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Saving another 172.
- Thread starter Alastair.
- Start date
Ph2 172, R34 Skyline
Having spent the weekend trying to pass time though menial jobs (tittivating in all honesty), I was pretty pleased to be waking up at 5am on a Monday and heading out to meet the lads for our day at Brands.
We had an EP3, Megane and ST150 Fiesta in our little group, so the Clio was a bit in no-man’s land performance wise as the EP3 and Megane were both over 250hp and nicely spec’d, and the Fiesta was being driven by a first timer.
After arriving at the circuit and unloading our kit, it was pretty obvious it was going to be a scorcher. I dropped the tyre pressures right down and gave the dampers a couple of clicks from ‘wildly uncomfortable’ to ‘even more wildly uncomfortable’. Quick fluids check and torque the wheel nuts, and we were away.
The day was very busy which isn’t usually a problem, but the driving standards through the morning were horrific. I’ve done a few MSV days and lots of different trackdays over the years but I’ve never felt the need to actually go and complain to stewards about other peoples’ driving. Sometimes people get carried away or make mistakes but in the space of around 2 hours I’d had people dive up my inside on corner entry, I had someone overtake me INTO THE PIT ENTRY, I had many, many people pull straight out of the pits and onto the racing line at 30mph which is great fun on Paddock Hill Bend, it was honestly the worst driving I’d ever witnessed.
The other lads were having similar issues so we all took an hour or so from 10:30 til around 11:30ish as a break until the carnage stopped.
Once we’d spotted the offending cars had come off the track we geared up and headed back out and finally got into some sort of rhythm.
The changes I’d made to the car were positive, the driving position and support from the Recaros made the car far easier to drive quickly and the feedback through the ol’ ringpiece meant I could tease the limit of the chassis with plenty of confidence – Paddock Hill was a telling example as I was able to carry far more pace than most.
The Corvette ZO6 brake ducts did a great job of keeping the brake temps in check aswell considering how hard I was on them – the PBS pads took an absolute pasting.
I ran the NS2Rs at 28-30 psi hot, they seemed to stick well enough but as mentioned previously I’d like to try something a bit stickier to see the difference.
Just before lunch I took a savage rock to the windscreen at the end of the main straight, which put a bit of a dampener on things but these things happen, at least it didn’t clobber me in the face I suppose.
After lunch I had some great laps with the Megane and EP3, though in truth they were leaving me behind out of Druids and Graham Hill Bend – second for me was too short and third was just too low in the revs – coupled with being around 80hp down on the other cars it was a compounding problem where I just watched the gap grow in exactly the same place lap after lap.
Solutions – shorter final drive to make third more lively, plus a diff? Can’t really be bothered spending a few thousand getting another 15/20hp. Truth be told I don’t really want to spend anything as I’m trying to get into another R34 before they become totally unobtainable. I certainly don’t want to start pulling the interior out as it’s still a daily and it’s loud/uncomfortable enough as it is.
All in all, a good day in the end. The car was faultless considering the temps and how hard I was pushing it, I fully expected something to fail. Good fun chasing the lads for the laps that I could see them.
Motivation to make more improvements = massive.
Motivation to spend cash to make more improvements = ……missing.
Oh and MSV ‘had a computer failure’ so we have no on-track photos, which is pretty gRoOoOvYyy.
We had an EP3, Megane and ST150 Fiesta in our little group, so the Clio was a bit in no-man’s land performance wise as the EP3 and Megane were both over 250hp and nicely spec’d, and the Fiesta was being driven by a first timer.
After arriving at the circuit and unloading our kit, it was pretty obvious it was going to be a scorcher. I dropped the tyre pressures right down and gave the dampers a couple of clicks from ‘wildly uncomfortable’ to ‘even more wildly uncomfortable’. Quick fluids check and torque the wheel nuts, and we were away.
The day was very busy which isn’t usually a problem, but the driving standards through the morning were horrific. I’ve done a few MSV days and lots of different trackdays over the years but I’ve never felt the need to actually go and complain to stewards about other peoples’ driving. Sometimes people get carried away or make mistakes but in the space of around 2 hours I’d had people dive up my inside on corner entry, I had someone overtake me INTO THE PIT ENTRY, I had many, many people pull straight out of the pits and onto the racing line at 30mph which is great fun on Paddock Hill Bend, it was honestly the worst driving I’d ever witnessed.
The other lads were having similar issues so we all took an hour or so from 10:30 til around 11:30ish as a break until the carnage stopped.
Once we’d spotted the offending cars had come off the track we geared up and headed back out and finally got into some sort of rhythm.
The changes I’d made to the car were positive, the driving position and support from the Recaros made the car far easier to drive quickly and the feedback through the ol’ ringpiece meant I could tease the limit of the chassis with plenty of confidence – Paddock Hill was a telling example as I was able to carry far more pace than most.
The Corvette ZO6 brake ducts did a great job of keeping the brake temps in check aswell considering how hard I was on them – the PBS pads took an absolute pasting.
I ran the NS2Rs at 28-30 psi hot, they seemed to stick well enough but as mentioned previously I’d like to try something a bit stickier to see the difference.
Just before lunch I took a savage rock to the windscreen at the end of the main straight, which put a bit of a dampener on things but these things happen, at least it didn’t clobber me in the face I suppose.
After lunch I had some great laps with the Megane and EP3, though in truth they were leaving me behind out of Druids and Graham Hill Bend – second for me was too short and third was just too low in the revs – coupled with being around 80hp down on the other cars it was a compounding problem where I just watched the gap grow in exactly the same place lap after lap.
Solutions – shorter final drive to make third more lively, plus a diff? Can’t really be bothered spending a few thousand getting another 15/20hp. Truth be told I don’t really want to spend anything as I’m trying to get into another R34 before they become totally unobtainable. I certainly don’t want to start pulling the interior out as it’s still a daily and it’s loud/uncomfortable enough as it is.
All in all, a good day in the end. The car was faultless considering the temps and how hard I was pushing it, I fully expected something to fail. Good fun chasing the lads for the laps that I could see them.
Motivation to make more improvements = massive.
Motivation to spend cash to make more improvements = ……missing.
Oh and MSV ‘had a computer failure’ so we have no on-track photos, which is pretty gRoOoOvYyy.
Ph2 172, R34 Skyline
Long time no update!
To be honest I've done very little other than drive the car since the last update and trackday.
I looked into gearboxes, diffs etc but I don't think I want to spend that sort of money on the little Clio when there's every chance I'll end up selling it soon, as the new project has just arrived with the agent in Japan ahead of shipping to the UK.
I had a Brands evening booked last weekend and headed over with a couple of friends. I was running short of time so had the car aligned locally as I wouldn't have been able to get the strings all set up and car adjusted in the time I had. With the car straightened out and some negative camber added I hopped in the car and drove over the Bridge to Brands.
It was only when I was up to speed and loading the driver's side up through left hand turns I noticed a drumming/thudding sound and the more lock I added, and the more load I applied, the more the car shook. I think where the guy had added more negative camber he's loosened the coilover to hub bolts and pushed the top of the hub inwards to gain the camber and it's causing the driveshaft to bottom out. Does this sound right?
This meant the track evening was a bit of a mixture of emotions, the car was pretty on fire and the added camber made a huge difference so felt pretty capable, but left hand bends (luckily there is only 2 at Brands Indy) were impossible to carry any speed through as it felt like the wheels were going to fall off.
I raised the suspension and 'clearanced' any metalwork around the wheel in case it was rubbing but I knew it was a mechanical issue rather than rubbing.
I've since raised the car by about 30mm, pulled the hub back out to remove the camber, checked for marking inside the arch or on the shock (in case the wheel was hitting) but I can't get rid of the thudding/drumming. Not really sure how to solve this. Someone suggested loosening the engine and gearbox and shunting it all over to move it further away but I'm reluctant to do this as it was fine before it was aligned.
I also appear to have lost the nipple ring tow hook on the way home at some point but that's minor.
The Mrs is working away at the moment for a few weeks in the other car so I can't really have this one in pieces for days at a time, so I'll drive around the issue for a while until I work out what to do.
I expect I may fix it, have the windscreen replaced since it had a rock smash into it the other week, then get it ready to sell as I'll get a cheap banger of a daily and divert funds into the new one. I have interest in the wheels and I'll be keeping the seats, so it'll be a standard 172 with all maintenance bits done and BC coilovers, brake ducts, decent brakes, hub spacers etc. Needs a real good clean but it's a lovely car underneath as you've seen earlier in the thread. If anyone's interested please let me know
Cheers chaps
To be honest I've done very little other than drive the car since the last update and trackday.
I looked into gearboxes, diffs etc but I don't think I want to spend that sort of money on the little Clio when there's every chance I'll end up selling it soon, as the new project has just arrived with the agent in Japan ahead of shipping to the UK.
I had a Brands evening booked last weekend and headed over with a couple of friends. I was running short of time so had the car aligned locally as I wouldn't have been able to get the strings all set up and car adjusted in the time I had. With the car straightened out and some negative camber added I hopped in the car and drove over the Bridge to Brands.
It was only when I was up to speed and loading the driver's side up through left hand turns I noticed a drumming/thudding sound and the more lock I added, and the more load I applied, the more the car shook. I think where the guy had added more negative camber he's loosened the coilover to hub bolts and pushed the top of the hub inwards to gain the camber and it's causing the driveshaft to bottom out. Does this sound right?
This meant the track evening was a bit of a mixture of emotions, the car was pretty on fire and the added camber made a huge difference so felt pretty capable, but left hand bends (luckily there is only 2 at Brands Indy) were impossible to carry any speed through as it felt like the wheels were going to fall off.
I raised the suspension and 'clearanced' any metalwork around the wheel in case it was rubbing but I knew it was a mechanical issue rather than rubbing.
I've since raised the car by about 30mm, pulled the hub back out to remove the camber, checked for marking inside the arch or on the shock (in case the wheel was hitting) but I can't get rid of the thudding/drumming. Not really sure how to solve this. Someone suggested loosening the engine and gearbox and shunting it all over to move it further away but I'm reluctant to do this as it was fine before it was aligned.
I also appear to have lost the nipple ring tow hook on the way home at some point but that's minor.
The Mrs is working away at the moment for a few weeks in the other car so I can't really have this one in pieces for days at a time, so I'll drive around the issue for a while until I work out what to do.
I expect I may fix it, have the windscreen replaced since it had a rock smash into it the other week, then get it ready to sell as I'll get a cheap banger of a daily and divert funds into the new one. I have interest in the wheels and I'll be keeping the seats, so it'll be a standard 172 with all maintenance bits done and BC coilovers, brake ducts, decent brakes, hub spacers etc. Needs a real good clean but it's a lovely car underneath as you've seen earlier in the thread. If anyone's interested please let me know
Cheers chaps
How much?
Ph2 172, R34 Skyline
Not reaaaaally sure.
116k
All service items done this year
BC DS coilovers
EBC pads
HC discs
Near rear discs and bearings
New rear pads
Braided lines all round
Stub axle spacers
Jon Foz frames if you want them
Bt stereo
Will have new windscreen
Can come with Monte carlo steering wheel
probably missing loads of stuff.
£3k sound like a reasonable price? with no recaros and on standard 172 wheels or possibly Turinis (if @MLB still fancies dealings)
Ph2 172, R34 Skyline
If anyone has a Ph1 drivers side driveshaft in decent condition for sale please let me know.
I believe these are shorter than Ph2? So I am going to swap out my Ph2 one and see if that solves the problem. Also going to try shoving the engine over a little and see if that helps.
I believe these are shorter than Ph2? So I am going to swap out my Ph2 one and see if that solves the problem. Also going to try shoving the engine over a little and see if that helps.
Brigsy
ClioSport Club Member
T.Turbo
Are you sure its not a wheel bearing thats failed or cv joint? Ive had a wheel bearing fail in a similar after a trackday, seemed ok on the straight but loaded up on a corner was causing a right vibration.
It was me who posted on facebook saying check those and give the engine a shove if needs be after checking the plunge on the shafts.
It was me who posted on facebook saying check those and give the engine a shove if needs be after checking the plunge on the shafts.
Ph2 172, R34 Skyline
It was fine before the camber was added, then literally the first left turn at pace after adding camber it started knocking like mad, so I reckon it’s definitely driveshaft plunge related. I’ve had it in the air pulling every which way on the wheel, hub, arms, I’ve just got to do the ‘plunge check’ when I have another dry evening to confirm. Similarly I’ll shove the engine over when this rain buggers off. I’ve also ordered power flex dogbone and engine mount inserts to try and minimise engine movement aswell to se if that helps.
Thanks though I appreciate the input 🙂
Thanks though I appreciate the input 🙂
Ph2 172, R34 Skyline
I will do!Keep us updated on findings
Ph2 172, R34 Skyline
Fitted a Powerflex dogbone insert and top engine mount insert, and tried to shift the engine and box as far away from the problem side as I could. It didn’t move at all (I measured before and after) but the stiffer mounts appear to have fixed the problem. Long-dog was no help during fitting other than barking at passing OAPs
I think maybe there was too much movement under hard cornering? Maybe it moved in a different plane to the one I was measuring? Either way it’s no longer knocking so we’re golden.
It does, however, shake like a shitting dog now. So that’s great.
I used this Brown and Geeson fold down wall table when smashing the old dogbone bushes out (This one was the first prototype).
Nice and sturdy and solid, I think it’s rated at about 100kgs from memory, handy to have and folds away flat against the wall so perfect working area if you only have a single garage like me and still park a car in there.
Ph2 172, R34 Skyline
They will be Rob but I've already given someone first dibs after they asked a couple of months ago. If that doesn't work out I will give you a shout.
--
Not much to report really, paid for the R34 last week so that's going on the boat shortly, had some photos of the underside and it's spotless, so resto should be fairly straight forward, just time consuming.
Robbie Corbett
ClioSport Club Member
Good luck with the sale, looks like a great car for someone!
Cookson
ClioSport Club Member
Mk1 Audi TT 3.2 V6
Digging up an old post, but any advise on debobbling the alcantara seats?
Stefan.
ClioSport Club Member
Robbie Corbett
ClioSport Club Member
