Ride height and front self-levelling

[citronut]

the height corrector spindle does not rotate in operation but moves in and out ( push pull )

regards malxcolm

[andycadabra]

With the car failing to get to, and stay at, its correct ride height even after a visit to intermediate, and having sprayed the linkage as best I could, I decided to have a go at the ride height adjustment.
After a few goes, I managed to get the collar in the right position on the ARB. The car now impressively quickly rises from the low position to a 'normal' normal.
However it seems that left overnight in the normal position and starting it this morning resulted in it rising at least 2 cm too high and, worse, the suspension hard!
Going to low and back to normal solved the problem, yet going to intermediate, the back rose but the front didn't!.
The car rises to maximum height ok but returning to normal leaves it 2cm too high, as before, with hard suspension.

Maybe,with frequent shows of low to normal elevation, my destiny is to provide amusement for passengers and onlookers in recession hit Britain...

[andycadabra]

After a little further monitoring, I can confirm that although the car appears to rise to normal, when previously on minimum, leaving a gap of 4 fingers between tyre and wheel arch, [85cm], and the suspension acceptably soft, after a little driving the ride height ends up being a good 5 fingers, [11cm], and too hard!, which is what happens when left on normal.
I can only conclude that I've over adjusted the ride height, and that is now too high by up to 2cm, and that having it set 2cm above the optimum, (or 2cm below, as it was previously), takes away any 'springing' functionality of the spheres. Does anyone know if this is the case?

[MULLEY]

It's a bit like putting your car on the high setting, absolutely no give in the suspension, so if its riding to high the suspension is much bouncier which appears to be what you are experiencing. The only way to adjust the suspension properly is to get it on a 4 post ramp which is what my local citroen garage did for me & even they didn't get it right 1st time as the suspension after being driven then went to low at the front & was bouncy. It woudl appear slightly sticky front struts made getting it right more akward, so next time round they kept pushing the car up & down when the did an adjustment to make sure the suspension was free moving so that it settled to the right height. It's been fine ever since

[Way2go]

After a little further monitoring, I can confirm that although the car appears to rise to normal, when previously on minimum, leaving a gap of 4 fingers between tyre and wheel arch, [85cm], and the suspension acceptably soft, after a little driving the ride height ends up being a good 5 fingers, [11cm], and too hard!, which is what happens when left on normal.

This really shows that the linkage is still sticking and not freed up and fully lubed. You cannot easily adjust the ride height on the ARB until the linkage (or height corrector) is working properly. Even if adjusted by trial and error, you are going to experience a high degree of hysteresis (like you mention) until the linkage is made to respond smoothly.