V6 Estate Normal/comfort Rear Spheres, Maybe asked before?

Hi Jim

At the risk of repeating myself, have you changed the centre spheres?

Peter.N.

Hi Peter,

No, not yet. It is on my `to do' list but first I have to get it through the MOT. Then see if I can remember where all the trim bits and battery clamps etc go when I was working on the car, almost this time last year............

I'm going to renew all the spheres; if it seems too softly sprung at the back then I can maybe change the rears~~~~~~~~

Jim.

Hi Jim

The centre spheres are the ones responsible for the soft ride, it doesn't matter much what you do with the outer ones it wont make much difference. I hope you get it back together OK and it passes the MOT. Keep us posted

Peter.N.

Jim, the rear rising too slowly could very well be rear spheres very low on gas, or even, some of them shot. When any of this happen -specially if shot- the spheres need practically be filled up with HLM for the car to lift, instead of "a bit of LHM compressing the gas in them".

The other common thing it could be is a terribly leaking brake valve (receives pressure input from rear suspension), but I would exclude that as, then, the front would be equally slow to rise, as pressure is equally available and shared between these parts.

Another reason could be just a blockage of the pipe that drives the pressure to the rear suspension, but as u even say the car felt hard anyway, it is most certainly the first scenario.

Just a clarification, the problem I described is *purelly* hydraulic, not electronic. Electronic problems, the hydractive has them as well...

Peter is very right in advising the middle sphere replacement, it's not that difficult a job after all -unless, like me , u don't have a ramp to lift ur car up-.


George

Thanks George,

Maybe I'm getting old, but the thought of lying on my back with the car up on ramps just doesn't thrill me like it used to. That plus the fact that the last time I had the front lifted on ramps alone, it only took the additional weight of me climbing into the drivers seat to cause one of the ramps to fold up. Since then I've used breeze blocks plus (when I was fitting new pipes to the steering rack) a large log just to be on the safe side. These are wonderful cars, but can be tetchy when being poked at..................... Jim.