Steering box ajustment.
 

2008 XC70 SE D5 A. Can anyone tell me if there is any adjustment on the steering box of this car.I have been assured that there is no wear in the steering gear and it is not an MOT failure but there is this annoying clunk when turning the steering wheel at low speed.I have been told that there is no visible adjustment on the box so I just wondered if this model was fitted with two different systems? Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

It's a steering rack not a box and as such would have little adjustment. The cup and cone at the rack end of the steering arms may be adjustable but if you are stripping the rack to adjust them I would be fitting new, there is usually a nylon bearing behind the steering arm but I have never stripped a volvo rack so cannot say for certain

Wear between the rack and pinon is only repairable by replacement as far as I am aware.

A steering box has adjustment to move the peg in and out of mesh with the worm to remove excessive slack, rack and pinion set ups do not generally.

Are you sure the clunk is from the steering and not a wishbone bush or CV joint on the drive shaft?

Paul.

Thanks for your response. The car has been fully checked and no faults have been found on the steering or suspension.

Clunk is most likely suspension top mounts. The only way to know is to replace them as they cannot be inspected properly without dismantling the strut. They are in two pieces, the top mounting and bearing they're not expensive.

Top bearing seizure is progressive and as the bearings become more and more resistant to movement, the spring itself is forced to wind up as the steering moves. Initially the tension in the wound spring overcomes the resistance in the bearing and it unwinds suddenly with what can only be described as a "boing" sound produced by the harmonics in the spring. This is quite distinctive and is more than just a clunk. Ultimately the bearing seizes completely and the spring becomes locked to it and the winding up of the coil is not relieved and after a further period of time the spring starts to deteriorate. It can break if subjected to this undesigned stress for long periods of time. This is common to many makes of cars as the bearing is difficult to protect from road spray in wet weather. Most broken front coil springs are caused by seized top bearings. It never does harm to renew these bearings as a matter of routine and certainly if you hear this slightly musical percussion sound from the front suspension.

I replaced mine with Febbi Bilstien units, £16 + vat a side from my local motor factor , rather than the £36+vat for FoMoCo volvo ones.

Getting the wishbone off the bottom of the strut can be a struggle, there is a special volvo tool to help, I made a substitute front 3x25mm flat bar bent such that it caught the lip of the wishbone on rear side, across the top and down the other with a hook to enable a bar to be placed against the inboard underside of the whishbone and to bear down on the hook, thus pulling the wishbone down and free of the strut.

Paul.

Only adjustment on the steering wrack is the ball joints on the end of the wrack inside the gaiters . this is nor a normal servicable item . If these were loose then you would feel what appears to be free play in the steering . Suggest your knock is something else in the suspension that is either worn or partly seized .

The rack damper pad has an adjustment but difficult you get at in place .. a big nut ( 17mm ??? ) facing down and to the rear when you look up from underneath , you will need to get the crash protection shield off first .
Be very careful with any adjustment only move the nut a TINY amount or you will end up with a stiff rack . That is the smallest possible amount you can .

Thanks for that, I was sure that I had seen a post(which I cant find) about the adjustment on here with a modified spanner but I was beginning to think I had imagined it.
Thanks again.