Steering inner rods - which ones ?

[Davyboy888]

I have a 2005 Clio 182 with the cup pack suspension and need to replace the track rod ends as either they [or the inner joints] are making a creaking noise when I turn the wheel. The car has power steering and I was planning to buy Febi parts. The track rod ends are fine - there's a single version for the LHS and RHS - however the inner rack ends have multiple options for cars with power steering.

These are the parts from the Febi parts finder :

178261 - length 316
22763 - length 296mm [for steering rack manufacturer TRW]
22517 - length 301mm [not for steering rack manufacturer TRW]

Does anyone have any experience in replacing these and know how to determine which ones I should buy [short of pulling everything out of the car and measuring before I order] ?

Massive thanks in advance.

 

[Brigsy]

It wont hurt to change the tie rods and track rods for new, but from experience the creaking when turning will be a bottom balljoint. Had that issue a few times on these.

 

[Davyboy888]

That makes a lot of sense. When I've had that before on other cars it was generally the strut top. I was getting the car MOTed yesterday and the guy doing it said he though it was the inner or outer ball joint on the track rod... and while it could be that, it's under a lot less load that the lower ball joint. I think I'll replace the lower ball joints first as they're a lot less of a pain and I won't need to get the tracking etc... done.

Huge thanks for your help here.

 

[Louis]

Renault Clio 172 182 Steering Track Rod Kit - Renault Parts Direct

Renault Clio 172 182 Steering Track Rod Kit - Renault Parts Direct - Renault Parts Direct is a web based service from our authorised Renault dealer.

renaultpartsdirect.co.uk

For future reference.

 

[Davyboy888]

Thanks so much Louis... I was looking at that a little earlier and then went to the Febi parts finder to discover a plethora of different options for the 182 - with and without PAS. I might shoot Fish Brothers a quick message to see if this is the right one for my cup-pack car.

 

[Mr Trailer Man]

All MK2 phase 2 use the SMI rack and are the same length for 172 & 182.

 

[Louis]

Thanks so much Louis... I was looking at that a little earlier and then went to the Febi parts finder to discover a plethora of different options for the 182 - with and without PAS. I might shoot Fish Brothers a quick message to see if this is the right one for my cup-pack car.

It is.

 

[Davyboy888]

That's great guys... thanks so much.

 

[Davyboy888]

It wont hurt to change the tie rods and track rods for new, but from experience the creaking when turning will be a bottom balljoint. Had that issue a few times on these.

Just a silly question here. I bought a pair of Febi bottom ball joints from two different suppliers on eBay and have been sent different sized versions of the same part... one has slightly larger mounting bolts and holes than the other... even though they're supposedly the same Febi part number. I've a feeling somebody has swapped the box contents. So in the hope that one of them is correct, would you happen to know the diameter of the mounting bolts for the bottom ball joint ?

 

[Mr Trailer Man]

Just a silly question here. I bought a pair of Febi bottom ball joints from two different suppliers on eBay and have been sent different sized versions of the same part... one has slightly larger mounting bolts and holes than the other... even though they're supposedly the same Febi part number. I've a feeling somebody has swapped the box contents. So in the hope that one of them is correct, would you happen to know the diameter of the mounting bolts for the bottom ball joint ?

The larger of the two.

Sport ones use M12 bolts, non sport are M10.

 

[Davyboy888]

The larger of the two.

Sport ones use M12 bolts, non sport are M10.

Do you mean Cup and non Cup or just all 182s use the larger ones ?

 

[Mr Trailer Man]

Do you mean Cup and non Cup or just all 182s use the larger ones ?

All sports, 172 & 182

 

[Davyboy888]

Thanks so much for that, makes sense.

 

[Davyboy888]

The saga continues... I'm trying to buy the correct one of these and was speaking to somebody at Febi who told me that they don't manufacture them for the Cup suspension... and that Renault don't have a part number for the Cup versions either ??!!?? What manufacturer's parts are you guys using and/or where did you source them.

Here are the two different versions of the same Febi part number that I mentioned above.

 

[Mr Trailer Man]

Lemforder | Euro Car Parts

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They are the ones you want mate.

If you put your reg in it will tell you they're wrong, but they are 100% correct.

 

[Davyboy888]

Thanks so much for that... they use the 12mm mounting bolts, right ?

 

[Mr Trailer Man]

Thanks so much for that... they use the 12mm mounting bolts, right ?

Yeah they're the ones I used for mine.

 

[Davyboy888]

Massive thanks again here... and you've got Cup front suspension on yours ?

 

[Mr Trailer Man]

Massive thanks again here... and you've got Cup front suspension on yours ?

I had a 182, but they're all the same.

 

[Davyboy888]

Here's one for you now. The guy from Febi told me not to fit either of the two I have to the car and to return them to the place I bought them. He said that Renault do not make that part separately for the 172/182 and that it has to be bought as a complete wishbone set [as in the Renault Parts Direct listing below]. He said that the Febi and Lemfroeder versions that we're looking at "will fail prematurely even if they fit" !

I'd be interested to know what those who race the 182 use as they're constantly damaging front corners etc.. and I'm sure getting throgh plenty. I'd imagine if they can withstand the rigors of racing, they'd be fine on the road.

Curioser and curioser.

https://renaultpartsdirect.co.uk/parts/steering-suspension/renault-clio-172-front-wishbone-mk1/

 

[Brigsy]

Sounds like the febi guy is a "if it doesnt match your reg" then its going to end up in flames type of person.

The 172/182 balljoints are nothing special. If its a m12 type send it. Check pin thickness with a vernier if your worried.