Standard 182 rear suspension

[CBass]

Hello all, I'm new to renault ownership, and I'm sure the information I need is here somewhere but I can't find it!

I have been running a Seat Leon Cupra R for the last 6 years and have bought a Clio 182 FF with cup packs as a run around. I'm used to stiff suspension but am very surprised at how soft the rear of the 182 is, a chap from my local Renault garage took it out for a drive and didn't mention anything about it but did say that the LCR was pretty stiff.

When coming off speed bumps the rear end feels like it is really dropping low and likely to hit the back of the car on the bump but ride hight still looks ok, is this normal? If I open the boot and push down the suspension compresses quite easily and a good few inches, I tried this on a 172 recently and it felt much more resistive.

I have to say that driving the car doesn't inspire the sort of confidence that the LCR on GSD3s dishes out but I guess the cheap tyres (£40 each) don't help and I'm thinking of getting a 4 wheel alignment done just to make sure, but the big question is...is the supension normally so bouncy bouncy rather than feeling planted?

Thanks for any help

 

[regi james]

sounds like it could be your rear shocks, also check the rear springs have a red and a white (i think)dot of paint on them

 

[DrR]

Rear Shocks break quite often

 

[CBass]

Just checked and springs do have red & White dots on, guess that's good news!

Is there an easy test to see if shocks are gone or is it a garage job? Am I also right that shocks are fairly reasonable to replace?

Thanks for the advice

 

[regi james]

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=2810&appid=2 this is prob the cheapest place to buy new dampers from. are there any signs of leaking on yours? p.s you will no if the shocks are gone it will feel like the rear end is on ice

 

[biojo]

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=2810&appid=2 this is prob the cheapest place to buy new dampers from. are there any signs of leaking on yours? p.s you will no if the shocks are gone it will feel like the rear end is on ice

thats front dampers, thought he was lookin at rear for issues?

 

[CBass]

Thanks for link, rear shocks are only a couple of pounds more than the fronts.

Yes deffo looking at rear for issues, front seems keyed in, its the rear that feels edgy. eg. dual-carriagway speed, gentle corner, hit an expansion joint and the front end feels like it want to turn into to the apex slightly because the rear feels like it wants to skip across the road towards the outside of the bend.

I haven't noticed any leakage, doesn't quite feel like driving on ice but more like the front is on dry roads and the back is on very wet roads - maybe they are just on their way out.

I'll drop it into my local garage and let them have a poke about.

Thanks for your help, much appreciated - hopefully I'll end up with a car that inspires confidence rather than making you feel like you should back off (and talking about normal road speed and driving, not blagging it)

 

[regi james]

thats front dampers, thought he was lookin at rear for issues?

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=2793&appid=2 must of been having a blonde moment lol

 

[CBass]

No worries! One final question though, are the rear shocks the same irrelevent of whether you have the cup or not? As I understand it only the front is different on the cups.

 

[regi james]

No worries! One final question though, are the rear shocks the same irrelevent of whether you have the cup or not? As I understand it only the front is different on the cups.

no the 182 cup rear shocks are differant from 182/172

 

[CBass]

Excellent, I've ordered 2 182 cup rear shocks from Renault, picking them up tomorrow.

Seems this is a 5-10 min job to replace each one and don't even need to jack the car up but I can't find any guides on how to do it, is it just a couple of bolts to undo somewhere?

If anyone can explain or point me towards a guide that'd be great help - local garge is quoting £70 labour to do it for me!

 

[Fred@BTM]

^its a 20min job

18mm bolt at the bottom of shock

and a 16/17mm nut at the top (i forget which, think its a 17, you need to hold the shock with a small 6 or 7mm spanner too)