Citroen ZX 1.9 XUD - Wingz123 - James

[bramz7]

You can give them beans if needed. I did feel like the NA XUD doesn't really like being hammered though.

The TD one is a different beast altogether but I feel like it encourages hooligan style driving.

[Wingz123]

Yes I agree....didn’t want a TD because I would indeed drive it quick thus meaning I’d just be burning more juice....got several other motors for that pleasure!

[Wingz123]

Well....fitted two of the wheels on the drivers side only to have a problem as there is some scrubbing on the rear wheel - tyre size is 205/50/16

 

Will these work these wheels? Or am I just wasting my time...

[KruJoe]

That's a fine looking vehicle.

Those wheels will polarise your audience, for sure.

Enjoy!

[SierraMikeHotel]

I think the most I've ever sworn in the space of an afternoon was changing the exhaust on one of these...

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Well....fitted two of the wheels on the drivers side only to have a problem as there is some scrubbing on the rear wheel - tyre size is 205/50/16

Will these work these wheels? Or am I just wasting my time...

Clearly too wide on the rear. You might want to try a 195-width tyre and see if you can get away with that.

 

If you're set on keeping this wheel style on, I think it would show better if they were the same colour as the body, i.e. white.

[Wingz123]

Clearly too wide on the rear. You might want to try a 195-width tyre and see if you can get away with that.

 

If you're set on keeping this wheel style on, I think it would show better if they were the same colour as the body, i.e. white.

I think your right re width of tyre ill go out in a bit and see whats going on. Re changing the colour of the wheels.....steady on I’ve got enough of my other cars sapping money - this is just meant to be a cheap hack - these wheels I have had sitting in the garden for the past two years when I scrapped a Xsara Picasso a while back

[Tadhg Tiogar]

?...Re changing the colour of the wheels.....steady on I’ve got enough of my other cars sapping money - this is just meant to be a cheap hack - these wheels I have had sitting in the garden for the past two years when I scrapped a Xsara Picasso a while back

Just get a rattle can and some masking tape. Nothing fancy.

 

One of the previous owners of my Citroën was clearly not one to be messing with polished or brushed alloys so he sprayed them gloss off-white - I kid you not - and that's exactly how they are today. It gives a 1950s look to a 1980s car.

[Wingz123]

I see what your saying - I’ll have a think about this - at current its trying to get the bloody wheels to fit without scrubbing! As I say, i fitted these in the pitch darkness last night and havent been out to investigate yet but my guess is they are scrubbing the outside of the tyre on the arch - so I could pull the arch out or do we reckon they are rubbing on the inside?

[Rocket88]

Roll arch with baseball bat............

[Tadhg Tiogar]

....my guess is they are scrubbing the outside of the tyre on the arch - so I could pull the arch out or do we reckon they are rubbing on the inside?

I wouldn't mess about with bodywork as that's already in good condition and you don't want to be making future problems by distorting it. Reduce the tyre width. Have you got a 195-tyre handy?

[Wingz123]

I don’t think I do no that be the trouble :/

[puddlethumper]

Another vote for xud's here.

I got a good one out of a 95 xantia and since putting it in in 2010 its never FTP.

Oil and filter every six months, never had to add any in between. It's a good un !

 

P.s. And I don't drive it like an old giffer either.

[Wingz123]

I’ll go out and see whats what if its too much hassle I’ll just refit the old wheels.

 

Needs a good clean and hoover too and mop but the mop’ll come when the weathers a bit warmer

[Tadhg Tiogar]

You should be able to see my gloss white wheel here!

 

 

I'll get a clearer photo when the weather's a bit brighter.....

[Wingz123]

Love that old Citroen!!! I think the snow is detracting from the brightness/glossy look of the wheels ha!

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Here, try this:

 

 

Note the tasteful areas of overspray onto the rims....

[Wingz123]

Sadly had to take them off the car as they were just far to close to the inside of the arch and the outer lip and quite frankly, this car is completley original right down to the radio don’t want to butcher it up!

 

Anyway, fitted the old wheels back on which are the correct wheels and tyres for the car and its rubbing the inside of the arch???? I didn’t think these suffered pissy rear axles did they like the 206’s where the wheels camber inwards?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

..., this car is completley original right down to the radio don’t want to butcher it up!

 

Anyway, fitted the old wheels back on which are the correct wheels and tyres for the car and its rubbing the inside of the arch???? I didn’t think these suffered pissy rear axles did they like the 206’s where the wheels camber inwards?

When the original wheels were previously fitted, was there any rubbing, i.e. before you took them off?

[Rusty_Rocket]

I didn’t think these suffered pissy rear axles did they like the 206’s where the wheels camber inwards?

It's exactly the same axle, apart from the dimensions...

[dollywobbler]

Yup, alas it's all Peugeot, so same problems. 

 

Ride should be sublime. Annoyingly so for a hydropneumatic fan. If it isn't, then either the dampers are shot or the axle bushes are shot. Or both...

[Rusty_Rocket]

If the axle is 'shot' all is not lost nowadays, however. Plenty of well rebuilt ones on eBay for under £300/250. I'd happily spend that on an otherwise good car- even if that would double its cost

[Wingz123]

Yup, alas it's all Peugeot, so same problems.

 

Ride should be sublime. Annoyingly so for a hydropneumatic fan. If it isn't, then either the dampers are shot or the axle bushes are shot. Or both...

 

Wish i’d known this i have scrapped many a 206 in the past with this problem

[Wingz123]

Calm down james calm down it’ll be alright it’ll be alright breath breath.

[Wingz123]

Trailing arm bearings ordered I’ll give this a go myself....let you know how I get on...

[Wingz123]

Some good news(ish) - on further investigation - it is the rear drivers side bearing that is screwed. It is quite common to mistake the wheel bearing for trailing arm bearing wear and viceversa

 

Oh well, either way, I have a trailing arm bearing kit for when they do decide to let go. The car had previously been parked up for three months and I gave it a run on some quieter roads with my plates the other day - all I can put it down to is that drive shocked the car and it shat its bearing.

 

I would compare what I am experiencing to dollywobblers/hubnuts video where he picks up his green zx, drives back and ends up having to change the bearing. So much so it is the exact same corner of the car!!

[D Spares & Tyres]

Don't bother. By the time its making the wheel foul the arch it means the beam is buggered. Get another axle. Easy to change.

 

Best bodge is to put wheel spacers on it. That'll give you a few more months wear out of it, although it will wear the tyre out quicker

[Anthony]

Don't bother. By the time its making the wheel foul the arch it means the beam is buggered. Get another axle. Easy to change.

Unfortunately in my experience (having rebuilt dozens of 205/306 type beams) he's right - by the time it's showing significant negative camber, it's usually worn through the bearing and knackered the beam tube by wearing it oval. You're wasting your time replacing the bearing and shaft if this is the case, as the bearing won't be properly supported and will fail prematurely.

 

Swapping the beam for another used one is in many ways a false economy on these if you're planning on keeping the car, as by and large they're all dying now and most of the claimed "good" beams will have pitted shafts, failing bearings and perished seals when you knock them apart. The single biggest piece of advice I can give is to rebuild a beam sooner rather than later when it still subjectively appears to be good - by the time they're showing symptoms of death like seizing or excessive camber, it's often too late to fix them cheaply/easily as the tube will also be kippered.

 

That said, 306/ZX/Xsara tubes are still easily sourced and, while I've not personally used them, I believe there is/was a company selling "new" tubes with fresh bearings etc already fitted for a fairly reasonable price - I thought it was eBay, but had a quick look and can't see them now.

 

If you're refurbishing yourself, you need a hydraulic press to swap the trailing arm shafts, but the rest can be done fairly easily without specialist tools. They can be a pain to get apart depending on how knackered they are and how little grease was used on the torsion bar splines in the factory.

 

If you're looking for a replacement used beam, 306, ZX and Xsara (not Xsara Picasso) beams are all interchangeable to a point, but there are geometry differences in the trailing arms, drum and disk rear brakes (stub axles differ), ABS and non-ABS, ride height and differing thickness torsion and anti-roll bars depending on spec.

 

Worth noting that 106/206/AX/Saxo type beams are slightly different in fundamental design to 205/309/306/ZX/Xsara in that the shafts are part of the beam tube and not as easy to replace if you leave it too long and they get pitted/worn/corroded.

[Eddie Honda]

 

The non-hydraulic method.

[Wingz123]

Go and figure this one out....

 

Same steel wheels all round

Same tyre size

 

When I changed the wheels back to the steelies at the weekend after trial fitting those alloy wheels I went and put the wheel that was initially on the front on the back. This is when I still got rubbing...

 

So swapped the steelies AGAIN between the back and the front on the drivers side......no rubbing....as I say, same tyre size and same steel wheel size (width etc)

 

Someone explain to me why the wheel that was first fitted to the front (that I fitted on the back) rubbed when it is exactly the same as that that used to be fitted to the back (and that one doesn’t rub).....

 

Doesn’t make sense in my opinion...!?