I Fixed My Volvo's ANNOYING Suspension Rattle For Less Than $35.00

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Suspension rattles can be one of the most difficult things to chase down, but you always have to start somewhere
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The end link (the strut that connects your shock to your sway bar) is usually one of the biggest culprits and easiest fixes to your suspension rattle woes. And the best part is that your front end link replacement, for the pair, costs less than $35!
Common reasons why an end link will fail are:
1. Worn out ball joint
2. Torn boot allowing debris to come in, wearing out your ball joint
3. Hitting many potholes, wearing out your ball joint
This is also one of the easiest fixes you can do, however, add the car's old age and rust, you'll need a lot of elbow grease and some special tools.
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[@idigbebop]

The War on Rust; Here’s a tip from the aircraft industry. For rust prevention on mechanical assemblies use product LPS-3 or similar Dow Corning Rust Inhibitor. These are heavy duty wax based coatings for general area coverage on castings and fittings. Also good for hub coating before mating rotors. Amazon carries both. ( aircraft mechanics also drive Volvos)

[@Emac007]

💙

[@Wilfornicus]

Man, I never truly understood how fortunate I am to have a rust free So Cal R.. until watching your struggles! It's really cool to see the Shifting Lanes team really share in our passion for these quirky but wonderful cars! I've had my 04 S60R for 11 years now.

[@ShiftingLanes]

On behalf of all northeastern U.S. people, we are all very jealous of you -Hansen

[@grahamshillingford8229]

Could have been a front top strut mount, open hood/bonnet push down several times on front fender/wing one side at a time and look at the strut for movement. If its perished you'll see the strut top moving. Pretty scary but fairly common.

[@tioabad]

I was desperated with the clicking sound, i was looking in the exhaust touching with something but i arrived to this video and you where right it has disappear i love my v70r again. I really appreciate your help. You have a friend in spain 🇪🇸

[@raiderman28]

Most of those volvos usually have suspension issues. Control arms, sway bar links, lower ball joints, strut mount spring seat. When i buy they, thats the first things i replace. Fairly easy to do. The spring seat is the most difficult. So I usually buy a new strut ( all in one already put together) which make installing super easy

[@brad173]

We have a 2003 s60. I had all kinds of sounds coming from mine after 150k+. I changed control arms, sway bar links, ball joints, and the inner/outer tie rods. Things were so much better after that! No sounds and felt much tighter on the driving! No loose turns!!

[@jamescraig4479]

Nice video Hansen! Love your enthusiasm and your happiness after fixing the problem!

[@ShiftingLanes]

Thank you! Felt good to get rid of that sound after hearing it for the past 2 months. I was a little too excited to find that the end link replacement fixed it -Hansen

[@jamescraig4479]

Yes, it's a nice feeling to ride in a car that sounds new again! ;-) I love watching all of the Shifting Lanes' Volvo project car videos!

[@joshuaataalla8789]

Thank you I’ve had that noise for a couple months and now I know what to do to fix it!

[@PrudentialC]

Same!

[@AJSmithtwins]

I'm dealing with same on front passenger side. I was hoping it wasn't a much bigger problem. I'll find out soon.

[@Bigtime_mcalpine]

Lucky guy. I just did mine this weekend, out in the snow thinking it was a 10min job. No dice. Had to dremel top nut off and grind the bottom one off. Then I looked up at the spring only to realize the previous owner had not sat the spring in the shock properly. THAT was the cause of the clunking. Ah well would have had to take the link off anyway.

[@Bigtime_mcalpine]

Grinder is much faster than sawzall

[@kseriestsx4211]

This video helped so much! I had the same problem and was about to switch the wrong part! Thanks a lot! Now I can save money and spend it on the right part

[@T5Resonans]

It sounds like your bottom engine mount bushing is shot since it sounds during acceleration. I've had a similar issue, also uploaded to youtube so it's on my channel, but that culprit was the upper, inner engine mount bushing which also made clicking noises.

[@ShiftingLanes]

Thanks for the heads up! I’ll inspect those mounts the next time I’m underneath. They might be the next ones to fix -Hansen

[@ziggyzuko151]

Does it make a rubbing sound also when lightly accelerating ?

[@T5Resonans]

@@ziggyzuko151 Yup, check my video "scratchy noise" and listen while I lightly tap the accelerator over and over again

[@joedesalvo3316]

I'd also suggest some Diablo blades for the sawzall... they are expensive but they work flawlessly and cut like a knife through butter

[@ShiftingLanes]

Good call. These harbor freight blades aren’t very good.

[@timmoore7644]

Good job Hansen....Ya did it!

[@fsx767]

Haven't had my 2011 T6 have this issue yet, but I am looking into some new endlinks up front. They'd be a great addition to the Heico struts/shocks/springs I have on the car. I also have IPD's rear bar and endlinks for the back, which is a hefty improvement indeed. Great video too, btw! Probably engine mount or cv for the acceleration noise, but I could be wrong.

[@alkareem2u]

Great tip your video was. Had the same noise on my C30. Had the same issues. Thanks.

[@chrismartinez3160]

I had a customer years back with a s80 t8 that took it to another shop about the noise. The quoted her almost $2000 in suspension work struts, bushings, tires and alignment. Come to find out it's the problem you have. Quoted her parts and labor for OEM replacements $150. She became very happy

[@ShiftingLanes]

Haha. That is just awesome. And hopefully you got a new customer for life! -Hansen

[@nicovanduin1553]

There is no "S80 T8"

[@chrismartinez3160]

@@nicovanduin1553 sorry I get my models mixed lol the AWD V8 is what I meant but yes there is such thing as a T8 but it's used in the 2017-18 Volvo S90 inscription T8 eAWD plug-in hybrid

[@nicovanduin1553]

@@chrismartinez3160 Yeah the T8 was first introduced with the introduction of the second gen xc90 in 2015

[@MichaelSmith-mb1gm]

Dude!!!! I'm gonna do the same thing! Thanks for sharing 😎😎😎😎

[@mikerodriguez50]

I had a 760 turbo intercooled a long time ago. I had noise at first then it started to be a thump. Changed u joints and center barring. But never found it. Interested to see what you find. Have a 2010 Volvo s80 t6 AWD. Love watching the Volvo builds

[@therealPDOT86]

Click when u take off if def the transmission torque mount or axel bolt ping. Pick up an iPad trans mount for under a hundred or the billet one for a little over a hundred and updated axel bolts for about $10-25 depending on where you get it (ipd is more expensive on these look on amazon). You can check the trans mount in seconds so check that out first the bushings are really soft on them so the upgraded mount will feel a lot better too.

[@ShiftingLanes]

Thanks for the tip! Will check all those out soon. Doesn’t sound so bad on the wallet, those fixes -Hansen

[@jessebrown350]

I suspect the click you are hearing is axle ping, very common on P2 Volvo, the fix is to install(and properly torque) XC90 axle bolts which come with a rubber cone shaped isolator that solves this problem.

[@hersheybar4021]

i was gonna say that but axle ping sounds slightly different

[@Callusny]

@@hersheybar4021 yes I agree, the axle ping is a metallic click/clunk sound.

[@THEGHOSTSLAVE]

No more clunks! Need to do all of this on mine too. The penetrating oil trick from the other commenter is 💯by the way.

[@ShiftingLanes]

Brb. Buying the world’s supply of it and giving the R a bath -Hansen

[@THEGHOSTSLAVE]

@@ShiftingLanes 🤣🤣

[@iggy151]

For future reference.... 50/50 mix of auto trans fluid(any type) and acetone. Cheaper and works far better than PB Blaster. Youre welcome.

[@ShiftingLanes]

Good call! Will have to make our own soon -Hansen

[@jonathancano2580]

Man I want a Volvo s60r sexy car I have a 2004 Volvo XC70 that I bought for $500 with minor problems I have had the car for about five months now great car I love it. great car for the snow I have a lot to do to get it were I want it. But I love y’alls channel keep the videos going Volvo for life

[@ShiftingLanes]

We really appreciate the support coming from you guys! We won’t be doing this if it weren’t for all of you -Hansen

[@reynoldsacker9161]

Ya man, nothing like taking your best educated guess, and nailing it.

[@BlaineShillington]

I'm always amazed at how solid a noisy end link can feel after you take it off. I'm always like, well I hope that solves the problem. And it does. These are almost like changing oil on Volvos. Go through about a set every year and a half.

[@elmafudd9703]

Good info. My car sounds like scraping metal at the front when i go over speed bums. Front end. The mechanic I know who use to build rally cars says everything seems just fine and can not find anything. If the car is in the wet it is silent. I wonder if this is my problem as those rods did not seem faulty.

[@loden888]

Sounds like the brake pads need brake lube. Also another KZbinr found some pads aren't made properly and made a scraping sound.

[@aguirrejorge2153]

My friend I have a Volvo S40 2009 good night have the same kind of noise and I take to a a shop and they told me they was the shocks they told me the price was going to be $1,000 to fix it and I saw your video and I'm going to do it by myself thank you my friend mi amigo

[@LineTwist]

When I did mine I used pb blaster an wire brush to clean up threads worked fine. They didn't move at all until I did the wire brush.

[@MikeJones-wp2mw]

You can just use an impact on those rusty bolts. Whatever downsides to an impact is also true of using a sawzall. If you lower your car you have to find swaybar links that are shorter by the amount you lowered the car. I had to search for some that were 1.5 inches shorter. Which wasn't too difficult if you know someone at the local parts store that will dig around through boxes for some that look the right size. The rear are adjustable and way easier.

[@ProtoFalcon07]

Hey, we have the same end links, and the same sawzall...and the same clunking sound! :D I had my iPD end links for only ~18 months, though. Oh, well. Planning to replace both front and rear swaybars (and front end links) sometime in the future. Good luck with your future upgrades, and maintenance!

[@ShiftingLanes]

Harbor freight FTW!!! Chewed thru two blades to cut the end links lol. 18 months for an end link is awful! -Hansen

[@ProtoFalcon07]

@@ShiftingLanes Agreed, and agreed! I can't even tell you how much I spent on tools at Harbor Freight! Lol

[@ShiftingLanes]

I don’t know about you, but this is my new toy store

[@MrKushinator420]

I hear lemforder is the best brand for suspension in these cars. If you go fcp euro, free replacements!

[@ProtoFalcon07]

MrKushinator420 Yup, I go with FCP Euro VERY frequently! Just installed Lemforder ball joints along with a bunch of other suspension parts a couple of months ago.

[@vidyamancer7135]

Replaced my passenger side drive shaft (it was bad, serious vibrations and knocking when turning), but still have a noise front right when driving on rough asphalt. Sounds exactly like yours did. Guess I'll get new end links on there. Cheers!

[@hajileserpud9539]

Did you fix your problem ?

[@vidyamancer7135]

@@hajileserpud9539 Not yet, tie rods are bad as well.

[@hajileserpud9539]

@@vidyamancer7135 wow... At least those are cheap to buy and easy to replace, I did them on my Honda Accord 2 years ago... I'm replacing both sides of my Xc70 with Sidem Belgium control arm and ball joints, it's a kit and sway bar links using Mevotech Supreme... I'll check my tie rods before I replace parts

[@vidyamancer7135]

@@hajileserpud9539 Mine need to be cut off with an angle grinder. Rust has fused everything together, otherwise I would've replaced them long ago. Have to do it before February though. Hopefully my steering rack is OK.

[@hajileserpud9539]

@@vidyamancer7135 lol, WOW you must be in the far North... At the behest of some youtubers on this video they say to use LPS 3 for rust inhibitor and prevention on the underbody of our Volvo's and allegedly mixing Acetone and Transmission fluid and applying it to rusted bolts and suspension parts is a good way to remove corrosion on metal, use a paint brush... Also a hack I personally use is getting transmission fluid in a spray bottle and I spray it on all my rubber suspension bits and also on my tires to keep them nice and soft for years to come... Trans fluid is a rubber conditioner... Even better for rubber is ATP AT- 205 reseal, check online especially Amazon

[@paddy696]

Volvo 2011yr S60 T4 120,000ks going over pot holes or road damage, get Bump Thump noise which ever side is on pot hole road damage. New shocks fitted, little change in noise.

[@_gjvart_]

3hrs?!!! I live in the rust belt! Have a 2009 Volvo S60. I don’t have access to a electric saw. I swapped both sides out in less than an hour. They were even rusted and started spinning inside the link and I still got it done in less than an hour.

[@Jgrvo]

My V70 has been and is still rattling when driving over uneven roads and road bumps and it’s very annoying. Went to a local garage and they said the sway bar needed to be replaced... €500,-. I’m beginning to think it’s not the sway bar itself but the sway bar links. I’m going to replace mine too myself.

[@ShiftingLanes]

Yea that could be the case. Check all the bushings and the nuts that hold the sways in place. You may have a loose connection somewhere.

[@hajileserpud9539]

My 04 XC70 has same issue it turned out to be sway bar link and passenger side control arm... I got parts on Amazon brand Sidem Belgium, bought for both sides including ball joints Sidem brand and sway links is Mevotech Supreme... I'll reply back with updates

[@javieralarcon5336]

Thanks for the VIDEO beautiful

[@ogfromutube9649]

My 08 S80 T6 has a similar sound but in the rear over bumps only. Not super loud but super annoying. I've had my p80 t5 down to frame, and my LS swapped 240. But the p3 are new to me. Think it's rear end links? Or more likely shock mount on top? Almost sounds like it's coming from the trunk though.

[@relaxingsounds8670]

I had the same issue with the link bolt. Used a nut splitter. Took 5 minutes.

[@kseriestsx4211]

Where did you get the part though? The price range is weird there are some from 29 all the way to like 120

[@ShiftingLanes]

I got it from FCPEuro. I bought the Meyle HD version which is like $33 for the pair. I actually bought the entire set, front and rear

[@gliuchnikoff]

@@ShiftingLanes personal advice for the future - stay away from Meyle. Meyle HD is much better version. I changed links on my 00 V70 and it was a great upgrade. FCP is the perfect location to buy.

[@joecritch143]

Always apply the anti-seize on the threads before you install the nut.

[@angelmilloibanez6105]

Your noise ar the end is the heat blower. Simply off from your AC control and probe it. Sure you don’t hear the noise. Change the blower. Don’t grease, it doesn’t work a long time.

[@hajileserpud9539]

I'm attempting a hack on that Blower motor noise... Basically I'll drill a small hole about 5mm from metal spline and using a small spout or stray drip a special mix of oil including heated gear oil down along metal spline... I'll access it through bottom of windshield where water drains... I'll share my experiences soon but have to go Junkyard to try it out first

[@thomasmedhatt]

Yeah the end links on P2 volvos are just a disposable item, i'we changed them 3 times during 6 years. Beware of the rubber boots sitting above the spring strut near the top (partly visible under the hood) when they go you will loose much of the dampening and the car will feel like a steel mill on wheels.

[@ShiftingLanes]

3 in 6 years is quick. Awful roads? Thanks for the heads up on the rubber boots -Hansen

[@thomasmedhatt]

@@ShiftingLanes Unfortunately not, I just drive my S60 like a cop car and put roughly 120k miles during that time. But thats almost everything, 2 outer steering links but no wishbone bushings or anything.

[@gwmkiwi]

If I have learned on thing from your channel is to keep taking my Volvos to the Volvo agent for repairs

[@ShiftingLanes]

Some things you definitely don’t want to mess with yourself if you don’t have the proper tools, time, and expertise. There are things on here that we may just give to the experts for safety purposes -Hansen

[@gliuchnikoff]

I bought an xc70 which was serviced at the dealership in Boston. Over time both of front wheelhubs died at the same time, so I decided to replace them. Both of them were replaced before and one of them had no gasket between hub and cv axle, another one had some aftermarket gasket which was cut to fit. P2 chassis is not that bad and if you have place to work on your car, buy tools whatever you need for each project. You'll like to keep your Volvo running.

[@jesselamarche-wehling5482]

The other noise is either upper torque mount, trans mount. Possibly one of the other engine mounts

[@ShiftingLanes]

Hopefully it’s those mounts that are easily replaceable 😂

[@jesselamarche-wehling5482]

@@ShiftingLanes the trans torque mount and upper engine torque mount are very easy. Others are/can be a bit more of a PITA haha

[@blakestrong2593]

Man just got a 04 s60 Iv owned over 14 vehicles fix and flip or keep Iv never seen anything like this for luxury driveability besides Lincoln Continental I had 94 executive in the past the issue I'm having is dead on to this so thank you, now iv just got to figure out my turbo issue lack of power at start 0/25mph then its knocking you back into the seat hard but only from 25/65mph on how hard are they to replace or upgrade Iv never don't one on a car only semis manly Peterbilts, or is that just the normal take off in a Volvo?

[@loden888]

Check your blower motor. My v70 had a bad bearing in the blower making that sound then I accelerate. If I turn off the fan and accelerate, and sound is gone

[@davidkdanielson]

That sound may be axle ping? Pretty common with p2's.

[@zfuru]

Axle ping and angle gear sleeve pong. I love it. Mine is due for the angle gear tear down. The noise is driving me nuts.

[@Uncle--Fatty]

NICE WORK Nephew...!! it's always scary when ya got bust out the dang ol' SawZall..!!

[@TheModelRocketeer]

I just bought an 09 2.5T for $1550... Looking for info. I need to replace the end links. And want a muffler delete. 🙌

[@THEGHOSTSLAVE]

Oh, forgot about the click under the car! This could be just a bit of drivetrain slop, but I don't hesitate to say your spline sleeve may be worn a bit and that's what you're hearings. You may have to put the car up and see if you can replicate it in the air.

[@ShiftingLanes]

The spline sleeve thing has me a bit worried. The next time I’m underneath I’m gonna inspect the tranny and engine mounts, see if that’s shot. -Hansen

[@THEGHOSTSLAVE]

@@ShiftingLanes Mounts are definitely a possibility as well, easier to check and replace too. I've heard the spline sleeve/collar whatever you want to call it isn't a huge job. Since you plan on autoXing the car in the future I'd probably look into replacement sooner than later anyway, regardless if it's the cause of the noise. I've heard some of the higher horsepower guys change them every 30k miles because they are technically a wear item, and if it strips it can take your AG with it. Best of luck! Keep us updated!

[@spannersautoandcomputerser1649]

Good job on an easy fix...

[@meach505]

Transmission torque mount for sure.

[@yksikaksikolmen]

The Swedish klonkstag or clonk bar

[@ricardoramos3095]

I am planning to replace t front struts. Are those Monroe work ok? Thank you.

[@canaanbreen2834]

The reason they didn't make noise while the car was jacked up is because everything was hanging causing tension.

[@ShiftingLanes]

Yeah we should’ve used ramps when assessing some of these things initially. -Hansen

[@805kali7]

I have a rattling/crackling noise coming from the back end of my 05 volvo when i drive on a bumpy and uneven roads. Which is almost every road here in california. What could that be?

[@RawShogun]

I just put white lines on my awd S40, world of difference.

[@andrewtoombs3867]

Swedish steel no joke, it id designed to hand bad chemistry. That joint was your rattle noise.

[@Antilaakeri]

Are the brakes good stock in the R or are you gonna change them?

[@ShiftingLanes]

So far so good. I just changed them very recently to the OEM Brembo. I will let you know how they feel once I autox them. -Hansen

[@Antilaakeri]

@@ShiftingLanes nice!

[@janvanderwal2744]

@@ShiftingLanes oem brembo? Jurrid is oem for these models, brembo is bosch, bosch is not a best choice, they are making squeaking noises and the disks are quickly crooked.. jurrid is the best for these models

[@dudeshark2471]

jan van der Wal nah they come with Brembos stock my man.

[@gliuchnikoff]

@@janvanderwal2744 I thought Jurrid is some weird brand and I never thought about buying. Now gave to make some research.

[@mfairbank]

My god you don’t need to use a sawzall, just put vice grips behind the sway bar and in front of the boot to hold the ball joint while you spin the nut off

[@TheJadomaster]

Really am looking for a s60r but not sure if they are reliable. Hansen do you believe they are?

[@loden888]

I replaced the old endlinks and now I'm getting a more pronounced clunking sound. Another KZbinr, Peppermint, says it might be the sway bar bushings.

[@Broken69Head]

That noise......I would recommend check the engine mount’s

[@Honeypot-x9s]

why arent those filled with grease? is there any spot to fill them with grease? not going to last very long if they not filled with grease..

[@ShiftingLanes]

No grease fittings. They should come prefilled with grease. I don’t know if any end link brands come with fittings on them for these cars, they’re meant to be wear items I think -Hansen

[@Honeypot-x9s]

@@ShiftingLanes not going to last very long before failing if you cant grease them before they begin to wear or they dont come packed tight with grease in them, i would look into that....seriously

[@Thumbii]

@@Honeypot-x9s They are greased.

[@s60evolve]

I used to hear the same thing, and to be honest it turned out to be something sliding inside the car lol. It was my spare socket wrench inside the glove box.

[@hebertogtz1212]

I think i have the same problem with my volvo,can you help me out to find those pieces ?? Tnks

[@gliuchnikoff]

Just go to fcpeuro.com or ipdusa.com and you can find whatever you need. Fcp is located in CT, so for it is very convenient for New Englanders and most of the time I get next day delivery with ups ground. IPD is located in Oregon, if I am not wrong.

[@604rioso]

I hate the wrench flats design... I messed up one of the boots during install... Would rather go with the torx on the top of the bolt...

[@ShiftingLanes]

I was afraid of that! That sucks dude -Hansen

[@phixion35]

I concur with that statement. I got these same endlinks for my S60 thinking they were better. Well mechanically they are, but the wrench counter hold is terrible if you have to go replace a strut or remove the endlinks for any reason. I can't fathom why Meyle didn't go with a torx end counter hold like almost every other one out there... I'll never get these same endlinks again because of this.

[@darylrobert3673]

the upper engine mount is high failure.

[@Lvl99Rizz]

*Impossible to remove bolts in front suspension *wheel still falls off

[@graylobo133]

Nope. I changed both of mine and noise still happening....

[@canaanbreen2834]

A torch will cut those nuts off. Just make sure you dont mess up the hole.

[@zstar8366]

My 07 s60r has bad bump steer in the back and on ice it feels like the rear of car is dancing side to side .alignment issue ?

[@ShiftingLanes]

That sounds like it can be a lot of things. Any vibrations? Start with looking at wheels and tires, check the bearings. Do the 9-3 and 12-6 wheel shake test. Check the bushings

[@zstar8366]

Everything seems super tight no vibrations tire wear isn't bad but scary as hell to drive on the ice

[@mathiaskoenitzer9020]

@@zstar8366 I have an 04 S60R, and 04 XC90, they both do a bit of that same problem. From the investigating I've done on it, it seems to be the toe adjustment on the rear. The only problem is I've gotten mine checked, and its still to factory specs. The best thing I can say is make sure your shocks aren't worn. It is 1000 times worse with worn shocks, because one wheel is bouncing in the air longer, so the toe in on the other wheel pushes the rear of the car over. Newer tires makes a difference as well. Its really a bit of odd chassis design that causes it.

[@zstar8366]

@@mathiaskoenitzer9020 thanks I didn't think about checking out my shocks as far as the toe I don't think there's any way to adjust it without buying aftermarket parts

[@mathiaskoenitzer9020]

zstar v Yeah there is a tiny bit of adjustment for the toe on the stamped steel rear most suspension link. Where it bolts to the inside is the adjustment. It’s just a little bit though. I know my shocks are bad on my S60R and it has a pretty bad shuffle over bumps. I’m working on getting new shocks but the 4C ones are just so dang expensive.

[@iggy151]

Boi

[@rjimene1]

man! you are doing a try and error process!!! VOLVO repairs are not like that!!

[@taboneal]

Click bait.

[@aboud3553]

Drive shaft

[@aboud3553]

I have it now in my V70 D5 2006. The same sound. I had it in my v70 2.0F 2009, V40 2.0 2001. The same sound. Drive shaft. Change it. 👌 good video.

[@MarkWright1963]

Obviously a novice. If you are replacing the link arms just cut them off with a disc or cut off saw! Job done including a little paint if you catch the plate 5 minutes.