Do I Need New Spring Seats?

[lax01]

Control arms are cake - 4 bolts total. I can swap them out with new ones with nothing but a few sockets, torque wrench, and a jack in under 30 minutes.

what about the ball joint?

[yangotang]

what about the ball joint?

Bolt + Nut for Control Arm connection.

A pair of Bolt + Nut for connection to the subframe.

So I guess it's three bolts.

Thanks for the clairification, Josh. :josh:

[lax01]

Bolt + Nut for Control Arm connection.

A pair of Bolt + Nut for connection to the subframe.

So I guess it's three bolts.

Thanks for the clairification, Josh.

no I was honestly wondering...I've never see how the ball-joint is connected

[PullMyFinger]

The ball joint is held in by one large bolt. That bolt has a notch cut out of it. A smaller bolt goes through the control arm and sits in that cutout preventing the ball joint bolt from falling out the bottom. It doesn't even need that much torque. Pretty clever actually.

[Slater]

no I was honestly wondering...I've never see how the ball-joint is connected

That is correct. The ball joint is held in by one bolt. You remove the nut and tap out the bolt. Then remove the 2 nuts and bolts where the rear control arm bolts to the body. Then give the arm one good whack with a BFH on the solid part of the arm right by the ball joint. The arm should fall right out. No need for a pickle fork. I've done it on a dozen arms now, even arms with 150k and all rusted. The key is the BFH. Works every time on ball joints (not just on Volvos).

[Bay13]

On the Volvo, if you drop the side that attaches to the frame first, then take out the One 15mm nut and smack the bolt out,you are ready for the hammer. To help or make it so your hammer doesn't have to be that big, take a large chizzel and open up the jaw that the ball joint slide up into, makes it come out easier, and makes going back in a little easier to line up for the bolt.

[erikv11]

Put the strut back in and then do the A-arms. When you don't have the strut in, the A-arm, axle, and tie rod hole the steering knuckle out. If you go even further your steering knuckle will be very very hard to keep in place without supporting it on something else.

I made the mistake of taking the A-arm and strut out at the same time. It was difficult to get everything repositioned.

thanks much.

so first I'll do the spring seats, then put the strut back in , but don't attach the link rod.

then do the link rod, A-arm (can't wait for the BFH) and tie rod. put it back together. support the A-arm so I don't trash the bushings.

Then, open a beer and prepare mentally to speed-change the other side.

On the Volvo, if you drop the side that attaches to the frame first, then take out the One 15mm nut and smack the bolt out,you are ready for the hammer. To help or make it so your hammer doesn't have to be that big, take a large chizzel and open up the jaw that the ball joint slide up into, makes it come out easier, and makes going back in a little easier to line up for the bolt.

OK, I should try the chisel, I've never done this job, anything that makes putting them back in easier must be good.

Then I'll start shopping for new spring seats, the other side might be bad already by the time I finish the second one.

[yangotang]

thanks much.

so first I'll do the spring seats, then put the strut back in , but don't attach the link rod.

then do the link rod, A-arm (can't wait for the BFH) and tie rod. put it back together. support the A-arm so I don't trash the bushings.

Then, open a beer and prepare mentally to speed-change the other side.

OK, I should try the chisel, I've never done this job, anything that makes putting them back in easier must be good.

Then I'll start shopping for new spring seats, the other side might be bad already by the time I finish the second one.

No problem! Let us know how it goes and if you have any further questions.

[bobcat]

On the Volvo, if you drop the side that attaches to the frame first, then take out the One 15mm nut and smack the bolt out,you are ready for the hammer. To help or make it so your hammer doesn't have to be that big, take a large chizzel and open up the jaw that the ball joint slide up into, makes it come out easier, and makes going back in a little easier to line up for the bolt.

doesnt vadis say not to put anything in between the ears to open them up?

[Slater]

doesnt vadis say not to put anything in between the ears to open them up?

I agree. Those are machined surfaces. I have changed these arms a number of times now and have had ZERO problems inserting the ball joint into the spindle. All I do is rub a very thin coat of axle grease on the ball joint shaft as well as the opening on the spindle. Then the ball joint just slides in like butta. Insert the bolt and crack open a cold one.

To help or make it so your hammer doesn't have to be that big

I know, but I like using my trusty BFH as much as possible. You know, like using a shotgun to kill a fly! Gets 'em every time.

[Bay13]

doesnt vadis say not to put anything in between the ears to open them up?

I have no Idea what it says about changing the control arm/ball joint. In 1993 when the 850 came out there wasn't a vadis. It could very well say that. If I ever break one, I'll replace the spindle. :)

[Slater]

I have no Idea what it says about changing the control arm/ball joint. In 1993 when the 850 came out there wasn't a vadis. It could very well say that. If I ever break one, I'll replace the spindle.

Haha, that's what you call OLD SCHOOL Rich!

Nah, it's impossible to break a spindle using a chisel, but someone who has never done it could realistically mar or tear up the machined sorfaces of the spindle ears making it difficult or dangerous to tighten it back up. Volvo writes VADIS assuming you're some newbie teenager lube tech, so they want to make sure all of th evfirst timers aren't out in the put wailing on spindles with BFHs and chisels.

We all have our shortcut methods - whatever works for you is fine (you know your stuff). I'm just saying the chisel method may not be the best for someone that has 1. never change dtheir control arms before 2. is a little shaky on the details of where and how to chisel, and 3. understands the consequences of doing it wrong.

[bobcat]

i wonder if volvo said that because if you open them up, you may stress the ears causing metal fatigue which could result in failure. This is highly unlikely but maybe they didnt want to take chances.

[erikv11]

No problem! Let us know how it goes and if you have any further questions.

One month later, finally did the job this weekend.

First A-arms, that was pretty easy. BFH was just the ticket, didn't need the chisel. Took a little while to figure out how to get the long torque wrench in there to tighten them back up, but the bottle jack under the A-arm was the key. Re-seating the ball joint was also a bit of a strain, so I pounded it in a bit, then raised the bottle jack ander the A-arm point until the ball joint clicked right in under tension. Release bottle jack, mount knuckle side of control arm, then bottle jack again, torque the frame side of the control arm.

Spring seats, end links, tie rod ends, all pretty straightforward. Pickle fork on the tie rod ends and they popped right out. Had to release the front disks to torque the upper strut-to-steering-knuckle nut.

Rides MUCH better now, squeaks and clunks are gone. In the spring seats the metal tube had completely separated from the rubber material on both sides. by the way, 11.81 inches (compressed spring length) = 30 cm, a lot easier to remember and to measure .

Thanks everyone for your help. tomorrow I figure out how to get the rear sway in, before Monday's alignment.

[Zappo]

One month later, finally did the job this weekend.

First A-arms, that was pretty easy. BFH was just the ticket, didn't need the chisel. Took a little while to figure out how to get the long torque wrench in there to tighten them back up, but the bottle jack under the A-arm was the key. Re-seating the ball joint was also a bit of a strain, so I pounded it in a bit, then raised the bottle jack ander the A-arm point until the ball joint clicked right in under tension. Release bottle jack, mount knuckle side of control arm, then bottle jack again, torque the frame side of the control arm.

Spring seats, end links, tie rod ends, all pretty straightforward. Pickle fork on the tie rod ends and they popped right out. Had to release the front disks to torque the upper strut-to-steering-knuckle nut.

Rides MUCH better now, squeaks and clunks are gone. In the spring seats the metal tube had completely separated from the rubber material on both sides. by the way, 11.81 inches (compressed spring length) = 30 cm, a lot easier to remember and to measure .

Thanks everyone for your help. tomorrow I figure out how to get the rear sway in, before Monday's alignment.

Glad to hear you got it fixed. Kevin's spring seats were in the same shape, the center had seperated from the rest.