Nightmare day - Solid top mount question...........

[bearne1]

.................well managed to replace 1 ball joint and it took me hours! The holding nut was rather tight to say the least.

Similar subject, looking to replace the top mounts with solid ones but wondering if there are any options where the chassis is not drilled?

I have sourced replacement bearings and the rubber mounts but they also feel very 'flimsy' and poorly made.

Thanks

 

[stormduck]

drilling into the turrets is all part of the 'solid' bit. You won't need solid mounts for road use.

 

[BenG]

You can get Compbrake ones. I used to have some fitted, apparently im not man enough for them though .

 

[hoolio]

No young Ben you're not

If I was going to buy again I would go for the AST mounts, also easily removable if you find you're not "man enough" ;-)

 

[Renaultsport]

I keep thinking of maybe getting some for mine, just worried how firm they would be for every day use... Would like to go in a car with them first I think to see before I start drilling holes.

 

[hoolio]

I'm sure that can be arranged.

 

[Renaultsport]

You got some on yours then J?

 

[hoolio]

Yes the combrake ones that don't require any drilling.

 

[Renaultsport]

Yes the combrake ones that don't require any drilling.

oooohhhh. Like the sound of those! I'll take a look under the bonnet at the meet if you don't mind!

 

[hoolio]

No problem.

 

[Cue]

i can second jules's statement - the compbrake ones dont need drilling but the ast's are the best..

 

[Sam_K]

Does anyone know how much compbrake ones are (ahem...if you dont mind me asking, hoolio?) or have a link?

 

[j333evo]

One thing to consider when buying solid top mounts for the Clio is if your car has had the strut tops modified at some point, probably by Renault to stop the knocking noise.

Its obvious to tell as the hole in the top of the strut will no longer be round, it will be enlarged, almost oval in shape as this is what the dealers were told to do to stop the knocking.

My car was like this, and it really only left me one option, and that was K-tec mounts because you drill the strut top and positively locate the mount in place. And with it having a top section to cover the hole you can't see that is no longer round.

I would fear fitting any of the other mounts that do not drill into the strut top to hold in place could have some movement in them and in fact induce more knocking than you can experience with original mounts.

From what I have read on the various owners clubs mark Fish mounts are excellent, but very expensive and over engineered so for everyday use maybe the quality of the bearing is not needed. Lots of track work, then no other option.

Compbrake can move around in the strut top even without having the strut modified, so maybe worth checking up on that.

The K-tec ones don't have the quality of bearing as the MF ones, but do locate positively, I think the only ones to require drilling to achieve this.

AST offer the option of some castor/camber adjustment, but unless you know what you are doing with regards to this may be an option you will never use, Eibach camber bolts are only £15 from Venmo Motorsport and this is what MF does on his set up to acheieve very good results.

 

[eljeffo64]

I uae ktec mounts and eibach camber bolts, very happy indeed with the result; excellent on track and acceptable on the road - just- if you are not tracking the car why bother though??

 

[hoolio]

Sam, you can always ask but I can't actually remember, it was a CS group buy a while back, I think it may be in my garage on here. I can't find the renault ones on the AST site but I know they do them as there was a group buy on cs and Chris 480bhp had some.
Jeff you are right to a certain extent but I don't see why some of the on track benefits , increased feedback, cannot be transferred to road.
J333 nice allround conclusions as allways but I'd like to add a couple of things re the combrake. Yes I can see how they could move around but mine haven't even though the top ring on my offside has worked loose ice not taken them on track but they have seen some "fun" driving. They have also eliminated any creaking. They are not as focused as those other makes but serve a purpose between those and the rubbish renault mounts especially if you are not sure you can live with them and don't wish to drill the turrets

 

[shiftspark]

As said mark fish top mounts are superb quality but very expensive the k tec ones look to be good for the money.
If you have an endless budget get mf if not k tec

 

[eljeffo64]

I think you are right, some of the on track benefits will be transferred to the road but for 99% of the time one will not drive to the levels you would see the benefits on road and you do lose a bit of ride quality ( noise wise) when you go solid. If the stock mounts weren't so " poor engineering" it would be any easy choice to keep the rubber for road driving -I really hated the tatty rusty std mounts and so changing was a no brainer (plus I don't do big road miles in the T). Also, I'm not convinced the geo set up (camber bolts) would be worth it without solids - would the struts move around enough to affect the camber set up ??

Anyhow - more testing tomorrow afternoon with my solid mounts and new R 888's - another track day, and it's sunny

 

[hoolio]

Ok ok its sunny here too, actually got the five out yesterday.
I have to admit that I use the T only for fun and all my past posts have warned that the ride is harder and noisier alongside the benefits and its maybe not a modification for everyone.

 

[shiftspark]

MF said that the camber could vary by upto a degree but not sure wether that was on road rubber or slicks although we were talking about my car and I have to use road tyres in my class.
Let us know how you find the 888and top mounts.

 

[Renaultsport]

Hoolio - Are these the ones you have!?

http://www.kamracing.co.uk/index.php/as ... o-mk2.html

I couldn't find them on the AST site either... I'm looking at changing them when I come to damper referb time to bring back the postive handling that it seems to have lost over the years.