Adjusting ZX rear ride height.
Moderator: RichardW
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Adjusting ZX rear ride height.
I want to increase the ride height of the rear suspension on my ZX by increasing the pre-load on the torsion bars.
It has been a long time since I have worked on the suspension on my ZX and I cannot remember the adjustment required on the pre-load screws. My ZX manual is on a hard-drive on a now defunct PC, so I am hoping somebody on here knows.
From memory, I thought an eight of a turn added 3mm to the ride height. Am I right?
I only want to increase the ride height by about 30mm so that when the toolboxes are in the boot, the headlights are not illuminating the underside of the planes landing at Gatwick.
Handyman
It has been a long time since I have worked on the suspension on my ZX and I cannot remember the adjustment required on the pre-load screws. My ZX manual is on a hard-drive on a now defunct PC, so I am hoping somebody on here knows.
From memory, I thought an eight of a turn added 3mm to the ride height. Am I right?
I only want to increase the ride height by about 30mm so that when the toolboxes are in the boot, the headlights are not illuminating the underside of the planes landing at Gatwick.
Handyman
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- x 2
Hello Richard, I cannot remember pulling out the torsion bars to change the pre-load.
I seem to recall a section in the BOL, saying that there is a pre-load screw which you use to adjust the ride height so that both sides are level. You could not guarantee that both torsion bars had the same deflection when loaded with the car static.
Or am I just dreaming?
I do remember some of the older UK cars, like the Moggie have pre-load screws on their torsion bars.
Might have a crawl under the car this afternoon to have a looksee.
The lack of hydraulic suspension must have been an oversight when they designed the ZX!
Handyman
I seem to recall a section in the BOL, saying that there is a pre-load screw which you use to adjust the ride height so that both sides are level. You could not guarantee that both torsion bars had the same deflection when loaded with the car static.
Or am I just dreaming?
I do remember some of the older UK cars, like the Moggie have pre-load screws on their torsion bars.
Might have a crawl under the car this afternoon to have a looksee.
The lack of hydraulic suspension must have been an oversight when they designed the ZX!
Handyman
You can download the ZX workshop manual (petrol) here:
http://citroeny.cz/servis/servis.htm
I think you adjust the ride height by turning the torsion bar locator - ie set the suspension a couple of notches round but have never done it and read it many years ago.
It's not going to help anyway - as the torsion bars will be the same so the back of the car will sink by the same amount when you put your tools in it.
You'll have to make friends with the headlamp alignment load compensators on the units - which I found work well.
http://citroeny.cz/servis/servis.htm
I think you adjust the ride height by turning the torsion bar locator - ie set the suspension a couple of notches round but have never done it and read it many years ago.
It's not going to help anyway - as the torsion bars will be the same so the back of the car will sink by the same amount when you put your tools in it.
You'll have to make friends with the headlamp alignment load compensators on the units - which I found work well.
jeremy
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Jeremy, thanks for the link to the BOL. No need to brush up on my Czech!
Malcolm, no need to check out your manual, as Jeremy's link told me all I needed.
Still need to adjust the ride height on the car, as I am sure over the years it has settled. Wonder if the spring rates varied between the models. Not as simple to adjust as the old 1950s British cars, with the pre-load screws.
My ZX is not a sophisticated model with headlamp self-levelling!
As for smart-a**ed comments about buying Xantias...........
Handyman
Malcolm, no need to check out your manual, as Jeremy's link told me all I needed.
Still need to adjust the ride height on the car, as I am sure over the years it has settled. Wonder if the spring rates varied between the models. Not as simple to adjust as the old 1950s British cars, with the pre-load screws.
My ZX is not a sophisticated model with headlamp self-levelling!
As for smart-a**ed comments about buying Xantias...........
Handyman
- myglaren
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Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX - x 4922
It was my impression that all non-hydraulic French cars had a manual headlamp adjuster to eliminate just such woes. My Renaults certainly did, as did the Visa, I'm sure. I think my daughter's 106 and son's 306 have but I'm not going out in the rain to verify that right now. IIRC daughter's SAAB had one as well.
- myglaren
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Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX - x 4922
The cars I mentioned above all had an adjustment control on the dashboard, near the light switch.jeremy wrote:Our ZX 1.9D has manual headlamp load adjusters which are easy to use and work on a cam principal. They're on the back of the light units and can be easily accessed by raising the bonnet. Load compensators have been a legal requirement for many years in France
- myglaren
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- Posts: 25477
- Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
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Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX - x 4922
I don't think you could describe a Renault 4 as an expensive car - I paid 60 quid for mine. Admittedly someone had knocked a drystone wall over with it when the brakes failed but still
None of the others are/were expensive other than the R11 TXE, which was an amusing car, talked to me - who needs a radio?
None of the others are/were expensive other than the R11 TXE, which was an amusing car, talked to me - who needs a radio?
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Interesting that a thread that started out as a query about suspension has headed off in the direction of adjusting the headlamps and a talking car!
All I wanted was to stop the car looking overloaded when I put something heavy in the boot.
I think the best bit of advice so far is to fit larger wheels at the back, or the converse, smaller ones at the front. Anybody got a spare sump pan.......
Handyman
All I wanted was to stop the car looking overloaded when I put something heavy in the boot.
I think the best bit of advice so far is to fit larger wheels at the back, or the converse, smaller ones at the front. Anybody got a spare sump pan.......
Handyman