I have a 97 Clio which I'm currently trying to sell. It doesn't have power steering, which never bothered me because I'd never had it! Now my new car has power steering the Clio does feel a lot heavier, but I didn't necessarily think it was a problem just that I wasn't used to it anymore.
Someone took it for a test drive yesterday and has rejected it on the basis that the steering is too heavy. I am wondering if this is a problem with Clios in general? Or just mine?!
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My son had a Peugot 106 diesel with no power steering. That was a muscle builder too. As you say, you only really notice it after driving something with power steering. I think it is just that everyone expects power steering nowadays.
You could check the front tyre pressures, low pressure makes the steering heavier, and also tread depth. The difference a few mm of tread depth makes is quite something.
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Also worth checking the tracking. But I don't think there's a problem, just it doesn't have PAS.
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My daughter had an old style Clio diesel (L reg) without power steering and I found it incredibly heavy at low speeds - she just said I was an old weedy wimp - but then she was used to no power steering and I had been driving cars with power steering for a few years. Mind you, at higher speeds the lack of PS is hardly noticeable.
Phil
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Early Clios had a reputation for heavy steering. My Mum has a 1994 diesel but its has power steering and is absolutely fine. She had to change her previous car (Peugeot 309 - non powered) because it was impossibly heavy for her to park.
Try pumping up the tyres a little over recommended pressure - in fact a different make of tyre might help - but that would be (expensive!) trial and error.
As someone else mentioned - make sure the tracking is spot on.
Might also be worth jacking up both sides of the car at the front and checking that none of the ball joints etc is shot.
Check steering rack bellows while you're in there - they probably wouldn't contribute much to stiff steering, but they are a weak spot. I changed them on my mum's car and found it a real pain (as I recall there's a rubber pipe connecting one to the other - presumeably to expel air as they are compressed - devils of things to get back on! Mind you that might just be on the powered rack.
Graeme
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Diesel cars without power steering are more heavier to drive than petrol cars without PAS as diesel engines are somewhat heavier than petrol engines due to more metal in a diesel.My first car was a Peugeot 309 1.9D without PAS- normal driving was fine but parking was somewhat difficult due to the heavy steering. My current Pug 306 TD has power steering and I've been driving that for nearly 3 years, so if I drove a non PAS 309D again I'd probably have a job!!!
Martin.
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