My daily driver 1990 245 has a howling from the rear end. I know most rear ends are overbuilt, and can howl for years without failure, but for peace of mind, and peaceful driving, I must do something. A rebuilt is not an option due to price, and probably parts non availability. 240s in wrecking yards around here have become very rare. Anyone ever have this problem? I traced the noise to the differential, sounds like the front bearing, but more likely it is gear wear. It had oil in it, I put a little more, which made no difference in the noise.

Anyone have a rear end for sale between Dallas and Louisville KY?

Hi,
All is not as bad as you think with our beloved Volvos.

I saw a YouTube documentary thing on Volvos and it was said in that the 240 cars used Dana rear ends.
He was fairly specific about a 30 or 3010? 3110? series and having the parts being of limited slip variety too. The Canadian cars came equipped with more of those than in the USA.
These were the same used in Jeeps over the years so there are plenty of parts available or least from the crowds that love Jeeps!
Knowing the connections that Volvos also had with Chrysler Corp it all seems believable to me.

Check around for some rock climbing jeep-per-creeper’s in your areas!
They are always swapping parts and courageous adventure stories!

Phil

Nice to know about the shared rear end parts.
Will check it out. Thanks.

Hi Burco,

All the bearings are readily available.

Are you leaking any oil ? The pinion bearing sits higher than the rest of the bearings and is usually the first to go due to a low oil condition.

I would disconnect the driveshaft from the pinion flange and get someone to spin a rear wheel while checking the pinion with your hand for roughness or play.

I blew a pinion bearing once when I misinterpreted pinhole leaks in the diff cover for a weeping gasket.

My experience is that worn or rough gear teeth can growl, yet still go for a very long time, but a bad bearing is apt to completely fail in a short time.

Good luck, Peter

Makes sense to me. I plan on removing the drive shaft today. I will try your procedure to check the pinion brg. I have a spare drive shaft that I will install to eliminate that as a source of the howl. ( probably wishful thinking.

Raised car, separated drive shaft from diff, and pinned one wheeel. There is defintaly play between pinion, and the tire. Of course I dont know how much is normal. Is any detectable play normal? Should I remove rear end plate and do a visual? I will research using youtube,but it looks like I am going to have to swap rear ends.

Over the years on this board I have noticed a tendency to go for the worst, when trying to diagnose a "noise".

My advice has always been, start Simple, Easy, and Cheap, when searching for remedies.

After confirming that none of the driveshaft 'wear' components are the source of your noise--- U-Joints, Center bearing---to the point of renewing them all.---easy once you have the driveshaft out. Total cost--a hundred or so dollars for parts.

Drain the rear end---into a light colored or white pan---cat litter plastic box works just fine. Examine the fluid for metallic shards---fine particles.
I doubt you'll find anything out of the ordinary.

****Refill the Rear with a Synthetic
https://www.redlineoil.com/75w90-gl-5-gear-oil.

Cost- litter box, 20 bucks for a quart of the Synthetic gear oil.

Drive It.

Rear ends rumble. Rear wheel bearings rumble.
Volvo RWD Rear End failures are few, unless you run it Dry, or Race it.

But then, if you're looking for a PITA job, go ahead and replace the rear.

Cheers

You make good points. Lord knows I do not want to swap out the rear end. I am sure it would be a day of finger smashing and angry cussing. I have been guilty more than once of not doing the simple stuff first, so am going slow.
This diff was never dry,though it may have been a tad low when I started. Adding oil certainly did not quiet it any.
I raised the car again and disconnected the drive shaft at the diff;
No play or leak in pinion. Drive shaft has good u-joints with zerk fittings.
Reconnected drive shaft, put in gear and listened with stethoscope;
Noise at pinion, noise on both inner and outer bearings, really loud noise at diff. cover. I suspect diff.wear, but I guess I need to listen to my good 240 to compare noise as I dont know what noise is normal.

I am aware that differentials in general are overbuilt, and many howl, yet will function for thousands, or tens of thousands of miles, but I still make long trips in the wagon and do not want to be stranded, or fear being stranded.

"I am aware that differentials in general are overbuilt, and many howl, yet will function for thousands, or tens of thousands of miles, but I still make long trips in the wagon and do not want to be stranded, or fear being stranded."

Maybe it's of some consolation to you that, since 1999, I'm on my third Volvo and none of them were or are quiet.
1: 1970 Amazon, whined profusely in all gears.
2: 1992 245, slight gearbox whine, esp. in top gear.
3: 1992 245, gearbox whine, esp. in 2nd, and of course top gear.

Unless the whine becomes a really loud howl or increases relatively quickly, the diff would be the last driveline component to worry me on long trips...

In the Amazon I ended up replacing the gearbox and taking the cover of the diff off to have a look. The gearbox was in dire need of new seals, but the gear teeth in the diff showed remarkably few signs of wear. But...nothing I did changed the whine in any way.

Please do compare the sound coming from the diff of your other 240. But my guess: they'll probably be alike and different at the same time, depending on their history. At least that's what I found out after replacing my first 245 with a 100% identical 245 only 800 cars or so up the VIN no. and with similar mileages at the time of purchase.

Found a nice fellow who wrecked his 1990. Sold me a rear end for $125. took me and a friend a day and a half to swap. The emergency brakes were a real mental issue for me. New RE is quiet as a mouse. Issue with the old RE was the carrier bearing.
YAHOO!!!!
Thanks to all for help.

Good acvice. I am aware of rear ends being the most overbuilt part of a car, and that rear ends can whine, yet go for 10s or 100s of thousands of miles.

I just ordered some REdline 75-90 for the RE, and some MTL for my 1990 M-47 tranny.
I removed the cover, and the gears look fine, and there was no metal inside, except a lot of particles on the magnetic drain plug. I will change the fluid, and try to live with the noise.
Thanks

Drain it
****Refill the Rear with a Synthetic
https://www.redlineoil.com/75w90-gl-5-gear-oil.

you may be surprised.

Redline MTL (manual transmission lube) has succesfully quieted and lengthened the service of Volvo M47 5 speed trannies. As discussed at length many times here on the BrkBrd.

You can go with a higher viscosity. What have you got to lose, besides the money for the Gear oil....

https://www.redlineoil.com/gear-lubricants.

____________________________
"""I am aware that differentials in general are overbuilt, and many howl, yet will function for thousands, or tens of thousands of miles, but I still make long trips in the wagon and do not want to be stranded, or fear being stranded.""""

I don't believe there has been any documented/reported Rear End catastrophic failures here on the Brickboard----I've been here since the late 90's.
If there were, responders would concur that you are right to be fearful---but that is not the case.


My 75 245 developed a slight rumble at around 85K in the mid 1980s.
I had to take it off the road in 1997 because of severe body rust.
It was my kayak hauler---to and from the WV mts, to the Carolina mts, Tenn. A couple of trips to Colorado fully racked with 2 passengers and a ton of camping gear-non stop to Denver switching drivers. One trip totaled 5000m -- driving around the state New Mexico--Four Corners. They got some big hills out there in them mountains, not the mere bumps that are the Appalachians.


Also own a 1980 244, and a 1987 245.---the 75 I got in 1983 ---- so almost 40 years driving 240s

Tried Red line, and it didnt quiet it, I found a fellow with a wrecked 240 who sold me a rear end for a really good price, ($125.00), and I and a friend swapped it out. "New one is quiet as a mouse.I tell you though, the swap out was a beating, and the emergency brake dissassembly-assembly is a real head scratcher, and a challenge. Yahoo!

Well, I bought some redline75w90-gear-oil.
Drained old, removed cover and inspected gears,
filled with Redline.....
No difference. Still noisy, actually, I can hear no difference.
I did notice that the noise is the same coasting in neutral, or under power, or at 30 mph and foot off the accelerator.
I will use the car for in town driving and tolerate the noise, until I can buy another 240 to part out. A used rear end sells for 300 to 500 dollars, and I dont want to buy one unless I know it is good. ( 240s are getting a lot harder to find. A non running 240 for a grand sells in about two days around here.)
Thanks for the tip though.

Well you are exactly right, I have nothing to lose by changing the oil so I would be a fool not to try it.

Will let you know. Thanks

You make good points. Lord knows I do not want to swap out the rear end. I am sure it would be a day of finger smashing and angry cussing. I have been guilty more than once of not doing the simple stuff first, so am going slow.
This diff was never dry,though it may have been a tad low when I started. Adding oil certainly did not quiet it any.
I raised the car again and disconnected the drive shaft at the diff;
No play or leak in pinion. Drive shaft has good u-joints with zerk fittings.
Reconnected drive shaft, put in gear and listened with stethoscope;
Noise at pinion, noise on both inner and outer bearings, really loud noise at diff. cover. I suspect diff.wear, but I guess I need to listen to my good 240 to compare noise as I dont know what noise is normal.

I am aware that differentials in general are overbuilt, and many howl, yet will function for thousands, or tens of thousands of miles, but I still make long trips in the wagon and do not want to be stranded, or fear being stranded.

Hi again,

I just reread your OP and I misread growl for howl. You are familiar with howling center bearing syndrome, I'm guessing, unless you're not.

What led you to believe the howl was coming from the front of the diff ? Did you have a stethoscope on it while the the wheels were turning ?

Peter

I just reread your OP and I misread growl for howl. You are familiar with howling center bearing syndrome, I'm guessing, unless you're not.
I have never had a center brg go out.

What led you to believe the howl was coming from the front of the diff ? Did you have a stethoscope on it while the the wheels were turning ?
Have inspected with stethoscope. Noise from every bearing, really loud noise coming from axle cover. No play in center brg.
Will try replacing fluid, but I feel that is a Hail Mary.

This is what I thought too. The center bearing supporting the driveshaft is so common it is predictable in any high mileage 240. My impression of the sound is jet engine getting ready to taxi, or old fashioned fire engine siren.

And, working with the differential is so stinky, I'd rather change a "good" driveshaft support and bearing than take the cover off of a pumpkin and expect to diagnose it.

http://cleanflametrap.com/pumpkin.html
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

"Middle age is when a narrow waist and a broad mind begin to change places." -E. Joseph Cossman

Hi Art,

Yes, I would at least run a hypo into it and try it again. I have a couple running in my cars that were removed and repacked. Once I cleaned them out, the bearings looked fine and ran smooth with new grease. The one in my 91 has seen 9 years since the service and still doing fine.

Swapping a rear axle is a big job. I remember when I blew mine coming home from work on a Friday and needed it for Monday morning. I'm trying to talk the OP off the cliff and make absolutely sure he needs it before jumping.

I should maybe have been clearer that if it was my car I'd pull the cover, but it would be only after I had eliminated every other possibility, and it would be the last thing I'd do before going looking for another axle.

You've mentioned stinky rear ends before, and though I can smell it, I don't find it offensive. I've pulled quite a few for painting because rust on them terrifies me. Your comment makes me wonder if maybe I've overreacted to people who've told me that I don't smell so good. They were probably just commenting on my poor sense of smell.

Peter

"Yes, I would at least run a hypo into it and try it again."

Exactly. Even if the bearing seal is about to crumble, a shot of lube of any sort will change the tune if this is the musical instrument.


--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

In 1980, the Winchester drive was born; based on a model from 1973. IBM introduced the 3340 "Winchester" disk system, the first to use a sealed head/disk assembly (HDA). Almost all modern disk drives now use this technology, and the term "Winchester" became a common description for all hard disks, though generally falling out of use. Project head designer/ lead designer Kenneth Haughton named it after the Winchester 30-30 rifle (initially called the "30-30" because of its two 30 MB spindles).

That is a great idea, though of everywhere I placed the stethoscope, placing it against the cover is by far the loudest. I have to try that, and an oil change before I tear into it.

Hi Burco,

It's normal to have a little backlash between the gears. There has to be some room for expansion as the gears warm up, and some more develops as the gears wear.

What about play on the pinion itself ? Try pushing it up and down or side to side.
The pinion bearing is directly behind the input flange. Can you feel any vibration with your hand at that point on the diff housing while someone is turning a wheel ?

I would think a failed u-joint or center bearing would be obvious after dropping the drive shaft.

Have you run the car with each rear wheel off the ground ? Does it growl, and is it the same on both wheels ?

Yes, I would suggest taking the cover off before buying a new axel. At this point it's only a gasket and you might find some evidence.

Peter

Put the rear up on jack stand and block the front wheels. Use a mechanic stethoscope (harborfreight tools) and check the wheel bearings and ring and pinion for sound. Could just be a bad axle bearing transmitting the sound up to the center. Most likely what your hearing. Not too hard to replace.

I did exactly that.
It sounds like it is coming from the front bearing on the axle. Definitly from the housing. Definitly not from outer axles. I figure the front bearing or probaly gear wear.

Pinion bearing. Try some RedLine brand gear lube. Flush Completely. How is the driveshaft center bearing and the universal joints ?.....They can also give a false noise transmission location.

Since I have a spare driveshaft and u-joints, I must swap them to make sure it is actually the rear end.
Thank you.

Since I have a spare driveshaft and u-joints, I must swap them to make sure it is actually the rear end.
Thank you.

Well, if it was a u-joint, or center bearing, I would be a lucky fellow. I have those, and can certainly try them.
Did not know Jeeps shared the rear end. It would not I suppose be an entire rear end swap, just the guts? I would have to get a Jeep rear end and swap the guts?
Hmmmmm.... I guess the next step is to look at the drive shaft bearing and u-joints.