drooping suspension

[Dadad]

I'm new to BX ownership. The accumulator was new within the last 12 months and I've just had all 4 spheres replaced by Wolsey House Motors.

However, I'm not getting the 'magic ride' I anticipated (it's not as good as my Renault 16) and the back of the car always completely subsides overnight.

Is it supposed to do this ?

[Des Smith]

Someone who knows far more than me will be along shortly to give you the full technical answer. What I can tell you is that the BX does sink at the rear and opinions differ as to how long it should stay up. Mine has no leaks and rides well but it goes down overnight.

If you've had new spheres then the problem with the ride shouldn't be related to them unless they are duff items. The accumulator keeps the system pressurised while the engine is running and if there's a loss of pressure in the system you will hear it ticking at short intervals to keep the pressure right.

[Way2go]

If the BX suspension pumps up then the ride comfort can vary depending on the type of sphere fitted, do you know the spec of sphere that Wolsey fitted in terms of Volume, Nitrogen Pressure and size of Damper Orifice? It may be that they used the firmer spheres intended for the GTi. What model of BX do you have?

It's possible that you have other mechanical issues on linkages/Struts contributing to your problems but as the spheres are mostly responsible for ride comfort it's worth evaluating them first.

Re the settling of the rear end, some say that this is affected by internal back leakage through the brake valve but really not something to worry about if the car is working correctly when the engine is running.

[Tinkley]

A few other pointers. The LHM fluid is supposed to be replaced every 35k, and the reservoir drained and cleaned. This does make a difference, if in doubt, bleed a brake - if the fluid is yellowy it is old. BTW just replacing the fluid helps the suspension but to keep the brakes top notch bleed the brakes too. The other thing is actually pretty simple and known here as 'Citrobics' basically fully purging the system to eliminate air. Make sure you have some LHM to hand as you may need a litre to top up the reservoir. Just changing the spheres does not inherently purge the hydraulics.
The pressure regulator screw is 12mm across flats, you will become familiar with it..... it's actually pretty easy to do so don't fret. Also the BX is probably one of the easiest cars to bleed brakes on, just jam the brake pedal on with a piece of timber wedged to the front seat (with protector) and with engine running go round to brake and release nipple till clean and air free. AFAIK the Accumulator is important to help work the brakes (sort of partial servo) and the PAS, just keeps enough useful pressure in the system for these. BTW the system is 'failsafe' in that the brakes are the last thing to go - then reach for the handbrake.....

When I replaced the rear arm bearings on one of my cars recently I needed 1.5 ltr of fluid (I did not expect so much of this) to refill the system correctly. This job only entails bleeding the rear brake pipes but also perforce ensures the 'Citrobics' are carried out.....

The only other thing that may affect the ride is the ride height corrector sticking or malfunctioning. You will have one front and one rear. Check the linkage is engaged (correctly) also check for leaks on the low pressure bleed off return.

Modern cars generally have a larger rolling tyre diameter to 'disguise' the fact that British roads are rough as hell in places. Example BX tyre OD, 580mm on Michelin, C4 (2009) 630mm on Michelin. Tricks to make cars ride better are larger diameter (rolling ie outside of tyre) and moving the wheelbase towards the ends. However the BX is still a reasonable ride quality if running correctly and should be superior to most coil spring cars of equivalent rolling diameter and slightly larger. In fact the suspension is a large part of better fuel economy, as the shell does less bouncing - better aero.... Narrow tyres also contribute, the 2CV has 21" wheels.... The brand (and age) of tyre can affect the ride but most are OK, though I have noticed some differences in steering weight.

I have assumed you do have Front spheres on the front and Rear spheres on the rear.... they are different. There is some further information on valving and spheres etc on the tramontana site. Basically the suspension became a little stiffer over the model life. It is OK to set the fronts up like a 16v if you want and it suits your driving style, a bit harder on the rears.

[Des Smith]

It may be that they used the firmer spheres intended for the GTi. What model of BX do you have?

It is a GTi...

I'm new to BX ownership, having just bought a 1990 8v GTi.

[Way2go]

It may be that they used the firmer spheres intended for the GTi. What model of BX do you have?

It is a GTi...

I'm new to BX ownership, having just bought a 1990 8v GTi.

I'm new to BX ownership, having just bought a 1990 8v GTi.

It doesn't define it as a GTi in this posting, you must be Xreferring this from elsewhere.

Anyway, if so, there's his answer he has the sports suspension that doesn't wallow when you throw it round corners and keeps it on an even keel. The GTi will take clover leafs etc without drift at a higher speed than "mere mortal" cars!

Personally I like the firmer ride and it "laughs" at "sleeping policemen" in the road but if you want to degrade the handling you can fit the softer spheres intended for the more pedestrian models!

[Kaapelimies]

Check the ride height, if it's set too high it will be stiff. Haynes manual will be handy for basics if you're new to BX.

[taksoft]

Try to push the front and then the back of the chassis down, while the engine is running. It should go quite easily down (at least 8-10 cm), and if you release back to the original position.

Move the leveling to the lower position, wait it goes down, and to the normal set again. Examine the lifting of the front and the back. It should be smooth, without stopping, and then moving again. At the back please notice the noises, cracking noise means worn-out rear arm bearing, it can cause definitely hard suspension.
Wear out front struts can also cause stiffer suspension, but not as much as bad rear arm bearings.