To Ball Joint or Not to Ball Joint ? That is the question.

Have a 97 NA 850 with 172K on it. Engine, tranny, & body are good, except for recent weird temporary issue with engine dying, which I plan to hopefully permantly address with new plugs and such, see thread
https://volvoforums.com/m_130769/tm.htm
if interested.

Anyhow, front brakes are completely toast, in fact I'm not driving it any more they're so bad, so time for pads and rotors, no big deal.

Front struts are bad, one spring seat completley broken. So I figure, 172k on the original struts probably should replace those too while I'm in there working on the brakes.

Then I'm also thinking, hmmm... 172k on the ball joints and A-Arm busings.
I did the tie rod ends and sway bar endlinks about 30+k ago, but if I'm going to be taking the brakes completely out, the struts out, it's probably a good a time as any to do the A-Arms / balljointstoo. FCP has a complete F&R suspension kit for ~$570 which seems pretty reasonable for all the parts it has; struts, a-arms, rear shocks and all the nuts and bolts.

I've been poking around online and found various sets of instructions for the struts, doesn't look too bad. I have access to all the tools I need.

Found some instructions for replacing the A-Arms on an XC, which state the engine must be unbolted and raised several inches and the axle shaft has to be removed from the wheel hub. Not sure if the same would apply to an 850, seems a bit extreme. If I have all the strut stuff out, would I still need to take the axle shaft out of the hub and raise the engine a bit to do the A-Arms?

Besides that the A-Arms don't look that bad to do either. If I don't have to do that Axle shaft / engine stuff that would be great, but don't know if that's the case or not?

Or should I not bother with the A-Arms/ball joints until it's really time. Right now I can't really tell if they're bad or not for there's so much noise and slop going on with the brakes and struts.

Thanks

 

If the old ball joints and bushings are still good I would leave them. It is no easier to replace them along with the other stuff you are planning now than it is to change them outas their own project later on. The FWD 850's don't have the style of mounts that go through the frame, the bushings fit between tabs that protrude from the frame rail itself.

Be wary of the FCP kits, they tend to bundle a lot of ScanTech stuff in those kits. Avoid ScanTech control arms like the plague. FCP is a great supplier but you need to pick and choose the brand of parts that you buy from them.

...Lee

 

+1.

Leave the ball joints until the boots are torn, you have problem with handling/aligning (the fronts)the car for a retiring ball joints, or you win a million dollar lottery.

>front brakes are completely toast

You need the following devices:

- Butter
- Maple syrup
- Fruit preserves
- Coffee/hot milk or anything of your favourite

....


JPN

 

The control arms are cake to change later.

 

Thanks for the tips. Finished this project this past long holiday weekend. New struts, spring seats, I did the strut mounts too while I was there. New pads, rotors, and new banjo hoses I think they call them. The rubber hoses from the calipers to the metal brake lines were all split and cracked bad from the miles and years. Rides pretty good now, not quite brand new, still plenty of other squeaks and rattles on this rig with a 172k.

Next major project is timing and serpentine belts, was done once around 90k, getting to be about that time again.

Thanks again.

 

Unless things really changed between 1996 and 1997 the timing belt change interval is 70k miles or 5 yearsand you are overdue. You should also plan on changing the tensioner and the rollers. I just changedmy third oneat 210kon the 1994 and the tensioner, all of the rollers, and the water pump were just junk.

I did the full blown timing belt service (tensioner, rollers, waterpump) on my son's car at 135k and the Platinum is coming up on it soon. With the Platinum I bought some time and just stuck a new belt on it at around 135k.


...Lee

 

And the last major step is to...

...ship the car over to my address in Japan.


JPN

 

Japan wont' let the car in to the country. No junk on their roads.
not saying yours is junk but we're getting lots of used Japanese cars over here with under 100k as the cost to have them bought up to spec there is not worth it.

re ball joints, my kids 84 850 380 000 km just blew a ball joint while going 10 mph on side road. had t his happened on the highway he'd probable gone off the road and maybe head on to the oncoming car.

if in doubt change it.

better safe than dead.