Could this be the cause??

[donsrno1]

Some of you may have seen in another post that the bumper, bonnet, lights etc on one side of my clio 16v are about 1 or 2 cm further back than they should be - meaning the bonnet doesn't fit properly etc.

Anyway, I was having a look under the bonnet earlier and noticed something. On the passenger side (where it had a crash before) the crossmember doesn't have a wee gape between it and the bit it's connected to. On my other clio there is a gap of about 1cm and on my 16v there is a gap at the drivers side. Here is a pic of the crossmember on the 16v:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/donsrno1/PDR_0012.jpg

And here is a pic of the same place on another clio:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/donsrno1/046a374a.jpg

In the second one there is a gap, but on mine it's been welded straight onto the other part. Could this explain everything seeming to be about 1 or 2 cm too far back on one side and not fitting properly?

I'm not sure but thought the bonnet, bumper etc were mounted on the crossmember in some way and if so that would make sense as to the problems I've got.

Thanks.[/img]

[northy]

does the join look 'factory' on the side thats been welded ?

think mine has a gap both sides - but never really paid attention

[donsrno1]

does the join look 'factory' on the side thats been welded ?

think mine has a gap both sides - but never really paid attention

The join has just been welded so there is no gap there. I know the car was in a very slight crash a while ago and I've been trying to work out what's causing everything to site a bit too far back and this is all I could find.

Are bumper and bonnet both mounted on the crossmember?

[donsrno1]

Heres a couple of pics a bit closer up:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/donsrno1/PDR_0078.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/donsrno1/PDR_0077.jpg

I'm hoping that it's just been pushed into that position, and not welded there when repairing the car. I'll have a closer look but I'm hoping it can be tugged back out as it would (I think) sort the problems I have with the bumper, lights and bonnet not fitting properly on that side.

[donsrno1]

I took the bumper off today to have a closer look. Heres the link to some pics I took with the bumper off:

Pic 1 (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/donsrno1/Clio%2016v/PDR_0081.jpg)
Pic 2 (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/donsrno1/Clio%2016v/PDR_0080.jpg)
Pic 3 (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/donsrno1/Clio%2016v/PDR_0079.jpg)
Pic 4 (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/donsrno1/Clio%2016v/PDR_0082.jpg)

Is it literally a case of just tugging it out till the bit I was pointing out was pushed back sits as it should?

Thanks.

[Lunner]

You won't pull it out lol

I tried doig that to mien, with all 4 wheels locked, and 2 front ones chocked and i just dragged it down the road.

Swap the subframe, if you put one you know isn't bent on there if it is bent subframe won't line up, got one you can have off me at FCS for £15 if you want.

Hers my pics, not much help tho i'm afraid

http://www.lunner.co.uk/crash/crash.JPG

[donsrno1]

Thanks for the offer of the subframe but I won't be at FCS so I'll just give it a miss. I think the subframe is pretty much ok, though obviously I can't be totally sure. It's literally a matter of 1.5 cm that it needs to be tugged out by so that the bonnet, bumper etc line up properly.

At the moment it's been suggested I just use a chain with one end round a lampost and the other round the area on the car that needs to be tugged out, lol. I think thats the best option at the moment TBH and would hopefully sort the problems.

This car just keeps getting better though, today when I was taking the wheels off one of the wheel nuts snapped so I'll have fun trying to get that out tomorrow :lol:

[summeh]

the bonnet hinges attach to the chassis pieces that hold the lights in, not the crossmember.

the bumper is attached to the crossmemeber/bumper bar tho.

[MAXIBOY]

have you measured it at all. gaps between wheels and sills front wheels and back of sills . centre to centre across the car. if you can get the car level on a lift drop a plumb line down from major points of the car on each side then mark the floor. when these lines are joined diagonally across the car they should all disect a centre line along the middle of the car. any that dont could poss mean that the car is bent. clio manuel also gives height points to check also.

[Lunner]

Really wouldn't recomend putting it out with a chin for that little differnce, very likley that you will make it alot worse by breaking something

[northy]

its been bent back thats for sure.

if it was me i might be tempted to cut the damaged front crossmember out before the damage, then fix the inner wing. then weld a replacement front back in where it needs it.

But the lights are mounted to the upper part of the front slam panel mate. You havent taken any pictures of them.

Pulling the lower section out will not do anything at all to correct the lights and bonnet.

Can you take a picture of the areas the headlights mount too please ?

[Lunner]

Get teh front cross member from a scrappy, the front cross member is £120+vat alone frm renualt, i'm getting all my front end bits from matbrown for a bargin of a price :)

[northy]

theres loads of suitable bits in my scrappy mate.

i expect progress pictures pal to be posted.

u going to have it running for FCS ?

[Lunner]

i'm sure williams_jr will keep us all updated with progess pics, will be tight, but will hopefuly JUST be ready, c/w multi coloured body panals lol

[donsrno1]

Thanks for the advice guys. I am kind of reluctant to try it that way TBH incase I bugger something up (which is very possible with me, lol.) I bought the car thinking it was just a gearbox it was needing but it soon became pretty clear that the front end wasn't quite right as the bonnet wasn't alignd properly etc. I have checked the gaps between the wheels and the sills and some other gaps and it all seems OK. How much would a place charge to check it over and make sure it's all OK do you think?

I'll try and get some more pics later on of the other areas you mentioned. The annoying thing is that I knew the car had been in a slight crash but it was all supposed to have been sorted under insurance etc, but it's clear that it's just not been fixed properly at all.

[Lunner]

I got mine looked over for free by williams jr's old man, but he was quoting me too......did a 122 miels round trip to look at it....top bloke 8)

[donsrno1]

yeah sounds as though he is, pity I'm too far away. Chris H was having a quick look a couple of weeks ago and reckoned it was all OK and it would just need tugged out, which is good enough for me, but I'm now not so keen on tugging it out by the way he suggested as I wouldn't be surprised if I buggered it up. I think I might just put the new box in, then I'll see how it drives etc.

Also, as for the lights and the bonnet - I thought they were mounted off the crossmember, if not directly then indirectly?

[northy]

tugging the front crossmember behind the bumper wont do anything to correct the headlights - unless the metal is that far back like lunners lol

the headlights are mounted onto the slam panels (drivers side has a vin plate on)

Get some more pictures of the car and bonnet mate. do u have the invoce for the new parts fitted ?

[Lunner]

The front panal is teh boig expensive bit, slam panal is reomvable bit, cross member is what teh lights are bolted onto and the supports go between front panel and the cross members, everything apart from he front panel is weak and bends easily, and if the front had a smack and its pushed that back chances are its pushed teh supportm, and hene the cros member and slam panel back, and bonnet is attached to support, and headlight to cross member, where as bumper is attached at the top to the inner wing, cross member in middle, and subframe at bottom

[donsrno1]

I went out earlier and took the wing off and got a few more pictures which you can see HERE (http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i158/naplesclio/). Don't know if it will show you much but it might do.

[Lunner]

Defo had a front end impacts, you can tell that cus the bonnet has chipped the paint off teh door whe its been pushed back, your door has also been resprayed and tehy did a shit job as you can see orange peel along the top.

I'd guess its been reoaired and is just not quite right, as its hard to get the front ends that right tbh.

Try wacking the crossmembers and supports with a block of wood and hammer to try to get them into position, but beyond that i woudln't bother about it, oh and get that door sorted

[donsrno1]

Cheers mate, I knew it had been front ended and according to the guy it was basically right where the headlight is that he hit, but it was into the back of someone he went and he was saying that he had almost slowed to a stop when he hit, but it was enough to do the damage you can see. It's not from the crash that the paint on the door is chipped though, it's from when you close the bonnet it catches there because it doesn't fit properly.

The whole of the front end had been resprayed on the car, but hadn't noticed the door had been TBH. Which photo did you see the problem with the paint on the door?