How to check...

[Paul182]

Since buying my Clio nearly 2 years ago and it going through two MOT's with no suspension issues it still drives like crap. Car always feels floaty and steering very light. If I drive down uneven roads it pulls me all over the place ?

I have slowly been refreshing the front end and has made little or no improvement and I think I'm only left with 3 options

1. ARB bushes - have got stock ones ready to be fitted
2. Inner rods - checked last night and have very minimal play
3. Wishbones - have no idea how to check these ?

 

[Gaverick]

My inner tie rods had only minimal play but made the car feel like crap. I also noticed that I got a lot of tyre squeal in concrete car parks before I replaced them.

I didn't find replacing the ARB bushes made much difference at all.

How many miles are on the car? I replaced my wishbones at 90k and they were still solid as a rock.

 

[Goodj]

I know you say it all looks OK, but maybe the rear dampers? A lot of people moan about duff handling and it seems the #1 culprit

Also, tyre pressures. I never worried about this until I got my '5, but a few PSI here and there makes quite a difference... probably less markedly so on a front-dragger but still worth a look.

EDIT: and those roads around you, damn, yes you need a confident front end! The number of times I've almost binned it around there, ooft!

 

[Paul182]

Car has got 104k on the clock .. is there a good way to check the wishbones? Have tried different tyre pressures and no joy. Rear dampers were replaced not so long ago.

So far its had:

Front/ rear shocks
Top mounts
Rod ends
Rack Bushes
Ball joints

 

[Jack!]

Tracking?

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

steering tie rods will affect the steering. I got mine done at about 85k IIRC and it went from a mildly wooly steering feel to doing 120 leptops on the way home and the steering wheel not even wobbling.

Did you buy pattern part ball joints or used? Renault don't sell them on their own last time I checked and you had to buy the whole wishbone, worked out to be roughly the same price as buying new bushes and ball joints from ECP and meant I didn't have to f**k about changing perished rubber bushes for new ones.

Those seem to be the only 2 parts of the puzzle that you've missed though other than springs, how old are the springs you've got and are they whole? I've had a few cracked springs on my Clios.

 

[Paul182]

Tracking was done. I got Lemforder ball joints. Got Eibach springs on and they are whole!

 

[Amos91]

What tyres have you been using? I find the difference between worn and new tread is quite staggering.

 

[Paul182]

Currently on Rainsport2's but was the same before but cant remember what was on before decent ones though