Handling queries

[MCRackett]

Evening all,

So I've put about 1.5k into my (new to me) mk2 Clio. I've got 3 things that I'm a bit stuck on, I've read various posts but nothing conclusive, so I'm looking for some pointers please!
It's immaculate and passed it's MOT (all of em) with flying colours.. the most recent one has worn front roll bar bushes, so I've bought some new ones to replace it. The central ones look fine, but the ones near the drop links look squashed/vulcanized.

My previous daily was a 2011 XL 2.3 diesel Mercedes Vito, so I'm fully open to it just being a different experience..

- The serious one: dodgy corner handling. It feels like it understeers at speed. Slow speed and it's reactive and lovely, pick up speed (50+) and I had my first scary moment. Understeer round a corner, so turned it a bit more and it felt like it lifted a bit? Cue a bit of swerving where my brain was shouting - don't over correct! - and it came back straight again. I've lost a fair bit of confidence in it's handling since then and it's been a fortnight of regular driving.

• Could just be the anti roll bar bushes?
• Could be crap tyres?
• Car is a lot shorter/narrower/lighter than the van.. I'd be tempted to feet hub spacers to bring the wheels out, widen the stance?

- Revs/biting point. It starts at about 1k, but quickly settles to about 500 revs. The biting point is also a bit funny, no clutch slipping, but the band feels very narrow when you have to be on the power and it stalls out if you don't give it a few revs. (This might just be me from Diesels.. all the new petrols I've driven have fancy systems in them.. and the motorbike you're revving up anyway!)

- Gear lever rattles to buggery in some gears. It responds to putting power down/clutch up etc. Just struck me as curious!

 

[Brigsy]

Should handle loads better than the van, the wheelbase is fine no need for spacers.

Crap tyres will be the understeer issues, get some michelins on. If the back end feels a bit nervous at speed on the twisties the rear shocks will prob need replacing, id prob renew them and id bet your handling issues will be resolved.

Outer arb bushes always fail on the lower spec, assume its the donuts that have the bolt through. Replace with mk1 clio 16v powerflex, will outlast the car.

 

[Jedidrive]

Agree with @Brigsy comments, don't worry about the spacers just yet, start with the basics, i.e. the tyres and go from there.

If you replace them all and the handling is still woeful, Its worth the money getting it aligned correctly, it might reveal some surprises.

 

[MCRackett]

Thanks both!

Yup, the donuts with the bolt. I'd already got some spares so I'll fit them and see what effect that has. If they go again, I'll get the powerflex ones.

Appreciate the input r.e. the tyres, I'll start saving up for some decent ones.

Shocks - I'll have a quick look over the forum for that process.

The wheels were all aligned in the last year, thankfully. The place I normally go to for tyres does an alignment check as well, so I'll confirm then as well!

 

[Touring_Rob]

What tyres are on it?

 

[Daniel]

Rear shocks play a huge part in a Clio’s handling. If you’ve got crappy aftermarket ones on there and budget front tyres, it will handle like a boat.

 

[MCRackett]

What tyres are on it?

Sailun Atrezzo Elite

Rear shocks play a huge part in a Clio’s handling. If you’ve got crappy aftermarket ones on there and budget front tyres, it will handle like a boat.

I wouldn't have gone to the rear shocks, so it's interesting to hear about this on the forum. Live and learn, guess I've got some reading to do!

 

[Brigsy]

Yeah them tyres wont be helping. I reckon your rear shocks will be toast. Mine was terrible when the rear shocks were worn out.

 

[MCRackett]

Any reason not to get the OE struts for the rear?
It's driven fairly aggressively on rough country windy roads. Not interested in minor improvements, only major ones. Getting them replaced and new tyres (at the front) both sound like major improvements.

Rear tyres, coilover or higher end air shocks might be minor improvements.. but I'd value input on this

 

[Brigsy]

Oe shocks are fine go with them or good branded aftermarket

 

[hopgop1]

Might be silly without sport front shocks and springs, so someone please correct me, but could you not put cup shocks on the rear? Not very expensive and I think they’d just bolt straight on.

 

[Brigsy]

Might be silly without sport front shocks and springs, so someone please correct me, but could you not put cup shocks on the rear? Not very expensive and I think they’d just bolt straight on.

Cup rears work fine on lower spec, plug and play. I run them on my dci with sachs shocks up front and eibach sportline springs.

 

[MCRackett]

Just a little update:
Step 1 - change out the ARB bushings complete. Taking her for a spin tomorrow. Tyres next!