Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by chinkostu »

BenC5HDi wrote:I use a place that only does MOT tests and no repairs near here. They're great, and will even take me under the car and show me what and why it's failed, or tell me exactly what is an advisory and why.

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My usual didn't push me for repairs as they figured I was happy to get a bit grubby! Let them do the inner CV boot on the 206 though as it was a pig!

They didn't even try to fix the Xantia, the tester even said if it was the abs ecu that popped the light on (as he's had in the past) he would turn a blind eye to me covering it up seeing as the rest of the car was cushty!
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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by RichardW »

I'm not entirely convinced that putting the brakes on will 'lock' the suspension - it certainly doesn't on a conventionally sprung car with trailing arms when the handbrake is on - witness some of the softer sprung cars (eg Xsara Picasso) putting their handbrakes on on a steep uphill, then letting the foot brake off - the rear rises about a foot in the air!! Perhaps someone can test it on a Xantia....
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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by Mandrake »

RichardW wrote:I'm not entirely convinced that putting the brakes on will 'lock' the suspension - it certainly doesn't on a conventionally sprung car with trailing arms when the handbrake is on - witness some of the softer sprung cars (eg Xsara Picasso) putting their handbrakes on on a steep uphill, then letting the foot brake off - the rear rises about a foot in the air!! Perhaps someone can test it on a Xantia....
No need to test Richard - I've played the foot brake game hundreds of times on Citroen's at the traffic lights... :rofl2:

A rear hand brake alone would not do it because you must apply both front and rear brakes at the same time.

Any rear suspension movement with a trailing arm causes a change in the length of the wheel base - if both front and rear brakes are on hard then a weight change in the rear will try to rotate the arm, however that would result in a change in wheel base, which is resisted by the brakes and tyres, hence the rear suspension can't move! Not easily anyway.
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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by chinkostu »

Hold the brakes on and put the car in any position other than normal. The corrector will do its job but the rear end wont move until you release the brakes!
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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by rolyh »

The V6 went through the MOT today, I took it up to Pleiades again; and they confirmed what Mandrake and others have said.
They then kindly phoned and explained to the MOT centre; what was actually happening to the suspension with the brakes on. I cannot praise Pleiades enough, I have used them over the years, since my first XM over 20yrs back, they have always given great service and they really know their stuff. Too be honest, the cost to replace the 4 corner spheres was so reasonable; that I'm tempted to keep the car and get all the spheres done. Finances will dictate the answer to this question, and how going part-time will effect them.
I don't really blame the MOT centre, they very rarely(if at all) see these cars now. Even the main dealers have very little knowledge on the workings, thank goodness for the Forum, and thank you all for your knowledge and help.
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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by CitroJim »

Roly, that's brilliant :D Very pleased indeed!
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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by Mandrake »

A Mk1 Xantia V6 is a very rare car now - if it's running well now try to keep it if possible! I love mine, and it has been a very reliable car, I just wish I had a little bit more money to keep up with the maintenance... (4 new tyres are needed before the next MOT in August for a start)
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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by CitroJim »

Mandrake wrote:A Mk1 Xantia V6 is a very rare car now - if it's running well now try to keep it if possible!
Yes, absolutely, Having had both I can definitely say the MK1 is the best of them...

Ditto a MK1 Activa

And in fact any Xantia... MK1 every time for me...
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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by superloopy »

I prefer the S2 frontend though ...

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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by CitroJim »

You can transplant an S2 front end onto an S1 if you prefer the look...
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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by BenC5HDi »

I prefer the look of the S2 in general, but I prefer the S1 wide look of the Activa / 2.1 TD

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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by daviemck2006 »

I prefer the look of the mk 1, and that's not because mine is a mk 1. It's actually the same with most cars. The mk 1 usually looks better than a facelift, which the mk2 is. It's different when they are entirely different cars, like the c5 mk 2 is a facelift ed mk 1, but the mk3 is an entirely different car. (and the best looking c5)
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Re: RE: Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by daviemck2006 »

Mandrake wrote:A Mk1 Xantia V6 is a very rare car now - if it's running well now try to keep it if possible! I love mine, and it has been a very reliable car, I just wish I had a little bit more money to keep up with the maintenance... (4 new tyres are needed before the next MOT in August for a start)
I may be prepared to sell you 4 activa alloys with two nearly new Nexen tyres and two very good pirellis.
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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by BenC5HDi »

You should keep the Activa alloys for when you come to sell it Davie. It'll be a lot easier to sell them than without them. "Activa for sale, s**t alloys... "... :)

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Re: Re: hard suspension when brakes on Xantia v6 mk1

Post by CitroJim »

I fully and utterly 100% agree with Ben on this subject Davie...
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