Wobbly knock!

[MJD1]

As you will all be aware, RS Clios suffer from a rather worrying knocking from the front suspension (Im not referring to the Top mount mod or dodgy engine mounts) when steering. I know its not just mine as every RS I have been in or driven does it! I also know that it is not a fault that is affecting the way the car drives or causing a safety issue.

Anyhow, my question is simple. Does coilover suspension cure this?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as it p!sses me off!

Matt

 

[MJD1]

Come on guys. Its a simple question.

Those of you running coilovers on a 172/182, do you have any knocking whatsoever from the front suspension?

 

[Gareth]

dont know what you are on about mate, I know the symptoms of the top mount problem, but not this one, never notice this myself.

 

[MJD1]

You sound like a Renault dealer mate!! Just kidding!

The car has done it from new and numerous visits to Renault havent cured it. When steering, irrespective of speed, there is a judder through the steering column. I have lived with it for 2 years now and every so often it does my head in and I seek a cure.

Like I said originally it isnt just my car. I tried other cars at my local dealer Lookers Chelmsford and they had the same fault too. And in my member days a couple of years ago whilst at a meet I hitched a quick ride in Yozzas car fitted with aftermarket suspension (not coilovers) and although it had improved things over mine it still did it!

Im beginning to think Im mad and imagining things!! I think I may need to have a ride in a coilover equipped car at a local meet or something if anyone would be so kind. Ill by the person an ice cream or something!!!

 

[richy22]

I have a similar problem with mine although mine only judders when turning into sharp roads. Its been to renault to have the top mount mod done but still did it, went back other day and they did a mod on the steering column.......... And its still doing it!!! Typical.

 

[Gus]

Does it do it when you turn both left and right, and what about reversing round a corner ?

 

[MJD1]

richy22 - sounds just like mine mate! Anyone that says theres dosent do it is lying or only drives straight!

optical - never noticed it in reverse as the steering input used whilst reversing is much less. But I dont see any reason why it wouldnt.

Heres my theory. Bear in mind I am not a mechanic! As most will know spring compressors are not needed to remove a spring from a 172/182 front shock. This to me sounds a bit odd. Surely this means the spring is not compressed within the shock whilst in situ on the car and therefore free to move around to some degree within the spring platforms therefore creating the vibration through the steering column?

Hence my question will coilovers cure this as the suspension design would be fundamentaly different to the Renault set up?

Seeing as I have had no interest in the offer of a free Ice cream for a ride in a coiloverd 172/182 I will up my offer to a Popeye!

 

[rory182]

u sure its not the driveshafts as the wheels struggle for grip as u accelerate?

 

[MJD1]

Quote: Originally posted by rory182 on 12 August 2005

u sure its not the driveshafts as the wheels struggle for grip as u accelerate?

You dont have to be accelerating for it to happen. An uneven road will accentuate it but it will happen on a smooth road after an abrupt arm of lock i.e. a U-turn.

 

[rory182]

Quote: Originally posted by MJD1 on 12 August 2005

Quote: Originally posted by rory182 on 12 August 2005

u sure its not the driveshafts as the wheels struggle for grip as u accelerate?

You dont have to be accelerating for it to happen. An uneven road will accentuate it but it will happen on a smooth road after an abrupt arm of lock i.e. a U-turn.

you asked the team of experts on the renaultsport site?

 

[Mr Melon]

Mine does the same, it happens when i turn sharply irrelevant to the speed im going and i also hear it when i reverse out of my drive and then straighten up to go up the road.

 

[Gary G]

Quote: Originally posted by MJD1 on 12 August 2005


Come on guys. Its a simple question.

Those of you running coilovers on a 172/182, do you have any knocking whatsoever from the front suspension?

Before- no, when i tried fitting springs- yes lol, when springs fitted professionally- no, after fitting coilovers- yes not much help really lol

 

[MJD1]

Quote: Originally posted by rory182 on 12 August 2005

Quote: Originally posted by MJD1 on 12 August 2005

Quote: Originally posted by rory182 on 12 August 2005

u sure its not the driveshafts as the wheels struggle for grip as u accelerate?

You dont have to be accelerating for it to happen. An uneven road will accentuate it but it will happen on a smooth road after an abrupt arm of lock i.e. a U-turn.

you asked the team of experts on the renaultsport site?

Good idea, just popped over there and posted it. I dont tend to use that site much. Are there some technical heros over there?!

 

[MJD1]

Quote: Originally posted by Gary G on 12 August 2005

Quote: Originally posted by MJD1 on 12 August 2005


Come on guys. Its a simple question.

Those of you running coilovers on a 172/182, do you have any knocking whatsoever from the front suspension?

Before- no, when i tried fitting springs- yes lol, when springs fitted professionally- no, after fitting coilovers- yes not much help really lol

Blimey! For the record I have tried other springs too. BBPT/Apex -40mm. No difference between the two they were just as bad as each other. I did have them professionally fitted too. Albeit by a VW technician who is a friend of mine.

 

[rory182]

Quote: Originally posted by MJD1 on 12 August 2005

Quote: Originally posted by rory182 on 12 August 2005

Quote: Originally posted by MJD1 on 12 August 2005

Quote: Originally posted by rory182 on 12 August 2005

u sure its not the driveshafts as the wheels struggle for grip as u accelerate?

You dont have to be accelerating for it to happen. An uneven road will accentuate it but it will happen on a smooth road after an abrupt arm of lock i.e. a U-turn.

you asked the team of experts on the renaultsport site?

Good idea, just popped over there and posted it. I dont tend to use that site much. Are there some technical heros over there?!

well make sure you state that the garages have drawn a blank, try and lure them into confessing a possible issue.

 

[Gary G]

Im fairly sure the noise is from the suspension turrets where the rubber bush is....think it can be resolved easily enough. When i tried fitting my apex springs i basically didnt have all the tools (needed the swan neck spanner) so had to re tighten the nut on he top of the strut the best i could and this resulted in noise from that one strut. Took the car to a local tyre/exhaust place (protyre) and paid them to fit the springs and things were fine and dandy after?!!

 

[MJD1]

Cheers Gary for the useful feedback. Will try and get a spanner near it over the weekend. I do not for one second expect it to work after all the previous attempts but I wont be visiting a Renault garage so I suppose there may be a glimmer of hope!!

 

[izibizi]

well, I have the same problem, whenever I turn sharply into for instance a U-turn my steering wheel shudders. It does the same when standing still and rotating the wheel.

I believe it has nothing to do with suspension, I had Eibachs, now on coilovers--always the same.

It must be powersteering or steering rack.

cheers

 

[MJD1]

I have arranged a competent mechanic friend (albeit another VW bod (but this time a fully qualified MasterTech)) to look at the car tomorrow. If he finds anything of any relevance I will post on Monday.

Keep the suggestions coming tho if you have had experience with this problem. Thatll be all of you then!

 

[Gary G]

Just re-read what youve said mate and i think it may be worth your while having the tracking checked and also making sure the wheels are balanced properly. Have you owned the car from new? Is there a possibility that the car may have seen a curb in its time? The judder through the steering wheel does not sound like anything ive read before. How does the car behave under braking?

 

[MJD1]

Quote: Originally posted by Gary G on 12 August 2005

Just re-read what youve said mate and i think it may be worth your while having the tracking checked and also making sure the wheels are balanced properly. Have you owned the car from new? Is there a possibility that the car may have seen a curb in its time? The judder through the steering wheel does not sound like anything ive read before. How does the car behave under braking?

Ive owned the car from new (April 2003). The first time the car went back was approximately 4 weeks after my original purchase. I am also on my 3rd set of tyres so I can eliminate the balancing. One wheel has a light graze but that was from a parallel park just a whisker too close and not a full on whack!! The car behaves fine under braking. Not as sharp as it should be but it could do with new stoppers up front. The car in itself drives perfectly. It doesnt pull to one side, accelerates smoothly, handles well etc which is why I have learnt to live with it for so long. But it is so frustrating! I forget how many times I have wanted to sell it because of this saga but it must know when it pisses me off because the next time I drive it I fall for it again!! Bloody car!

 

[rwaterman]

This sounds like the problem i have with my 182. I have also taken a Renault tech out to show him what i mean. There is this round about in particular which i am garanteed to get the judder/clunking through the steering.

As i drive round the round about there is a slight blip (raised line in road surface) and as i go over it i get a loud clunk or judder through the s wheel.

According to the tech it sounds like the suspension jumps or judders when load is in place whilst turning the wheel and you hit a bump or uneven road surface....

for the record my car does not do this when going in a straight line only round bends or steering wheel is turning.

Rob.

 

[MJD1]

Rob - sounds exactly like mine. Your description is totally faithful to my symptoms and I should have mentioned before that it does not happen in a straight line! I think it would mean serious issues if it did!! Let me guess the Renault techincian acknowledged the fault in your prescence but failed to fix it or even suggest it could be fixed?

 

[Gary G]

I reakon its the suspension top mounts to be honest

 

[MJD1]

bttt

Car has been looked at over the weekend. There is nothing wrong with the top mounts so that can be ruled out.

Before I pack my little cars bags and send it back to Renault for the upteenth time is there a kind soul in Chelmsford with coilovers on there 172/182 that wouldnt mind giving me a 5 minute ride. Im intrigued as to how they will, if at all, affect this problem.

 

[Gary G]

Get yourself a set of H&Rs mate....end of the day you wouldnt regret it!!

 

[MJD1]

Quote: Originally posted by Gary G on 15 August 2005

Get yourself a set of H&Rs mate....end of the day you wouldnt regret it!!

I am very tempted! And if I knew 100% that they would cure this then I would order them right this minute. I would really like a demo first tho!

I know H&Rs are the most popular choice around here but how do KW compare? The reason I ask is that a friend sells them through his company (http://www.icjperformance.co.ukhttp://www.icjperformance.co.uk) and I could get them for a more favourable price!!!

 

[rwaterman]

Quote: Originally posted by MJD1 on 12 August 2005

Rob - sounds exactly like mine. Your description is totally faithful to my symptoms and I should have mentioned before that it does not happen in a straight line! I think it would mean serious issues if it did!! Let me guess the Renault techincian acknowledged the fault in your prescence but failed to fix it or even suggest it could be fixed.........

The fault was logged down, the reason it never got fixed was that it was in for a couple of other issues and i needed my car back so they never had enough time to look into it further............... Im nearly due for my first srvice so gonna mention it again then

Rob.

 

[MJD1]

Rob, let me know how you get on. Be interesting to here another dealers views on it.

Matt

 

[MJD1]

ttt

I have posted this topic on the RenaultSport forum. Someone has suggested there is a Power steering hose mod available that eliminates the knock. It was carried out on their car and with success.

This is the thread -

http://www.renaultsport.co.uk/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2050http://www.renaultsport.co.uk/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2050

Has anybody on this site heard of this or had it done? If so are all dealers aware of this now and is there a part number for the new hose?

Cheers