Xantia crap ride

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Wed 18 Dec 2002 22:28
Xantia crap ride - Mr Smegma
The ride in my 96 VSX estate is poor. It's hard and harsh in almost all conditions.

I've replaced all the main suspension spheres including the hydractive extras, replaced LHM and put hydraflush in for 2000 miles.

It's still crap. I think the accumulator sphere is due for replacement but would that affect the ride at all?

It's at it's worst when pitched side to side it almost bounces along country lanes, most unpredictable.

AFAIK the hydractive II system is working properly (it wasn't but one of the electrovalves was replaced.)

any ideas?
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Thu 19 Dec 2002 09:58
Xantia crap ride - RichardW
Accumulator won't make any difference to the ride quality.

Get the car on level ground. From out side does it look level front/rear and side to side? Is the front wing about 70mm above the tyre. Push down on each corner is there 6" + of smooth movement.

Put the suspension in low, allow it to settle and then into high. Does it go up smoothly with no creaking or groaning noises. In high when viewed from behind do the rear wheels appear to lean in at the top. Does the back go up and down as well?

Are all the roll bar ends securely fixed - especially at the rear?

When you fitted the spheres did you fit the correct ones - they all look the same and fit, but have different internals, which can ruin the handling.

Tell us what you find, and we can see if that helps to pin the problem down.

Richard
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Thu 19 Dec 2002 22:36
Xantia crap ride - Mr Smegma
Loads of smooth movement at the back, almost certainly not 6" at the front. It goes up and down quite happily without creaks, although it can linger in one position for a few moments before rising/descending.

Rear wheels don't appear to lean in at the top, I will check this again.

Roll bar ends, no idea, how do I check, is it easy?

AFAIK they are the correct spheres, I didn't fit them myself, the chaps who service the car seem to know what they're doing, but I do wonder sometimes as they lose interest when there are slightly strange problems.

The car bangs over potholes quite badly but i'm not sure if this is normal. Large obstacles like speedhumps it takes quite gracefully, but I can feel almost every imperfection in the road, not badly, but more than I think I should. For example I can feel each rumble strip going into our village, even driving slowly behind a tractor, but I can't in a 206 from work!
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Sat 21 Dec 2002 11:16
Xantia crap ride - David Lacey
Where did you get the spheres from?

MG-Rover Questions? forums.mg-rover.org/
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Mon 23 Dec 2002 11:13
Xantia crap ride - Mr Smegma
Where did you get the spheres from?
MG-Rover Questions? forums.mg-rover.org/


Don't know. They were fitted by the local independent guys, in whom I don't have tremendous faith.

The back seems to have lots of smooth movement, the front less. I'm going to try some new sphere's on the front and see what happens.

Are Andyspares "new" spheres ok?
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Fri 27 Dec 2002 10:36
Xantia crap ride - Mr Smegma
What's the general opinion of new spheres from Andyspares?
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Fri 27 Dec 2002 10:37
Xantia crap ride - Mr Smegma
What's the general opinion of new spheres from Andyspares?
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Fri 27 Dec 2002 17:04
Xantia crap ride - M.M
>>opinion of new spheres from Andyspares?

Fine!

MM
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Fri 27 Dec 2002 19:10
Xantia crap ride - Mr Smegma
Great, thanks for that. Sorry about the multiple postings, not really sure what happened there.

Probably got impatient and kept hitting 'Post'
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