Magic Carpet Ride

Anything about BXs
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nstarmore
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Post by nstarmore »

Just to add my experiences...I don't think I've ever truely experienced the magic carpet ride as the BX needs some work on its front suspension and the Xantia has never ridden quite right (although I imagine it to be close as it is still comfy, just not much better than the equivilent coil sprung car of the same era) and due to being on my arse financially this year I just haven't got it sorted.

Definately something thats on the list to be done for next year though, mainly as its embarassing to have passengers in the car expecting something spectacular :roll:
Nic

- 1995 Xantia SX TD (daily hack)
- 1987 BX 16V (project)
CitroXim
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Post by CitroXim »

A very interesting and enjoyable thread :lol: I've especially enjoyed the cartoons and that other picture: Ohh, err Missus!

I hope you don't mind Xantias creeping into this discussion (apologies Doc :P ) from us FCF refugees..

I normally drive an Activa and these are firm on the suspension, very firm in fact but they ride very nicely and handle like nothing else :D My other regular drive is a 205GTi and that has near-absent suspension.

To me the Activa is not a magic carpet by any means but after a time it starts to feel like it, you get used to it and realise that despit it being a bit harsh by hydropneumatic standards, it still wipes the floor with it's contempory Mondies, Reptras and the like, comfort-wise.

I also have a very, very early Xantia TD, so early in fact that its RP number is carved in on a stone plaque in roman numerals. The suspension is not too dissimilar to a BX in that it is non anti-sink and is not hydractive; just the four spheres and an accumulator.

I rarely drive my TD and have not since early September. Yesterday I drove it for the first time and it immediately struck me just how confy and smoothly it rode, absolutely beautifully. Today I took it on a 40 mile journey over quite rough roads and for half the journey towing a big twin-axle car transported trailer. What a joy :D :P I'd forgotten just how lovely a proper hydropneumatic car with decent spheres is to ride in. Absolute magic! The only down-side after the Activa is the body roll on spirited cornering, despite that though the handling is still excellent.

The Activa will feel really harsh and horrible next time I drive it, that'll be for sure.
Jim

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stuart_hedges
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Post by stuart_hedges »

Just to reiterate, mnde's Meteor is amazing. If you can wangle a ride in that, Nic, you'll know what you're missing! That's how a BX should ride.
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Post by adamskibx »

My old GT (Tims) rode more smoothly than my CX does over rough ground. The CX is smoother on a smooth road, but it's annoying as I know it should be so much better. It's all time and money, so it's going to have to wait till next year. The smoothest Citroen I ever rode in was a GSA Pallas SE, but unfortunately it was also the most rusty. It cost my mate £800 over a year to get all the mechanicals right (doing it himself), and in that time the rust had gone from making the metal sound hollow, to being totally and utterly rotten. It was such a shame, but the scrap man had to come and take it away. That really was a magic carpet. Literally, it was hard to beleive.
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Baldbazza
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Post by Baldbazza »

<ramble>

Just to show my age... :oops: my first go in a Cit was a lift in a brand new DS. Incredibly smooth and fast (well it seemed fast to my young eyes). Seats so soft that you just sank into them and stopped at some point without realising when - just like being suspended in mid air. OK, I'm guessing that bit. I can well imagine why it was described as having a magic carpet ride.

I was lucky enough to be given a lift in a brand new CX a few years later. Again, incredibly smooth, comfortable and powerful but somehow not the same as the DS.

A lllloooonnnnnggg time later came a BX and various other Cits, none of which were anywhere near as smooth. Followed by the Alfa, which doesn't appear to have suspension... :roll:

But the GT, well nowhere near as smooth as the DS & CX but, like others have said, can be very smooth nonetheless. Especially when travelling back from David Rutherford's across the rolling hills of Dorset with all 4 of Snoopy's old doors and a load of other stuff in the back. Many thanks David and Stuart :D :D :D

</ramble>
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docchevron
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Post by docchevron »

citrojim wrote:
I hope you don't mind Xantias creeping into this discussion (apologies Doc :P ) from us FCF refugees..

I normally drive an Activa and these are firm on the suspension, very firm in fact but they ride very nicely and handle like nothing else
No apologies needed mate, I agree, the activa is unearthly, my mate had one for a while, thirsty as it was the handling was just awesome, it was sooo much fun hammering it round corners watching proper sports cars slide off the road behind you.
The Activa is a special car for sure, it's just a shame they didn't see fit to wham the 24V V6 in the RHD versions...
Smokes lots, because enough's enough already!

Far too many BX's, a bus, an ambulance a few trucks, not enough time and never enough cash...
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nstarmore
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Post by nstarmore »

stuart_hedges wrote:Just to reiterate, mnde's Meteor is amazing. If you can wangle a ride in that, Nic, you'll know what you're missing! That's how a BX should ride.
Yeh that would be nice but I may not have to now after visiting a pretty much neighbour that I had noticed (because of the CX Safari, Xantia and BX outside his house) but not spoken to last night, who turns out to be heavily involved with the CCC and has owned Citroens most of his life.

After an awseome 2 hour chat about Citroens and mine in particular I'm taking both of mine down on Saturday and he is going to sort out the ride on my Xantia (by means of changing the rear sphere's, the accumulator and doing a a fluid change and filter clean) and do some work on the BX for me and is also willing to teach me how to do anything I want to do on my own cars over time...what a guy.

In short though Saturday should be my first experience of something near to the magic carpet ride at least, finally!
Nic

- 1995 Xantia SX TD (daily hack)
- 1987 BX 16V (project)
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Post by Way2go »

The ride in the BX GTi is great too but to me it has always been firmer, which I like, than the other models in the range especially when you are throwing it about a bit and overtaking. :D
This difference in sphere size and damping aperture does though make it difficult to check sphere condition by pushing on the corners at the front as the resistance is high. :? However there is a good test of the spheres driving in ASDA car park over those vicious plastic bumps. When the front bounces on landing it's time to replace the spheres! :wink:

(PS: the rear spheres do respond to the push down test presumably due to different leverage action.)
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Post by citronut »

the early Mk1 was better because the front susp arms had tapper bearings not solid rubber bushes, this allowed the suspension to move smoothly and freely, a little bit closer to the CX and Gs, once they fitted the rubber bushes it stiffend the front up quite a lot (not so much float)
regards malcolm
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nstarmore
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Post by nstarmore »

citronut wrote:the early Mk1 was better because the front susp arms had tapper bearings not solid rubber bushes, this allowed the suspension to move smoothly and freely, a little bit closer to the CX and Gs, once they fitted the rubber bushes it stiffend the front up quite a lot (not so much float)
regards malcolm
Does that mean then that if you got the mk1 suspension arms then you could significantly improve the ride quality (At cost of stability admittedly).

How easy is this to do as if it isn't too difficult it could be something for me to consider.
Nic

- 1995 Xantia SX TD (daily hack)
- 1987 BX 16V (project)
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cauchoiskev
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Post by cauchoiskev »

Unfortunately, I think that is a no-goer, as you would have to change the subframe, which is different, to match the wishbone. Where you would find them - in good nick - is anybodies guess.

Also, I doubt vey much if cit still sell the bearings.

Shame though, I have heard the opinion that the steering was much more precise with the old setup...
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Post by citronut »

yep you would need the old style sub frame as well, but the bearings are the same as the rears which are still avalibale from GSF the seals were diferant though, its not a hard job to swap sub frame as the engine is not attatched to it so you just leave that hanging there
regards malcolm
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nstarmore
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Post by nstarmore »

hmm, yeh thinking about it there are hardly any mk1's left so it would be an impractical desision, especially since the subframe needs changing, ahh well nice idea.
Nic

- 1995 Xantia SX TD (daily hack)
- 1987 BX 16V (project)
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Post by Barrie James »

There's also another way of making the suspension smoother. The suspension spheres fitted to Belgian cars were softer, Andyspares, which became the F in GSF, used to supply these. Might be worth a try.

But road humps, the best, by far, for riding these was my 1970 Ami 8 Estate. Phenominal! The faster you went the smoother the bump, it wasn't a magic carpet though, as it swayed far too much on corners.

Mind you I'd have liked to try my 1934 V Type 4.5 litre Straight 8 Daimler Limousine over them. It was fitted with 'Selecatride' suspension, which enabled you to adjust the ride from inside the car with a lever on the Dashboard. From Limousine smooth to Sportscar firm, but it did take a little time for the vacuum control to work, wasn't instantaneous like modern electronics, quite a machine though for all that.
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stuart_hedges
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Post by stuart_hedges »

I had a ride in a Bentley Brooklands on Saturday night, along a route which I've done in Mark's Meteor. The ride wasn't as good! Citroens ftw!
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