Hi
I have seen a couple of Xantia with what looks like their suspension
lowered. Can this be done without causing problems and if so how.
Regards
Tony

Tony (hamsatuk@hotmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were 
saying :


> I have seen a couple of Xantia with what looks like their suspension
> lowered. Can this be done without causing problems and if so how.


Easily. Get in the car, reach over for the height lever next to the 
handbrake, and move it backwards a notch.

But please don't drive it unless it's in the notch marked with a big thick 
line.

If the height is incorrect, then it can be adjusted by moving the clamp 
connecting the height corrector to the anti-roll bar. Do this with the car 
running, set to normal height, and with the weight on it's wheels.

DO NOT DO THIS BY CRAWLING UNDERNEATH THE CAR PARKED ON THE GROUND.

You *WILL* need a lift that supports the car on all four wheels.

"Adrian"  wrote in message 
news:Xns96C088BF56700adrianachapmanfreeis@204.153.244.170...

> Tony (hamsatuk@hotmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were
> saying :
>
>> I have seen a couple of Xantia with what looks like their suspension
>> lowered. Can this be done without causing problems and if so how.
>
> Easily. Get in the car, reach over for the height lever next to the
> handbrake, and move it backwards a notch.


Forward on mine :-)

I assume that the OP is asking how to lower the suspension like you can on a 
normal spring type suspension. This I think is impossible.


-- 
Malc

"Your mother can't climb stairs"
Dalek playground taunt

"Malc"  wrote in message 
news:A%nQe.97957$G8.39355@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

>
> "Adrian"  wrote in message 
> news:Xns96C088BF56700adrianachapmanfreeis@204.153.244.170...
>> Tony (hamsatuk@hotmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were
>> saying :
>>
>>> I have seen a couple of Xantia with what looks like their suspension
>>> lowered. Can this be done without causing problems and if so how.
>>
>> Easily. Get in the car, reach over for the height lever next to the
>> handbrake, and move it backwards a notch.
>
> Forward on mine :-)
>
> I assume that the OP is asking how to lower the suspension like you can on 
> a normal spring type suspension. This I think is impossible.


You CAN do this by cutting another notch further forward on the panel next 
to the height adjustment lever, I know many a BX with a forth notch cut. 
Also means you can notch it back up for speed humps.  Be very careful not to 
set it too low, watch for clearance round driveshafts, BXs foul the 
anti-roll bar.

--
r

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 20:40:03 UTC, "R" 
 wrote:

: You CAN do this by cutting another notch further forward on the panel next 
: to the height adjustment lever, I know many a BX with a forth notch cut. 

Is the BX still self levelling at non-standard settings? The DS isn't.

Ian

Malc (malunspamwhhite@lightindigooverthere.co.uk) gurgled happily,
sounding much like they were saying : 


> I assume that the OP is asking how to lower the suspension like you
> can on a normal spring type suspension. This I think is impossible.


No, it's dead easy. Just adjust the height corrector clamp on the anti-roll 
bar, so that the height correctors are at their balance point with the bar 
in a slightly different position.

"Ian Johnston"  wrote in message 
news:cCUlhtvFIYkV-pn2-7RduHSYtEim2@localhost...

> On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 20:40:03 UTC, "R"
>  wrote:
>
> : You CAN do this by cutting another notch further forward on the panel 
> next
> : to the height adjustment lever, I know many a BX with a forth notch cut.
>
> Is the BX still self levelling at non-standard settings? The DS isn't.


Yes it is.
The self levelling uses the anti-roll bar to sense any change in height and 
so whatever height setting it is at, it can sense the change and send fluid 
to that "Axle".

How does the DS do it?  I've never worked on one.

--
R

"Adrian"  wrote in message 
news:Xns96C17F89BD1FFadrianachapmanfreeis@204.153.244.170...

> Malc (malunspamwhhite@lightindigooverthere.co.uk) gurgled happily,
> sounding much like they were saying :
>
>> I assume that the OP is asking how to lower the suspension like you
>> can on a normal spring type suspension. This I think is impossible.
>
> No, it's dead easy. Just adjust the height corrector clamp on the 
> anti-roll
> bar, so that the height correctors are at their balance point with the bar
> in a slightly different position.


And NEVER NEVER do it on the floor, the car can drop suddenly and there have 
been several deaths over the years.

I prefer to cut a lower notch for the height control lever, you can then 
knock it back to standard for speed bumps and the other heights are as 
standard.  I admit we have used the anti-roll bar adjustment on the race 
car, but we never see any speed bumps.

--
R

R (ruggNOSPAM_uk@yahooNOSPAM.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying : 


> How does the DS do it?  I've never worked on one.


In exactly the same way.

www.citroencarclub.org.uk/ds

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 19:30:30 UTC, "R" 
 wrote:

: 
: "Ian Johnston"  wrote in message 
: news:cCUlhtvFIYkV-pn2-7RduHSYtEim2@localhost...
: > On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 20:40:03 UTC, "R"
: >  wrote:
: >
: > : You CAN do this by cutting another notch further forward on the panel 
: > next
: > : to the height adjustment lever, I know many a BX with a forth notch cut.
: >
: > Is the BX still self levelling at non-standard settings? The DS isn't.
: 
: Yes it is.
: The self levelling uses the anti-roll bar to sense any change in height and 
: so whatever height setting it is at, it can sense the change and send fluid 
: to that "Axle".
: 
: How does the DS do it?  I've never worked on one.

From the anti roll bar, but when you choose a non-standard ride height
all you are doing is manually pulling the control rod, so it becomes 
an open rather than a closed loop control system. It would be much 
neater if the height control changed the geometry of the control 
levers so self-levelling still worked - is that how the BX does it?

Ian

PS Never worked on a DS? You lucky sod.

--

Ian Johnston (ian.groups@btinternet.com) gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying : 


> From the anti roll bar, but when you choose a non-standard ride height
> all you are doing is manually pulling the control rod, so it becomes 
> an open rather than a closed loop control system. It would be much 
> neater if the height control changed the geometry of the control 
> levers so self-levelling still worked - is that how the BX does it?


The D setup is almost identical to the BX and everything else 
hydropneumatic (1) in how it works. The control rod, in effect, moves the 
equilibrium point of the height corrector. Nothing more. The self levelling 
certainly will still work - except at full high or full low, which put the 
equilibrium point beyond the extent of the suspension travel. It may well 
be that high-drive is above that point, too, especially if the car's a bit 
high in normal-drive.

(1) The only real exception is the s2 CX, where you've got an electric 
switch controlling a stepper motor - which does exactly the same job as the 
lever, in moving the front-to-rear control rod. I don't know (or much care) 
how the C5's Hippo3/3+ does it, especially with the lowering at speed.

"Adrian"  wrote in message 
news:Xns96C17F89BD1FFadrianachapmanfreeis@204.153.244.170...

> Malc (malunspamwhhite@lightindigooverthere.co.uk) gurgled happily,
> sounding much like they were saying :
>
>> I assume that the OP is asking how to lower the suspension like you
>> can on a normal spring type suspension. This I think is impossible.
>
> No, it's dead easy. Just adjust the height corrector clamp on the 
> anti-roll
> bar, so that the height correctors are at their balance point with the bar
> in a slightly different position.


You live and learn. Does it make the car corner better? Not that I need 
better handling, just in a spirit of enquiry.

-- 
Malc

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 20:30:30 UTC, Adrian  
wrote:

: Ian Johnston (ian.groups@btinternet.com) gurgled happily, sounding much
: like they were saying : 
: 
: > From the anti roll bar, but when you choose a non-standard ride height
: > all you are doing is manually pulling the control rod, so it becomes 
: > an open rather than a closed loop control system. It would be much 
: > neater if the height control changed the geometry of the control 
: > levers so self-levelling still worked - is that how the BX does it?
: 
: The D setup is almost identical to the BX and everything else 
: hydropneumatic (1) in how it works. The control rod, in effect, moves the 
: equilibrium point of the height corrector.

No it doesn't, at least not on a DS. The rod from the centre of the 
antiroll bar is attached to a lever pivoted on the antiroll bar 
bearing on the left hand side, and the top of that lever drives the 
height corrector. Car goes down, top of lever moves back, car moves 
up. And vice versa.

However, when the car is put in one of the two higher ride positions, 
the top of the lever - and therefore the height corrector actuator - 
is simply pulled back by around 4 or 8mm. Self levelling therefore 
only works if the motion of the control rod is more than this, for 
downwards displacements of the car, and not at all upwards (because 
the lever is constrained and cannot move forwards at all). 

Full up and full down, similarly, just wedge the height corrector all 
the way in one direction or the other.

How do I know all this? 'Cos I spend several days just a couple of 
weeks ago replacing the height corrector and antiroll bar - height 
corrector control linkage, and then resetting it all. I was surprised 
at how crudely it does the "high ride positions" - it would be far 
neater if it moved the equilibrium position, but it doesn't. 



Ian