About two months ago, I had the front struts and rear shocks replaced by my local Good Year Dealer because every time I went over a large bump, I would feel it hard, like a hard jolt.

My Volvo dealer said that this was normal, which I said was not, and had the above parts replaced. Now the ride is firm, not soft, and whenever I ride over a bump, I feel it but not as a hard jolt which I believe is what a firm suspension means.

That being said, the GY dealer also performed a wheel alignment.

Ever since the alignment and above work, whenever I ride down certain inclines or hills, or make a turn, I occasionally would hear a loud sound that sounds like two bars hitting together, or more specifically, something like a clamping sound.

I brought the car back twice regarding this annoying sound to the GY dealer, rode with the tech, and the noise did not replicate itself the way I have described it. Moreover, the noise is not consistant. Both times the tech checked underneath the car, and everything appears tight.

I bought the car used last year with 48k miles, and until the suspension work was done, never heard any clamping noise. In addition the car drives straight, and there is no steering wheel vibrations.

The noise never appears when I put the car in reverse, nor does it appear when I am shifting the automatic.

I did notice, when the car was parked, that under the car, near the rear of the engine block, that there is some type of bar with a pivot that has what looks like a rectangular curved or rounded square attached. It looked to me like it was in a raised position. Could this be the cause of that clamping sound? I am not familiar with Volvo suspension, so maybe this sounds like a dumb question.

I love the car, it rides smoothly but the noise is annoying, and I am at a loss to explain it. Should I have the alignment redone?

Any advice for this new Volvo driver as to what can be causing that clamping sound?

Much appreciated.

 

Did you use aftermarket shocks and struts?

Any pics of the part you're describing?

 

The shocks and struts were made by Monroe.

Regarding the part, did not think to get a picture but will try tomorrow.

 

It's hard to say without hearing the noise obviously, but I have seen places like that put aftermarket parts in that are not quite right. Either too long or too short, causing the spring to move or bind at times.

 

Appreciate the diagnostic effort but the best I can describe for now is what sounds like two bars touching together or more like a bar clamping on another. Metal to metal but not like a bending spring or twanging type of recoil sound.

Interestingly, it does not happen every single time but only occasionally so I was wondering whether it was some type of safety clamp engaging when I put the car in gear. As I never had a Volvo, I thought it was some type of safety mechanism which Volvo is known for.

 

Again, I'd have to hear it. Any of the common wear items would do it consistently. I'd put my money on either the parts used or the installation though.

 

A friend of mine suggested I take my car for another opinion to his mechanic who is reliable. I was there this morning, and first they found that the right brake shield was rubbing against the disc causing a grinding noise which they adjusted, and then after spending almost an hour underneath checking for loose parts, none were found. The mechanic concluded that the only logical choice left was the inner and outer tie rods, of which some connected parts were worn or dried out that were contributing to the clamping noise I keep hearing.

Replacing these plus another alignment, should solve my problem.

The new strut and shock installation done previously, was done correctly.

I am having the rods replaced, and will pick the car up later.

 

That isn't logical at all. Tie rods are easy to check. They are either bad or not. If they were loose, Goodyear should have never aligned the car in the first place. You can check all the front suspension parts in about 10 minutes, so I gotta question the reliability of this place.

 

IPDUSA.com really describes problems like this and shows exploded views of the suspension. They describe differences between Volvo and aftermarket parts. GY technicians ruined a fairly new Escalade I had. I advise to stay away from these type places, especially on European autos. Been there, done that, NO more!

 

IPDUSA.com really describes problems like this and shows exploded views of the suspension. They describe differences between Volvo and aftermarket parts. GY technicians ruined a fairly new Escalade I had. I advise to stay away from these type places, especially on European autos. Been there, done that, NO more!

 

IPD has excellent Suspension parts. I won't recommend them for everything Volvo but everything I have done suspension wise they definitely are on game.

My honest advice after some clowns at Sears stripped some lug nuts 5-6 years ago. Start watching YouTube videos to do jobs yourself. 6 years ago I didn't know how to change my oil. Just got done swapping out my alternator yesterday that failed after 230,000 miles and have rebuilt the entire front suspension over the past couple years. Only two things I haven't been able to do are shocks because of the compression tool and I don't have and impact wrench. Secondly the Timing Belt might be above my skill level. Outside of that nothing has come up yet. I do plan on attempting the Timing Belt if my car makes it another 40-50k when it will be needed.