"this is typical mechanic bullshit..."
Well the sad reality of life with machines is that it's not always clear cut and there are no guarantees. You may repair one marginal component only to find that doesn't solve the problem - but you have saved yourself the trouble you'd have encountered when that already marginal part failed in the future. And offending those who take the time to offer their suggestions is not going to bring forth much more help. That being said, apply some common-sense investigative and troubleshooting skills, or take it to a mechanic who knows Volvos.
Here's what I suggest: get the rear of the car up on a pair of jackstands. Crawl under, and grab the differential, at the front, where the flange enters it. Try to rock it up & down - really come onto it. If there's movement, look at the reaction rods & see if those bushings have play in them when you rock the differential as above. Then check to be sure the bolts securing them at either end are tight. Then check to see what state the big trailing arm bushings (where the rear axle housing meets the trailing arms) are in - poke at the bushing sleeve where it passes through the trailing arm, see if it's rusted through, peer in at the bushing, make sure it's not broken down & the bolt is going through the middle of the bushing, not beaten down toward the bottom of the rubber. Make sure the bolt passing through is tight. Check the bushing at the front end of the trailing arm, use a prybar to check for excess movement of the trailing arm relative to the frame mount, make sure the bolt is tight. Crawl up to the output flange of the transmission, lift by hand, looking for play that would indicate the trans mount is broken where it bolts to the crossmember. Look for play in the u-joints when you rotate one side back & forth while holding the other still. And check to be sure your rear wheel nuts are tight. Also check your transmission fluid - a low level will give very clunky shifting to reverse & drive if you've got an automatic, sorry I don't recall if you mentioned which yours is. And do check the archives. You are by no means the first 240 driver to experience this. Plenty of other posts about this, and plenty of possible problems/solutions. Hence the "bullshit" - we've been through this and there is no single part that will guarantee a fix. Read up on other peoples' experiences before getting frustrated with people providing you with FREE ADVICE!
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Chris, Dartmouth NS Canada 70 M-B 280SE, 83 245DL, 84 244 turbo, 90 780 turbo, 92 VW Golf
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