Suspension issues - Gleaming Beauty

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Styria

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Driving to my storage shed the other day, the nose of Gleaming Beauty was right down on my arrival. Somewhat perplexing, as I hadn't picked it up whilst driving. Anyway, opening the bonnet revealed that the plastic fitting had pulled out from the metal connecting rod that connects the front valve to the anti sway bar. Well, no real problem, even though I had new spares at home only, but a plastic tie soon reconnected the two parts. Started Gleaming Beauty, suspension came up immediately and I was set for my return home later in the day - a trip of some thirty one kilometers. On the way home, the plastic tie unhooked itself, but again no problem, another soon got me back on the way.

Thus, when I arrived home, I set about fitting a new connection, but I had just a tad bit of difficulty dismantling the connecting lever from the lever that is attached to the valve. Eventually, after a liitle ham-fisting, I removed the lever from the valve and fitted the new cranked ball joint (?), and started the engine. All was well initially, with the suspension rising gradually, but to the high level and, no matter what I did, the car would not settle in the normal position. Ah well, leave it alone, and just drive back to the storage shed the next morning. Oh, BTW, as I reversed out the driveway, the front suspension dropped right down, and it was only after some hopeful coaxing and manouevring of the lever on the distribution valve, that the suspension came back to the high setting and immediately locked solid - just no springing. Anyway, I was committed, and so I hopped and pogo-sticked the thirty one kilometers back to my storage shed - driving at no more than forty k.s all the way.

Naturally, I had to try and do something to fix whatever problem it was but, honestly, all my efforts came to nought. I jacked the front and let it back down, but to no avail. It would still return to the high, and solid, setting whereas the back, once I lowered it back down off the jack, it would collapse but starting the engine, the car came back up without fuss, but solid. So back home again, feeling pretty down even though the ride was a bit improved. That was on a Friday, and the next day I tidied up Gleaming Beauty in readiness for the German Car Day organized by our Club, and I also wanted to fit my Super Duper Taiwanese made Speedy rims, for a heightened visual appeal. So, on the Sunday, off I went, with GB really looking the part, making all the right kind of exhaust noises and even the ride, although still high, was acceptable. Okay, I figured, not totally perfect, but I managed to get there and, eventually, back home again. Pogo stick all the way, suspension rock solid and GB up in the air on high heels. More to come. Styria
 

WGB

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My car did something similar after I changed the front levelling valve and re-started the car.

The only way I could release the pressure was to crack open one of the front lines with the car raised and engine off and after that it behaved normally.

Bill
 
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Styria

Styria

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My car did something similar after I changed the front levelling valve and re-started the car.

The only way I could release the pressure was to crack open one of the front lines with the car raised and engine off and after that it behaved normally.

Bill

You may well be right, Bill. I just can't quite recall if I did the same nut, whichever, in my case nothing proved successful. Anyway, to get back to my problem. After attending the German Car Day, the ride home was really a nightmare - much worse than the trip in. It was just a case of ' po go sticking' all the way, even on a smooth motorway. You could feel every undulation, even at a speed of 40-50 kms/h maximum. I made it home, the car up in the high setting, so I just walked away from the old girl and made a couple of phone calls. Lo and behold, next time I turned around to have a look at Gleaming Beauty (she just happened to be parked ouitside the garage), the suspension on the front had completely collapsed..........

MechanicalKnowHow002.jpg

......note the low position of the car even with that thick block of timber under the left front wheel. The next picture then shows the car's jack being used to lift the left side, but also note that the wheel had not come down and was stuck in that collapsed position.

MechanicalKnowHow001.jpg

Eventually I raised the car high enough to get my low level garage jack under the front cross member and removed both wheels. It turned out that the right high pressure hose leading to the strut had burst, allowing for the loss of all that oil. This of course had to be cleaned up, with a Gurney and washing liquid. More to come. Regards Styria

...and I discovered a huge amount of oil running out from underneath the car. That turned out to be three liters of oil ! What a mess.
 
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Oversize

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Styria seems she's being a right royal b*tch! Although I'm not sure if you'll need penta(gram)s, holy water, garlic, silver bullets, crucifix, mirrors, black cats, or a wooden stake just yet! LOL! BTW those wheels look sooo good!

At least you found the problem and hopefully that'll solve you height control issue as well. I wonder if the hose had an internal fault that was holding pressure? Or whether there was excessive pressure in the common lines of the system and it locked a ball valve to its seat? I wonder if moving the control valve to not quite the correct position during servicing / repair could've caused the problem.... Does the suspension manual state that jacking up the car in the 'normal' setting will not remove all line pressure?

Styria after seeing the cracks in the rear chassis of Flame, I don't think I'd drive a 6.9 anywhere (apart from onto a flat bed and into the garage) if the suspension isn't working correctly...
 
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