CX wheel balancing

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Rob81
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CX wheel balancing

Post by Rob81 »

Hi everybody,

I think I need to check my wheel balancing on my CX - the car seems to vibrate harshly at 60 - 70 (I think - yet to sort out speedo!). The thing is, I'm really worried about the tyre fitter shoving a jack underneath and jacking it up. Am i being paranoid?

Is there anyway around this that anybody can think of?

Just a bit concerned about damage being caused to my pride and joy!!

Regards,


Rob
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Stinkwheel
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Post by Stinkwheel »

normal balancing, just make a point of saying the what look like chassis rails are not load bearing and only safe place to jack it up is suspension pick up points on chassis.
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Rob81
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Post by Rob81 »

Cheers Stinkwheel - will do that.
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fastandfurryous
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Post by fastandfurryous »

You're quite right to be paranoid about this. The amount of damage that tyre-fitting places do the the underside of cars is criminal, and that's on everyday cars that they (alledgedly) understand.

Personally, I would be right there supervising the bloke while he puts the jack under the car.

I once took a kit car in to have a pair of tyres fitted, and when the fitter said "there's a diff under here somewhere isn't there" while looking underneath. I replied "yes, but do NOT jack the car up on it, jack on the chassis points either side"

3 minutes later, I return to find the car beginning to be jacked up on it's diff. I engaged in a fairly loud shout at the dickhead mechanic, who replied "we all thought it would be OK". The net result of a massive complaint was 2 free tyres, and a very stupid looking bunch of fitters.

Given this level of intelligence, it wouldn't surprise me to hear that the fitters had jacked your CX on it's longerons and bent them to buggery, (despite you telling them not to) only to claim "we thought it would be OK... it looked like a chassis"
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Stinkwheel
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Post by Stinkwheel »

agreed totally,

I sort of took it as red you would be standing there whislt they do the work (i always am for exactly the same reasons stated above)
"Rust Never Sleeps" said Neil Young. Did he own old citroens?
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+ '85' GSA + '97 XM 2.0 16v + '81 Visa super E
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Post by Peter.N. »

I seem to remember that I could jack mine up under the front suspension, after all, it does take the weight of the car. If you jack under what looks like a chassis you will shorten the car one side!
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

Had the welding seam busted on my CX when a youngster mechanic lifted on the rear edge of the front wheel arch :evil: - exactly for a tyre job :roll:

The most safe lifting point - front - on a CX - is right under the front subframe where it meets the horizontal memberpiece. Always use wooden or rubber padding on the jack.
On rear its the crossmember tube.

The CX chassis is (was) very different to anything else found on wheels at the time - because of the underside longitudinal supporting crossmembers. As Peter N. wrotes : anything that looks like a chassis crossmember under the car - IS NOT capable of supporting the weight. It collapses and pulls rear & front parts of chassis together. Result is a busted tracking for good. And a fortune in repairs.
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Rob81
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Post by Rob81 »

Thanks guys for the above.

The tyre fitters I use are usually quite good (I never use national fitting chains after a bad experience with a 2cv) - I will be supervising though.

It's crap that you can't trust these "professionals" without having to supervise them - makes it hard to see how they justify their prices.

Anyway, can't get it done yet - the car is at my local specialists having a new computer fitted....

regards,

Rob
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