UltraRed 200 FF CUP - Weekend warrior

[deekay16v]

Passenger side ball joints have developed a bit bigger play so managed to change all of them for the new kit. (thx raptor6767). That means everything suspension wise (except swaybar bushings) is done already. Finished my from tires (after 10000km), so it was time to do alignment after suspension work. Rear is a bit off so need to order some angle spacers for the winter ). Car drives fine. Wonder if more camber at front will be better for fastroad but it still can corner way beyond sensible speeds for road driving. There is no excessive wear on the outside of the front tires.

 

[deekay16v]

After few more kilometres, it feels like with the "right" geometry, the steering is more "loose" and turn in is worse. Steering feels dead-ish from center. I can feel tires preload and then turn. Maybe with more toe out that was there before, they were already preloaded

 

[rSilva]

More toe out loads the tire the "other" way than the corner. It's scrubbing the inner shoulder, and the cornering makes use of the outer shoulder or the outer wheel for most of the support.
It just feels more nervous as the inner wheel is pulling extra to whatever side you turn. But that's mostly just the feeling on turn-in...
Also, for heavy braking, the more toe out, the more it will follow the road and be easy to unsettle.

 

[deekay16v]

I get the point. It should make the car more nervous in higher speed cornering. But more toe put front in fwd car should help turn in from what I have read. Pity I cannot try more settings since I do not own alignment tools )). Another thing is how scrub radius/ride height affects this. I have 16mm spacers at front (which pretty much mimics et of wheels that clio r3 access use) and lowering springs. Front is quite low with HR.

 

[deekay16v]

Well, bit more driving and unfortunatelly the play I was about the cure with new balljoints is still there ...somwhere. I can feel it through steering wheel when driving in left hand turns over bumpy surface. Also, there is still slight torque steer preset at higher speeds on highway, (when accelerating it pulls slightly left, when off throttle it pulls right.
I have new balljoints, polybushes allround, (except swaybar and main engine mount), cup shocks, HR springs, upper shock mounts, drop links, anti rotation links... play still there and cant be felt in the garage at all Funny little thing.
Any idea where to look? everything has been disconnected when replacing all balljoints and everything seems withaout play.

And to add to my car french heritage, when turning wipers on, it turned on fog lights Twice today
Still love it tho.

If anyone has any advice I am all ears.

Well... and ordered set of Potenza Sports in 215, so looking foorward to that. Front Goodyears are on the minimum already, after 10kKm. Wonder how long Bridgestones will last I hope at least until spring LOL

 

[rSilva]

Have you checked the steering column bushing on the passenger side for play?
It's a common wear item on our cars

Megane 2 polyamide plastic steering rack bush, also fits Scenic 2, Kangoo & more | Track Focus Direct

This bush is a wear item within the Renault Megane 2 steering rack. It is the cause for many steering rack replacements but now Track Focus Direct is offering a low cost solution to restore your rack to its former self. You may have replaced tie rod ends and tie rods with inner axial joints but...

www.trackfocusdirect.com

 

[Jakkehoop]

Have you checked the steering column bushing on the passenger side for play?
It's a common wear item on our cars

Megane 2 polyamide plastic steering rack bush, also fits Scenic 2, Kangoo & more | Track Focus Direct

This bush is a wear item within the Renault Megane 2 steering rack. It is the cause for many steering rack replacements but now Track Focus Direct is offering a low cost solution to restore your rack to its former self. You may have replaced tie rod ends and tie rods with inner axial joints but...

www.trackfocusdirect.com

thank you for posting that link as i need one of them lol

 

[VeiRoNv2]

And to add to my car french heritage, when turning wipers on, it turned on fog lights Twice today
Still love it tho.

Are you sure the connector on the stalk is the right way around? if it isn't it will mess up which light come on when you press it,the connector fits either way,I made that mistake before.

 

[deekay16v]

Are you sure the connector on the stalk is the right way around? if it isn't it will mess up which light come on when you press it,the connector fits either way,I made that mistake before.

I have not been messing with it at all. And it worked fine until yesterday. More likely there is a false contact somwhere in the connecting harness between the left and right stalks.

 

[deekay16v]

Have you checked the steering column bushing on the passenger side for play?
It's a common wear item on our cars

Megane 2 polyamide plastic steering rack bush, also fits Scenic 2, Kangoo & more | Track Focus Direct

This bush is a wear item within the Renault Megane 2 steering rack. It is the cause for many steering rack replacements but now Track Focus Direct is offering a low cost solution to restore your rack to its former self. You may have replaced tie rod ends and tie rods with inner axial joints but...

www.trackfocusdirect.com

Yep, no sign of clunking. But you know, in the garage it feels different. Especially on the clio. Everything on the front axle is tight.

 

[deekay16v]

So few updates. Ditched Goodyears Assymetric(front at minimum, and one on the rears had repaired puncture, so threw them away). Bridgestone Potenza sports are on. Wonder if they would last at least half a season

Also managed to destroy my flexis after scraping my middle silencer over speedbumps twice... too low for some parts of town heh.
Having plashed my ecu with RStuner before, after gutting the precat (not ideal) I have gone the Toyosport manifold route. K-tec is 3times more and I have to pay quite a huge tax. Also K-tecs reviews are not stunning lately, so lets see how that chinese tincan will work. I am not able to source anything other here unfortunatelly.
Having the RStuner, I would like RStuning to do remote mapping, after fitting manifold, by they need me to supply RPM/AFR plot. I guess I am not able to do that without wideband lambda... Anyone gone that route? I am not able to visit any reputable tuner, because all are few hundrets or thousands km away

 

[deekay16v]

And... it does not go exactly as planned Piece of chinese junk...

 

[burrellbloke]

I have heard of people using PowerFlex bushes in the engine bay to stop aftermarket manifolds from knocking on the subframe.

Do you get any clearance with the exhaust tightened up under the car?

 

[deekay16v]

I have everything powerflexed except main engine mount and there is NO clearance at all when tightened....managed to bend the manifold ang get 6mm of clearance...wonder if it will be enough.... buy cheap, buy twice I guess Lesson learned. Sad thing is, I dont see many other options, and many ppl seem to run toyosport just fine here.

 

[turkie172]

Slack off the top and bottom mount that will let you pull the top of the engine forward and give you clearance at the bottom for the manifold

 

[deekay16v]

Thanks turkie. I hope it won't be neccesary, because its now set up that even with powerflexes it does not vibrate excesivelly, which was the case around certain RPM after i have fitted gearbox powerflex mount. Around 4000 it was unbearable, because it resonated through the whole chassis so it acted like a loudspeaker. I am glad it is gone

 

[jimmybell]

interesting that yours is so close, i'll check mine (toyosport with Vibra-Technics mounts) and see what the clearance is, but i've not had issues since installing the toyosport.

 

[deekay16v]

Chinese manufacturing tolerances are hit and miss i guess

 

[deekay16v]

Well, got it fitted in the end. Nothing knocks when putting on power, but there is faint knocking sound when lifting off sometimes. Dunno what that is.
Worse thing is, the car drives absolutelly crap.
Its quite silent, compared to standard manifold with gutted precat, but the sound is bland, not nice at all.
What struck me immediatelly is total lack of power. It just dont want to go. No torque at all.
I have RStuner 97RON stg1 map on it. It ran quite strong with standard manifold with gutted precat. Now it is like having half the power.

Worst thing I have bought for my clio, I would say. Wonder how other ppl are quite happy with it.

 

[Marsch]

I know two people which run that manifold with V6 airbox, big throttle body and Akra. One is mapped the other not so far. Both go quite well.