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bent subframe? (merged with understeer/oversteer thread)
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-> 206 Problems

#1: bent subframe? (merged with understeer/oversteer thread) Author: Sim, Location: West Country PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:24 am
    ----
Hello,

Pretty much as it says. Car becomes really unstable even in non-sharp corners, enough if I keep pumping the accelerator, it swirls the car into wobbliness Sad
Drives sharp fine when driving/pulling straight forwards.

When the car is raised with wheel off, you can see a tear(?) gap in N/S lower arm's rear bush rubber.

Just took the picture when the car is parked on all 4s now:
 
I can get a better quality picture, and raise car up in the evening.

Lower arms are not of top-notch quality, but they were fitted two months ago!... So could this gap be causing the problem?


Cheers,

#2: Re: oversteer/understeer when accelerating in small corners Author: PugJH, Location: Northants PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:43 am
    ----
Is it when cornering both ways?

#3: Re: oversteer/understeer when accelerating in small corners Author: Sim, Location: West Country PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:43 am
    ----
PugJH wrote:
Is it when cornering both ways?
Yes

...power steering?.. :}

#4: Re: oversteer/understeer when accelerating in small corners Author: Sim, Location: West Country PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:58 am
    ----
More info:
  • Two months ago got new lower arms fitted, did not do alignment DOH!!! (the reason being handling of the car improved significantly after lower arms replace so I though everything's fine...)
  • Until last Saturday the tyres got eaten to nearly slick, so hadn't been driving the car rigorously. Minimal wobbliness was felt nevertheless, and general handling of the car felt horrible, due to tracking way out. But I don't know if this exact problem now is caused by the following works:
  • On Saturday did 4 wheel alignment (left 6.5mm and right 2.5mm toe out!! that explains why my tyres became slicks in months)
  • Then same day put on all brand new PACE tyres 195/55/R15
    The old 185/65/R15 went straight to the bin Smile
  • Tyre place said with new tyres fitted, wheel tracking got 2 degrees out, so they did 2wheel alignment
  • Today took on my normal commute route, car grips fine due to new tyres, but really wobbly when cornering, higher speeds Sad even when not spirited driving

#5: Re: oversteer/understeer when accelerating in small corners Author: PugJH, Location: Northants PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 10:21 am
    ----
I had an issue when cornering before, say I was going off the m1 on a tight bend it would yank me back the opposite way, I had both front wishbones replaced, which fixed the issue, but I believe the full issue is that my subframe is bent/twisted so the wishbones will most likely fail again.
Check this out 1st

#6: Re: oversteer/understeer when accelerating in small corners Author: Sim, Location: West Country PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 10:25 am
    ----
Ok thanks. Sometimes (rarely) it feels like my back is yanking too, as if the rear axle also could steer lol... That happens also when I'm about to straighten out from the corner.

#7: Re: oversteer/understeer when accelerating in small corners Author: PugJH, Location: Northants PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 10:35 am
    ----
Sounds like what I had, the garage couldn't see anything until I told him to take it out for a driver where a nice corner was, he said it scared the s**t out of him when it yanked him back.

They lifted the car up, had no play on the wheel, turned the wheels one way and it had a lot of play.

#8: Re: oversteer/understeer when accelerating in small corners Author: gazza82, Location: South Bucks PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 10:35 am
    ----
The split could be letting the arm move more than it should.

Could be the rear axles bushes are going and you've got movement there too.

#9: Re: oversteer/understeer when accelerating in small corners Author: PugJH, Location: Northants PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 10:45 am
    ----
I can't see the tear in the picture. But as said check all the rubbers. Engine mounts as well

#10: Re: oversteer/understeer when accelerating in small corners Author: Sim, Location: West Country PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 10:51 am
    ----
Big question mark on subframe now. Brief history why:
  • 9 months ago 2nd-hand subframe fitted (due to snapped gearlink)
  • 6 months ago N/S lower arm replaced due to worn bush (can't remember whether front or rear bush mount)
  • 2 months ago both lower arms replaced (due to another problem), and I think the bush of that 4month old N/S lower arm was pretty worn already
  • Last Saturday noticed a split in N/S bush and intensified wobbling when cornering under power

So if it's the replaced subframe since 9 months been eating the N/S wishbones bushes, is it worth looking for warps? If so, how? Visually it looks good

Last edited by Sim on Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:17 am; edited 2 times in total

#11: Re: oversteer/understeer when accelerating in small corners Author: peugeotgti PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:46 pm
    ----
Get it onto a jig to check if its bent or whatever...failing that get a four wheel allignment and see if that throws up anything strange.
to be honest it sounds like its been bashed and fixed up so it might be worth getting a new cheap straight car and fit any mods onto the new car...you could pick one up for £500 if you can afford it...at least you wont have to keep spending on tyres.susspension.wishbones.bushes etc.etc.

#12: Re: oversteer/understeer when accelerating in small corners Author: PugJH, Location: Northants PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 3:37 pm
    ----
I looked at getting another sub frame. But can only get second hand now. Couldn't see anything on service box. better the devil you know on this one, if I got a second hand one I would want to look at the car it was coming from.

#13: bent subframe? Author: Sim, Location: West Country PostPosted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:30 pm
    ----
Could anyone please post the pictures of their (ideally HDi 2.0) subframe, so I could compare?

I suspect to have a bent subframe fitted. The N/S looks like this (notice the gap between the two metal lips -- should it be there??):
 



Meanwhile O/S looks ok:
 


Many thanks.. If it should not be like this, then the bent subframe has eaten a couple of N/S wishbones (this one got ripped in two months):
 

Last edited by Sim on Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:50 am; edited 1 time in total

#14: Re: bent subframe? Author: Ryry238, Location: Doncaster South Yorkshire PostPosted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 5:10 pm
    ----
ill check mine for your tomorrow, there's got to be a problem somewhere

#15: Re: bent subframe? Author: Sim, Location: West Country PostPosted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 5:20 pm
    ----
Cheers buddy!



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