rear drop links , symptoms ?
 

Guys if your rear drop links are on there way out what are the tell tell signs ?

The car has the feeling of wondering side to side without steering it in a straight line. You tend to correct the wonder all the time.

Didn't know I had drop links on the rear:err: thanks!

You dont

Why didn`t you explain why he hasn`t got them?

OK, so the OP got the name wrong as there are no drop links but there is only ONE type of Link on our rear suspension which Volvo call the Trailing Arm Link or Rear Axle Link.

Thanks for that , my mistake for the wrong name.


Can these links cause a knocking from the rear or is it more likely to be the top mounts ?

I'll try to explain, im getting a knocking from the rear but only when I drive over sunken drain covers or pot holes , it doesn't do it when driving over speed humps and its less apparent when the car is loaded.

Standing and bumping the car up and down doesn't produce the knock either.

Andy

Foot note :

The car also pulls straight and true, but I do get a slight vibration at around 70mph also coming from the rear im not sure if the two are related but thought id better mention it.

Could be the top mounts, though when mine went I could make it 'knock' by "bouncing" the car.

Rear suspension bush may be the culprit. Had one go on mine last year. It went whilst towing my van. Knocked only over massive holes/bumps. Once unhitched it was knocking like mad.

Just forward of the rear wheel underneath. PITA to remove had mine done at an Indie as I was on Hols . £240 fitted I think it was, that was TRW part.

One of these :
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...SilentBloc.jpg

As above, likely to be the rear arm bush IMHO. If it is this, then it WON'T cause wandering or any discernable steering effect, but will make a knocking noise over bumps much as you describe.

I can point you to some pictures and a write up of when I replaced mine, if you want.

On mine I could tell it was knackered by looking at it carefully and comparing to the other side (which is fine, so I only did one side).

You should not really genaralise as saying "WON`T" it does depend how much the links are worn and if one or both are really bad.

If you look at a drawing of the rear axle layout you will see that the links are on the same support as the wheel and wheel bearing, therefore when badly worn they CAN alter the tracking of the rear wheel, which results in the car being steered by the rear wheel as well as the steering, hence correcting by the steering having to be done while driven in a straight line!

Or would it of been easier to say when mine were replaced the wandering stopped.......?

We are only here to give opinions of our own experiences and should be left at that without criticism.

Exactly. Which is why I said what I did, so why not follow your own advice and don't criticise?