Xantia Ride Height

DarkendViper · Post by **DarkendViper** » 30 Jan 2004, 01:49

Just been out in the car and it didn't feel normal. The front of the car is sat 190mm but in another thread that I read they say that a Xantia with 205 tyres should be 165mm, Could this 25mm difference make a great big difference to the ride?
Where abouts do you measure the back? I had a quick look but didn't know where to measure from. Am I right in assuming that you measure from the bump stop down? If so I think its about 450mm ish. Again it said it should be 425mm.
Could these slight differences cause an uncomfortable ride?
Thanks
Ste

alexx · Post by **alexx** » 30 Jan 2004, 02:58

The car should be in the middle between lowest and highest position, front and rear, with 8 mm tolerance up or down. Check this way, measuring from the ground to the wheelarch, it's very simple.

DarkendViper · Post by **DarkendViper** » 30 Jan 2004, 14:21

So to work it out I stick it in low and measure to the wheelarch? Then do the same with it in high and then pick the number in the middle?
What about this http://www.andyspares.com/discussionfor ... IC_ID=3075
It says the front should be 160 +7/-10 and the rear 425 +7/-10.
Also noticed that every now and then the car will "jump" up in height at the back. It's like something is sticking and giving only when there is enough pressure. Could any give us a clue what it could be?
Thanks
Ste

NiSk · Post by **NiSk** » 30 Jan 2004, 14:51

90% probability that your rear height adjustment mechanism is all gunged up an dneeds loosening up. 80% probability that the previous owner has hashed an own-solution to the stupid little plastic fitting breaking off and the repair is about to fall off.
//NiSk

DarkendViper · Post by **DarkendViper** » 30 Jan 2004, 14:54

I had the two middle (Anti-sink and htdractive) spheres changed bout a week ago and it's only started then with the up down at the rear. Before then it was perfectly smooth. Hoping to have a look tomorrow and get it sorted.
Ste

alexx · Post by **alexx** » 30 Jan 2004, 15:19

DarkendViper,
... exactly. Wait 2-3 min in lowest and highest position before measuring the height, to be sure that the car is really on minimal/maximal height possible. On mine (mkII, non-hydractive), difference between min and max is 14 cm on the front and 18 cm rear. Not sure about hydractive Xantia, but on hydractive C5 this difference seems to be slightly lower than on non-hydractive one.
Ride specifications in Haynes are given in a weird way, you have to measure distance from ground to the centre of the wheel and from ground to the front subframe / rear chassis immediately behind rear subframe, then subtract these values on each axis. Result should be within specification, which depends on the modelyear and engine also. Picture on mentioned thread is derived from that, and is for modelyear up to '96. Suspension setup was revised that year, so you may have older or newer setup. Check codes on the spheres to find out.
I checked mine both ways and got the same result - front end is 13 mm low, rear end 10 mm.
Report the results.
Jump in rear suspension, if abrupt, is probably connected with some malfunction in hydractive system, when switching from hard to soft mode. At that moment, middle sphere gets connected with corner spheres. In case of pressure difference at that moment, rear end will jump or dive.
I posted a link to the pictures of height corrector mechanism two days ago, so take a look before making adjustments.