xantia front suspension problem

[captainslow72]

Hi all I have a 96 2ltr vsx Xantia estate that when driving it yesterday seem fine, first proper run in years. Suspension was little harder than I expected but nothing worrying, started her up this morning moved off the drive and she felt awful drove about 100 meters over speed bump and no front suspension she is making no effort to raise at front of car and is solid. Rear raises as it should and seems fine any ideas. Thanks Neil

[captainslow72]

OK so just been at car depressurized the system and undone front speres passenger side undone with little effort driver side needed lots of persuasion and spat out fluid under pressure can I assume that the spere is FUBAR and is what has caused my problem.

[Mandrake]

Sounds like you have at least one dead sphere there, and that will make the ride completely solid at the front, but it doesn't explain why the car wouldn't lift at the front, so I'm afraid you might have two separate problems.

Not lifting if the car hasn't been driven much may be the front height corrector linkage having seized with rust - a penetrating lubricant sprayed into the linkage and working the manual height control lever back and forth may free it up, then give it some grease.

[captainslow72]

Hi Simon thanks for the reply. the front was lifting fine have had it up and down lots of times over the last month whilst working on brakes etc so would the linkage just stop working overnight or would it be the center spere?

[Peter.N.]

The centre sphere is responsible for the soft ride so will not alter the ride height, could be that the plastic link to the height regulator has broken or come off.

Peter

[Old-Guy]

I have a pair of VSX front spheres that are about 14months old and have done less than 6,000 miles taken off the 1998 2.1TD VSX that I scrapped a few weeks ago [AEP SSXA50AR] if that's any help.

Where-abouts are you?

If the front won't rise, but the rear does, it has to be a front height corrector problem. Likely candidates are the plastic dog-bone - if this is in place, possibly the clamp on the anti-roll bar has slipped.

Late thought: is there enough LHM in the reservoir?

[captainslow72]

Thanks old guy I am in Ayrshire have put new speres on today had the front height corrector off clean regreased still no joy did not check clamp as did not want to move it although it seemed tight no movement.
Neil