hi,
I am trying to lower my 98 Citroen xantia d turbo.. i am aware that the car can be lowered by pushing the control to the very front and then the middle for driving mode..I am wonderin is there any way that i can lower the car by another other means..I love drivin a low car and bought this car as i needed a cheap diesel bu i now want to lower it!!
if you lower or drive in low the ride will be very harsh
Regards, malcolm.
current ride a BX 1.7 TZD estate
1986 MK1 BX 1.9na D Auto(in Mothman Andy's stable )
layed up roppy 1.9TD XANT estate, now gone to meet her maker
purple and lilac metalic 2CV(VIOLET)registered to her in doors
1972 DS special been layed up aprox 31 years
Volvo S80 D5.........
C5 2.2HDi Exclusive 2003 manual (now gone).
2009 Renault Megane, the misses drive.
Had a 1988 BX 19TRS Auto many moons ago.
Forgive any spelling mistakes, it's the phone not me.
Ok, ok you can change the ride height by adjusting the height correctors arb clamp but then you will have to adjust the damping rate, is this a hydractive with sports setting?
Tbh there is no point though, you will be running a hydraulic suspension system but when lowered it will handle like cack and have about as much comfort as you would get being dragged down the road on your face.
The whole reason for having a Citroen really is the weird suspension: to undermine the parameters
of its natural working range would seem pointless and fighting what the car is all about. If you intend
driving around like some Jap coupe with the car shuddering over every road imperfection and the only
'give' that of the joints in your spine as the tyres will already have their sidewalks lowered to spray/paint
on rubber...
Isn't this lowering thing silly and something that passes as a fad anyway? Nearest the Xantia will do
is sit flat on it's haunches when PARKED on the lowest lever setting selected. Don't even try to drive it
like this as its bloody dangerous!
The answer is a resounding "that'll be a pain in the bum and fairly pointless". Essentially the hydropneumatics would have to be almost totally re-worked to achieve a lower ride height with the same quality of handling and ride comfort of the original system.
Also it is worth noting that driving with the standard suspension in its low setting is an exceptionally bad idea, the low setting is only meant for maintenance purposes, the rams drop down to their bump stops so the car essentially has no suspension.
A 406 HDi would be a good alternative here, essentially the same car but with coil sprung suspension and a Peugeot flavoured body.
Citroen Xantia Exclusive HDi
previously:
Citroen ZX Volcane - RIP
Peugeot 106 XN... stolen and destroyed by Kent Police
There's a guy in a lowered Mk2 Golf I regularly see, usually at the front of a line of traffic, holding them all up and causing annoyance to many as he teeters along at 50 (I live in the wilds of Northern England and roads are open and quick in places- people don't dawdle, one of the reasons a hydraulic Cit makes so much sense.)
If you lower a Xantia, you will make things as bad as if you lower any car with McPherson struts. Race cars have tens of thousands spent on them and the suspension is radically different from road cars. Road cars are desgined to be as fast, safe and good at holding the road as possible.
If you like low, really low, OP, then stick a Xantia on its knees and drive round a smooth, empty car park until your desires are sated.
PeterN: "Honest John's forum put the last nail in the coffin of owning a 2000- car. Many were still servicable, but CR, DMFs and needing fault codes read because your horn doesn't work - no thanks. All my life I have generally understood cars - until now."
I know one bloke who did this, cut an extra notch in the height adjustment lever "gate". This is not super-simple.
A clever move would be to considerably increase the gas pressures on corner spheres, as you have lots less travel. Also replace the rear bump stops with something shorter that won't simply get smashed to death, ditto for the fronts - but you need to remove the strut to do this...
addo wrote:A clever move would be to considerably increase the gas pressures on corner spheres, as you have lots less travel. ...
Addo actual meant to say "A clever move would be to considerably decrease the gas pressures on corner spheres".
The easiest way to achieve this in a safe (but not necessarily comfortable) manner, is to adjust the ride height on the ARB clamps and also fit Hydroactive spheres in place of your normal sheres. These have stiffer damping and lower pressure (higher spring rate). The ride will be like a hydroactive 1 system in sports mode, the handling will be a bit compromised, as it is for any car with Macpherson strut and lowering kit.
What you forgot to add was that the suspension and steering geometry would both be compromised by trying to drive a Xantia with the suspension significantly modified or altered.
It seems, from time to time, the Forum attracts a few planks who do not understand Citroen cars and hydro-pneumatic suspension.
Yes, increasing the bar in the spheres gives a softer ride, though there will be a point where the ride becomes harder if too much extra is added ....
Lowering a Xantia is not a good idea, you can lower it slightly on the height correctors which will keep the ride ok but slightly harder. If you want to slam the Xantia on the floor, like too many VW group cars seem to be, then you really have got the wrong car.
Im sure you have noticed from attempting to drive your car in the low position that the brakes are nearly non-existant, as the pressure has dropped in the hydraulic system. Not to mention the only real springing is that of the tyres, as the bump stops are compressed and there is no pressure in the suspension system.
The real beauty of Citroens, especially hydractive ones, is their brilliant suspension. There are designed to ride bumps excellently while keeping body movements in check. Why would you want to ruin this?
Xantias really shoud not be bought as cheap diesel hacks, they need TLC to keep them right. Or you will have ruptured spheres, strut tops popping through the bonnet and so on.
Chris
07 Citroen C6 V6 HDi Exclusive - Red
07 Citroen C5 HDi VTR - Red
09 Citroen C3 1.4i VTR - Silver
01 Citroen Saxo 1.1i Forte - Mango Orange
.
93 Ford Mondeo 2.0i GLX
19 Hyundai i10
Come on guys, your all being sa bit harsh here,
the guy wants to lower his car a bit, thats fine, its His car and he can do what ever he wants to with it! wether in our opinions its a good idea is of very little relevance, every one uses a car in a different way, lots of people lower their cars in a biot to look cool, reduce the considerable arch gap between tyres and arch lips, etc. ive been there and done it on my old 309gti, 62mm drop up front and torsoin bar 2 clicks (splines) to match, strut brace up front and towbar on the back (used to tow a lot of boats with it) which had a very similar effect, the car was Stiff as old boots and handled Amazingly, zero body roll compared to stock, like if you will an activa driving the same road as a std TD! corners are where a lot of speed is lost, i also did on on my old mini too, quite a bit of that was more down to it being Fubar'd but incomparison to my previous vanilla mini it was like night and day!
Answer to the original question, If you so desire to lower your Xant then ideally use a 4 post ramp, adjust the height corrector links on the Anto roll bars front and rear so that they match, do a few cycles of low to high to help it settle,
adv ice to give, Try not to lower the car such that the driveshafts are angled Up! stop when they reach a level angle to the hub, theoretically it Shouldnt effect the tracking or toe settings on the car as otherwise every time a Normal xant was cycled through the high to low it would do the same! Citroen werent that daft!! it doesnt effect it on a BX!
make sure that the height you desire allows you with adequate clearence of the exhaust clamps and chassis tow points, otherwise a lot of scraping will ensue, and also, make sure if you have a driveway that the result of your tinkiering Still allows you to get on and off it!! if i left mine in low i'd take the bumper off if i itried to get of the drive!
the notching of the height giude lever on the BX is a common mod amongst the 16v guys, i did it Years back on mine, back when i put the 17's on it which contrary to popular beleif, Didnt ruin the ride, i went for half way between the low and normal setting, as did quite a few others, just need to remember to let it rise to normal and then pop it down, otherwise its like riding on steel rods! this method is popular as it means you can have the car lower for fun, but if your traveling any distance, pop it in normal, ride with comfort, eswpecially if your a track day driver, drive to and fro in comform but have a lower more fun ride on track,
its all down to personal preference, the majority of this board are out for Comfort and quality of ride, but thats not to say its everones kettle of fish! a bit harsh to flame the OP just because he doesnt think the same way!! (bit like the BXclub, only liking you if you drove a tzd!!) give the lad a break!!
