Having more problems with 97 850 R. The steeing is pulling hard to the right and it vibrates like crazy at aournd 70 mph and gets worse as you go faster. It was riding pretty smooth after I put the winter wheels and tires on it, but it has really gotten bad the past couple weeks. When I had it on jack stands changing the transmission fluid and was running it through the gears, the steering wheel would jerk on it's own. I actually thought the car was not up high enough and the tires were hitting the ground, but that was not the case.

I have never worked on the suspension or steering and not sure if this is something I should tackle myself or take it to a mechanic. I'm pretty sure it still has all original struts and springs. I really enjoyed getting in the V70 last night and driving it instead of the R, so you know it must be bad. It also started misfiring again after running smooth for more than a month, which makes it even vibrate more. I think the steering problem is more than just alignment.

 

Try swapping the tires from front ot rear and see if it helps. Maybe one of the tires broke a belt.

If you take a turn pretty fast like turning onto a street does it really fight you back?

 

No not really, it's more like a constant pulling to the right on a straight road. I just priced struts and shocks with all the other parts recommended on this board and came up with close to $700 in parts. I know this would help the ride, but probably not the steering problems. I'll try switching the tires. I have had bad tires make the car feel really bad before, so at least it's worth a shot.

Tires sure wouldn't explain the way the steering wheel was jerking when it was up on jack stands though.

 

Not it doesn't but did it only do it when you started the car?

It might be a rack going bad as well. But start with all the somple things first.
Do you hear any noises when hitting bumps?

I drove a customers R the other day that had Beilsteins and was lowered.
Boy I hated the ride. I forgot how bad my stang was till I drove that.
My stang is worse but I have urethane bushings in that thats why it handles so bad.

 

I was looking at Bilstein touring not heavy duty, butI would not lower it. I've never been into lowering cars. Maybe I should just go with OEM. I always like the way the 850 drives and rides.

 

I would stay OEM or close to it.
The only reason I lowered the stang was to get better handling for like racing performance.

 

Why don't you like to lower it? You got a lower center of gravity, which improves handling..

 

Harder ride and even less clearance. It's already low enough.

 

The R with the 17's is like 1 inch lower than the average 850.
The R's ride alot rougher than the normal 850.

 

Hi Jim,

Greetings from Rutland, Vermont.

I just moved from Chicago to Vermont, it was a 2-day driving in a Penske truck and somewhere in Ohio I was driving on 80 East, when I thought I was on 90 East. After having wasted about an hour and a bit of fuel, I turned around and got back on 90E. I was exhausted, but a young girl at a BP station was kind and gave me a cup of coffee for free, after hearing my story. Ohio spirit was nothing like C.....[8D].

Anyway, last night my post was denied so I'm repeating it[8D]. As to the steering problem, it could be the R&P unit as Tech has noted, or somehow a foreign object may have found its way into the hydraulic system and has blocked a passage. A driver like you would keep the fluid level & belt condition impeccable, so they're out of the picture. I wonder if the R&P hydro unit is drainable. If so, draining & replenishing might solve the problem. The vibration may get worse at higher speeds, as the belt is driving the pump faster as well, so it could be the hydro control system problem. In general, if the balancing was the problem, the steering vibrates at a certain speed but goes away at higher speeds.

As to the strut & shocks, I used Bilstein Touring and I was happy with them, though they allow a bit of roll at turns. They were only a few $$$ more than the OEM Sachs, and Bilstein has world-wide reputation. Axel of Argentina has noted that HD's are too firm. I'll also repeat the parts I replaced:

FRONTS:
1. Struts (Bilstein Touring, German)
2. Strut upper mounts (Sachs, German/English)
3. Upper spring seats (Sachs, German/English)
4. Strut top caps (Scan-tech, Swedish)
5. Strut bump stops (Febi, German)
6. Strut special washers (Volvo)
7. Ball joints (Karlyn, USA)
8. Sway-bar link-rods (Hamburg Technik, German)
9. All lock nuts + some bolts (Volvo)

REARS:
1. Shocks (Bilstein Touring)
2. Upper shock mounts (MTC, USA)
3. All lock nuts

Coil springs are generally ok, unless they're physically borken or the car sags on one side with known-good dampers. The job is straightforward, but you need spring compressors. I used my sets and rented out another sets from AutoZone for added safety. The center locknut for the piston rod may be difficult to remove, in which case it is easier to have it done at a shop.

Please update us with the problem/progress.


JPN

 

You could try to flush the steering rack fluid, maybe it's got some nasty chunks of particulate in it.

JPN, welcome to the east coast. Ohio is the worst state to drive through (sorry Jim).
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Cheapest thing to try may be to balance the wheels. May be they are out of balance.

 

Hi info2x,

Thanks, I'm happy to be back in the East Coast, though I will be deported to Japan on March 9th. Everyone I talked to said that the immigration policy in this country was ridiculous, kicking out a person like me () and allowing non-English speaking dummies to become citizen/permanent resident[8D]. Anyway, route 90 & 80 shared the same road in Ohio, until there was a division I missed (no prior notices), so I kept on going on route 80 like an idiot, thinking I was still on route 90. But people were nice there, nothing like C.....[8D]

As to Jim's problem, I was thinking that a FOD has fallen into the steering pump reservoir and somehow blocked a passage. As to huzzsaba's opinion, one of the wheels may have thrown out the balance weight, but a driver like Jim would've noticed it right away, and there are some non-balance related symptoms as well.....

Anyway, I'll wait until Jim gets back.


JPN

 

Yeah I know about that 80/90 deal. I drove from NJ to MI and back a few times a year for work.
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Well all I have done is started driving the Nissan Frontier and done nothing with the Volvo until I decided to drive it yesterday. I don't feel like working on it right now and I just got a pretty decent pay raise (first in quite some time). So I called the local Independent Volvo shop that I take the car to and asked how much for shocks and struts. They acted like I was nuts. Said in the four years he has been there, he has never seen them replace shocks and the only time they replace struts is if they are leaking. The strut cap is very common to replace. He said the first thing he would do is switch right frontand left front tires (since I don't have directionals on right now) and see if it pulls the other direction. He really thinks it's a tire issue. Pretty much the same thing Tech said. Said $288 a side to do struts if I wanted it done and that includes strut cap, but highly doubted it needed them.

 

I was driving it on Friday and right before pulling into the parking lot at work, I started jerking the steering wheel very hard swerving the car from side to side sharply. I thought I really messed something up. The vibration was now constant, not just at 70 MPH and the steering wheel was moving from side to side on it's own. At 60 MPH you could see the hood and dash vibrating.

Yesterday I took the front tires off and I was rolling the right front across the floor and it was wobbling all over the place. Aboiut 1/3 of the inside of it was so bulged out it would not even roll on it's own. Still has very good tread though. The good news is all I need is tires!!

Now the dilema (don't I always have a dilema?) which wheels do I want to put tires on and what kind of tires? Right now I am running the 15 inch wheels that I have been using in the winter. The tires are not good on either set. I like the looks of the the 17" Volans, but the car does not ride well at all with them on (one is slightly bent) and tires are hard to find to fit them and they cost quite a bit more. I can buy most anything for the 15" wheels (195 60 R15). I almost alway buy Michelin, but can not even get them for the Volans, unless I pay about $225 a tire for Z rated, and I'm NOT doing that.

For the 17" wheels I can get a set of Yokohama Avid H4s tiresfor $575.00,Toyo Proxes-4's for $580, or a Kumho KH16 for $570.

For the 15" wheels I can get quite a few. I am leaning towards some cheaper tires on the 15" wheels and them later putting better tires on the Volans. Here are a few choices for the 15's:

Michelin Exalto $500 with alignment
Michelin MXV Plus $567 with alignment (this is what I have on the V70 and have been using for years on my Volvo's)
Kumho KH16 $380 with alignment
H-Capital One $350 with alignment (Guy says he has them on his car and gets nice ride and good traction ???)
BF Goodrich Traction TA $371 with alignment
Yokohama AS430 $535 with alignment
Yohohama Avid H4s $392 w/o alignment

I have looked at Tirerack.com and could save a litle for sure, but I have to hassled with getting them mounted and balanced and I know I need an alignment. For instance I can get the Yokohama H4s' for $261,the Kumho's for $228 and the BFG's for $302.

What do all my car buddies think?

 

For the 17"wheels a Kumho KH16 for $570.

Kumho KH16 $380 with alignment

Those get my Votes.

I have used and know alot of people that use Kuhmoand love them.

 

Hi Jim,

My personal taste goes for either Yokohama or Bridgestone for the following reason:

Yokohama: Had them on the 850 T5 in Chicago and loved them (A550V, not sure if they are still available).
Bridgestone: They make tyres for large passenger airplanes (B747, A340, etc...), and they pretty much dominate Japanese tyre market. Good year also makes aircraft tyres.

I believe it's all down to your personal taste & budget, like choosing engine oil.

P.S: I hope your rack & pinion unit is ok.


JPN

 

I posted the same question on volvospeed and a guy there said to look into Bridgestone too. I can get a pretty good deal on them through tirerack.Going to see what I can them for tomorrow. If I can get the Michelin Exalta's for about $50 more than the next choice I might go with them after reading several comparisons online. Sears is having a big sale on Michelins that started today, and I can get NTB or Tire Discounters to match their price..

 

Cool Keep us posted.
We used to sell the Kuhmo's at the dealer and Customers loved them in comparision to the Michellins.