Xantia Front Suspension stuck in High

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mardybum
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Xantia Front Suspension stuck in High

Post by mardybum »

A mate has brought this in, and he initially thought it wanted a set of front sphere's after going pretty solid but still responding to the height control lever.

I've had a look this afternoon and the ride is almost comfortable, but, the front suspension simply doesn't move, so I can only assume he's never checked the ride height out and the responding he was on about was the rear moving up and down giving the impression it was all working.

I've checked the "dog bone", thats still attached both ends.
I've checked there's movement on the height adjuster, there is movement.

What else can I check?

I've got another height adjuster, but it needs a rebuild, it really is in a poor state so can't really swap it yet.

It's as if the front suspension has over stretched and has gone passed some sort of stop. Is there such a thing?

Failing that, is there any way of taking the pressure out of the front suspension circuit so that it drops?

Cheers,
Steve
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vulgalour
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Re: Xantia Front Suspension stuck in High

Post by vulgalour »

Is it worth depressurising the system as you would for doing various jobs and then repressurising? A sort of turn-it-off-and-on-again solution.
Northern_Mike

Re: Xantia Front Suspension stuck in High

Post by Northern_Mike »

mardybum wrote:A mate has brought this in, and he initially thought it wanted a set of front sphere's after going pretty solid but still responding to the height control lever.

I've had a look this afternoon and the ride is almost comfortable, but, the front suspension simply doesn't move, so I can only assume he's never checked the ride height out and the responding he was on about was the rear moving up and down giving the impression it was all working.

I've checked the "dog bone", thats still attached both ends.
I've checked there's movement on the height adjuster, there is movement.

What else can I check?
Is the height lever still actually attached to the height corrector at the front?

I would check that first, and check it's moving the height corrector. If it isn't , fix that. If it is, then I would - WITH THE CAR FIRMLY SUPPORTED ON RAMPS OR STANDS loosen off the dog-bone on the front anti-roll bar and move it slightly to see if the ride height changes. It should. Be warned, a little movement means a big change in height. YOU MUST have enough space under the car for it to go as low as it can WITH YOU UNDER IT, or if it moves too fast, it'll leave a nice stain on the floor where you used to be when it squashes you flat. I'd guess at the arms in the height corrector being seized up or the dogbone being seized or not moving as it should
citronut
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Re: Xantia Front Suspension stuck in High

Post by citronut »

i second the height corrector linkages/turrets stuck/sized,,
or as Mike says the adjuster clamp on the anti roll bar has been set wrong, or maybe the short arm from it to the doggy bone is bent, this also indicated the height corrector linkage/turrets are seized up, or at least the auto adjuster turret only
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
mardybum
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Re: Xantia Front Suspension stuck in High

Post by mardybum »

Linkages are all attached.
Turrets...?

I've had the unit off, and checked movement on everything, given it a load of copper grease and reinstalled it.

The front suspension simply won't come down. From what I've read, it should still respond to the service positions, lever fully forward or fully back, but it doesn't.

So, apart from opening the "bleed valve" on the front accumulator and hoping for the best, what other methods are there for getting the front suspension down? Tempted to crack the nuts on the pipes leading to the front spheres and covering everything in LHM at the moment as it looks like they've passed an upper limit or something...
citronut
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Re: Xantia Front Suspension stuck in High

Post by citronut »

mardybum wrote: Turrets...?
what i call turrets are each of the pivoting linkages with the spring coiled around them,

one is the manual ( operated by the in car height lever ) the other the automatic ( operated by the anti roll bar ) adjuster,
mardybum wrote: I've had the unit off, and checked movement on everything, given it a load of copper grease and reinstalled it.
the turrets should be floppy loose in there action whilst of the car
mardybum wrote: So, apart from opening the "bleed valve" on the front accumulator and hoping for the best,
opening the bleed valve just stops anymore pressure entering the rest of the system, it dose not allow pressure back out of the struts
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
mardybum
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Post by mardybum »

Right, had a rest from this one for a week while I sorted a spare height adjuster out.

Stuck it in a citric acid solution, scrubbed a bit, threw it back in the solution, then washed it all off a couple of days later.

Then spent a day with a can of penetrating fluid getting everything moving again. Both turrets are now free moving, so gave it a soak in a liquid rust inhibitor/lubricant.

Fitted it all back up today, after releasing the pressure from the struts by undoing the pipe unions and spheres. Spent a bit of time cleaning up after that.

Tightened everything back up, fitted the "dog bone", topped up the lhm, and struck the beast up.

Had to alter the height adjust lever position on the anti-roll bar and the connection to the lever in the cabin. But..that's another back on the road!

Unfortunately, I think the rear height adjuster is leaking a little now..
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