My Citroen XM 3.0 PR-Vestige

[Dieselman]

You could paint the roof trims in no time. As far as the tight steering, try slacking the height adjustment bolts, then re-tighten. After taking my column out the steering was a bit tight, a quick rejig and it was sorted.

[Dean]

I could your right, I did the lower wings but I'm owed a favour and well, it will be nice to drop it off then pick it up all done
I will check out the column but I want to make sure the pinion tension is right, can't remember if I staked the nut either as it was a few years back that was done, I need to put the pinion heat shield on too.

D

[russ92xmsed]

Nice work Russ, hope your having fun, swine!

D

Excellent. I shall look into getting some printed. I might even have them printed so there is a sticker with the right gas so you just stick the correct mini sticker into the main larger one. Will see.

The challenge was brilliant fun.

[Dean]

Glad you had fun Russ!.

Speaking of fun
As my child like scrawling shows I was running perfectly parallel front track which I don't think was helping, I've tweeked it out to 3.5 toe out and it feels much more planted, not sure about the mad toe in at the back but It drives sweet enough and I've got the steering wheel in the middle at long last, only taken about 12 years!

D

[Dieselman]

Zero to slight toe out at the front is correct, as is slight toe in at the rear. Were your measurements taken with the car in high setting, or normal ride height? You can adjust the tracking with the car at normal height.

One of my rears on the Cobalt car had about 27 minutes of toe in on the rear and about 3 the other.

How did you ensure the string was exactly parallel to the car? One method is to mount the string on a bar each end, supported on axle stands or blocks and centered to the car.
I have four proper turning plates, but glossy magazines or dished metal plates will suffice.

[Dean]

Haynes specified 0-3mm T out, set it to 0 last time and it was better but I used a different method and didnt get the wheel straight, its been fidgety at neutral toe though, unpredictable turn in and skitish when hovering on a camber change like it was toe in, nothing huge but i just wasn't happy with the feel.

To set the string I measured front and rear track difference, set the string 50mm clear of the front hub each side then made sure the string was same distance apart at each staked ends then checked that from the rear hubs to the string was 50mm + 50% of the difference in front and rear track, jobs a goodun, suprisingly the xm has about 4" wider track at the front which is more than i thought.

Measurements were done at normal ride height although toe isn't changed much unless you go to full ride height, not sure neutral toe is a good idea on fwd.
Either way the car ran straight and planted straight off, steering wheel central and a much better turn in feel, doesn't feel skitish at all now.

Got the pinion tension set right now too, do I dial a little extra pressure onto the FDV to lighten the steering up a bit though? I would like to but will another few psi cause potential leakage? Can't see the harm

D

[Dieselman]

I wouldn't bother with the steering weight, it's one of the reasons XM drive so well.

Having toe out is correct for a FWD car as the wheels pull forward and in under drive. The wheels you have will make the car tramline more and will also push the tyre centre point out so a different toe setting will be required.
Zero degrees normally makes a car more stable at high speed, but zero to 3mm are the outer tolerances, 1.5mm toe out is the ideal setting. Don't forget your larger wheels allow for a larger difference across the rim.

[Dean]

Didn't think about the larger rim diameter, interesting point to remember that. Think it's due a wash and a drive out again tomorrow if I finish my plastering, steering is feeling good now though.

D

[Dean]

Thought I would have an update here, just because I can't be bothered getting off the sofa to do anything else and my good lady is watching some complete tripe on the telly box about American white trash mothers.............

There was a sudden failure on the XM this weekend where a driveshaft boot clip popped and the o/s wheel arch got a third anti rust coating which took all of 10 minutes to rectify, other than that it's been rather boring and uneventfully, I have started fabricating my 421 header from steel with reclaimed scrap parts, this I will do at my leasure during the year which will hopefully make the exhaust sound less chuggy than the unequal length exhaust manibar it sports at the moment.

The a/c hasn't been touched as the last very small leak has been traced to the compressor input shaft seal, a job for the winter months I think, took a while to find as its dropping about 5% pressure a fortnight from 30psi.

I have pretty much made up my mind to take her to CXM this year if I can get the pennies together, or the Chevron rally as its now known so will throw a fresh set of belts on it for that little trip, been about 5 years since it last attended a show so will be nice to get it out and maybe have a nose around the stands and see some old faces and be sociable.

That's it really, if it throws a rod or the wheels fall off you will be the first to know 2998 miles to go and it hits the momentous 100k mark, eeeeeeek

D

[Dean]

Had a little check of my balls this afternoon as the back is feeling a little off. They measured out fine about 5 months ago but today the rear center is 35bar and his wingmen are about 18-20bar which seems a little low, I'm off now to search the specs to remind myself what they should be.

Fronts are at 45bar which Ithink should be 55 and the front centre can wait till iIhave cause to jack the front end, it was replaced last of all of them anyway so should be good.

D