R26 New Car, Lot's To Fix!!

Discussion in 'Suspension, Brakes, Wheels & Tyres section' started by SomeGuy, Jun 28, 2018.

  1. Hi all,

    Recent entrant into the RS Megane club having picked an R26 (black) up this week, having had a Clio 182 for the last 12 months.

    Dropped it into my local specialists for the belts to be changed & an accompanying 'health check' has unearthed a number of issues to rectify....

    So, first set of jobs are new springs all round (1 coil snapped, all 4 rusty), rear shocks (both corroded, one has gone 'soft') & both front inner CV boots (1 split & 1 is the wrong part! Brilliant work).

    Looking at Cooksport springs to go with OEM shocks which I believe are well matched.

    Anyone able to point me in the direction of the relevant CV boot kit(s) for both inners? I'm keen to ensure the fit is correct & OEM seem hard to determine.

    Regarding the shocks, I'll need the shocks & the fixing bolts, is it good practice/advisable to replace the top mounts as well? Or do these tend to hold up well?

    Thanks in advance for any assistance/guidance you can provide. This is the first of many jobs!
     
  2. RPD Renault parts direct have shocks on offer at the moment. I've just bought some. Not made up my mind on top mounts. Some people have found theirs needed replacing but some say the swivel bearings do all the work.Top mounts are £53 from RDP or £38 aftermarket. Not decided on springs yet personally. Expensive OEM or cooksport or grams from Kam Racing? Shock bolts are cheaper from Kam instead of the £9 each!! From RDP that I paid.
     
  3. yep..RPD really cheap on OEM shocks,drop links,steering arms at the moment..bought all mine there.
    The cooksports make the car look so much nicer,but will make the car ride even stiffer..not great if your car is a daily driver.

    I wish i had put OEM springs on instead..but they are just about bearable.
    my top mounts were fine for a 11 year old car..but its led a sheltered life!

    If your steering is anything but pin sharp,i would recommend doing the inner/outer arms,and the rack bush.
    these cars suffer from worn steering rack parts,which messes up the fabulous handling.
    my car has only done 49k..but it took a full suspension and steering rack refresh to restore its handling to its best.

    Mr auto..which has a sticky link on here supplys oem suspension parts at mega low prices..drop links etc for peanuts..
     
    Si271 likes this.
  4. Agree with the other posts [emoji1303]
    I have H&R springs on mine and it sits nice but, as you’d expect, they’re fairly stiff.

    Just bear in mind that the inner tie rods are genuine item only.
    The ones you get from motor factors are too short - there are quite a few threads on this.

    I recently got mine from ebay at a good price.

    https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/271120857813

    I also made my own tool for removal/fitting.
     
  5. You get the boots with the new tie rods by the way [emoji1303]
     
    SomeGuy likes this.
  6. So if I pick up some OEM tie rods I'll get the CV boots & fixings etc thrown in as well?
     
  7. Oops I misread your post.

    No, you don’t get cv boots.

    It’s the inner tie rod boots that I was thinking.
     
    SomeGuy likes this.
  8. So I think I'm just about there with regards to sorting the suspension (new springs all round, new shocks all round, ARB drop links, ant-rotation bars & possible swivel hub bearings).

    One of the engine mounts has sunk/sits low, the dogbone is shot & the middle exhaust mount needs to be replaced as well, but these are easy enough to source.

    Can anyone confirm the correct inner CV boot kit per chance? Might as well do the gearbox oil whilst I'm there.

    In discussion with George at RTR regarding discs/pads/hoses/fluid.

    A few more bits beyond this (PS4's all round with alignment to follow amongst others), that's the worst of the mechanical stuff dealt with.....

    Any suggestions welcomed.
     
  9. Oh, & the wonderful check injection light has appeared too. I'll be checking the boost sensors & intake hoses to see if it's an easy fix, if not, I might shell out for the K-Tec diagnostic tool. Is it any good?

    From a bodywork perspective, can anyone point me in the direction of a new powerfold passenger door mirror? Preferably with the anthracite backing as my mirror is electrically adjustable, but doesn't fold in when i rotate the mirror control switch to the 1800 position, the backing is cracked & to round things off, I either have no temperature reading on the screen in the car or if I do, it's something ludicrous like -39c, which despite residing in Edinburgh, is not currently the case.
     
  10. Feirny

    Feirny RSM Admin

    Get H&R springs over Cooksport, I've had both and would choose H&R every time.
     
  11. Thanks for the advice. This rather goes against the grain tit would seem as Cooksports appear very popular.

    Alas, I have an incline up to my driveway (which is on a decline) as well as speed bumps in the area which, when allayed with Edinburgh's quite frankly appalling roads, I fear I would make little progress if the car is dropped....

    As a result, it would seem that OEM is my only option, which is a pity given how much more expensive they are than pretty much all of the aftermarket springs.
     
  12. Feirny

    Feirny RSM Admin

    I’m in the same boat, I’m in Leeds/Bradford and the roads are the same, with the speed bumps and my drive is also a nightmare but I cope just fine.

    The cooksports are crashier than the H&R, that’s my only gripe.
     
  13. Ok, well if you are managing to cope in a similar scenario, I'll have a closer look. I'm just concerned about having to creep over bumps & failing to get up/over kerbs & so on.
     
  14. 2nd that..they also make the damping ragid at higher speeds over bumps,
    which the OEM set up would take in its stride.
     
  15. Anyone able to point me in the direction of an inner CV boot kit? They're a nightmare to find.
     
  16. matt e

    matt e South East RSM Area Rep

    7701209254 is the part number
     
    SomeGuy likes this.
  17. If you haven't decided on springs yet....I have Cooksport fitted, and yes, they're stiffer than standard, can be a little crashy at normal road speeds, but once up to fun speeds I find they're great! Regarding speed bumps etc, take it real slow and you should be ok. Shit loads of 'em around me, and so far no problems! [emoji16]

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
     
    SomeGuy likes this.
  18. Me again! I appreciate that this query is not really suited to this area of the forum, but I don't want to open up threads all over the shop.

    So, I ran out of the fuel a couple of days ago. Rather amateur/embarrassing however, the fuel gauge was insisting that I had just half a tank of fuel left.

    Once on my way I brimmed the tank which appears to have had no effect on the fuel gauge whatsoever (still showing just under half a tank) & in addition, since parking it on my drive I now have a rather strong smell of petrol coming from the car.

    I can't see any obvious leaks or pools of petrol under the car so I'm wondering whether I have a myriad of issues affecting the fuel pump?

    I presume the faulty fuel gauge points to a broken/missing/other float in the fuel tank & I am wondering whether the fuel is not sealed correctly given that the smell of petrol has only materialised since I filled the tank.

    Any thoughts/advice? Ta muchly.
     
  19. Further investigation reveals:

    No petrol smell inside the car
    No petrol smell from the engine bay
    No obvious leakage under the car (no dropping/pooling etc)
    All fuel pipes are dry, notably the one that runs under the drivers' towards the engine
    Smell appears to be present at the back of the vehicle, around the fuel tank when I stick my head around the rear o/s wheel

    So, fuel tank issue or pump issue....
     
  20. Filler neck issue maybe?
     
  21. Good shout, hadn't thought of that.
     
  22. Bit of a daft one, but best to check.

    Cooksport springs have come with a white rubber 'cover' over approximately half of the each rear spring.

    Remove before fitting?
     
  23. No. You don't have to.

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
     
    SomeGuy likes this.

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