Xantia Ride Height.

BonceChops · Unread post by **BonceChops** » 03 Oct 2003, 13:57

Having (for my sins) read the Haynes manual on suspension it seams to be a strange way to measure the ride height of my Xantia. I feel the back end is a little high and want to check it. Does anyone know the correct wheel centre to wheel arch measurment for a Xantia? I have always measured other cars like this while adjusting ride height ( ie. Rover 100 etc ).
Thanks,
Neil.

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 03 Oct 2003, 17:30

Neil -
is this of any use :
http://www.andyspares.com/discussionfor ... IC_ID=3075
Note the outline of tyres related to wheelarches on the drawing.
Also the sil panel parallel to ground.

BonceChops · Unread post by **BonceChops** » 03 Oct 2003, 22:38

It is yes thankyou.
I need to spend more time looking around the forum before asking questions. [:I]

KevMayer · Unread post by **KevMayer** » 04 Oct 2003, 03:31

I had exactly the same feeling when I recently asked a question about aircon compressor noise. When I searched, the answer I needed had already been given.
At first I felt like a twit for not searching first, but then thinking about it, I would imagine that almost every question we ask may already have been answered. But, If we all just searched on previous answers and found what we were looking for, then no one would ask new questions and the forum would stall.
So, keep asking.
Seems logical.... what do you think ?

BonceChops · Unread post by **BonceChops** » 04 Oct 2003, 03:43

OK I am sure I can ask loads more daft questions like - Who decided to put the handbrake on the front wheels? Did they not notice that front wheels move sideways so the cable's snap [:)]

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 04 Oct 2003, 04:09

Neil -
The BX, Xantia & XM all have the same front & handbrake setup (at calipers).
- be happy you don't have to service the front handbrakes on a CX [8D]
- as these must be *MANUAL* adjusted every 3100miles - to have any effect [:(]
Anyone ever meeting the Citroen engineer designed this - give him my regards kicking him in the **** [:(!]

blueboy2001 · Unread post by **blueboy2001** » 04 Oct 2003, 05:27

The reason for having the handbrake operate on the front wheels on hydraulic Citroen's is genuine.
Watch the rear wheels closely as the car changes height - you will observe that the wheel moves slightly forward or back. Were the handbrake on the rear wheels and the cars height changed, the suspension would be fighting the action of the handbrake. The height corrector wont move and the pump will continue pumping fluid to the spheres unnecessarily which will cause either the handbrake to release or the car to shoot skywards when the handbrake is removed.
The front handbrake system is common to all hydraulic Citroens as far as I'm aware - even the C5 has the same setup. Its not without its problems though - both the Xantia and C5 have been recalled at some stage because of cars rolling away!

BonceChops · Unread post by **BonceChops** » 04 Oct 2003, 14:00

How do you find out if your car should have been and has been recalled?

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 04 Oct 2003, 14:21

The recall was to fit a modified handbrake lever with, I believe the first (6?) notches deleted and a coarser ratchet.
The problem of these cars running away happens something like this. the handbrakes are in fact very powerful and I've seen roadtests of BX's where the stopping paower of the thing has exceeded 0.5 G which is in fact the MOT requirement for footbrakes. This efficiency coupled with the fine tooth ratchet means that drivers (including me) don't apply the handbrake very hard.
All is well unless you stop the car rapidly - thus heating the brakes and expanding the disc. So you stop with hot (and therefore wider) discs, get out, go and do your business. Your brakes cool, the disc shrinks, and - - - your car rolls away! It has happened to me under nearly those circumstances but fortunately the car was pointing down hill at a large earth bank and I was in it at the time and was able to stop it before it hit anything.
Blueboy is essentially right about the reasons for the handbrake being on the front - except that many cars with similar trailing arm arrangements have the brake on the rear. (Mini, ZX, Peugeots to name a few.) Next time you are behind one of these and it stops on a hill, spot the handbrake user. His (or her) car will rise at the back, and squat down when it moves off. Now imagine you are doing the same in your Xantia. You apply the handbrake and the back of the vehicle rises. You have a height corrector which after its set delay will open and release fluid from the back suspension to get the car level again. The car won't move so the corrector remains open and your spheres duly expand expelling the fluid. Now you move off, your rear suspension has nicely depressurised itself and - - crash as the rear of the car collapses onto the bump stops.
Easy answer - put the handbrake on the front!
I think you will be able to produce the same efect if you reverse into a kerb and push a bit further so that the back starts to rise. Wait a minute or so and see what happens! - I'm not liable for any damage!
jeremy

BonceChops · Unread post by **BonceChops** » 04 Oct 2003, 21:28

I had the car on the ramp today changing the rear anti-sink sphere, oil change etc, so I checked the height. It was on the bottom tolerance so I left it well alone. When I got it, it was low at the back and someone I know tweaked it for me using the rack-of-eye method. He was pretty good at guessing.
Oh yes just a note.
When changing the rear anti-sink sphere safety glasses are a VERY good idea. It was depressurised but still sprayed a lot of LHM out.
Neil

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 04 Oct 2003, 22:40

Too late - I know - but :
When depressuring antisink fitted Citroen's - the height should be set to lowest - while engine idle. This is to ensure the electrovalves are open to allow antisink accumulated pressure returning to reservoir.

BonceChops · Unread post by **BonceChops** » 05 Oct 2003, 02:38

I did set it to lowest and bled the accumulator
Still full of LHM [:D]

smiffy47 · Unread post by **smiffy47** » 16 Dec 2003, 17:51

Replacing front & rear height correctors + all but front pair of spheres and naturally came here to print out info. I think the Czech site url link needs updating though as I got an invalid url message in Czech. Luckily I work with a Czech national & she helped me end up here...
xantia vhttp://citroeny.cz/servis/xantiaser/xantia.html
all Citroen http://citroeny.cz/servis/servis.htm
BTW why don't the forum experts get together and do a suspension 'sticky' There's enough info & crucial tips on forums but it takes an age to search & collate it all. A nice walkthrough on how I should tackle front & rear height corrector replacement on my 1995 Xantia 1.9 & adjust height afterwards would be just the job. I'm holding my breath here...

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 16 Dec 2003, 18:34

Smiffy -
Good points - though moderators & other chaps here are human beings - with lots of other things to do - like yourself [8D]
BTW - checked the link - it works OK.
Think you experienced some kind of server or DNS time out when you tried - I've also noticed that at times.

smiffy47 · Unread post by **smiffy47** » 16 Dec 2003, 19:34

Point taken of course but this is THE place to come for Citroen woes (I wouldn't go anywhere else) and would save time in the long run since so many people ask the same things. I'm a bit of a PC techie and on some of the forums I partcipate in we have a few 'stickies' at the start so that the general, oft repeated stuff is covered. Why not have something like a proto-sticky topic that moderators & senior posters can add to bit by bit until you are all satisfied it's OK. Personally I'm just about to read through all the topics I've printed off before I come back with some other queries so you'll be hearing from me again soon.