Suspension and steering
General information
The front suspension is of independent MacPherson strut type incorporating coil springs and integral telescopic shock absorbers. The lower end of each strut is attached to a hub carrier, which carries the wheel hub and bearings, and the brake assembly. The lower end of each hub carrier is attached to a suspension lower arm by a sealed balljoint. The inboard ends of the lower arms are attached to the front suspension crossmember and the lower arms thus provide lateral location for the strut assemblies. The upper end of each strut is bolted to a suspension turret on the vehicle body. An anti-roll bar is mounted to the rear of the lower arms, and resists the roll tendency of the front suspension.
On Saloon, Hatchback and Estate models, the rear suspension is also of independent type, incorporating semi-trailing arms, coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. The semi-trailing arms are attached to the suspension crossmember at their forward ends, and to the hub carriers at the rear. The coil springs are located between the semi-trailing arms and the vehicle underbody.
On Saloon and Hatchback models, the shock absorbers are mounted behind the coil springs, but on Estate models they are concentric with the coil springs. On some Estate models the shock absorbers are of the self-levelling type. The suspension crossmember is attached to the vehicle underbody, and to the final drive unit. Certain models are fitted with an anti-roll bar which is mounted to the rear of the final drive unit, and is attached to the semi-trailing arms by connecting links.
The rear suspension on P100 models consists of a beam axle located and supported by a leaf spring on each side, and utilizing telescopic shock absorbers to control vertical movement. The hub and brake assemblies are attached directly to each side of the axle. The axle is bolted to the leaf springs using U-bolts and counterplates, and the shock absorbers are attached to the counterplates at their lower ends and the vehicle underbody at their upper ends.
The steering gear is of the conventional rack and pinion type located ahead of the front wheels. Movement of the steering wheel is transmitted to the steering gear by means of a shaft containing a universal joint. The front hub carriers are connected to the steering gear by tie-rods, each having an inner and outer balljoint. Power-assisted steering is available on some models, assistance being provided hydraulically by an engine-driven pump.
See also:
Cylinder head - removal and refitting (engine removed)
Note: The cylinder head bolts must always be
renewed after slackening, and a new cylinder
head gasket and camshaft cover gasket must
be used on refitting. If the engine has recently
run, the cylin ...
Fuel vapour separator (models from 1985) - removal and refitting
Caution: Refer to the
precautions in Section 1 before
proceeding.
Removal
1 On SOHC models, the vapour separator is
located on the left-hand side of the engine
compartment. On CVH models, the va ...
Engine oil
Checking the engine oil
Refer to the scheduled maintenance guide for the appropriate intervals
for checking the engine oil.
1. Make sure the vehicle is on level ground.
2. Turn the engine off an ...
