Front suspension rattle

[john123456]

Hi I recently changed the front shockers, spring seats and top mounts on my 850. After doing this I am getting an annoying rattle over bumps. I thought it was the top mount so I purchased another new one and its exactly the same.

The weird cross nut is definitely tight as is the nut the sits at the very top. Has anyone had this after working on the front suspension?

My other ball joints look good and it only came about after replacing my shock absorbers so It must be an error of mine somewhere? Bilstein b4 shock fitted. Spring is in good condition also.

[volvo again]

Have you checked the drop links?

[P505DEF]

Stupid as this sounds I had similar years ago on my diesel 850 and again but on the rear on my C70 and it was a small stone stuck between the spring and the seat on both occasions!

[john123456]

Drop links or anti roll bar are my final thoughts but It only came about once I changed my shocks unless I somehow knackered the drop links/anti roll bar bushes when I was changing the shocks?

Should the anti roll bar spin on the bushes or are they fixed tight? I do remember i could pull my anti roll bar down quite easily to get the drop link back into the shocker.

I will double check there are no stones in the spring seat next week lol thank you for any suggestions.

[Clogs]

While a rattle may seem to come from the front, it an be deceptive. The rattle might be something from a back wheel or the exhaust being a bit loose and touching something as it bounces. It may be something under the engine, so looking underneath is needed - looking everywhere.

It is possible that the rattle has nothing to do with your suspension. I've changed the Macpherson struts and drop links. The anti roll bar bushes allow movement without a rattle so long as metal doesn't touch metal.

[tony209]

Drop link noise is usually a knock rather than a rattle, if it's not your drop links, next time you drive on an uneven surface and you get thr rattle, lightly press the brake pedal and see if the rattle stops - if it does, it's your brake pads rattling, check/replace the retaining clips.

[Asherloperly]

I had this on my C70, it was the anti sway bar knocking against the lower swinging arms. You cant see it when up in the air as it requires the weight of the car on the road.

I replaced the bushings and now no problem.

I have attached pictures.

regards

you cant by bushings here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281418311171

link to my thread on this is here: https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=318091

[Balistaff]

I had a similar knocking rattle, that I had been hearing for a few months.

It sounded like a knocking noise from the front drivers side. It happened on slight bumps/holes in the road, noticeable at lower speeds.

Before I got under the car to check, I cleared teh whole car of 'stuff'. I first thought it was something in the car door, but rattling did not produce the same noise. I also thought maybe the wheel arch lining but looks to be fixed. Another candidate was perhaps the anti-roll (sway) bar bush? So I put the car on ramps to check.

I even checked the plastic vent out of the screen wash reservoir… I could not find the issue, so off to the local garage.

It was not a rotational noise and sounds more like plastic/rubber on a harder substance when jolted, not metal on metal.

So off to the local independent garage and they changed the drop links and now the noise has gone.

Interestingly they have fitted to completely different drop links. Black & red one on the passenger side (Left as you look out of the front of the car) and silver on the driver's side. Is this anything to be concerned about? Pictures attached.

[DaveNP]

If I were doing a droplink myself I'd do both with a matching pair but I don't suppose there's any significant difference between them, they're sold separately so probably the motor factor he got them from hadn't got two of the same sort and he just wanted to get the job done and away. The V70/850 has a bit of a reputation for being heavy on the droplinks and even with a small amount of wear they can get noisy.

[Derek UK]

To the OP. It's been a year. Did you fix this?
Comment. The cheap drop links apparently have a short life so the plated HD ones are worth the few extra pounds. I was going to say check the timing side engine mount. They can collapse and cause metal to metal knocking. Cheap and easy fix usually but make sure you get the right one for the car.