushings. Happens on all our 240s.

I've never used poly bushings. And the only way I've been able to confirm a rear control arm bushing has torn away from its inner sleeve is to remove all three bolts in the cup and test it by twisting it.

--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

The older I get the faster I was.

Hi Art,

You described what I think does happen to my ‘78 GT that is really bad.
Yep things are worn out under there because mind is all original under there as I noted in my other post.

The scenario you state about the how the tire itself wants to jump sideways is right on!
I think it’s like you said when it’s in full lock those wheels are turned a great deal!
That why we are able to turn so much tighter than any of those front wheel drive cars!

I’m sure glad the BB is working better like before, don’t you!
A little more activity on the 200 tab would suit me fine!

Thanks for your descriptions.

Phil

Michael (no relation to Robin is there? haha, sorry I'm a Brewers fan),

This could be it. I did loosen and torque when the car was up in the air, suspension drooping. Oops.


Guess I will crawl under there shortly and loosen and torque the control arm nuts and the crossmember nuts when its resting on the ground. Sure was a lot easier with the wheels off, but nothing worth having comes easy in life, right?

Would be best to jack it up, loosen them so that the washer/nut is just in contact with the bush, lower car, tighten them.
--
82 242-6.2L; '17 Mazda3; '16 Crosstrek

Hi,

I haven't had too much luck at getting under the car except on my car lift any more.
The idea of ramps or stands are always possible but the ground hinders me.
First I wear bifocals and the ground really just doesn't let me back away enough!
I also have issues when lying under a vehicle with what the doctor calls, vertigo or inner ear fluid balance. It will make me nauseous, especially when holding my head up off a floor creeper.
Sometimes, I think it's lack of blood to the brain! I'm no doctor, so I stay upright.

Where I have an issue, is when or with getting the nut on the rear of the control arm loosen or tighten up.
There isn't much room to swing the wrench in the space opening of the frame support box.
Once you get the points or flat of the wrench to line up there is little room to move it, before hitting a side.

Not long ago, I replaced that rear bushing just by undoing the box's three bolts.
I let the control arm sag but I had it supported with a tall screw jack, for just the aspect of safety.
The strut assembly holds it all up there and is the best thing I can say.

This lets the complete box drop with the bushing.
It was not quite enough to get a straight access so I pulled the bolt out of the front bushing.
This allows the whole control arm to drop about an inch more at that angle.
It Barely mocpves a half inch down on the front bushing that stays in the frame.

This allowed me to get a 19 or 18 mm socket directly onto the nut. With an extension and my air impact it was off and back on in a jiffy, of course, after pressing the old bushing out. (:-). There's nothing Jif, except peanut butter, at my age anymore! (:-)

I tried this approach after reading a statement from Art Benstein!
It's about cocking the whole box clockwise before running the nut home to the torque specifications.
A guesstimation of twist, is the cocking part.
The idea I gathered was to do that and then when bolting up the whole affair to the frame, this will twist the bushing back left when bolting it to the frame.
This puts the bushing under a twist very similar to that of which happens to it when the wheels are off the ground and the strut puts it under Tension.
When the wheels are on the ground, then the bushing is twisted less and more into an neutral area of having no or very little twist too much either way? Guesstimation is like a wet thumb in a wind!

The whole idea for me was being able to get access to that darn nut and get it TIGHT!
If it works loose, you will hear a CLUNK or THUMP while going into a slightest dip or a rumble of a road. This is while you are going straight and quietly down the road. It drives me buggy!

The part about turning and a pop is unusual to me.
On my very oldest car, that still has its original suspension since day one, I get a pop or clunk if it's in a slow sharp turn.
The wheels in this scenario are in fully locked over in the turning mode.
It's More noticeable if backing up, as it seems it to pop more readily.
It is almost like I'm trying to run over or drag my own front wheels. The body may even wiggle?
Sometimes it's like it wants to push itself over its own tire sidewalls!
Maybe I have worn out some "lock" stops someplace in the steering rack?

I expect this, because I know I need to replace something if not everything under there.
I have the parts, including a new rack but since I do not drive the car, even 500 miles a year, it's not been a priority. BUT, It is getting closer, up to my front burners on my stove though.
I need to rework the whole car including the braking system.
A refurbishing or reckoning day is coming!
I keep promising myself, as It's all too old, to be on the road any much longer.
I drive very locally, just to keep things working, as not driving it, would really make it unsafe!
This way I stay aware and less chance of surprises!

I have learned to always listen to a cars language!
Phil

Machine Man,

I recently rectified the situation:

-Put the car on wheel stands so I could still get at everything while the weight was still pressing on the suspension and control arms.

Loosened and torqued all the pertinent bolts.

Result:
For a bit, it seemed to be ok, but not long after, minutes we're talking, the flexing, popping joints sounds came back. From my ear, they sound like they are from the passenger's side control arm area. Or that general vicinity near the wheel. Its really when I'm taking turns slowly or getting into and out of parking spots.

The funny thing is, I realize now, it was there before. Probably for some time. I did the front strut renovations because my passenger's side shock was shot. It was scary how bad the sucker would bounce and make sounds over the slightest of bumps. I think since this seemed like such a bigger deal, I ignored the other sounds.

In my opinion...or very non-professional opinion, the control arm bushings are shot, very much so on the pass side. I couldn't tell by investigating under the car and looking at them. Its almost impossible to see into the bushings on both the front and back when its installed, so I'm going on faith. However, due to the bad front pass shock creating havoc and so much movement in the suspension on that side, it would seem to follow that the control arm bushing would have been damaged...i thiiink..

Either way, I'm going to do some more research of older posts on control arms and what not berfore I go buying the poly pro IPD bushing replacements....

Thanks for your tips and shared knowledge