What have a I broken?!

[TB Rich]

So I've broken/loosened something from the track day last weekend, the steering is making a monumental clunk/creak but only at low speed when putting on lock. If you are parked and shake the wheel is when you hear it.

I drove 150 miles back from the track, 200 miles today up and down the motorway and you wouldn't know anything was wrong,,, only when it's basically stopped, i.e close to dry steering putting a truck load of force through it I guess.

I did strike a curb on track, the passenger side wheel on a 2nd gear hairpin whilst it was unloaded, sent a whopping great thwack through the front end so guessing this is the reason. However the noise is pretty central, but def a bit more on the drivers side!?! It's on a new rack as it is (25k miles now, new rack went on maybe 6k miles ago).

Any thoughts?

 

[Mentalpen]

Bolt under the carpet at the end of the steering column I believe. It's a known issue and needs over tightening and gluing.

 

[TB Rich]

Possibly but this is an outside the car noise. I've had a new UJ trying to cure the coloumn noise, still there but probbaly just needs over tightening?

I think this might be inner tie rod based on my google and you tube searching. Doesn't seem hard to do just need a special tool.

I'll try and get it up on axle stands later.

 

[TB Rich]

Turns out the steering rack was lose in the mounts, but Renault missed this in the diag hour so ordered a new rack anyway. So it's now on it's 3rd brand new CUP rack in 25k miles! I'm sure as this rack is being done by Renault they will use the correct locking compound/torque settings on the mount bolts so I dont experiance it again, assuming the higher stresses of track driving just worked it lose.

Confidence in the car restored, back to ordering an R3 mani

 

[Tuck]

I have this exact same problem, PM'd you bud

 

[Steve Murr]

I have this exact same problem, PM'd you bud

See my Steering Rack thread in the pinned section.


Renault never seem to build anything fit for purpose these days-

Steering Racks, Gearboxes, Hubs, R-Link & so on.

There will be no such thing as Renault-Sport in years to come.