172 track prepping

[pusherman]

Hi all,

I've got a ff 172 the spec so far is;

Ktec stealth (ph2) exhaust system
k&n panel air filter
goodridge braided brake hoses
dot 5.1 fluid

cg lock...

thats about it.

I've got a set of speedline turinis with toyo r888s and some mintex pads ready for the track but i just want to attend to the suspension.

i want to get to around the cup suspension standard.

whats the difference between the 172 and the cup suspension?

cheers
Tom

 

[S22 JGS]

get coilys mate

 

[Johnc172]

coilovers are the way forward, you'll only wish you had done if you opt for standard cup suspension!

 

[Big Iain]

yeah go and buy cup suspension, and if u can notice the difference I will give u my coilovers

 

[Butler205]

I have fitted cup suspension to mine and can feel the difference, but thats not why I did it.

But either way it's still far too soft for track work.

 

[MarkCup]

Have you taken it on track yet?

Good brakes and tyres, which is what you've done, give the biggest gains for the least expense. That's all I've ever done.

Standard suspension is fine...try it as it is...if you find it lacking, change it.

 

[Englebert]

Coilovers to stay up with other people or to look cool... they don't help you drive.

Having said that if your 172 is on original dampers then they are probably past their website, and aftermarket suspension is normally cheaper than OE stuff.

You look like you have the right stuff already, although LOL @ CG Lock. I would much rather spend the money on some tuition.

 

[MarkM]

Coilovers to stay up with other people or to look cool... they don't help you drive.

At the end of the day you could get yourself an old school mini for £500 and have fun round a track and learn how to go faster.

If you want your car to have the 'potential' to go faster around a track would coilovers not be a better option?

 

[pusherman]

been on track??? yep loved every minute of it

Its going to be mild track use... say 5 or 6 times a year... roughly

I dont want it to be an all out track weapon... its got plenty of ability especially with the few mods i've done, i just felt the body was rolling an aweful lot in fast corners.

everything else on the car performed faultlessly even more so now i've put the braided hoses and mintex pads on.

after the recent french cars (performance gti) feature on the leda coilovers i've got no confidence in them. i just dont want to be £700 down and stuck with something thats ruined the car.

 

[Butler205]

Can you uprate just the anti roll bars?

Start with a thicker rear one.

I looked at the suspension on the back of mine. I am still new to clio's but its looks pretty crude and what looked like the ARB is welded in.

But if you have already done a track day then, the best advice, as mentioned is upgrade whatever you feel it needs. Car development is fun if you have the cash.

 

[MarkCup]

Who cares about roll so long as it still grips like a limpet and gets you round?

I like roll, it's the car talking to you, letting you know what's going on :approve:

I'd be nervous as f*** in something setup rock hard with less obvious signs of impending disaster.

 

[pusherman]

yeah true mark, good point.

my plan is take it out on track with the toyos and new uprated brake bits...

then polybush the front arb and wishbone bits.

and go from there

 

[Butler205]

Yeah poly bushes are a good move, especially with the extra forces generated by the stickier tyres.

 

[Peperami]

If you're not keen on leda's, how about h&R's? They're superb. Cup sus will roll lots, will barely notice the difference to standard mate.

 

[edde]

I wouldn't do the poly bushes infact I'd try to convince anyone to not do it.

 

[pusherman]

how so?

i fully polybushed my saxo and it made a massive difference. turn in was so much tighter and more controlled.

quite like the look of h&rs... just a bit put off by the whole leda thingy and coilovers...

 

[Fred@BTM]

trust me H&R's are worth it! polybushes do make a difference, but they also squeak

(why do you have tape over your lights in the pic?? they're plastic)

 

[Martin]

Who cares about roll so long as it still grips like a limpet and gets you round?

I like roll, it's the car talking to you, letting you know what's going on :approve:

I'd be nervous as f*** in something setup rock hard with less obvious signs of impending disaster.

I concur, everyone on here seems to think coilovers are the best thing since sliced bread.....most of those people won't have tracked the stnd setup imo

 

[Fred@BTM]

agree also, i had a customer on the phone the other day and he was surprised i told him to go do a track day beofre doing his suspension

 

[Tom]

trust me H&R's are worth it! polybushes do make a difference, but they also squeak

(why do you have tape over your lights in the pic?? they're plastic)

LOL! i dont think somepeople even know why people tape their lights.

I tape the fogs.

 

[Matta_88]

lol i thought that exact thing when looking at that pic lol
It must make you look cool lol

 

[MarkCup]

I tape the fogs.

Vital.

I've lost three now on trackdays...and at over £50 a pop it soon adds up.

 

[Tony Hunter]

You will really be surprised at how far you can push standard suspension,and as Markk says,a bit of roll can tell you a lot of whats happening rather all or nothing

 

[Peperami]

Aye, standard suspension is fun on track... But thats not what the op was asking.

He's said he's done trackdays, and wants better suspension, hence why ive recommended h&r's.

 

[Tony Hunter]

Aye, standard suspension is fun on track... But thats not what the op was asking.

He's said he's done trackdays, and wants better suspension, hence why ive recommended h&r's.

Sorry didnt read it all

 

[Butler205]

I wouldn't do the poly bushes infact I'd try to convince anyone to not do it.

Why?

 

[pusherman]

cheers for all the help and advice guys.

with teh tape on the fogs... i wasn't aware they were plastic but i'm sure plastic will still shatter if you have an impact.

i've done a few track days now and will deffo be going out on standard suspension until i see something that i think is worth getting.
In the saxo world H&R and billies have a sky high reputation so if i was going to coilover it i'd buy those...

I'm almost deffo going to polybush the clio as i beleive these make a cracking difference.

cheers
Tom

 

[edde]

I wouldn't do the poly bushes infact I'd try to convince anyone to not do it.

Why?

They squeek ther give a hard ride and they arn't desinged for a Clio theyre just harder bearing Renault spent a fortune developing dampers they didn't just go get somne stuff material and stick them in for good reason.

I know a few people who had them fitted then got them taken off again quickly afterwards.

 

[pusherman]

surely you cant be saying the specially made powerflex or superflex poly bushes are not designed for the clio.

they are direct replacements for the wishbone bushes and the arb bushes.

renault may have spent a fortune developing the suspension etc but this is to a budget and to put a set of poly bushes will work out more expensive than rubber bushes that fatiuge and fall apart after a while.

hence why very very few production cars have poly bushes on as standard.

 

[Butler205]

renault may have spent a fortune developing the suspension etc but this is to a budget and to put a set of poly bushes will work out more expensive than rubber bushes that fatiuge and fall apart after a while.

Agreed.

But I also agree with Edde on the harshness front, but its a price I am happy to pay. My poly bushed 205 was acceptable.

 

[edde]

surely you cant be saying the specially made powerflex or superflex poly bushes are not designed for the clio.

they are direct replacements for the wishbone bushes and the arb bushes.

renault may have spent a fortune developing the suspension etc but this is to a budget and to put a set of poly bushes will work out more expensive than rubber bushes that fatiuge and fall apart after a while.

hence why very very few production cars have poly bushes on as standard.

Well you might be suprised to know that some of there stuff doens't fit Clio althouhg is so advertised and havs to be drilled out to work. Making bushes is easy making them right isn't.

Yes Renault built to a budget but there good reason why they didn't go with harder I've heard one owner with bushes did damage the subframe or wishbones as the extra loads instead of being soaked up by the stock bushes were directed more onto the components and hence there were cracks starting.

As for cost why do not all expensive cars rose bush there joints. Its a more direct method and gives more feedback.

 

[pusherman]

bearing in mind i'm talking from the perspective of having my saxo polybushed to the hilt with poly engine mounts, rear beam bushes, wishbone bushes, and arb bushes and that was fine.

i'll look into it but people who have bushed their car please put in their opinions and before and afters.

also how about one of those rear anti roll bars????