High riding, hard rear suspension - Xantia TD Estate

[2512Steve]

I am having problems with my '96 (P reg) Xantia TD Estate (148,000 miles - I fitted new front callipers, pads and discs in Feb for MoT), perhaps you could offer some advice please.

The ride is hard/bouncy and the rear suspension is almost at the top setting although the height adjustment lever is in the normal position. When moving the height lever to minimum, the front lowers right down but the back only comes down a couple of centimetres. If left overnight, and the engine started with the lever on minimum, the suspension settles right down (front & back).

When the suspension is at minimum it stays there when lever is moved to normal, even after a couple of hundred metres; it will only rise again if lever is temporarily moved to semi-high and then back to normal, at which point it keeps on rising until it is on semi-high. Even when it is down, the ride is a bit hard/bouncy. When the suspension is up, it’s almost impossible to drive (like driving a Go-kart across a corrugated roof) and it jars your back.

With the help of Adrian Earl, on the Euro Car Parts forum, I managed to find all the relevant parts of the rear suspension set-up. The plastic rod from the height corrector (which often breaks) was intact, but the lever connecting it to the rear anti-roll-bar was broken. I replaced this and cleaned all the connections, links and height corrector and sprayed everything with WD40; this has made no difference, the rear is still semi-high and very hard/bouncy.

I know some of the possible solutions (spheres, rear accumulator, etc) thanks to Adrian and from reading other postings, but there seems to be some confusion about my car and I would like everyone’s opinion before I make a decision and spend more money than it’s worth. As previously mentioned, the car is an October 1996 Xantia 1.9TD LX Estate on a P plate; the chassis number VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff], which, depending on who you talk to at my local Citroen dealer, is a Hydramatic/Non-Hydramatic. The rear axle has the anti-sink accumulator, but what else differentiates between the two?

Trusting that someone out there has the answers to my problem(s)!

Thanks in advance,
Steve

[Peter.N.]

Sounds as though your height correction valves are sticking. If you look along the anti roll bar you will find a clamp around it with some linkage connected to the height corrector valve, spray this linkage with WD40, several applications over a few days may be necessary. The bouncy ride may also be due to flat spheres, when were they last replaced? You should be able to 'bounce' each corner of the car about 4" - 6" assuming that the suspension is at or near the correct height, any corner you cant, needs a new sphere.

Sorry, ignore the bit about height correctors, I didn't read your mail properly, I'm 99% sure that the spheres need replacing. With a bouncy ride its always the first place to look.

[Mandrake]

Erm,

Maybe I'm missing something here, but if the rollbar clamp was broken and you replaced it, did you go through a height adjustment process ?

You don't make any mention of attempting to adjust the ride height, and only a few degrees of rotation makes a huge difference in the ride height.

If the ride height is a long way out it can make the ride very bouncy even if the spheres are ok, so you really ought to adjust the height properly first and worry about spheres second.

There are several recent threads dealing with adjusting the ride height, including one with a diagram showing where to measure the height...and remember never to work under the car unless it is supported by ramps.

Regards,
Simon

[Peter.N.]

As I understood it, it was only the lever he replaced, unless I've missed something, it wouldn't be the first time!

[Mandrake]

As I understood it, it was only the lever he replaced, unless I've missed something, it wouldn't be the first time!

The way I read it he replaced the rollbar clamp which has the little welded rod on it which joins onto the plastic balljoint coupling. In that case fitting the new clamp just by "eyeball" without following a height adjustment procedure is very unlikely to give anything like the correct ride height...

Regards,
Simon

[Mandrake]

As previously mentioned, the car is an October 1996 Xantia 1.9TD LX Estate on a P plate; the chassis number VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff], which, depending on who you talk to at my local Citroen dealer, is a Hydramatic/Non-Hydramatic. The rear axle has the anti-sink accumulator, but what else differentiates between the two?

Just noticed this part of your message - if your car is an LX it won't have Hydractive 2. Easy way to tell - look for the hydraulic pipes that come out of the front suspension struts opposite the spheres, if the pipe is 2.6mm it's not Hydractive 2.

If it has a section of 10mm steel pipe joining a large flexible hose, it's Hydractive 2. (Which also has 2 additional spheres over the basic model, and many other differences)

Regards,
Simon

[mezuk04]

Pretty much the same as my Xantia, only mine is an SX and not an LX.

It wont have any of that added fancy stuff...just like mine

[Peter.N.]

Mandrake - If that's the case I agree entirely!

[deian]

or look for a sports switch inside.

[Mandrake]

or look for a sports switch inside.

Come on guys, its an LX, it wont have Hydractive 2 LX is lower speced than SX, only the VSX and Exclusive have Hydractive 2....

Regards,
Simon

[2512Steve]

1st: Thanks guys for all the replies.

In response to Simon (Mandrake) and Peter.N: Yes, it was only the Roll Bar clamp I replaced and I did make an attempt at adjusting the ride height, but it did not seem to move much. Will try to do it according to the posting Simon put in ‘suspension still harsh’ posting by deian 01/08/2006 (thanks for the info and diagram Simon), then if the suspension is still hard, I will change the rear spheres. If I find any sludge/non-green fluid while doing this, I will of course change the fluid.

Simon: The pipe opposite the spheres on the front strut is the small size (2.6mm), so I guess the guys in the parts dept at my Citroen dealer got it wrong when they said that according to my chassis number, that my car is Hydractive. Also, there is no sport switch as deian pointed out.

And finally; of course (as usual) I will be using axle stands whenever I am working under my car.

Once again, thanks for all the replies and I’ll let you know how I get on.

Regards,
Steve

[mezuk04]

It makes me bloody well wonder about the capabilities of these (im sorry for the language) but prats that work in these dealers.

It would be fairly simple to ask the spec of the car, cause most people dont know the VIN of their vehicles.

What car is it exactly sir?

Its a 96 LX Xantia!

Ah, that means its the bog standard suspension sir.

[2512Steve]

Not had chance to attempt adjustment yet, every time I try to do it it's been wet. I'll keep everyone updated as to how I get on.

Steve

[f00lzz]

I think that this is a fairly awkward job to do without the proper equipment... i.e. a hydraulic lift. I suggest that you 'rent' some time at a garage and do the job yourself on their lift. My local garage lets me use their lift if they are not busy.

[Mandrake]

A hydraulic lift is certainly nice, but the rear height adjustment isn't too difficult, it can be done with a couple of decent drive on ramps - just drive the back of the car up onto the ramps and remove the spare wheel carrier and you have safe access.

(And if you lie through the gap at the back instead of in from the side even if the car rolled down off the ramps it would pass over you rather than run you over...)

The only snag is that you can't measure the ground clearance while the car is on the ramps - so you need to measure the ground clearance at the designated point while the car is on flat ground, work out the error in height, then take a measurement from the guard above the wheel to the wheel rim and work out what the correct guard to wheel measurement should be, which can then be measured while the car is on ramps.

Finally you can recheck the ground clearance when its back on the ground....a little bit fiddly yes, but not difficult.

Regards,
Simon