I am a new owner, but have built and worked on muscle cars for 30 years.....
This noise is not a body panel or hose... it sounds like a shock mount or motor mount type noise. but i have inspected both ... front and back... nothing seems out of whack. now i know I could break out the air ratchet and go from front to back checking I tightening everything and I will eventually find it, but I thought checking here might point me in an easier direction.... and there are more than one clunk both front and in the rear... car is exceptionally clean and well maintained with 105,000 miles on it.

Brian

 

Did you check the rubber spring seats up front? The easiest way to check is to put a wrench on the top center strut nut. If the nut spins it is most likely bad.
Also check the sway bar end links for play. With the car in the air pull on the sway bar and feel for a click.
For the rear the upper shock mount or the shock might be bad.

 

= I think your right on the rear shocks are bad... what shocks are best for a replacement set??

= The front spring seats are good

= when you say car in the air... do you mean on jack stands or a full on lift?

And thanks for the leads!!

 

Changing the rear shocks today.... ummmm what tool do YOU use to tighten up the nut on the top of the shock with out spinning the threaded shaft..???
will search this forum also....

B

 

Got it!.....
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...k-mount-40365/

 

Rear shocks are in..... Harbor Freight has a metric set of off set wrenches cheap. they fit good.

 

Congrats! Is the noise gone?

 

couldn't test drive yet... tomorrow.

Needs front struts... might just have them done??
Let you know tomorrow on the rear clunk tomorrow!

 

I sure hope you replaced the little plastic bump stops in the rear when you did the shocks,
THAT is what makes the clunking noise as do broken shock mounts, not the shocks themselves.

 

I didn't, but that would be my next move for the rear... the shocks wear dead! when I removed them, I fully compressed them and they stayed compressed! no rebound. the new set of Bilsteins TC will work.
where do I get new bump stops??

B

 

Your Volvo dealer
They're quite cheap, but you should have done this during the shock install now you have to remove them again

 

The new Bilsteins fix the rear thumping..... Cool !
Now on to the front clunking...........

 

Congrats!

 

The whole shock doesn't need to come out, just the bottom nut and compress the spring to remove the bottom of the shock. no big deal....