Well, I just finished replacing one inner and two outer tie rods... I need to get an alignment (which I knew before fix) because it still pulls to the right + steering wheel is not dead on straight (you have to keep steering to the left to keep it going straight.).
I also know because the drivers front tire is wearing un-even on the inside and the outside on both front seems to be wearing out faster than the insides.
Also, I have a low squeaking noise coming from the rear of the car, in the wheel well of the passenger rear I think.

1.) If it is a spring seat in the rear should I wait to get alignment?

2.) Can you do an alignment yourself or get in close range?
I figured I could jack up the car and do some measuring for the toe in..

3.) If I go to a known good alignment shop, can I avoid going to the local volvo specialist?
The local volvo/euro car specialist in my town is always way more than the guys in the other town. He (local volvo/euro car specialist) wants $150.00 to align the wagon. The alignment shop I am talking about wants $65....

Any thoughts on my alignment issue?

I do know if I align my tires will last longer, and I should be able to get that expected 5k they have left....

Thanks!

 

I would get a complete four wheel alignment at any decent tire shop. If you explain your issues to them, they should be able to set you up for under $100

 

A regular place that does alignments will be fine.

The noise might be the brake springs in the rear.

I would have it aligned. I would not mess with it your self have someone do it.

 

Psaboic - I was thinking I would be okay with the standard tire shop. The folks I would use are the same folks we use for work. Plus, they just built a new shop and have a brand new machine as of 6 months ago.....
I just always feel the local volvo/euro car specialist is way high compared to the other volvo specialist in the next town - like 25% to 50% higher...

 

Follow everyone’s advice.

It is usually the front spring seats that wear out.

Yes dealers (some call them rapership) do charge more, but there are reasons for it:

- They know your car best (in theory).
- They have manufacturer’s special servicing tools.
- They have manufacturer’s special diagnostic equipment.
- They install genuine OEM parts (Tech, correct me if this is wrong in some cases).
- They want to become friends with you so that they can get more out of you[8D].

..I just noticed that you were not referring to a dealer but to a specialised shop...[8D].

A decent alignment is not cheap, though $150 a bit too high. If you take it to a generic shop, make sure that they have your car’s alignment specs, and ideally they should use laser alignment machine. Trying to do it by yourself would invite a disaster. Wheel alignment is one of the tasks I do not do by myself, unless I have the equipment & training.

When you work on suspension components, make the alignment as the very last step.

Proper alignment also improves gas mileage.

Best of luck to you,


JPN

 

Well, I got the alignment done.
However the car still pulls right and you have to keep the steering to the left. When you hit the brakes, it does not pull as much as it did before...
Also, the drivers rear brakes squeak really bad now when you first start off. Do not know if this is any correlation in my issues...

I have uploaded the results of the alignment, so maybe I can get some feedback....

I'll go back to the shop in the AM to see if they can help me out...

Anything I can check on the car before going back in the AM?
I have replaced the lower control arm on the passenger side, the inner and outer tie rods. Could it be something in the rear?


[IMG]local://upfiles/17502/6CBC0606EC1948589FDE64134BADA031.jpg[/IMG]

 

Those look pretty good. I would have liked to see the L/R a little closer to the R/R but it is still within specs.

You can try swapping the front tires and see if it pulls the other way if it does then the tire is bad.

 

I agree, the alignment specs look good. I would do as Tech suggests, try swapping the tires front to rear. That should tell you if a tire is the issue. I saw in your original post that you say the tires have about 5K left, so they could well be part of the issue.

 

Thanks for the tips...
I swapped the two front L->R and R->L... Not much change. I just saw your post Psaboic, and I see that was meant front to rear...

I'll try that here shortly if I can slip out early...

I'll report back what I find...

 

It would not hurt to inspect for grabbing brakes, but then you would have noticed it by burnt odor.....


JPN

 

I just had mine done at the dealer ($80) and it also still pulls slightly. They said they took it for a drive and swapped the tires and it pulled the other way so one of the tires is slightly off.

I wanted to swap the fronts to the backs and vice versa but was worried jacking it up with a jack and jack stands might throw it out of alignment again. Should I be concerned at all? Or just let it down gently?

 

Just let it down gently. It will not affect the alignment.

 

OK thanks tech

 

Well, I swapped the front and rears... Still pulls slightly to right. I think maybe the tires are worn uneven??
I'll have to get it on the highway to see if there is a difference and report back.

 

They could very well be worn uneven. Volvo has one of the touchiest steering systems I have ever seen.

 

There is nothing so complicated about alignment.( Assuming the car is square and level)
All 4 wheels should be basically verticle (Front lean slightly in at the top- neg camber) and all four wheels should point straight ahead (~ 1/8 " toe in on front). These things can be checked with tape measures, a level or plumb line and 50 feet of string. Lot's of newer cars have only a few adjustments so when things wear or get bent it can be tough to correct.
I just replaced the entire front sub-frame on an S 80 that was 2 inches out of spec due to one little drive into the ditch. Volvos are tough but no match for mother Earth!