steering rack boot for '91 240

This weekend I attempted to replace the tie rod ends and boots on my
1991 240. Perhaps foolishly I got my parts from an after market big
box store (O'riley's, CarQuest, Autozone) since it was mid day Friday
and had planned on doing this over the weekend when the Volvo parts
place would be closed. In order to get the parts I needed I had to go
to several stores since one had the inner tie rod, another the outer
tie rod end and yet another for the boots.

When I went to replace the rubber boot I discovered that the new one
was too short and that the one on the car was vented which my
replacement was not. I've decided to just order the part online since
it seems the guys at the parts store don't know what I need but I've
run into this. The Volvo World site has useful info and prices but it
says that my 240 came with one of 2 steering racks. It then tells me
to check the trunk or door column for a sticker that will give me a
code for the steering - gear type (2 if a CAM steering rack and a 3
if a ZF rack). All very useful but where the heck in the trunk is
this tag. I've looked everywhere and the door post too and can't find
anything that lists the steering gear. All I need to know is which
boot to buy but am stymied by this.

Please help.

Denny

they mean the vin. a long # that tells you everything you need to know
about your car. the different digits by place tell you different
things. the door post just has a sticker. there is a metal plate under
the bonnet. i'm not sure about the 1991 240, but it's likely to be
aft, port.

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:29:04 -0700 (PDT), Denny A
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>This weekend I attempted to replace the tie rod ends and boots on my
>1991 240. Perhaps foolishly I got my parts from an after market big
>box store (O'riley's, CarQuest, Autozone) since it was mid day Friday
>and had planned on doing this over the weekend when the Volvo parts
>place would be closed. In order to get the parts I needed I had to go
>to several stores since one had the inner tie rod, another the outer
>tie rod end and yet another for the boots.
>
>When I went to replace the rubber boot I discovered that the new one
>was too short and that the one on the car was vented which my
>replacement was not. I've decided to just order the part online since
>it seems the guys at the parts store don't know what I need but I've
>run into this. The Volvo World site has useful info and prices but it
>says that my 240 came with one of 2 steering racks. It then tells me
>to check the trunk or door column for a sticker that will give me a
>code for the steering - gear type (2 if a CAM steering rack and a 3
>if a ZF rack). All very useful but where the heck in the trunk is
>this tag. I've looked everywhere and the door post too and can't find
>anything that lists the steering gear. All I need to know is which
>boot to buy but am stymied by this.
>
>Please help.
>
>Denny

On 8/30/2010 7:29 PM, Denny A wrote:
> This weekend I attempted to replace the tie rod ends and boots on my
> 1991 240. Perhaps foolishly I got my parts from an after market big
> box store (O'riley's, CarQuest, Autozone) since it was mid day Friday
> and had planned on doing this over the weekend when the Volvo parts
> place would be closed. In order to get the parts I needed I had to go
> to several stores since one had the inner tie rod, another the outer
> tie rod end and yet another for the boots.
>
> When I went to replace the rubber boot I discovered that the new one
> was too short and that the one on the car was vented which my
> replacement was not. I've decided to just order the part online since
> it seems the guys at the parts store don't know what I need but I've
> run into this. The Volvo World site has useful info and prices but it
> says that my 240 came with one of 2 steering racks. It then tells me
> to check the trunk or door column for a sticker that will give me a
> code for the steering - gear type (2 if a CAM steering rack and a 3
> if a ZF rack). All very useful but where the heck in the trunk is
> this tag. I've looked everywhere and the door post too and can't find
> anything that lists the steering gear. All I need to know is which
> boot to buy but am stymied by this.
>
> Please help.
>
> Denny
Open the trunk & look @ the inner upper edge there should be a white
sticker with the information needed

Denny A wrote:
> This weekend I attempted to replace the tie rod ends and boots on my
> 1991 240. Perhaps foolishly I got my parts from an after market big
> box store (O'riley's, CarQuest, Autozone) since it was mid day Friday
> and had planned on doing this over the weekend when the Volvo parts
> place would be closed. In order to get the parts I needed I had to go
> to several stores since one had the inner tie rod, another the outer
> tie rod end and yet another for the boots.
>
> When I went to replace the rubber boot I discovered that the new one
> was too short and that the one on the car was vented which my
> replacement was not. I've decided to just order the part online since
> it seems the guys at the parts store don't know what I need but I've
> run into this. The Volvo World site has useful info and prices but it
> says that my 240 came with one of 2 steering racks. It then tells me
> to check the trunk or door column for a sticker that will give me a
> code for the steering - gear type (2 if a CAM steering rack and a 3
> if a ZF rack). All very useful but where the heck in the trunk is
> this tag. I've looked everywhere and the door post too and can't find
> anything that lists the steering gear. All I need to know is which
> boot to buy but am stymied by this.
>
> Please help.
>
> Denny



The IPD website www.ipdusa.com describes how to identify the rack by
looking at the boots. One of them uses tapered boots, the other has
boots with larger openings in the ends and rubber fittings around the
tie rods that stick in the end of the boots.

Part number and a good camera photo make looking for parts less a problem
..If you can not give a part number what is the sales person to do ?
Photos always help remember a picture is worth a thousand curses .
"Denny A" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4b5ee3e3-7fcf-40f6-bf43-(E-Mail Removed)...
> This weekend I attempted to replace the tie rod ends and boots on my
> 1991 240. Perhaps foolishly I got my parts from an after market big
> box store (O'riley's, CarQuest, Autozone) since it was mid day Friday
> and had planned on doing this over the weekend when the Volvo parts
> place would be closed. In order to get the parts I needed I had to go
> to several stores since one had the inner tie rod, another the outer
> tie rod end and yet another for the boots.
>
> When I went to replace the rubber boot I discovered that the new one
> was too short and that the one on the car was vented which my
> replacement was not. I've decided to just order the part online since
> it seems the guys at the parts store don't know what I need but I've
> run into this. The Volvo World site has useful info and prices but it
> says that my 240 came with one of 2 steering racks. It then tells me
> to check the trunk or door column for a sticker that will give me a
> code for the steering - gear type (2 if a CAM steering rack and a 3
> if a ZF rack). All very useful but where the heck in the trunk is
> this tag. I've looked everywhere and the door post too and can't find
> anything that lists the steering gear. All I need to know is which
> boot to buy but am stymied by this.
>
> Please help.
>
> Denny