DS Sport.

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Aaron

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Fellow Frogger
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Jan 7, 2003
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Newcastle
After spending some time trawling through DS websites I have again become a little enchanted with the DS Sport..

The DS just looks so good when it is lowered...

Is there a way of lowering the ride hieght an inch or two?

I understand that it is possible to drop the car right down to the ground with height adjuster but was of the opinion that this wasn't especially good for the car.

Any Ideas or experience with this?
 
Don't do it. You'll be hitting the bump stops all the time ... The only way to lower it is using the lever.

seeya,
Shane L.
 
Sure I understand that lowering the car down onto the noggins is asking for trouble... big trouble.

But I was wondering how plausible it was to lower the 'normal' ride height an inch or two ?

Just a matter of less gas / or adjustments of some kind?
 
Aaron said:
Sure I understand that lowering the car down onto the noggins is asking for trouble... big trouble.

But I was wondering how plausible it was to lower the 'normal' ride height an inch or two ?

Just a matter of less gas / or adjustments of some kind?
Click to expand...

The trouble is by lowering the car down your taking travel out of the suspension, ie: the wheel can only move a small amount in the upwards directions before hitting the bump stop (the bump stop should NEVER be hit in normal travelling, it's only there for the car to rest on when it's 'flat').

You could drop it a little if you severely restricted the fluid flow into the sphere (ie: made it ride like sh!t .... Possibly BX 16valve spheres would do the trick ...). But ??? It's a DS, why get a DS if you want it to ride like a modern day pile of cr@p :confused: :confused:

Very smart engineers spent tens of thousand of man hours, and god know how many millions of $$$$ getting that suspension perfect in utmost secrecy back in the 50's ... I certainly don't know better than them, so will leave it well alone.

seeya,
Shane L.
 
I get your point.
And the suspension of the DS is something to be savoured.

I am just thinking that if a little compromise could be made and the car lowered a little maybe more fun could be had!

I knew I faced the possibility of ex-communication with such a suggestion...
But take a look at the sport! - Its from the factory after all.
 

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Aaron said:
I get your point.
And the suspension of the DS is something to be savoured.

I am just thinking that if a little compromise could be made and the car lowered a little maybe more fun could be had!

I knew I faced the possibility of ex-communication with such a suggestion...
But take a look at the sport! - Its from the factory after all.
Click to expand...

It's just sitting on low. Even the 3litre SM (fitted with a quad overhead cam, triple carby maserati V6) and CX GTi Turbo capable of over 140mph still sit at normal ride height. The sport you show DEFINATLY will NOT be 'lowered'. Citroen were mostly into rallying. I'll let you imagination work out what would happen if the bump stop was hit in mid corner (think zero suspension, tire bouncing off the ground, car heading for the scenery at a high rate of knots due to the bump steer produced by hitting bump stops ....etc...).

If you only drove on mirror smooth roads where there was no likelyhood of hitting the bumps stops you could lower it quite a bit.... It would ride even softer ... until the bumpstops are hit. I personally would never risk it. These cars are 30year old classics, the likes of which will never exist again (can you ever imagine any manufacturer making a car again like the DS :confused: ).

seeya,
Shane L.
 
I agree with you about drving the car on its lowest setting.
Bad idea - And I wasn't really suggesting this as a way to lower the car for everyday use.

I don't think that I would want to lower the car as much as the prototype shown in the picture. Even if it looks cool.

I was just wondering about an inch or two and a little less body roll.

Were the DS lowered at all for rallying purposes or left as standard?
If so - was this a structural change or an alteration to the standard production set-up?
 
Aaron,

You're used to seeing high-performance cars lowered for two reasons -- to lower the centre of gravity (trivial really, and the D is designed for a low CoG anyway), and because shortening conventional springs gives you stiffer springing and better control over the wheel. That doesn't apply to a hydraulic Cit, which has rising-rate springing courtesy of the nature of a compressed gas, plus very good damping.

I'll race something "fully sik" and lowered over a nice set of speed bumps any old day :headbang:

If you really want that lowered look, just set the car to low whenever you park... you're guaranteed to turn heads driving a D no matter how high it is!

Chris
 
I doubt they were lowered at all for rally purposes, ground clearance is your friend :wink2:

I changed the positions of the height correctors on my GT so that the standard lever position was a bit lower, but it has quite hard spheres on it so still didn't bottom out. I wouldn't lower your DS, it was made to body roll :tongue:.

Dads Bx almost feels like a cx/ds - drives like a boat (just kidding dad) because it has CX spheres on the front. Good over speed bumps though.

Dave
 
Aaron said:
I agree with you about drving the car on its lowest setting.
Bad idea - And I wasn't really suggesting this as a way to lower the car for everyday use.

I don't think that I would want to lower the car as much as the prototype shown in the picture. Even if it looks cool.

I was just wondering about an inch or two and a little less body roll.

Were the DS lowered at all for rallying purposes or left as standard?
If so - was this a structural change or an alteration to the standard production set-up?
Click to expand...

Bodyroll is good ... You'd be bloody stunned how well a DS handles a twisty bit of road. I'll take you for a spin in your car if you like and show you what they can really do :eek: :eek: It's only very low speed corners that aren't great in hydraulic Cit's.

Contrary to popular belief, bodyroll does NOT reduce cornering speeds, though it certainly does scare the sh!t out of passengers that get in my cars :roflmao: :roflmao:

seeya,
Shane L.
 
I changed the positions of the height correctors on my GT so that the standard lever position was a bit lower, but it has quite hard spheres on it so still didn't bottom out. I wouldn't lower your DS, it was made to body rol
Click to expand...

F**kn rice boy :roflmao: :roflmao:
 
Sure - I get it!

I have owned a DSpecial before and know the joys... thats why I am looking for another one at the moment. (23 I M - if poss.)

I get abit excited at the prospect of a slightly sportier DS...
little lower - a little faster...
I was just wondering about the logistics...
 
I almost did one afternoon - And I certainly like them.

The DS however has it all in spades as far as I am concerned. even though the D special I had wasn't in perfect condition it is still one of the best and most beautiful cars I've owned.

Never been for a spin in an SM though - I imagine that might change my mind about everything.
 
Back in my hey day I had my GS lowered by adjusting the height correctors. The front was easy, just a matter of loosening off the anti roll bar clamp & squeezing the height corrector to get it where it look fully sic (actually back then it might have been gnarly), then tightening it again.
The rear I added a small (5mm?) cylinder over the threaded rod operating the height corrector. So in normal setting it actually pushed the rod against the lowering side of the height corrector, getting the lower height.
This meant it would not rise completely in high setting though on the rear.
It would often hit the bump stops whilst cruising around town but I could quickly return it to normal if I needed to with 8 & 11mm spanners.
 
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