Answers needed re steering/suspension, so confused! (went to Mark Fish today)

[msisleman]

Fook knows whether I put this in the right place when I put it in the faults/problems section, so its in here too, cos I'm desperate for people to read!

Ok I thought I'd cured my front steering issues that I had, but after driving a friends 172 yesterday, it feels far better then mine, something still isn't right. Basically it feels unresponsive and slightly vague in the first 15 degrees or so of steering.

I took it to Mark Fish today for him to have a look/drive. His first thought was wishbone lengths. We measured my wishbones and then measured the wishbones on the 172 he had in (someone off here - silver, private plate, Yozza sticker, CS sticker, black Team Dynamics rims I think, caged, Recaro's). Mine were about 8mm shorter in length each!! I don't know whether this example had Cup suspension maybe? Are the Cup wishbones actually different length to standard 172's? And on this subject, what parts are different lengths between the Cup and standard 172? I've fitted a secondhand steering rack and had to get the tie rods cut down as they were too long, I bought a secondhand driveshaft and it was too long. I assumed I'd bought longer Cup items each time, but surely too much of a coincidence, and are the steering racks/driveshafts/wishbones actually different between Cups and standard 172's??

I'm very confused at the moment, something very strange going on with my front suspension/steering setup!!

Thanks!

 

[st3ve]

Sounds like someone's done a bodged job somewhere!

 

[W17GLE]

as the 172 have wider track than standard clios it sound like some of the parts fitted to your car are from a normal model and not a sport, especially with you saying the driveshafts were too long. it can be the only explanation

 

[Gumby]

Front end smash and replaced with standard clio bits?

 

[msisleman]

These all sound like the only explanations to me!! Some complete r****d has replaced bits in the past. Funny really, this steering fault is actually fairly subtle. Mark gave it a good drive, throwing it about plenty and said it didn't feel awful, but wasn't quite right and that it felt like it was "tucking under" when cornering hard. The front wheels have always looked like they are are little far into the arches too, which Mark noticed straight away.

So.... I will replace the wishbones with some nice shiny new SPORT ones. Then my only worries would be that my driveshafts may be too short??!! But what on earth must they have been off if they are too short? And then the tie rods, hoepfully I can adjust them out by 8mm.

Very strange indeed, but looking forward to getting it sorted now that I'm starting to unearth the issues.

 

[Jay Payne]

Yea sounds like someone fitted non 172 wishbones. Hope thats all you need to replace mate

 

[msisleman]

Yea sounds like someone fitted non 172 wishbones. Hope thats all you need to replace mate

Cheers, hopefully that should be it, will probably put a set of driveshafts on at the same time.

The burning question for me at the moment is: Is there actually any difference in length for the driveshafts/wishbones/tie rods between Cup's and standard 172's?

 

[Da]

This may be of some use mate.

 

[Firas]

Cheers, hopefully that should be it, will probably put a set of driveshafts on at the same time.

The burning question for me at the moment is: Is there actually any difference in length for the driveshafts/wishbones/tie rods between Cup's and standard 172's?

maybe it was done by teh previous owner. i had a mate who got his driveshafts cut short because he was sitting very low at the front so shortening them puts less strian on them i am led to beleive

 

[msisleman]

This may be of some use mate.

Great thread for me, thanks!

maybe it was done by teh previous owner. i had a mate who got his driveshafts cut short because he was sitting very low at the front so shortening them puts less strian on them i am led to beleive

This is a very good point, I think they must have been cut down at some time, it is pretty low at the front. We shall see... I have a spare standard drivers side shaft so can always fit this at the same time, I'll see how it goes. Looking forward to getting some new wishbones now, maybe I will finally feel my 172 as its supposed to feel!!

 

[msisleman]

All I can say is, lawl. Dunno whether anyones interested, but here's an update on this. It is mildly interesting.

Bought new wishbones from Renault for £130, thinking they'd be longer then the ones I had on my car after myself and Mark Fish measuring them and finding they were shorter then they should be. Got them both next to each other, and they were exactly the same. So we must have been measuring them wrong, it was difficult as we didn't jack the vehicles up. So it must be that I have Clio 1.2 Koni shocks on my car I reckon, its the only possible final explanation. It does look like there is a bit of camber on the front wheels, so would make sense. So will source some standard dampers I think. It HAS to be this now!