Suspension not what I expected

[andrewc2102]

I'd wanted a Clio sport for ages finally got one in may and I have to say most of the time the handling is stunning the steering and the way you can chuck the car about is brilliant fun. But the suspension and damping isn't what I expected, not long after buying it I found I had a bust rear damper and replaced them with genuine Renault ones but even so if I go over a crest for example where the weight comes of the suspension the back end is very bouncy and the front end too soft resulting in the front splitter often scraping and the back feeling out of control. Also I've noticed on corners that bumps through the front can jarr and deflect the car badly mid corner and it just doesn't feel right. Is this the normal charactistics for the rear end ? And is the front end problems simply a result of 10 year old dampers and top mounts? Or is this just how they drive.

 

[Dave..]

10 year old springs, dampers, bushes.

Be grateful you've not got many to replace. Suspension refresh will get rid of all unpleasantness

 

[The Fatty]

Is this the normal charactistics for the rear end ?

No

And is the front end problems simply a result of 10 year old dampers and top mounts? Or is this just how they drive.

yes I would think your front dampers are shot and thus you are getting the overly soft feeling at the front. The handling on a clio is the best thing about them, so if yours isn't performing on this front, then something if wrong for sure.

 

[Fletcher]

As Dave said. I am currently in the process of doing a full suspension refresh.

 

[Martin_172]

id say before you do a front end refesh get it on a hunter machine and see how its sitting.

my mate spent a s**t load on his after driving my refreshed one to then take it and have it setup to find it had a bent rear beam and front hub too

 

[andrewc2102]

Hmm Sounds like the front end could do with a refresh but I don't understand why the rear end is as bouncy as it is when i've already refreshed the dampers

 

[1812lsd]

What springs are on the car?

 

[The Fatty]

Hmm Sounds like the front end could do with a refresh but I don't understand why the rear end is as bouncy as it is when i've already refreshed the dampers

what your feeling could be all due to the front dampers, so don't panic too much yet. Have you done a basic bounce test on the corner of each wing?

 

[andrewc2102]

The springs are standard the car is non cupped, I have done a bounce test and the front still seems fairly firm and there is no bouncing at all, rear the same I should hope so considering the dampers are only months old

 

[Steven103]

I think 1812lsd was trying to get you thinking whether it has the correct springs & dampers.

Something has to be majorly wrong for a standard road car to scrape the nose under braking. You may wish to verify this (clean masking tape on the underside of the bumper is good for this) and consider the possibility that it has the wrong springs and dampers. Almost all motor factors & ebay shops list the incorrect spring for the RS models. It's very, very plausible that it's accidentally had non-sport (much softer, hence car sits lower & pitches more)springs or dampers fitted and as such is completely messing up the suspension characteristics.

As per other posts completely failed/knackered bushes aren't uncommon but you make the symptoms sound much more fundamental than worn components.

Do you know anyone else with a 182? (non cupped of course I accept is fairly unlikely)

 

[Chip-mk1]

When in as new condtion for all the joints and dampers they are epic handling little cars, when its a hanging example they arent.
Likewise if the tracking is out or rear beam bent etc.

If it doesnt handle well, there is something wrong with it.

 

[andrewc2102]

I think 1812lsd was trying to get you thinking whether it has the correct springs & dampers.

Something has to be majorly wrong for a standard road car to scrape the nose under braking. You may wish to verify this (clean masking tape on the underside of the bumper is good for this) and consider the possibility that it has the wrong springs and dampers. Almost all motor factors & ebay shops list the incorrect spring for the RS models. It's very, very plausible that it's accidentally had non-sport (much softer, hence car sits lower & pitches more)springs or dampers fitted and as such is completely messing up the suspension characteristics.

As per other posts completely failed/knackered bushes aren't uncommon but you make the symptoms sound much more fundamental than worn components.

Do you know anyone else with a 182? (non cupped of course I accept is fairly unlikely)

I didn't say that it scrapes under braking, it can sometimes scrape when heading over the humpback bridges around where I live, I'm not launching it over them at stupid speeds but the front can feel soft and the rear bouncy andnit doesn't feel right.

I take your point about it having the wrong components on though. It might be time for me to do front struts and top mounts are the OEM items from places like ktec as good as renaultsport or is Renault sport the only option? Also if it does have he wrong front springs is there any way I can tell from looking at them?

 

[Steven103]

Fair point, I can't argue that "braking" doesn't appear once in your post. I just read "front scraping" and assumed pitch. Compression is a remarkably uncommon subject tbh as you tend to assume the car you buy has a spring stiffness sufficient to hold it off the ground!

If you could search "OEM items from ktec" and "value for money" then the forum would explode! We're somewhat fortunate to have Renault Wolverhampton on here as a trader. They are Renault's UK parts importer/distributor. New forum members often read "Renault," gloss over the "distributor" part and assume main dealer prices. Nope Search Ktec, Ebay etc all you want but you simply will not get genuine parts cheaper than buying direct from Adam @ Renault Wolverhampton. You can find his contact details in the "trader" part of the forum, but as an example Cup Dampers are something like £36 from Adam or £70 from Ktec or a normal Renault Main Dealer. We also have Tom @ Wests Renault who are a main dealer but give us forum discount. If you're local & prefer a personal touch you might not mind paying a few £ more vs Adam. OEM springs & dampers will do you very well (after all Renault spent £millions developing them). If you're feeling adventurous then Eibach Sport/Proline & Josh Cook "Cooksport" springs are a popular choice with standard, 182 cup or Koni/Spax (adjustable) dampers.

The springs should have two or three coloured dots halfway up. I can't for the life of me remember what colour a standard 182 spring should be though. Have a search. You'll have to take a wheel off, wipe the rubbish off of the spring and have a good look though.

You could compare the ride height (for the love of God please measure two points that won't vary between cars, e.g. from the floor to subframe and not from the tyre to the arch) but it's far from conclusive. A non sport spring might have a longer free length to match it's softer rate, yielding a near identical ride height.



Sorry for the overly-wordy reply.

 

[dablk]

As it turns out my 182 clio came with genuine renault generic mk2 shocks not 172/182 shocks of any sorts with what i think was 172 cup springs. And i have an thinking they might have come from a scrappy And I thought it handled great then . Bottom line unless you bought the car from renault new. You dont really know whats on it till you look.

+1 for Renault Wolverhampton £36 a shock. I know cost is all depended on how much work you can do yourself/what tools you already have and your own finances. But £36 a shock is a great price to put new genuine kit on your car. I would get your car right before modding it.

all the best

 

[andrewc2102]

Thankyou for the contacts I was not aware of them being available through this forum will certainly look at Adams prices when the time comes. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Martin_172]

The front shouldn't be able to scrape at all if it's got the bump stops/dust covers fitted.