A difficult one for you guys..

[Yiannis197]

I put this thread on general discussion because I don't think it's suspension/steering related. If the mods think otherwise please move it to the right section. Thanks.

So...my clio pulls to the left and I don't know why. Any ideas?

Here is where I stand. When I had the AST kit fitted one of the front tyres was unevenly worn due to the tracking been out. So I had the kit fitted, tracking done, and the car was still pulling. We thought that it was due to the tyre being knackered. I changed tyres (Contis 5) but still no luck. So here I am at Mark Fish's today for a thorough checkout and we came to nothing...

Tracking done in detail (Mark fish literally spend hours today), brand new tyres, brakes spot on, ride height to the millimetre, camber 2.0 degrees sharp and the car hasn't been involved in a accident.

So what's left? Mark even measured the wheelbase lol.

I have to mention that when I bought the car one and a half years ago it wasn't pulling. So what's happening? Any ideas will be GREATLY appreciated..

Thanks!

 

[Willis]

They all do it mate, I don't think there's a cure.

I think they're just very sensitive to the camber on the road, that's all I can think of...

 

[Roy]

+1with Willis for the first 2 years of ownership I tried to cure it but nothing did
But I don't get a lot of uneven wear

 

[Willis]

Just to add that I've never had wear issues either...

 

[MikeH]

Really?? It's not that difficult to understand you lower the car you alter the steering rack centre point, you can align the wheels all you want but unless you alter the gearing centre position at the same time it it's still going to be out if you try and hold the steering wheel at the usual centre point

 

[Yiannis197]

They all do it mate, I don't think there's a cure.

I think they're just very sensitive to the camber on the road, that's all I can think of...

+1with Willis for the first 2 years of ownership I tried to cure it but nothing did
But I don't get a lot of uneven wear

Is it really? I don't get an uneven wear either, my left worn out because the toe happened to be out at the time.

Really?? It's not that difficult to understand you lower the car you alter the steering rack centre point, you can align the wheels all you want but unless you alter the gearing centre position at the same time it it's still going to be out if you try and hold the steering wheel at the usual centre point

So Mike are you saying that the car is pulling because it's lowered? I don't thing that's the case mate because the car was pulling before I fit ASTs, actually before I even fitted H&R lowering springs. It was on stock CUP suspension..

 

[MikeH]

If it was pulling beforehand there was obviously an issue beforehand, without knowing any history about the car before this post, was the car built with the cup suspension or has a previous owner had something changed

 

[Yiannis197]

If it was pulling beforehand there was obviously an issue beforehand, without knowing any history about the car before this post, was the car built with the cup suspension or has a previous owner had something changed

No it came with the Cup, it's an R27, and it wasn't pulling when I bought it. Unless of course it was and I didn't notice which I don't think that's the case..

 

[MikeH]

You said above it was pulling before you even fitted lowering springs

So Mike are you saying that the car is pulling because it's lowered? I don't thing that's the case mate because the car was pulling before I fit ASTs, actually before I even fitted H&R lowering springs. It was on stock CUP suspension..

 

[Yiannis197]

You said above it was pulling before you even fitted lowering springs

Yes mate indeed, when I bought the car it was fine, stock suspension etc, I drove to London and for a few months after that in london (commuting for work, potholes, bumps etc...known stuff). Then at some point and while driving on the North circular I realised that the car was pulling. I didn't pay any attention at the beginning. After a month or so I had some warranty job done to the steering rack and the car needed tracking. Did that but the car was still pulling but then I thought ''no worries, I'm fitting lowering springs and I'll do a proper one at Mark fish''. So I did but the car was still pulling and it was then that we put it down to the unevenly worn tyre. Then I fitted ASTs, tracking done, new tyres after a week and still the same...That's the story Mike and apologies if I wasn't clear enough..

 

[MikeH]

You've not let a woman drive the car at any point? That's a sure fire way to screw up alignment

On a serious note it sounds like something has worn/backed off its manufacture setting, so there is still a root cause there, Probably occurred in what you have mentioned, by the sound of it something else is amiss, time to start checking joints and bearings further in the setup

 

[BenW]

Maybe when the car is static the alignment is perfect but once rolling and all the suspension starts moving there is excessive play somewhere which is throwing the alignment out on one side. But with this being a dynamic thing you'll never see it no matter how much alignment checking you do.

I'd be thoroughly checking all the suspension bushes and hub/arb ball joints.

 

[Yiannis197]

LOL to the woman comment Mike!

Great input Mike/Ben, thanks.

Even though we have already checked all of these on several occasions (especially when investigating a knocking noise) I'll have them checked once again. Cheers

 

[Foxspeed]

Maybe when the car is static the alignment is perfect but once rolling and all the suspension starts moving there is excessive play somewhere which is throwing the alignment out on one side. But with this being a dynamic thing you'll never see it no matter how much alignment checking you do.

I'd be thoroughly checking all the suspension bushes and hub/arb ball joints.

good points raised there

i would also add - what type of "alignment" have you had done?

just front "toe" or the full four wheel job?

dont forget the front suspension is on a subframe so if you just have the front checked it only shows up the front wheels being "in tolerance" and the subframe could be out on the chassis mounting position...in relation to the rear wheels/axle

the front toe angle - has this been changed to just be "in the middle" of the range - or has it been tried and set to the maximum/minimum specification to see what difference it makes?

when mine was on 17 it ran true and straight - then i went to 18 with 225/35 and it was still fine - then when i went to the 225/40 rs2 it has a slight drift to the left - only a small amount - tracking is set to parallel

 

[930Tech]

I've gone through this with mine, was fine when i first had it.

Then it started pulling to the left, had it tracked up no difference, had new front tyres on and it was 90% better then it gradually came back.

TBH it's on cambered roads were it's at it's worst, and on a motorway it's ok, not 100% but ok.

You'll find when you get onto the continent it'll pull to the right mine does, i think it's just that it's set up to be flat, on a flat surface which to be fair, it is.

It's just sensitive to camber changes. it's one of those 'clio' things along with sagging gloveboxes and worn door seals :thumbup1:

 

[deadmau5]

The Japanese guy called called Masa had this problem. He put some glorified washers on the subframe and I think it corrected it. He put pictures of it on his thread.

http://www.clio197.net/forum/showpost.php?p=158867&postcount=65

 

[Yiannis197]

Great great input from you guys as usual. Thanks.

I'm abroad at the moment, when I come back I'll try to investigate it further taking all the above into consideration. I cant see me sorting it out though for the trip because I'm running out of time

Thanks again, any more input greatly appreciated.

 

[lee]

is it a problem with the electronic power steering ? had this with a micra which l think is pretty similar ??? turned out it was a problem with a thrust sensor within the eps.