Is my car riding too high?

[DanDennehy]

OK so I just had new shocks and springs all round for my MoT . I know this will have raised the ride height a bit, but the car now looks like it's riding too high, especially at the rear, as if the wrong springs have been used (i.e. not Cup ones :dapprove. The wheel arch to tyre clearance is about 65-70mm.

Here's some photos:
Front

Rear

Side


What do you reckon?

Anyone in/near Coventry got a standard (not lowered, etc) 172 Cup I could compare side-by-side with?

Cheers

Dan

 

[Darren85]

Not sure if its just my PC but the pictures ain't loading/showing

 

[lee131]

i dont have a standard one but they aint cup springs on that for s**t im only in nuneaton

 

[Craigus]

Yes

 

[Daz.]

looks too high to me personally

 

[Jat_172cup]

looks very high mate, even though your balancing off a curb lol

 

[Gardus]

4x4 clio?

 

[cat171]

As standard the front end of a cup is pretty high (it lookks daft imo) but yours seems to be extra high, the back of it is high too, they sit lower than that normally.

If oyu look at the springs on it etc & post up the cloour of them & any markings folk will be able to tell you if they are cup ones, or if not what they actually are.

 

[Budgie]

Looks a touch high.

May settle in the new few weeks though.

 

[Beef-Mc]

Give it a while to settle if it's just off the jack.

 

[cat171]

I didn't read the write up, I just looked at the title & the pics. Yeah give it a few weeks to settle, it'll be reet then.

 

[DanDennehy]

The new springs are black, that's all I can see. The work was done at an independent garage but I did specifically tell them to get the proper Cup springs but I don't think they have. Gonna give them a call ...

Another thing, the headlights now point down far too much, which would tie up with the ride height being wrong at the rear. Driving at night is impossible

 

[DanDennehy]

Anyone know what the part numbers should be for the springs?

 

[ben_r1]

If its fresh of the jack then find a speed bump or two to resettle it.

Springs could lower after a few thousand miles of usage but lol not even the standard 1.2 clio is that high haha.

 

[DanDennehy]

So, the garage have checked with the main dealer. Apparently my car comes up as a Sport not a Cup

Anyone know what the part numbers should be for the springs?

This is what my garage say have been fitted:
Front Springs: 18990546600
Rear Springs: 18101551891

They're trying to find out if these are the Cup ones, or Sport ... I bet they're not.
And on that basis, not the right dampers either ...

 

[doj]

Hi. Hope you got the stuff fitted with correct parts. New to this forum and clio's !
But to me the front dont look far off and they may drop a little, think even 3 or 4mm to high would look wrong. Back looks a bit high.
Are these your car http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.allvehicles.co.uk/943.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.allvehicles.co.uk/hv53dzt.htm&usg=__1z2uESYYwPHoo4-gfAjOXY7fcjI=&h=559&w=750&sz=237&hl=en&start=6&um=1&tbnid=exUdUS5Csaz4qM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=141&prev=/images%3Fq%3D172%2BCup%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://photos.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_12/car_photo_6253_7.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/28841/renaultsport_clio_172_cup.html&usg=__XspfsCsFb8R5wuvv1CxWVtM6pc8=&h=174&w=408&sz=13&hl=en&start=143&um=1&tbnid=pDhPvXv4y45a8M:&tbnh=53&tbnw=125&prev=/images%3Fq%3D172%2BCup%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D126%26um%3D1
Maybe a few better pics with car level would help more! Not on slope as it looks like the road is running upwards too.
Theres a few lines on the car i was looking at, like the door bumper moulds. From them pics i found the back of the car sits low but the line of car raise up towards the back. Whats the car drive like now ? Think wrong parts would invalid your insurance. Hope you get it sorted!
Doj

 

[DanDennehy]

Thanks Doj, as you say if you compare those pictures with my car, my car is definitely up at the back and maybe a bit at the front too.

 

[theduck]

Hope you get this sorted fella! Doesnt sound good tbh.

 

[Scrooge]

Now time for coilovers ,

 

[Fred@BTM]

100% wrong, i'll guarantee it just by looking at those photos

those parts numbers you've posted aren't renault part numbers

i'd be taking it back! feel free to pop over to my workshop and i'll tell you straight

 

[Fred@BTM]

172 cup CORRECT parts numbers

front shock 8200257952
rear shock 8200662257

front spring 8200257954
rear spring 7700436850

 

[Gavin J]

My brother had a spring break on his Cup and the only way to get replacements were through Renault but they were very pricey....So he phoned up YozzaSport and they came up trumps with a set of genuine cup springs off a car that had been in for a suspension upgrade....Try putting a post in the wanted bet theres a few cups on here running aftermarket springs/coilovers and prob have the originals kicking about....

 

[DanDennehy]

Big up to Fred for providing the part numbers :clap: and my garage have confirmed these numbers match the invoice for the parts they fitted to my car. My car still doesn't look right tho' :S
They have agreed to take it back in and have another look

 

[Craigus]

Why are tyhe pictures you have taken on a kerb?

 

[DanDennehy]

Because my road is too busy to park on properly. The car still looks to high on the more heavily loaded (i.e. roadside) wheels ...

 

[Gaz_]

Cup spring have white and yellow markings on each spring

 

[DanDennehy]

Really ... whereabouts? ... e.g. at the top and bottom, or on one of the coils? Pictures/weblinks would be ace if you have any

I couldn't see any markings at all on my springs, they just looked black

 

[Gaz_]

Here you go mate, should all have these markings on them. Mine all have (took off a Cup last weekend)

 

[DanDennehy]

cheers mate :cheers:

 

[DanDennehy]

OK an update ...

The garage that did the work have had the car back. The parts they fitted still had the part number stickers on, and they checked that the parts they fitted match the invoice from Renault - which they do. Those part numbers have been verified by Fred plus another mechanic mate of mine. All of which means I have the right parts on my car.

Also the new springs have the same colour markings as the old ones - thanks to 197gaz for the help on that :approve:

But ... the car still don't look right, grrrr

I'm now in Scotland for a week, so - Fred, you'll be getting a visit on my return. Meanwhile, suggestions welcome ...

Is there any way the springs could've been fitted upside down so that they don't fit in the the mounts, cups, etc thus inducing a height change?

Dan

 

[Flaydog]

I know people will disagree but standard springs do sit quite high. Mine was ridiculous before I switched to prolines and the stripped out 172 cup across the street looks about the same as yours and he is a Renault tech so I imagine his parts are gen.

 

[nick.]

Sportlines? just a thought

 

[Gaz_]

Just how they are tbh. They will settle somewhat imo

 

[kevin.s]

way too high mate. you could bungy jump off that.

 

[Gaz_]

but thats how they are as standard, all cups sit higher than standard 172's because of the lost weight.

 

[Alastair.]

flol clown car

 

[Gaz_]

^

lol at clown car. It'll give yours a good pasting i tell thee

 

[DanDennehy]

Aside from whether I have a Golf-baiting clown car ... :rasp: ... another update

Just done about 700 miles to and around the Highlands of Scotland. This means the new springs and dampers have had about ~1000 miles to settle, the majority of which has been with a car full of kit, climbing gear, tents etc etc and thus plenty of (static) load on the suspension. IMO the car is still riding too high. Also it is not as planted on the road, isn't biting as much on turn-in and squims around too much. Understeer-tastic in the wet and can't put the power down either . In a way it's silly fun, but not fast

It's good enough to scare my missus silly though ... :evil: