Xantia steering puzzle

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jolittle
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Xantia steering puzzle

Post by jolittle »

I'll let this run for a week or until someone comes up with the correct answer. It is an actual case which Citroen specialists could not solve, but a country mechanic did, after almost giving up himself.
I had major repairs done to the front end of the Xantia which hit an embankment after a slide. The whole area in front of the drivers cabin had to be repaired. The steering, after repair, was not the same. Floating to the left after a bump. All measurements and alignments were OK, refined to the mm tolerance. Spheres regassed and all OK. What could be the cause?
My insurance company was fabulous. They recognised the problem, and the various specialists consulted also recognised that the car did not behave as a Xantia should. Citroen dealers had the car three times, three different chassis specialists could find nothing wrong; Citroen suspension specialist eventually said after the last visit that 'there is nothing wrong'. In other words, he didn't have the gall to admit that he did not know the answer..... The problem was eventually solved by a country mechanic, to my utter joy and relief. What could it be?
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

Sounds like a problem I had with an elderly LandRover i bought cheap many years ago. When I'd go over a bump it would lurch to the left alarmingly and was very stiff to steer.
answer - siezed steering relay - a few drops of oil and it was fine.
So I suspect a bent rack or steering ram.
jeremy
MW
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Post by MW »

Ruptured cords in one of your front tyres? That one had me foxed a few years ago, on a Metro. The car would lurch toward the centre of the road without warning - very scary. Everything was checked, and everything was OK. Then the owner of my local garage, who did a bit of racing in his spare time, finally recognised the problem. The tyres came off, and there was an ominous bulge inside one of the casings. Problem solved.
jolittle
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Post by jolittle »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by jeremy</i>

Sounds like a problem I had with an elderly LandRover i bought cheap many years ago. When I'd go over a bump it would lurch to the left alarmingly and was very stiff to steer.
answer - siezed steering relay - a few drops of oil and it was fine.
So I suspect a bent rack or steering ram.
jeremy
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Steering rack and ram OK /
jolittle
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Post by jolittle »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by MW</i>

Ruptured cords in one of your front tyres? That one had me foxed a few years ago, on a Metro. The car would lurch toward the centre of the road without warning - very scary. Everything was checked, and everything was OK. Then the owner of my local garage, who did a bit of racing in his spare time, finally recognised the problem. The tyres came off, and there was an ominous bulge inside one of the casings. Problem solved.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
new tyres fitted on front - they were A1
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

Rubber bushings in lower control arm ?
Even a cracked lower control arm ?
mbunting
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Post by mbunting »

Loose brake disc ? ( bump causing brake to come on slightly, pulling to one side ).
blueboy2001
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Post by blueboy2001 »

Alien invasion? Poltergiest perhaps?
mbunting
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Post by mbunting »

Spheres may have been regassed, but were they the correct spec ?
Dave Burns
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Post by Dave Burns »

Anti roll bar off centre or moped stuck in left wheel arch[:D]
Dave
Powerman
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Post by Powerman »

I just can't take anymore......... What was it ?????
wrinklet1
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Post by wrinklet1 »

Tyre pressure low? or tyre tread bieng one of those directional type that are left or right handed????
Did the tighten the subframe back onto the chasis???
or even loose engine mounts......
alan s
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Post by alan s »

Directional tyres fitted arseabout or front struts not fitted or tightened correctly?
Alan S
jolittle
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Post by jolittle »

All suggestions so far not correct. Some warmer than others. Hint: the problem lay in the reassembly of components and was detected accidentally by the mechanic by feel when he was underneath the car.
mbunting
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Post by mbunting »

Loose tracking rod ends ?
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