Hello,
I took my 2007 S40 (77000 ~ miles) to the dealer because of a weird sound coming from the front which was more pronounced as I came close to a stop. Well the Volvo dealer checked it and said that the bearing hub needed to be replaced , they also said that some of the noise was from the front right tire. They also indicated that the struts needed to be replaced. I ended replacing the bearing hubs at an independent Volvo mechanic (charged me a lot less than the dealer) and I got a new set of tires from Firestone because they said that coupling have developed on the tires specially the front ones.
I have already spent a lot of money getting these things done, now it seems like I need a pair of front struts which will also cost me a lot more money. So my question are:
1 - What would be the cheapest way to get the struts replaced? I don't have tools to do it myself

2 - I would have to wait about a month to get more money and get it replaced so in the mean time I have to drive from VA to MS (about 1000 miles). How much damage could that cause on my new tires? Will it be ok to drive that distance and get the struts changed once I get there?

Thank you!

 

Failed struts cause the car to bounce. The test is to push down on the front corner of the car to see how it reacts. The car should bounce one time only. Down as you push then back up then rest. A failed strut will not stop the bouncing quickly. Other signs are fluid leaks on the strut.

Does your car bounce?

Our cars are also known for the main engine mount to fail. Makes a weird sound when it gets down to metal on metal.

Failed one on the left in 2 pieces.

 

Thanks for replying. I was able to come up with the money so I took the car to Pep Boys and got both front strut plus mounting kit replaced. I asked them to show me the old struts after they were removed and the right side one was definitely bad. The piston rod was pushed in while the one from the left side did not.
They used a brand called Monroe. Wow does the Monroe brand strut compare the OEM?
Thanks again!!

 

I've had Monroe's on mine for 80K miles - they have been decent and similar in feel to OEM.

 

Monroe is a major name brand. They work and are not extremely expensive. A good alternative to OEM. They won't last as long but the price point makes up the difference normally.