Slow speed, sharp turn...clunk!

[nwxc70]

OK guys, I have one for you...I've searched all I can search and I haven't found an obvious answer here at the forum...

I have a MY2001 XC70 with 106,000 miles. If I make a sharp right or left turn while moving forward slowly, I (sometimes) get a clunk sound and slight lurch from the car. This happens when I am moving forward and actively sharpening the turn (continuing to turn the wheel), around 90% of the way to full turn. If I hold the wheel at a single spot, full turn or something less, and just go in a circle, nothing happens. It feels to me, a layman, as if something is shifting or slipping related to the axles. The clunk sound and lurching make me think an axle has jumped a tooth but my tech assures me that's not happening.

Anyone got any pointers?

A bit of recent history, I just got the car back from an indy Volvo specialist who checked out everything in the front end and feels that all is well, including those bolts at the end of the hub which connect to the axles. All that was close to worn were the front control arm bushings, which I had him replace, even though he said they didn't quite need it yet. He couldn't replicate what I described so I went to a parking lot this evening near home and turned figure 8's back and forth at different speeds until I narrowed down exactly when this happens. Again, its when I am moving forward fairly slowly and actively turning the wheel right or left. At around 85-90% of the total wheel swing, as I continue to turn sharper, there's this somewhat harsh clunk as if something in the front end has shifted. It sounds and feels like its related to one or both axles. This happens when I am turning the wheel in either direction, but not every time.

Thanks in advance for any similar experiences and solutions...

[ladi-XC70]

I have the same thing, 2001 XC70 (Toronto), 173 000 km which is close to what you have on yours. I hear the sound every morning when turning in the parking garage very slow at about 85-90%.

[2volvo]

Hi nwxc70,
I have the exact symptoms you described on my 2003 XC70 (~55 k miles). This kind of wheel lock, followed by some sort of car jerking slightly (+ a mild groan) happen as you said when trying to make a tight parking with the steering wheel over 80% turned. In my case is more pronounced when making the left turn. These symptoms first appeared about 3 years ago and the car was checked several times and no obvious defect was ever found. This does not happen at all when doing the same tight turns in while going in reverse. I have test drove another used 2003 XC70 that had the same steering wheel lock but no jerking. I always assumed it has something to do with the all wheel drive system but was not present in the beginning. I kind of gave up on this, so if you find any solution to this please post it.
By the way, there was a very similar posting on this forum within 3 months ago with very similar symptoms with ours, and I believe, no one came up with any ideas
Good luck.

[nwxc70]

Thanks for sharing your experiences, at least I'm not alone. I could have also clarified that this phenomenon has only been noticed in the past year. I definitely didn't experience this before that.

And thanks for the head's up that there is a similar post out there...I love this site but the search feature could use some tuning from the boys over at Google. I'll take back to my indy and make him ride with me now that I've figured out exactly how to replicate it and report any findings.
Cheers!

[BillAileo]

Have you checked the endlinks?

Bill

[nwxc70]

Thanks, but all the end links and bushings in the front end have been inspected, along with the axles (although they weren't removed for inspeciton).

I took her back to the indy shop first thing this morning, since I felt I had narrowed down exactly when this clunk happens and could repeat it for him. He and I went to a nearby lot and I was able, with limited success, to repeat the problem. He got out to watch the front wheels while I turned circles around him of varying radii. Finally, he had me pop the hood and turn the wheel back and forth while sitting still. To my surprise, it would occasionally make this popping clunk sound/feel when sitting still! This ruled out an axle issue in his eyes, since there was no motion or rotation of the wheels involved.

His suspicion is that its the "u-joint" on the steering column sticking at some point during the turn. If it sticks and you keep turning the wheel, the whole shaft has to deflect a little until the u-joint releases letting the whole column relax. This would explain the sound and feeling in the wheel that I'm getting.

This doesn't happen every time I take the steering from far right to far left turn and back again, just sometimes. So we're going to watch and see if it gets worse. He even suggested pulling up the carpet in the front of the car and removing the boot cover while parked. With the car running, have someone turn the wheel back and forth while I look and feel the joint from the inside of the car. If I'm watching and/or holding this joint with my hand when this happens, it should be obvious if this is the problem or not.

So, nothing catastrophic. Just one more little gnome to occupy my time.

[kamiar]

I have the exact same issue, anybody got any solution to this?

[RedXC]

I will remove the endlinks and road test, if still present you have to do further inspections.

[nwxc70]

On a second inspection, my indy mechanic said that one of the axles was not seated right, or something like that. Its been a while so I forget what he said exactly. Anyway the problem seemed to go away after that. However, I suspect there's some wear in there on the axles or something because the problem has come back from time to time, usually in the mornings when I first pull out of my driveway and make that first hard right turn.

Good luck!

[JRL]

Look at: (in no particular order)
Steering stops
Upper strut mounts (spring seats)
Subframe bushings (doubtful)
Swaybar end links
Control arm (bushings)