Really bad issues with rear end handling! Help please!

[Danny1978]

Hi guy's! My first thread! Having looked through all the other thread's i cannot see a similar problem i am having! When driving my Clio 182 sport in a straight line at any speed above 25 mph going over bump's the left side back end skip's out, when going round corner's left or right ( but mainly right) the ESP light flickers and in some cases corrects but majorly skips out as if the whole back end is drifting out! A complete lack of confidence with handling! Almost certain it is back end related and almost certain it's the left back passenger wheel! I have had it checked out by a very reliable mechanic and he cannot find any fault with bushes, suspension or anything else around the left back wheel area, he has had it in bits and to no avail? At 50mph it is absolutely dangerous. I have owned a clio sport cup 182 before this and had no issues?
My mechanic friend said spending money on wheel alignment, tracking etc may have no result aswell! We are both stuck on this and without going to the dealer and spending an absolute fortune trying to find out what's wrong i'm pulling my hair out. I do know the previous owner and it was the same with him!
Thank you in advance for any time and advice you may be able to shed light on! Danny1978

 

[DrR]

Rear dampers.

 

[Danny1978]

Thank you! Just been out in it and when driving in straight line at 40 ish mph it's as if the front end pop's out to the right slightly and at the same time the back end step's out to the left? So the damper's? Expensive is it? Cheers pal

 

[CaptainFail]

The rear dampers are around £50 each I think, probably best to buy them in pairs too! Send Wests Renault a PM in the traders section above

 

[Kam.]

before parting with your money first just take the dampers off, check for leaks, play and how see how they compress.

 

[DrR]

BTW i've had 2 dampers fail on me, neither leaked.

 

[Danny1978]

Thank you very much! The shock is leaking slightly but not to a huge effect! Unfortunally I am not hugely mechanically blessed so I will be passing on info to my mechanic! By the way if I can help with any cooking issues in return for info I will! ( I'm a chef!)

 

[DrR]

Rear dampers go quite often on the 182s, They're £50 each, dead easy to fit, and if one's leaking it's defo buggered, need to replace them in pairs though.

 

[DTM]

I'd also check for binding brakes, are any of the disk a different colour from the others, any funny smells from the wheel area, just a thought.

 

[Danny1978]

When you say the dampers do you mean the shock absorbers or are they two different parts? As it's the shock absorber that's leaking slightly on the left passenger rear! The disk's are ok, about 9 months ago the bearings and disk's were replaced as a complete unit, I got it 5 weeks ago and the bearings were gone so just had the bearings replaced again?

 

[Skeeter]

Dampers/Shocks are the same thing. Its the long black tube that runs from the bottom of the suspension up through the wheel arch and bolts into the boot.

I had one fail, and it went through an MOT and a mechanic without being noticed. It just looked 'wet' so I assume they dismissed it, but touching it revealed it was a film of damper grease all over it. £100 for a pair. Easy to change yourself if you want or a quick job for a mechanic.

 

[DrR]

Shork absorber/damper are same thing.

 

[Danny1978]

Ok, so you reckon that will sort it? Thank's for taking the time out to help, many thank's!

 

[DrR]

The 2 times mine have gone the rear end feels like it's on ice, best way i can describe it really.

 

[Skeeter]

Its 2 bolts to take the damper off if you want to check before replacing it. If you can pump it up and down like a bicycle pump then its buggered.

 

[Daz.]

I'd be more concerned why a reliable mechanic who has thoroughly checked a car can't diagnose a faulty damper!

 

[Skeeter]

I'd be more concerned why a reliable mechanic who has thoroughly checked a car can't diagnose a faulty damper!

In his defence, it can be difficult to tell just by looking. And bouncing or pushing on the car wouldn't show it. The only reason I noticed mine is because it looked wet when the weather was dry and the car hadn't moved for a while.

 

[Danny1978]

He didn't charge me to get it on the ramp and investigate it or to test drive it? He wouldn't do anything that didn't need doing! But he did say he had tried the shock as you said and it wasn't like a bike pump? Thanks for the advice tho pal!

 

[Skeeter]

Without taking it off he wouldn't know, as with it fitted you are fighting against the spring. The mechanic who changed mine asked why I was changing them as all looked fine. When he took the dud one off he could easily tell it was broke.

 

[Danny1978]

Ok cheers will book it in! What sort of shock's would you recommend?