Strange wobble on bend...

[l80ous]

I admit Im far from used to this car yet and it seems to handle really well, plenty of grip and happy to dart in and out of tight bends and corners.

However tonight I took a long sweeping left hand bend at around 50mph only a little over the normal speed you would normally try and take this corner at nothing mental, as the weight of the car lent into the corner I felt a movement of the hole car, like a shift in weight/oversteer/low pressure tyre moving.
Turned round took the corner from the other way and same thing again. Got out and check tyres etc all was fine.

It cant be normal as it really put my heart in my mouth as I wasnt really expecting it, the clio is my missis car and I own a 400bhp Jag so I'm used to RWD and random things happening.

Throw it into a roundabout and a few other bends and nothing else happened after that, all felt good.

Any ideas guys and girls?

 

[KevF182]

I have found that the recent rise in temps has had an effect on my hooning, more that anyone would believe really. I keep this thing to myself normally as its geeky and probably bul***t but I would put it down to front tyres actually juuuust begining to come up to their prefered temp. Probably about 5 miles into your jurney after the first steady cruise along a dual cariageway?

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Tyre pressures.
State of tyres.
Rear shocks.

 

[l80ous]

After 2 miles of country road driving....

 

[l80ous]

Tyre pressures.
State of tyres.
Rear shocks.

Tyres pressures, did them at the weekend just gone, 32psi
State of tyres around 3/4mm tread remaining
Rear shocks feel nice a hard from the outside

 

[KevF182]

Quirky. I have to say i'm suprised how odd the clio handling is from time to time, and any hot hatch Ive had. No idea on your jag, but for me right now these greasy conditions are a world away from the seemingly perfect handling that I've experienced in warmer weather over the years.

Rear shocks are prone to failure but soooo easy to take of and check/rule out. I'm sure they are fine. I would have tought tyres but you are on top of that too :S Quirky?

 

[KevF182]

Might have sounded a bit dismissive there ^

with other cars I would have said any odd turn-in handling was a problem with bottom ball joints or perhaps inner bushes. It maybe worth checking, but in my experience with clio's, even when ball joints are slightly worn they dont develop massive handling issues.

 

[craigt]

I admit Im far from used to this car yet and it seems to handle really well, plenty of grip and happy to dart in and out of tight bends and corners.

However tonight I took a long sweeping left hand bend at around 50mph only a little over the normal speed you would normally try and take this corner at nothing mental, as the weight of the car lent into the corner I felt a movement of the hole car, like a shift in weight/oversteer/low pressure tyre moving.
Turned round took the corner from the other way and same thing again. Got out and check tyres etc all was fine.

It cant be normal as it really put my heart in my mouth as I wasnt really expecting it, the clio is my missis car and I own a 400bhp Jag so I'm used to RWD and random things happening.

Throw it into a roundabout and a few other bends and nothing else happened after that, all felt good.

Any ideas guys and girls?

Im getting the exact same issue, only you explained it better. Its going in tomorrow, i was kindof thinking track rod ends or something similar we will see

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

32 psi is far too high. 31/29 or 30/28 IIRC ? Check the manual. Are they decent grade A tyres, or something awful like 'INFINITY' hero spec cheap crap chinese rubber worth 20p ?

Check the rear shocks for leaks.

 

[craigt]

Iv never seen shocks so clean on mine, doe sthe gas charge hold the fluids in or could mine of lost gas?

 

[Silent_Scone]

I admit Im far from used to this car yet and it seems to handle really well, plenty of grip and happy to dart in and out of tight bends and corners.

However tonight I took a long sweeping left hand bend at around 50mph only a little over the normal speed you would normally try and take this corner at nothing mental, as the weight of the car lent into the corner I felt a movement of the hole car, like a shift in weight/oversteer/low pressure tyre moving.
Turned round took the corner from the other way and same thing again. Got out and check tyres etc all was fine.

It cant be normal as it really put my heart in my mouth as I wasnt really expecting it, the clio is my missis car and I own a 400bhp Jag so I'm used to RWD and random things happening.

Throw it into a roundabout and a few other bends and nothing else happened after that, all felt good.

Any ideas guys and girls?

Are you sure you're not just used to experiencing something a bit different from bodyroll? lol

Don't forget you get a lot more feedback in these cars, it's probably just a combination of gammy tyres and pressures. I used to get similar with pilot sports, which to this day I don't rate personally

 

[craigt]

Are you sure you're not just used to experiencing something a bit different from bodyroll? lol

Don't forget you get a lot more feedback in these cars, it's probably just a combination of gammy tyres and pressures. I used to get similar with pilot sports, which to this day I don't rate personally

Mine is more of a dip then a jump, it unsettles the whole line into and out of the corner. If its body roll, its the worst case of body roll iv ever experienced. Mine feel like im driving a car with block of flats sat on top

 

[l80ous]

Yeah its not body roll, Ive experience pritty bad body roll and this car hardly has any.
I had a simular experience in a 306 once where a bush had worn and I left it, it got worse and worse till the wheel came off.
So Im thinking its some sort of worn rubber somewhere, might explain the stupid ammount of torque steer I get as well.

 

[TimR26]

I'd say either a rear shock has gone or you lifted mid corner.

 

[frenchy4242]

Iv never seen shocks so clean on mine, doe sthe gas charge hold the fluids in or could mine of lost gas?

Are they Genuine Renault shocks? Before I bought mine it failed the MOT on rear shocks, the Trader replaced them and they were truly horrendous. Turned out to be non-gen ones for a 1.2, after I put some pressure on the Trader they replaced those with non gen ones for a 182 (turned out to be for a 1.6) and it was still horrible, tranformed the car when I put the genuine Renault ones on.

Other thing is do the springs match? They are quite prone to cracking. Mine used to do similar to what you described, turned out to be due to the same garage replacing a cracked front spring with a non gen copy. You could tell they had a totally different stiffness / spring rate once removed!

 

[craigt]

Are they Genuine Renault shocks? Before I bought mine it failed the MOT on rear shocks, the Trader replaced them and they were truly horrendous. Turned out to be non-gen ones for a 1.2, after I put some pressure on the Trader they replaced those with non gen ones for a 182 (turned out to be for a 1.6) and it was still horrible, tranformed the car when I put the genuine Renault ones on.

Other thing is do the springs match? They are quite prone to cracking. Mine used to do similar to what you described, turned out to be due to the same garage replacing a cracked front spring with a non gen copy. You could tell they had a totally different stiffness / spring rate once removed!

Yeah i have only just brought it, it seemed like a really good deal at the time....now im starting to regret it

 

[Kam.]

Check a rear shock is not leaking. Also check whether the damper bush has not perished.

 

[l80ous]

Check a rear shock is not leaking. Also check whether the damper bush has not perished.

O.k going to garage to get these checked tomorrow will report back

 

[l80ous]

I'd say either a rear shock has gone or you lifted mid corner.

Lifted mid corner, interesting one, would the back wheel popping off the floor have this effect?

 

[JLister]

Might have sounded a bit dismissive there ^

with other cars I would have said any odd turn-in handling was a problem with bottom ball joints or perhaps inner bushes. It maybe worth checking, but in my experience with clio's, even when ball joints are slightly worn they dont develop massive handling issues.

+1 on that, my ball joint was only slightly worn and it used to make my car shoot across the road when hitting a slight bit of camber in the road.

Either get a garage to check it out, or if you go down a bumpy road and turn a corner (doesn't need to be high speed even 10mph will do), you will hear a clunking noise in the wheel that is damaged.

 

[Kevcon]

Would deffently say it was a ball joint. Jack up the drivers side and grip the bottom of the wheel and give it a wiggle in and out. You should feel or hear a clonking.
Had the same issue with mine. Mid corner the Clio would seem to turn inn again on its own. Drove mind until there was nearly a inch of movement in the wheel. Advise you don't try this as it can be very scary.
hope this helps
kev

 

[KevF182]

32 psi is far too high. 31/29 or 30/28 IIRC ? Check the manual. Are they decent grade A tyres, or something awful like 'INFINITY' hero spec cheap crap chinese rubber worth 20p ?

Check the rear shocks for leaks.

I wouldn't say 32psi is far too high. Renault say 33 front, 30 rear. I would say your suggestion is a bit low imo

 

[KevF182]

O/P and Craig, have either of you solved this? Still think rear shocks or front lower arm ball joint/bushes the most likely culprit

 

[l80ous]

Well had it looked at, bloke said there was only a very small amount of play on the wheel which wouldnt do what I described to him, but said the front tyres only have 3mm worth of thread left and as they where a poor Michelin tyre then this was more likely to be to blame....

 

[craigt]

I had the whole lot changed, and it has solved the issues, it was amazing. Cost me £200.