clio steering

[imperial21]

Hi
I just bought a 2003 |Clio, 1.2 16v, the previous owner had a bit of an incident , a bolt broke on on the lower ball joint causing the car to go into a kerb, the wheel and lower arm has been replaced and the tracking has been done, it stays in a straight line but when you go round a corner the steering doesnt return to centre with out help it doesnt feel quite right but i am un sure why ? I am considering top strut mount but i am unsure what to look for , the person i got the car thinks rack but i am not so sure, I have a spares car here if required for parts.

 

[Ads29]

Could well be top mount, best off jacking the front end up and checking to see if they move freely, worth just double checking theres nothing else thats affecting it either

 

[imperial21]

I checked the car out today , I found the top mount broken and spring broken on one side, i swapped it for a spare strut i had. I also tried the steering with the struts disconnected and it seemed fine. i reconnected every thing and it hasnt made any difference i am now wondering if its the pas motor ?

 

[Ads29]

Does your steering feel heavier than usual at times or when cornering?

 

[imperial21]

I think its marginally heavier than some of my other clios, I didnt feel any tight spots when i i turned the steering wheel with the track rod ends disconected, but if i drive the car you do have to correct the steering till its straight then it stays straight, I am now wondering if the pas motor is faulty, i think i can hear it more but that maybe just me ! How bad is a rack to change and do i have to reset the steering angle sensor if i replace it for another rack ?

 

[Ads29]

If there's no resistance (ie with track rods disconnected) then it'll be harder to tell. I'd assume either pas motor or ecu rather than the rack as I'd expect there to be a definite tight spot or clunk etc if the rack were playing up although someone else may be able to confirm better than I can.

No idea on changing the rack though, pretty sure sport versions need subframe dropped out the way, but I don't know if this is the case for non sports too, and no idea on steering angle reset either I'm afraid. Whilst I run an epas setup on mine it doesn't use any of the original sensors. The motor and ecu are pretty easy to get to but may well need top dash removing for better access.

I assume there's no warning lights on?

 

[imperial21]

Hi
No warning lights on and i have checked with clip in case, i do think now the spare strut i fitted, had a pretty worn strut top as i found another one today and it was a lot tighter when turned and not loose !