New Struts and Mounts Rattling on Volvo 240 Wagon- Fix the Problem Easily.

I had written in a previous post that I was about to do some suspension work on my 1992 Volvo 240 Wagon. I just finished the front struts (inserts) and mounts and I wanted to share some information about the rattling noise you may experience if you use KYB #365006 struts with KYB SM5050 strut mounts on your Volvo 240.
Included in this job was replacing the lower ball joints, stabilizer bar bushings, strut inserts and mounts, stabilizer bar links, and rear shocks. The tie rod end are ok but given that I have some from the 940 Turbo, I'll likely just put those on. In case you didn't know, the tie rod ends for the 940 also fit the 240; for example, part #1630396 is made by a few manufacturers and fit both models of cars, as does part # ES2161R (also made by more than a couple of manufacturers including Moog).

So after I had installed the struts and mounts and got the car back down, I gave the new suspension a little test by pushing down on the fenders a few times; this is when I saw that the bolt on top of the strut was making a "clunking" sound against the strut mount. There was free play between the mount bushing and the top nut, regardless of how tight it was. I thought at first that I may have done something incorrectly, so I double checked everything and learned that the problem wasn't the mechanic (me), but the parts.

The top strut nut was down as far as it could possible go. The solution? I put two thick, hard washers (Grade 8 or 10.9 in metric) under the top strut nut. The washers that I used were 16mm and the fit is perfect. This fix may not be needed with every install, but it's a sound practice that will last indefinitely as long as you use a hard washer. A cheaper, Grade 5 or 8,8 in metric may or may not wear faster. given that it's softer steel and automobiles are always built using grade 8 standard or 10.9 metric hardware.

By the way, I just drove the 1992 240 Wagon 9 hours each way to Idaho at an average speed of 75 MPH without even the slightest problem, and I got 25 MPG.

Good luck on your next repair!