197 Front Coilover Install Help

[Silverthorn]

Hi All,

My partner just recently purchased a Clio 197 F1 and over the weekend we set about installing a set of coilovers on the car. The majority of the time I spent removing bolts that were unbelievably tight/seized and eventually called it a day.

I've done my fair share of coilover installs in the past on my Fiesta track car, friends cars and my recently purchased 370z and they've all been a piece of p*ss. However, after having a browse online it seems that there isn't a definitive 'best' way to go about it for a Clio. Some people talk of compressing the springs on the car, others speak of removing wishbone mounting bolts, dropping the subframe etc. so they can get enough room to get the bottom of the strut out of the hub.
In my case the bolt holding the bottom of the strut into the hub is seemingly stuck. I've removed the nut but cannot slide the bolt out of the side...

Is there something blatantly obvious that I am missing here? I struggle to believe it is this much of a PITA to swap the suspension over.

Just wondering what method people would recommend? Tips? etc.

I'll be giving it another go on Wednesday so hopefully It'll go a bit better then.

Any help would be great.

Cheers,

Tom.

 

[link]

It's not uncommon to have to take the whole strut/hub out in one go, clamp it in a vice and then you can give that bolt a real good going at... It's a bit of a job but once you've done it once it's not too bad.

There's quite a few guides in how to which might help give you an idea...

http://www.clio197.net/threads/how-to-forum-directory-with-links.54058/

Also even though you have the nut off can you spin the bolt? If not it's most likely seized/bent which is why its solid, and yes all Clio jobs tend to be a complete PITA.

 

[Silverthorn]

Thanks for the responce. That's somewhat reassuring to know it's not just my bad luck... I gave it a go trying to spin the bolt thinking that may help me slide it out. No chance it is moving. I managed to shear a 1/4" to 1/2" adapter in trying to do so

I tried a bit of heat and all the other usual methods and nothing seems to touch it.

By the sounds of it, taking the whole assembly off seems the way to go...

Thanks for the link though, I'll give that a good read later on when I'm home from work.

 

[link]

No worries mate, I had my springs changed by a garage years back cos I knew it was going to be a bitch of a job. About a year later I tried to get that bolt out and it was not budging! Might be a sacrificial bolt, tends to be a common theme as the bottom ball joint pinch bolt is another that often needs heat, drill, grinder, swearing...

Seems appropriate...

 

[shogun]

I found one of these invaluable along with a set of single hex sockets

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/182133925456

I removed the whole strut and then attacked it with penetrating fluid and a hammer to get the pinch bolts moving. You've then got the issue of removing the shocks from the hub when they've corroded in!

 

[Silverthorn]

I never touch any socket that isn't a single hex nowadays after rounding a few bolts a year on one of my old cars. I have a set of 1/2" single hex impact sockets that have always worked wonders on my previous cars. Typically the set has the almost all sizes besides 16mm and 18mm which seem to be quite common on the Clio Hence having to use a 1/4" adapter and an old 18mm socket i found...

Also, this is the first time on any car where my 450N impact gun could not get a bolt to shift... I was really quite amazed!

Hearing all of this i may wait until the weekend when i have a little more time to attempt it. Thanks for all the tips though

 

[shogun]

1/4? I hope you mean 3/8! Haha. I had to purchase an 18mm impact socket and a deep one for this car. Plus a 18mm spanner! Plus a....

 

[shogun]

Also I seem to remember the pinch bolt having a splined section on the shank which bites into the aluminium hub. This may be why you can't turn it. I think I had the same issue and ended up stripping off some material on the hub in order to turn it to free it up.

 

[Silverthorn]

Yes 3/8" haha my bad!

Ah right okay, that makes sense. I think I'll give it another go trying to knock it back out and if i am unsuccessful i will wait till the weekend and remove the whole hub/shock assembly and sort it that way

 

[Jake Snedden]

I completely fucked 1 pinch bolt removing it from the strut, 1 side I had tappped the shock upwards a little too much (after compressing the spring) which was putting pressure on the bolt, so I tapped it down and it wound out after a few minutes of spraying, heating and ratcheting.
The other side did NOT want to come out. I got it out using using my long handled flexi head 3/8 drive ratchet with a socket. The technique used was to turn pressure on the ratchet in the usual way of undoing it and also pull back as if trying to pull the bolt out. At the same time as this, hit the threaded end of the bolt with a hammer and after a load of swearing, heat, spray, tea and cuts it came out! You can get the new nuts and bolts for everything shock related I believe from Paul Temperton/RPD

I had to compress the springs on the car too to both get the shocks in and out.

I’ve never had such trouble with suspension removal on any other car before, hated it. I hope that may be helpful to someone at some point




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Silverthorn]

Thanks for the reply Jake - Sounds to me like it's going to be a bit of a nightmare to be honest...

I'm hoping the bolts are going to be in relatively good condition otherwise I'm going to be a bit stuck come Wednesday afternoon when I can't reinstall the suspension. Also hoping that if I wind the coilovers right the way down then I won't need to compress them to get them installed, then I'll just adjust them back to the height I'm after.

Cannot wait to get this job behind me - never have I known it to be so difficult to pop some coilovers in! It's usually a 2/3h job on most cars!

 

[shogun]

It's easy after the first time. Honest. Where abouts are you located?

 

[Dumdum]

And when you put it back together bathe the bits that sit in the various holes with copper slip!

 

[Silverthorn]

Ah glad to hear! It's always the case, once it's been of once it's no problem getting it off a second time. I'm located down in Bristol mate.

And yes will do! I'm a bit of an avid user of the ol' copper slip... It makes life so much easier with a coat of that on everything!