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Bent inner tie rod.... but what else???



Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
So - my car was hit a few weeks ago while parked, Range Rover reversed down the side of my car and turned into my front wheel (so his rear wheel hit my front wheel).

Initially I though just a few scratches to the wing however when trying to move the car I soon discovered the steering wheel was pissed by about half a turn...

This would be the cause of that:

1631982349365.png


Ok so on with yet another new Renault tie bar and track rod end:
1631982400439.png


Another drive round the block and naturally wheel is still pissed - no worries, I'll just adjust the new tie rod length until the wheel is straight again - tracking done recently and before hit car drove dead straight with wheel in the correct position.

Adjusted tracking and can get wheel nearly straight but car pulls badly to the left....

Bit hard to tell from this shot but this is the good side (not hit) - visible negative camber

1631983011402.png


This is bad side:

1631983049312.png


Doesn't look like positive camber but much less negative, the top of the tyre is now flush with the arch while other side the top of the wheel is tucked in by maybe 5/10mm

1631983153726.png
1631983167707.png


Question is... what else has bent. Im guessing this will be similar damage to sliding into a kerb, is the lower arm the next weakest component, I guess it could have bent lower arm, strut or subframe... hoping its lower arm but its not visibly bent.

So if anyone has done similar damage could you tell me what was bent, hoping the answer will be that strut/subframe never bend etcetc.

Cheers
 

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RichValver

ClioSport Club Member
  Clio 16v/172 daily
I had an issue with my car having far less camber one side compared to the other. Think the car had been ditched by previous owner due to cracked sideskirt. After trying everything the last thing I changed was the hub and it sorted it. So bent hub seemed to be the problem for me
 

Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
Thanks Rich, funnily enough just been on the phone to my father who suggested the hub carrier might have been bent which would be very annoying.

So the possible list it upto
- Bent lower arm
- Bent hub carrier
- Bent Subframe
- Bent strut

Car doesn't make any graunchy noises while driving like I would expect if strut was bent so thinking it probably isn't that. Might pull the trigger on a new lower arm as that would be the simplest to change out of the list.
 

Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
Although saying that - to me it looks as if the wheel is out at the top rather than in at the bottom. Would expect in at the bottom if the lower arm was bent - guess it could well be bent hub carrier :(

f**king cars - wish I was a bird with a fella that sorted my car out for me.
 

Beauvais Motorsport

ClioSport Club Member
Have you compared/measured both sides to check if the bolt slipped? I know the AST coilovers are different being an elongated hole, but the camber can be thrown out quite easily with them, thats with standard bolts that are up to more torque than the powerflex bolts.

1631982400439.png
 

Crayola

ClioSport Club Member
I would check the camber first Rob

Failing that get it jacked up and start checking measurements of the lower arms and subframe mounts. If all else fails I have a 60mm passenger hub sat here spare mate
 

JamesBryan

ClioSport Club Member
  Titanium 182
Get the alignment checked first, see if the garage is willing to do it for free based on the premise that if anything is bent, you'll be back to have it done and paid for.

Doing it by eye always looks right but very rarely is it even close to being right in my experience.
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
The subframe itself has no adjustability on it as it has locating tabs, so unfortunately this wont have just moved if it was the culprit. It is however very strong so I'd be suprised if this was bent!

Saying that the c***s smashed into you at quite some rate to bend the tie rod like that. I'd be first just doing a visual inspection of the arms and hub then maybe get your ruler out to measure specs.
Fingers crossed it's just the camber bolts that have slipped but if theyve been torqued to spec it wont have done so easily. Almost worth taking it into kwikfit for a free alignment check and taking note of the caster etc compared to before.
 

Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
Have you compared/measured both sides to check if the bolt slipped? I know the AST coilovers are different being an elongated hole, but the camber can be thrown out quite easily with them, thats with standard bolts that are up to more torque than the powerflex bolts.

View attachment 1558115
hahahahaha

This will seem like a setup but here is the image I drew just before rushing outside a couple hours ago

1631990354775.png


I drew it to post then though - f**k it, stop being a lemon and go check

Otherside (good side) is basically flush, this side not so much, lower bolt was also not done up to torque I guess from the alignment place as I bloody torqued them up! anyway, looks like the issue could be solved, car is 90% back to where it was before this c**t hit it, will report back once its been in for tracking next week.

Cheers all
 

Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
I would check the camber first Rob

Failing that get it jacked up and start checking measurements of the lower arms and subframe mounts. If all else fails I have a 60mm passenger hub sat here spare mate

Thanks dude, I nearly sent you a message earlier to see if I could send willy pics to raid your spares stash... I believe it has been sorted but as always really appreciate the offer!
 

Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
View attachment 1558131

It would still be fine with double plane nuts though.... I actually forget why I did this, it was deliberate but I can't for the life of me remember why.

@Louis I think it was because I didn't trust the eBay Nylocs, the plain nut is a grade 10 so I just double tapped it. The front mount is the same because its got the stupid subframe to chassis link tube thing.

So the opposite of tight arse I think you'll find young man.

Depressing that its only been a year since it was relatively clean and nice under there and its already looking a bit grim.
 

Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
The subframe itself has no adjustability on it as it has locating tabs, so unfortunately this wont have just moved if it was the culprit. It is however very strong so I'd be suprised if this was bent!

Saying that the c***s smashed into you at quite some rate to bend the tie rod like that. I'd be first just doing a visual inspection of the arms and hub then maybe get your ruler out to measure specs.
Fingers crossed it's just the camber bolts that have slipped but if theyve been torqued to spec it wont have done so easily. Almost worth taking it into kwikfit for a free alignment check and taking note of the caster etc compared to before.

I can't wait to find him. Utter c**t did it in front of my neighbors who got his plate, got out of his 2016 RR, checked his car for damage, literally shrugged, got back in and drove off.

He was 50-60 so should know better. I've filled out a V888 form and spoken to the local police which is enough for the DVLA to send me his address. He hit it hard enough that my rear wheel smashed into the kerb and its taken a big chunk out, really kerbed it well.
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
hahahahaha

This will seem like a setup but here is the image I drew just before rushing outside a couple hours ago

View attachment 1558126

I drew it to post then though - f**k it, stop being a lemon and go check

Otherside (good side) is basically flush, this side not so much, lower bolt was also not done up to torque I guess from the alignment place as I bloody torqued them up! anyway, looks like the issue could be solved, car is 90% back to where it was before this c**t hit it, will report back once its been in for tracking next week.

Cheers all
I've had problems with them not torquing them properly before. Remember the eibach camber bolts have a different torque spec to the actual standard bolts.

The new place I go to actually gets his impact in onto the bolts then checks them with his torque wrench. Never had a problem! Glad you're somewhere near being sorted.
 

Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
I've had problems with them not torquing them properly before. Remember the eibach camber bolts have a different torque spec to the actual standard bolts.

The new place I go to actually gets his impact in onto the bolts then checks them with his torque wrench. Never had a problem! Glad you're somewhere near being sorted.
Thanks mate, mildly annoying (although it might have saved my hub carrier) as I handed him a note with the torque settings on. I think he's done the lower to the same torque as the eibach which is lower than standard bolt, think bottom is 180Nm and the camber bolt is 120Nm, either way they were both about 100.
 

Crayola

ClioSport Club Member
😂😂😂😂😂😂 I still remember your face when you f**king checked them.

Fantastic.

And that rear shock bolt you torqued up 👀👀👀
That rear shocker bolt is a nightmare with an ARB

I learnt from that day and basically what you need to do is position the bracket 180⁰ out and then ugga dugga it until its in the right spot🤣🤣🤣
 

Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
Thanks mate, mildly annoying (although it might have saved my hub carrier) as I handed him a note with the torque settings on. I think he's done the lower to the same torque as the eibach which is lower than standard bolt, think bottom is 180Nm and the camber bolt is 120Nm, either way they were both about 100.

Future Rob notes - Hub to shock is 140Nm normal bolt, 103 camber bolt 🤓
 

JamesBryan

ClioSport Club Member
  Titanium 182
Thanks mate, mildly annoying (although it might have saved my hub carrier) as I handed him a note with the torque settings on. I think he's done the lower to the same torque as the eibach which is lower than standard bolt, think bottom is 180Nm and the camber bolt is 120Nm, either way they were both about 100.

Yeah 130nm and 180nm
 

Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
I think putting the correct torque on main engine bearings is fine

But some stuff just needs a good wanging and leaving alone🤣🤣
Historically thats exactly what I did, but in recent years I like being all smug about the torque setting. I think the only real benefit to the torque wrench on suspension though is that in the future you can remove stuff.

I met a mechanic once who would ugger dugger head bolts without using a torque wrench, he claimed that very few cars came back with head gasket issues 🤷‍♂️
 

Crayola

ClioSport Club Member
Historically thats exactly what I did, but in recent years I like being all smug about the torque setting. I think the only real benefit to the torque wrench on suspension though is that in the future you can remove stuff.

I met a mechanic once who would ugger dugger head bolts without using a torque wrench, he claimed that very few cars came back with head gasket issues 🤷‍♂️
Cant have a leaky headgasket when its been turned into mush🤷‍♂️🤣

Done that and sheared a pinch bolt once 😂
Yeah don't do them that tight🤣 Did you back it off half a turn afterwards?👀
 


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