Subframe removal

16V F7R · Jun 12, 2025

I am going to tackle this job for the first time with my Valver. I want to remove the front subframe leaving the engine in.

Can people list me the do’s and don’ts and the correct order in which I should disconnect whats required to remove it.

The more tips and experience you can share the better please. The Front bumper, bonnet, head lights are all off. Rad is ready to come out, ball joints loosened off ready to be pried out. I’m on to the important bit now and I don’t want to screw anything up with my lack of experience.

16V F7R · Sunday at 11:55 AM

Any help would be much appreciated, I know this is basic stuff for a lot of you but I am a novice and don’t want to screw anything up. It appears that I need to-

Remove my exhaust as I cannot disconnect from a cat because it has been removed and a pipe welded straight through.

Undo the back gearbox mount. Is that as simple as just undo the bolts remove one and move it out the way?

Remove the gear selector bar, what’s the best way to do this? Have the gearbox engaged into 1st and then remove the bar altogether?

One of my anti roll bar bolts keeps is just spinning around on the wishbone mount, the other one loosened fine, you cannot grip it from the top, does that mean it needs to just be cut off now?

More stupid questions will come, I would appreciate any advice.

16V F7R · Sunday at 12:00 PM

Images of exhaust and mount and the only bolt causing me an issue right now.

RichValver · Sunday at 12:14 PM

Right, with the selector remove it at the pivot point so that you won't have to f**k about adjusting it again to get the gears. Might be a rubber boot around it

You will need to remove the driveshaft to drop the downpipe too

The captive nuts on the rear of the subframe will be a right b**ch as they will more than likely be siezed so will need to get a spanner in there

I would just cut those drop links as they need replacing. A set of nut splitters are always handy to have, can just split the nut if you don't have access to something to cut the drop links with

There will be pas pipes attached to the subframe, on the pass side somewhere. Will need to decide if you are dropping the rack with the subframe? You will need to remove the bolt holding it to the column, is a bit trick and there is a boot covering it. diconnect the pipes to the pas bottle and pump

chazza114 · Sunday at 12:14 PM

@Krarl will definitely be the man to ask about this, he seems to be dropping the subframe out on his 172 every other weekend!

16V F7R · Sunday at 12:45 PM

Great advice on the selector thanks. 👍

You will need to remove the driveshaft to drop the downpipe too
I was hoping this could be done without removing any driveshafts damn!

The captive nuts on the rear of the subframe will be a right b**ch as they will more than likely be siezed so will need to get a spanner in there
I have made them move but my god I don’t see how I’m going to get a spanner in there at all, or will it become accessible once the exhaust is out of the way?

I would just cut those drop links as they need replacing. A set of nut splitters are always handy to have, can just split the nut if you don't have access to something to cut the drop links with
Thanks again, I will cut that now as don’t have nut splitters yet. Can the drop links and the track rod ends just be wacked out with a hammer than or shall I do that after I have removed the ball joints from the hub to release tension? Also what about this dog bone gear box mount?

There will be pas pipes attached to the subframe, on the pass side somewhere. Will need to decide if you are dropping the rack with the subframe? You will need to remove the bolt holding it to the column, is a bit trick and there is a boot covering it. diconnect the pipes to the pas bottle and pump.
Yes I need to consider what I am doing when I get to that bit.

Massive thanks for you help 👊

16V F7R · Sunday at 4:10 PM

Ok exhaust is nearly out. Is there a special way to take this sensor out without me doing damage? Is it just a 22mm spanner and more WD40 or am I wrong?

16V F7R · Sunday at 4:11 PM

Matt Cup · Sunday at 4:14 PM

You can buy specific lambda sockets.

RichValver · Sunday at 5:04 PM

16V F7R said:
Pic

I'd just unplug the sensor, I have managed just hitting a spanner with a hammer

RichValver · Sunday at 5:07 PM

16V F7R said:
Ok exhaust is nearly out. Is there a special way to take this sensor out without me doing damage? Is it just a 22mm spanner and more WD40 or am I wrong?

You could also just drop the hubs/wishbones and even the shocks with the subframe then remove the bits after. Just remove the calipers from the hubs

The dog bone mount is just 2 bolts? Remove one or the other doesn't really matter which

Yarp · Sunday at 5:17 PM

RichValver said:
You could also just drop the hubs/wishbones and even the shocks with the subframe then remove the bits after. Just remove the calipers from the hubs

The dog bone mount is just 2 bolts? Remove one or the other doesn't really matter which

That’s how I do it.

Calipers off; undo the top mounts or shocks depending on what mood I’m in; undo the column bolt; dogbone off and then drop the lot as a oner.

Just don’t forget to buy your replacement subframe bolts from me 🤣

https://cliosport.net/threads/subframe-bolts-not-oem.848034/

TC. · Sunday at 5:28 PM

Yarp said:
Just don’t forget to buy your replacement subframe bolts from me 🤣

https://cliosport.net/threads/subframe-bolts-not-oem.848034/

Might have a set of these myself

16V F7R · Sunday at 7:30 PM

Nice one chaps. I really appreciate your help.. Ok ready for more s**t questions -

Thanks for clearing up that I can just undo the dog bone and there no tension to worry about.
Thanks for clearing up that I can just unplug the sensor and leave it in, silly me (Inexperience).

I ideally wanted to leave all the brakes, suspension and drive shafts alone for now and not get too overwhelmed. Is it still possible to do it without removing all this?
My suspension and drive shafts would keep all my hubs in place and safe for now is my thinking.
The sub frame bolt next to the fuel lines looks impossible to get a grip on the inner nut, is it a captive one anyway? How am I going to cut those off If they don’t come off?
I will defo have your subframe bolts please Yarp. Do you sell any other bolts? I’m going to refresh a lot.
The gear selector shaft removal from the gearbox end, i don’t want to rip or damage the rubber boot over it and I can seem to get it off without damaging it. I have seen them where they have to be cable tied. Shall I leave the gear stick in neutral to do this and do I need to remove it from the gear stick end as well so I don’t risk damaging it as the frame lowers down?

Thanks again everyone, I’m reasonably pleased with what I got done today, another day at it and hopefully it will be off and then onto the refurbishing phase which I plan to get carried away with a bit.

Yarp · Sunday at 7:56 PM

16V F7R said:
Nice one chaps. I really appreciate your help.. Ok ready for more s**t questions -

Thanks for clearing up that I can just undo the dog bone and there no tension to worry about.
Thanks for clearing up that I can just unplug the sensor and leave it in, silly me (Inexperience).

I ideally wanted to leave all the brakes, suspension and drive shafts alone for now and not get too overwhelmed. Is it still possible to do it without removing all this?
My suspension and drive shafts would keep all my hubs in place and safe for now is my thinking.
The sub frame bolt next to the fuel lines looks impossible to get a grip on the inner nut, is it a captive one anyway? How am I going to cut those off If they don’t come off?
I will defo have your subframe bolts please Yarp. Do you sell any other bolts? I’m going to refresh a lot.
The gear selector shaft removal from the gearbox end, i don’t want to rip or damage the rubber boot over it and I can seem to get it off without damaging it. I have seen them where they have to be cable tied. Shall I leave the gear stick in neutral to do this and do I need to remove it from the gear stick end as well so I don’t risk damaging it as the frame lowers down?

Thanks again everyone, I’m reasonably pleased with what I got done today, another day at it and hopefully it will be off and then onto the refurbishing phase which I plan to get carried away with a bit.

If you want to leave all the brakes etc then you can either remove the wishbones or undo the bottom ball joints.

The wishbones sometimes aren’t the easiest things to get off so ball joints may be easier. If you look on the pic I shared above you can see they bolt onto the wishbone rather than pressed in so you can unbolt them and leave all the hubs/suspension etc in situ. If you’re removing the steering rack from the subframe then you can leave the track rod ends bolted up. If the rack is coming with it then you’ll need to undo the track rod ends from the hub. They need pressure applied from underneath to stop the bolt spinning. I normally just stick a jack under there.

The original subframe mounts use captive nuts and they will have dissolved so will spin. There are cut outs in the chassis that you can use to get a spanner in. It’s either 16 or 18mm, can’t remember which now!

16V F7R · Sunday at 8:14 PM

This is great advice cheers! I have undone the track rod ends bolts but couldn’t get the track rod end out of the hub, even after I lifted the hub slightly with the jack. God I spend so much time f**king about with stuff where an experienced mechanic just smashes this out for fun! I get afraid to hit stuff hard enough or worry about if any load is on annything and I damage something or myself😂! I decided that removing the ball joints from the hub first would be best to release the stiffness of the track rod ends joints but I only have a 16mm socket (the other crap old one I had rounded) and I don’t have a 16mm spanner so couldn’t continue with removing the ball joints today. Plus I am going to get a ball joints separator. I will get the tools this week though and then -

Remove ball joints from the hub
Remove track rod ends from the hub
Remove dog bone
Remove gear linkage
Drain and disconnect the power steering fluid and pipes so the steering rack can come out (I am putting new track rod ends on so yes got to come out)
Finally remove the rad
Undo the 4 subframe bolts and lower it
Then tea and biscuits

Krarl · Sunday at 8:25 PM

Why didn't you just unbolt the track rods from the hubs, take the 4 bolts off of the balljoints and then take the bolt out of the rack and column?

You could have left the shafts and hubs in the car

It takes me about 30 mins to get the subframe dropped out of my car now. It's a terrible curse to have knowing exactly which bolts to take out to make it quick

16V F7R · Sunday at 8:33 PM

A up Krarl, yes I’m leaving the shafts and hubs on 👍
I’ve still got to do what’s in my list in the last post though? Shouldn’t take long to be fair if the bolts aren’t seized too bad…

Krarl · Sunday at 8:53 PM

Ah sorry, didn't realise it was Steve being a special t**t and dropping the hubs and shafts. It all depends if you've got PAS or if you've looped your steering rack/got a manual rack

If you've got a proper blokes rack with no stupid hoses it's a piece of piss

2 bolts out the balljoints each side
Track rod ends disconnected at hubs
Subframe supports off
Cable tie rad pack up
Dogbone off
Lower gearbox nut off
Rack pinch bolt out
Lower rad hose p clip off
Subframe support bars that connect to lower arms loosened and disconnected on car side
If you've got PAS dump all of the oil and disconnect the hoses
Support subframe with jack and wood lengthways
4 subframe bolts out, hold the nuts with a spanner after you've snapped away the retainers
Drop subframe

My car is missing quite a lot of stuff compared to a standard car. But I've stripped enough Clios to realise there's not a whole lot that bolts to the subframe anyway

16V F7R · Sunday at 9:00 PM

This is great info mate nice one.
Not sure what these are though-

Subframe support bars that connect to lower arms loosened and disconnected on car side

Also how easy is it to disconnect the gear linkage the best way to not have to f**k about setting it up again afterwards, had a fun stint once in my 5 resetting the gear linkage but it was quite simple. I never removed it from the gearbox though.

16v_paddy · Sunday at 10:43 PM

16V F7R said:
This is great info mate nice one.
Not sure what these are though-

Subframe support bars that connect to lower arms loosened and disconnected on car side

Also how easy is it to disconnect the gear linkage the best way to not have to f**k about setting it up again afterwards, had a fun stint once in my 5 resetting the gear linkage but it was quite simple. I never removed it from the gearbox though.

Those are the 2 bars that 1 end attaches to the wishbones and the other to the chassis leg, just look at where the wishbone bolts go & you'll see the bar

As for the gear linkage, follow it to it's very end inside the rubber boot & undo it from there, don't touch the clamp part of it, that's what causes the hassle you had with your R5

16v_paddy · Sunday at 11:08 PM

Number 20 in the pic, that's where you undo it from, the bit circled in red is the spacer bush - don't lose that bit

16V F7R · Sunday at 11:30 PM

Cheers Paddy, I thought he already mentioned those bars further up his list when he said subframe supports so I thought he meant something else 👍

I’ll man handle the rubber boot off and do as you’ve mentioned, many thanks 👍👍

Krarl · Sunday at 11:44 PM

Yeah undo the 13mm nut on the selector arm

DO NOT disconnect it at the slip joint if you value your sanity 🤣

And when you're dropping the subframe don't clag the weight of the subframe on the shifter rod. It will bend, they're made of cheese

Yarp · Monday at 8:20 AM

Krarl said:
Yeah undo the 13mm nut on the selector arm

DO NOT disconnect it at the slip joint if you value your sanity 🤣

And when you're dropping the subframe don't clag the weight of the subframe on the shifter rod. It will bend, they're made of cheese

This is absolutely the best advice that any human can ever give another human. What an absolute shithouse those selectors are to re-align 🤣

And yup, the only reason I took the r****d approach was the box and engine were coming out so made no difference leaving the shafts in. Undoing the ball joints is the best option.

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