Suj's Nimbus Clio 197 and E36 328i Trackcar

[suj]

When you buy your new ramp can you ask if they’ll do discount for two as I so badly want one as well
Glad she passed. Onwards and upwards…

Buying one isn't the problem....where to put it is haha, I don't think my tiny shed would house one

 

[Big Ben]

Buying one isn't the problem....where to put it is haha, I don't think my tiny shed would house one

Tbf I’d not thought it through….mines going on the driveway!

 

[suj]

PS this is the pic of the crusty old radiator support I took off (I went to help my mate and I remembered to take a pic)



Nice and fresh wasn't it....

 

[Helpimonfire]

Plenty of life left in that Suj! That'll last another 12 years easily

 

[suj]

Plenty of life left in that Suj! That'll last another 12 years easily

Not when you're undoing the 2 bolts at the radiator end and showered in rust pieces in your hair, eyes and face!
My mate had a MK2 Golf on the ramp before and said "ermmm I think you have more rust coming off this than that"

 

[suj]

Last drive of 2021 today to gym and get the drinks in, it was really nice weather so I stopped and took some pics.

Plenty to do before the first trackdays and I've been really busy hoarding bits.





Happy new year to everyone, see many of you next year for some track fun!

 

[adam thomas]

Weird looking clio [emoji42]

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[suj]

Weird looking clio [emoji42]

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Get back in your prison COVID boy....

 

[adam thomas]

Get back in your prison COVID boy....

[emoji24][emoji24][emoji24]

Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk

 

[Helpimonfire]

Always nice to see an update on the E36! Even better when you see one at the right height and without excessive rear camber! I'll be needing a passenger lap when we're at a track together again... For scientific purposes of course...

 

[suj]

Always nice to see an update on the E36! Even better when you see one at the right height and without excessive rear camber! I'll be needing a passenger lap when we're at a track together again... For scientific purposes of course...

Damn there goes my plan to run 12degs rear camber....
Of course Martin you're more than welcome to passenger, hopefully the new bits will make it quicker in corners (no power mods, just more handling stuff).

 

[RSRowe]

yep............i still really want one!

 

[suj]

yep............i still really want one!

Everyone get one then we can be "Team Bratwurst" instead of Team Baguette

 

[suj]

Clio update:
As mentioned previously I had done lower arms, some newer hubs, all the drop and rotation links done and it was fine, but then progressively there was this weird knocking noise when lifting off throttle and coming to a stop / pulling off.
I just don't do the miles any more so it was annoying but nothing felt loose and drove fine.

I finally had a chance to look, I thought maybe the rack bolts were loose, nope all tight, hung off everything nothing felt loose.

But then I remembered as I had used a mates ramp and he needed it for some more cars, so the end was rushed and I didn't jack up the hubs to simulate it being in the ground when torquing up the bolts for the arms etc (I don't even remember torquing them, they may have been gunned on by accident) so I undid them all, simulated the road height and torqued up the bolts as per OEM spec.

Went for a drive and no noise wahoo! So yeah silly me, so it was the bushes being preloaded wrong and most likely over tightened (so bottoming out when coming to a stop / pulling off), as I'm normally so good with that sort of thing esp torquing everything! But hey ho all sorted now, then took a mate and his mate out for a spin round some country lanes and they both got back and were seeing how much a 197/200 is

 

[EthanMenace]

Clio update:
As mentioned previously I had done lower arms, some newer hubs, all the drop and rotation links done and it was fine, but then progressively there was this weird knocking noise when lifting off throttle and coming to a stop / pulling off.
I just don't do the miles any more so it was annoying but nothing felt loose and drove fine.

I finally had a chance to look, I thought maybe the rack bolts were loose, nope all tight, hung off everything nothing felt loose.

But then I remembered as I had used a mates ramp and he needed it for some more cars, so the end was rushed and I didn't jack up the hubs to simulate it being in the ground when torquing up the bolts for the arms etc (I don't even remember torquing them, they may have been gunned on by accident) so I undid them all, simulated the road height and torqued up the bolts as per OEM spec.

Went for a drive and no noise wahoo! So yeah silly me, so it was the bushes being preloaded wrong and most likely over tightened (so bottoming out when coming to a stop / pulling off), as I'm normally so good with that sort of thing esp torquing everything! But hey ho all sorted now, then took a mate and his mate out for a spin round some country lanes and they both got back and were seeing how much a 197/200 is

Very satisfying when you solve a problem like that after it's been bothering you for ages, nice work!

I have exactly the same problem on my 182 after I replaced the wishbones, so might have to give this a go.
Do you just get it on some stands and then jack up the hubs so there's a bit of weight on the suspension, or was it more calculated than that?

 

[suj]

Very satisfying when you solve a problem like that after it's been bothering you for ages, nice work!

I have exactly the same problem on my 182 after I replaced the wishbones, so might have to give this a go.
Do you just get it on some stands and then jack up the hubs so there's a bit of weight on the suspension, or was it more calculated than that?

Yep exactly that Ethan, unless you have a proper ramp (which we don't) it's the only way really, so what I did was look at roughly the angle of the arms when on the floor and try and simulate this on both sides.

Undo the bolts first, then jack up the hub end (or lower car onto something, I just a bottle jack and some blocks of wood), then once in the position you want it then torque up the bolts.

 

[EthanMenace]

Yep exactly that Ethan, unless you have a proper ramp (which we don't) it's the only way really, so what I did was look at roughly the angle of the arms when on the floor and try and simulate this on both sides.

Undo the bolts first, then jack up the hub end (or lower car onto something, I just a bottle jack and some blocks of wood), then once in the position you want it then torque up the bolts.

Perfect cheers mate, I will give this a go soon and hopefully it'll solve it.
This has been bugging me for well over a month or two now so you may have prevented me from going completely crazy

 

[suj]

Perfect cheers mate, I will give this a go soon and hopefully it'll solve it.
This has been bugging me for well over a month or two now so you may have prevented me from going completely crazy

Haha yeah same, like I'm bad at this and I started pricing up steering racks, new dampers everything, but when your logic kicks in it can't be any of them as it drives so well, just at those conditions, fingers crossed it sorts your problem out mate!

 

[suj]

I finally managed to get alignment done (I have done 12 miles since I changed bits lmao) but it was off.

I got to Aline in Dudley (they don't do appointments, first come first served) on Saturday @ 7:55, first one there yay.
Then pulls in a Flame Red 172 (quite loud and low), literally followed by a Nimbus 197 (I assumed they were together...but they weren't), even owners were like "is there a Renault meet happening here that we didn't know about?" lol.

So I have always had a caster difference on the front, but it never drove odd or worn any tyres weirdly, but it seems the changing of the front parts has now brought that within spec (as I always take it to Aline, he has all the old ones saved and we looked through, there is still a difference, but well within spec now and much closer), so that's brilliant news!

Toe was out which I knew, so that was changed and I was on my way in a few mins, driving all lovely again.

 

[suj]

Also just realised I have had the car 5 years today! I bought it on 68,000 miles....It is now on 134,500miles, that is just shy of 67,000miles I have done in it lol!

It would have been way more if we didn't have the pandemic (and WFH).

Everyone warned me "French cars are so unreliable" this has been one of the most reliable cars i've had, but then goes to show as long as you maintain a car, it will look after you.