I've felt something like this in my 245. Took a syringe without the needle, poked small holes in the boots for the ball joints and outer tie rod ends and squeezed in some light grease. Watch out if you do this, because those collapsed boots have quite a memory and will squirt some of the grease right back out. Almost always into your face.

While that problem may be caused by the steering column u-joint, you'll get a big improvement in steering if you replace the struts, ball joints and the "big" bushings on the A arms. At 200K miles, you've gotten more than your $ worth out of these parts...

I would try what Don said, spray the steering U-joints.

Also remember that, worn front suspension can hinder steering. Although the struts may not have alot of factor in steering, as you move down and in, ball joints, tie rod ends, then tie rods...the parts matter more whether or not they are in good shape.

Check the tie rod assy's. Those, as well as the ball joints are really not to bad of a fix, probably about 4hours total. One thing you could do if you don't want to replace those componets right now and buy you some time. Flush the system! Takes about 20min at most and can have great results, usually does too!

Here are the instructions (for a 700 series, but will work for the 200 as you may know).
http://www.homestead.com/volvo2/740PSpump.html

If you don't already have ATF in there, put it in, but make sure you flush a bit longer to get all the old PS fluid out. Oh, one more thing, to get the return hose off of the Res. do lots of twisting and slight pulling. I just did pulling my first time and it breaks real easily!

Good luck
Chuck

One possibility is a binding U-joint in the steering column. I've replaced one in my '86 245 (at around 250k miles, more or less) and one in my '91 740 (at around 225k miles, or so).

The 245 tended to exhibit as "cogging" feeling as I turned the wheel through several revolutions. It was tight-loose-tight-loose, and so on.

The 740 was simply tight and hard to steer except within the narrow range of dead-ahead. It would bind -- the wheel would not fully return to neutral position.

Spraying the U-joints offered temporary relief (or partial relief) that lasted about a week. And it was a telling diagnostic.
--
Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)