Sorry posted in wrong forum!

Hi all,

I'm going to try and buy the white XM saloon currently on Ebay with a damaged strut.

Due to my lack of mechanical ability, possible "on site" repair problems and current lack of a second hand strut top I have been advised to bring the car back to Edinburgh where the repair work can be done much more easily.

Could anyone give me advice on moving a car with this damage,

- Would it be possible to tow the car with a frame where the the front wheels are lifted from the ground ?
- Would it be more sensible to move the car on a trailer or car transporter ?

Many thanks,

Mark.

I haven't seen a strut top failure in the flesh but the OS front must be VERY low!

The only thing keeping it up will be the tyre against the top of the wheelarch.

A front wheel towing dolly would be ok, if you can get it under the front and if the hyds circuit is intact enough to raise the rear a bit too.

I'm not sure of the implications of towing with the rear wheels on the ground and a depressurised hyd circuit - the rears will be sat on the bump stops and they may not like that too much.

If you get it running the broken front strut may extend to full length (no weight to oppose it) it may even be at full extension already, but hey, the main damage has been done already, you're not going to do any more.

Good luck - I'd reckon it's quite an easy fix once you get it recovered and assemble all the bits. Hope you get it for a song and that no-one on here gets into a bidding war with you. Perhaps post on the XM-L forum that you're looking for these bits to fix it too - that way they know an enthusiast is bidding for it and any interested parties may back off from the bidding.

The car will lift up to running height just fine!! Only problem you've got is the
strut's new "reference point" for the sphere is a way higher off the floor than
Citroen intended with the bonnet acting as the new bump stop...

The big deal is the main flexible feed pipe will be the only other effective
restraint for the strut's full range of movement IF you're daft enough to open
the bonnet...

the bonnet can be straightened as an adhoc get you home measure once you've
fixed the strut top and stood on a large piece of timber braced beneath it!!

Sadly I seem to have had a very steep learning curve with this type of repair
although it's rewards are DIRT CHEAP CITROENS on ebay!!

Andrew

Hi all,

I have to say that although I've never experienced the bonnet popping disease myself I find it very hard to believe the rubber hydraulic tube comes out of this exercise intact. It must shurely be wrenched from its fixings now that it has to reach the strut top a further 2-300mm further away than usual?

If the only thing supporting the weight of the body at that corner is the tyre pressing on the top underside of the inner wing then the wheel can't turn to drive it anywhere.

I had though of buying the car myself and doing the same thing since its only a few miles from me but Mark has staked his claim first.

Mark, if you decide between now and the auction end time that you have changed your mind please let me know.

cheers

noz

The hose for the HP feed is about 1" in diameter and WILL stretch if allowed to
continue on it's skywards movement when under pressure and the bonnet is opened
- I actually drove my afflicted XM very carefully around to the back of my garage
to repair whilst it was ON THE HIGH SETTING and the bonnet was effectively holding
everything in place.

Actually, the wheel will remain in the correct position relative to any height setting
- just think the top of the strut as being longer relative to the others that's all - it's
acting against the bonnet not the top of the wheelarch strut mounting...







The hub and therefore the wheel don't move and are fine and dandy where they are!

The inner strut pops out of it's mounting and rises up against the bonnet...


Andrew

you could join the AA or whichever one covers YOU for any car. Then ring saying you have had an incident, can they recover to your house. I fairly sure with any citroen these organisations will ONLY permit tow away using a flat bed.

Exactly what I'd do - haven't used the AA for years (touch wood) so would legitimately be
getting my money'sworth. I think it works on that basis that IF the car is yours, and it's legal
they cannot refuse to move you and therefore the XM to your nominated garage/address...

it wont be that bad if you're not far away - it'd be seen as taking the michael if you lived
in Swansea though...

Andrew

Mark

Nearly-new strut top still available! Packaged up and waiting...

They're also talking about this car on XM-L.

Hi all,

Please excuse the reply delay.

The owner of the car phoned me on Monday and offered it to me for "£400 or £450". I had first offer till Tuesday when I phoned him back and confirmed I would pay £450.

On Wednesday I was due to collect and pay for the car at 3pm so I arranged to borrow a Beatson car trailer and transit van from friends in Fife. But when I went to colect the van the owner was panicking that I would not be able to make the journey from Lesmahagow to Dunfermline ( 56miles ) in two hours as the van had to be back for 5pm. His kids were starting kart racing this weekend and as usual everything was last minute.

Anyway, the seller had kindly given me the chance to buy the car but I lost it on Wednesday. He told me on Wednesday he had held many buyers off and would now sell to one of them. He did however email me today and said the auction would now run to the end.

Is anyone else bidding on this car ?

Thanks to all those who gave me helpful advice.

Cheers,

Mark.