OK guys now I am stumped...

240 89 DL sedan 255K kilometers mostly highway.

I've had a clunky front driver's side since last summer...
At first I thought the 3 bolts holding down the lower control arm bushing mount were loose... well they were last year, i replaced them new from dealer and torqued them (yes under vehicle weight). Better but still had some clunk...

Note that a few months prior to that I replaced the tie rod end and the ball joint, and the suspension was quiet. No inner tie rod wear as last checked.

All winter I have had a growing clunk. I always just felt it was the bushing, since I can almost feel it at my left foot area as driving - on highway it is pretty much gone, much louder at low speed. Sounds like a hammer hitting the subframe underneath. When braking it's almost gone - tension to suspension i guess.

Last weekend, I jacked it up again. Removed the wheel, no loose caliper or anything brake related. Grabbing the spring I tried to see if I can feel play at the upper strut mount, but nothing obvious, anyhow the clunk is down low.

I looked at the rear control arm bushing through the hole with a light, and really I must say it looks 100% intact, I could not move the arm but then again much couterpressure from spring... but again really it does look 100% intact - I am assuming it's ok.

I put the wheel back and felt for play. There was a but, surely the bearing. Not ideal but I just slightly tightened it up (will replace both front in future) to see. It is somewhat quieter from a clunk perspective thanks to bearing but I still have the main hammer effect at my feet.

Any thoughts?

Greg Mustang
Montreal - Ottawa
Canada

Could the gland nut securing the strut in the tube have loosened? That will cause clunking. Check your top strut nut as well. Couple years back I had front struts replaced. Gland nuts loosened after a few months causing rumbling clunking, almost sounding like bowling pins being knocked down.

Good Luck, Erich Zappe
Ottawa

Here’s an IPD Tech Tip for front end clunks. Maybe this will help.

Check the following first:

Front crossmember bolts (2 on each side) accessed from each side of the engine compartment. 17 mm socket, loosen one-half turn, torque to 55 ft pounds.

A-Arm front bushing bolts (2 total) accessed from under the car behind the steering rack bellows. With weighted suspension, 19 mm socket, loosen a bit, torque to 54 ft. lbs.

A-Arm rear bushing mounts, three bolts each side, 14 mm socket, loosen a bit, torque to 29 ft lbs.

Rear A-Arm nut is hard to reach, torque to 40 lbs.

My son's car clunked like crazy. It had very loose A-Arm rear bushing mount bolts. Torqued them and the clunk disappeared. Free and easy.

Good luck.
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Thanks to everyone for the help, Doug C. 81 242 Brick Off Blocks, stock, M46; 86 244, 140k , auto.

I had a clunk after doing rear control arm bushings. I could hear it from the right side when turning hard left. I could trigger it by making drastic left and right turns while weaving between lanes driving about 20 mph down a deserted road. Turned out to be the lower bolt on the link rod, where it connects to the control arm. I left it loose while feeding the top through the sway bar eyelet, and forgot to tighten it up afterwards.

I had the same problem and was looking for a diagnosis at last weekend's local Volvo Club DIY session at Annapolis Volvo. My car is a 1991 240 DL with 119 k miles. The tech showed me how to test the rear control arm bushing. Take a pry bar or very large screwdriver and lever at the forward flange as is trying to pry the bushing out of the bracket. A work bushing will move noticeably while a tight bushing will hardly budge.

Mine gave at least 1/2", and he said it was worn but could wait if I wanted to for a while. He also said they delaminate when they fail and get really noisy. for some reason, the left wears much more than the right, so Volvo OEM rca bushings are thicker on the left than on the right.

HTH,

someguyfromMaryland

I looked at the rear control arm bushing through the hole with a light, and really I must say it looks 100% intact, I could not move the arm but then again much couterpressure from spring... but again really it does look 100% intact - I am assuming it's ok.

Given your description I'd still suspect the control arm bushings. When you go over a bump there is a lot more force delivered to the A-arm than you can begin to duplicate with the car jacked up. And a visual check won't always tell you what you need to know. Did you tighten the bolts at the control arm? Also tighten the crossmember bolts, and the end link grommet bolts. Tighten up everything you can see on the suspension. If none of that gets rid of the clunk, swap out the control arm bushings and report back the results.

Did you check the torque on the 4 crossmember bolts inside the engine compartment? These are know to loosen up overtime
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1990 240 Sdn 277K,tach,strut brace,turbo sway 1990 240 Wgn M47II 157K,tach,strut brace,poly bushings,IPD sways

Can you please define where these subframe bolts are? In engine compartment or underneath? Thanks
What's the torque around?

retorque the subframe where it bolts to the car. good luck, chuck.

Can you please define where these subframe bolts are? In engine compartment or underneath? Thanks

engine comp. 2 on each side. look on the pass side, they're easier to see there. good luck, chuck.