I've not done studs on a volvo, but I'm 99% sure that they would simply be pressed in to the axle flange like any other car. The worst that could happen would be that you have to pull the axle. The hardest part of pulling the axle is moving the calipers aside and getting the rotors loose from the axle (which you may need to do anyway).

Once the rotor is off, you stick a socket in through the hole in the axle flange, unbolt the retainer, give it a good hard jerk, and find yourself sitting on your butt with an axle in your lap.

Then drive out the studs, and grease the outboard axle bearing while it is exposed.

To get the rotors loose, expect to let it soak in penetrating oil at least overnight, and be ready to pound between the studs with a ball peen hammer until the rust breaks loose. If you are tossing the rotors, you can use a wheel puller, which will make it easier.

Leak in the steering column? The only fluid is in the pump, hoses, and rack. My PS hose has leaked just a little since the car was two years old. I've never replaced it because the darn thing is expensive (around $50) and it only leaks a drip on the garage floor every few weeks.

I'm not hearing anything about this car that would scare me off. You can find checklists of problems to watch for on this board. Give it a good lookover. Look for rust or crash evidence in the body and sludge under the valve cover.

Assume that it needs more than you know right now, but if the body and engine are clean, and you can get it in good shape with fresh brakes and good tires and all the basic stuff working for less than $2500, you are getting your money's worth.

Before you take the car, check for original paint.

Yeah, I know that orig paint might be worn--but if it's never been repainted it can't have ever been in a serious accident. New paint and nice body work MAY cover a world of mechanical hurt and even structural weakness.

If you're in the snow belt, rust is a serious possibility even though the later years were galvanized. Got to look underneath.

If you get the car and do a complete brake job, think about installing the IPD braided brake hoses. I did that years ago on my 1980 and made good brakes into great brakes. My only reservation re a 1993 would be their compatibility with the hammering that ABS gives the brake system (braided hoses have less give and would sharpen the impact of the ABS unit). Maybe others on the board will know about this.

If the car has a leaking rack (unless it's a gusher) before you change the rack try changing the PS fluid. New fluid will have seal conditioners that might help the o-rings do their job.

Good luck.

Doug Harvey

A 93 245 for $900 sounds a little too good to be true, but sometimes the owner just wants rid of a car. How many miles does it have on it? Any rust? How many owners, maintenence records, overall condition paint, interior, etc? The brakes, studs, leak, are very minor repairs for the most part. Many shops would do this work for much much less than $1100. If its clean overall, sounds like a deal.

I just had my rear brakes on my 1990 240DL wagon done and they also replaced a couple of wheel studs at the same time for $145.00.

Rear Brake pads, installed, rotors machined, etc. plus two wheel studs replaced.

Ed

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'90 245DL, 5 speed, 295,xxx miles Looking to meet other brickers in Oregon. I travel up and down I-5 often and enjoy meeting for a beer in different towns.

A steering leak could be the pump, hoses, resevoir or the rack. None of it is too bad. Just figure out where that leak is before changing out things.

I thought changing a rack would be hard, but I was wrong. Dirty and tiring, but it doesn't require any real brains. You will have to spring for an alignment after changing the rack unless you are real careful when removing the tie rods.
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1985 240 DL, 1989 245 DL

Autozone carries the studs and lugs cheaper than most of the mail order houses. Replacing them is a really easy job, and common on 240s. I had to replace 3 on my 91 when I bought it.

Wow, $900, I would buy it if thats all the problems. The wheels studs are easy to replace with simple tools.

Do you mean a leak in the steering rack? I haven't replaced one, but there are alot of people on the board that have. I would imagine will some good advice from the BB you could work your way thru it.

IMHO 900 is a steal for a late model. If you have to put 5-600 bucks into it you are still ahead of the game.

Good luck.

GO to your dealer or to FCP Groton, and order the wheel studs and a couple lug nuts. You could, if you have access to a parts car, knock out a couple of wheel studs, but it's probably just as well to get new ones. Not a lot of money.

Replace them when doing the rear brakes, and enjoy saving $950. Seriously, I don't know what this shop is planning on doing for the brakes, but there is NO WAY you can spend more than $50 per rotor, and $30 for pads- that's Volvo dealer list prices. If they need calipers or something, that's additional, but maybe $75 per side at someplace expensive. Rebuilt calipers anyway, which are fine. Our local Volvo dealer buys theirs from FCP Groton- if that tells you anything. There's always a core charge to figure in as well, but that's recovered after the job.

All you do to install the studs is bang the old ones out with a hammer- they fall right out the back of the axle drive plate. The new one is lined up with the hole, and you use a lug nut and some kind of spacer to pull it up tight. I like an impact wrench for this work but a regular ratchet and breaker bar will do it too. Oil the stud before starting to pull it in. I use a big ol' nut under the lug nut just as a spacer so the nut doesn't bottom out on the threads.

I just did this on a friend's 88 245. Not too hard to do, but you DO have to have the brakes all apart to do the work.

Good luck!
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: Roterande Fläkt Och Drivremmar!

I'd be a little skeptical with this car. $900 is a good price for a late-model 240, but it looks like you've got a lot of work ahead of you before this car is going to be in tip-top condition.

Meineke is stupid for wanting that much money to do work that you don't want them to do. Call around to other shops to see if they will handle just the studs. Someone will undoubtedly do just the work you want for a lot cheaper than a grand and change.

You've got me on the steering column leak, but that does not reassure my faith in the car being well-maintained. This weekend, if you get to see the car, make sure to find out the maintenance history and take a good look for any leaks or other problems.

There are lots of 1993 240s out there in good condition, so there's no need to commit to this particular one.
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'89 244 GL -- 109,217 miles (see profile for info on car)