240 "81 driveshaft/axle question

Hi,

I have a 240 Gl 2.1 carburettor engine with 4 speed +OD. It ran 205.000
Km's.
Now my question:

When I accelerate in first gear the rear axle vibrates. This happens only
when I acceperate from first gear, not in the other possitions.

The rear axles needle-bearing has once been replaced some 40k kms ago by the
previous owner (did it not himself), there is no play in the other bearings.
The rear axle bearing has been greased regulary on the nipple during
service.

A "specialised in old" Volvo garage say's that all 240's have that same
problem and there is nothing one can do about is but exept replace the rear
axle for a new one (!) which is of course no option.

I've checked all rubbers and they are fine. What could this be, the
differentrial, or something else. Both the OD and diff donnot leak any oil.

Please advise.

Thanks,

Martijn
The Netherlands
144
244
262C
C180 Merc

 

Betcha....U-Joints!

 

Steve,

"U-Joints" where are they situated under the car.

Cheers,

Martijn

 

Martijn

The Universal couplings, allow the drive (prop) shaft to change angle, and
flex in two places, one is just behind the gearbox, the other is just behind
a support bearing further back the shaft. Check to see they rotate freely,
solidly, there should be no 'clunk' when you rotate the propshaft to and
fro.

Ken

The Universal couplings, allow the drive (prop) shaft to change angle, and
flex in two places, one is just behind the gearbox, the other is just behind
a support bearing further back the shaft. Check to see they rotate freely,
solidly, there should be no 'clunk' when you rotate the propshaft to and
fro.

Ken

 

Ken,

The garage I consulted said that these two are OK. The prop shaft runs
freely an I I trun it manuallyb there is no clunk.
This garage also has a lot of Amazon's in service so they should know what
they are talking about.
Any more tips. I changed all 4 shockbreakers myself 3 months ago, so they
are fine as well.

Cheers,

Martijn

 

With the problem happening in first, and first gear acceleration usually
being a fairly high torque situation, the only other thing I can think of is
a suspect engine or gearbox mount, or possibly the exhaust vibrating against
the underside of the car, where the pipe passes over the axle (this is quite
likely especially if the system is warm, as the pipe lengthens, and rises
upwards as slack in the backbox rubbers is taken up.
There is a specific alignment that the back box should be set to for this
not to happen, but it be difficult to remedy.
I once got very bad vibration problem, which took ages to trace, caused by a
badly installed (off centre, someone had butchered and bodged it, thinking
it wouldn't go on properly, they were wrong) clutch pressure plate, which I
inherited with the purchase of the car, but I would have thought this is
very rare.

Ken