Any car - I need clearance without the need for a 4x4 | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

Sun 13 Dec 2020 16:05

Any car - I need clearance without the need for a 4x4 - JamesSmith123

I live down a track and it’s in Spain so it’s never muddy and i don't need a 4x4 except for the clearance.

I need some help here re a car that has some god clearance, everything here is rust free but costs about 2/3 times the price. So if it’s an older car that would be great. I was thinking of a Citroen C5 with the adjustable suspension but sounds a bit complex to me. Does anyone have any suggestions on what too get ?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 13 Dec 2020 16:11

Any car - I need clearance without the need for a 4x4 - dan86

I live down a track and it’s in Spain so it’s never muddy and i don't need a 4x4 except for the clearance. I need some help here re a car that has some god clearance, everything here is rust free but costs about 2/3 times the price. So if it’s an older car that would be great. I was thinking of a Citroen C5 with the adjustable suspension but sounds a bit complex to me. Does anyone have any suggestions on what too get ?

Majority of the 2wd crossovers would suit as they all sit higher than a normal car with raised suspension

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 13 Dec 2020 17:07

Any car - I need clearance without the need for a 4x4 - Avant

Toyota RAV-4 or one of the Kia or Hyundai SUVs perhaps? These - particularlty the RAV-4 - have been in production in one form or another for some time, so there should be one to suit any budget.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 13 Dec 2020 18:33

Any car - I need clearance without the need for a 4x4 - Bromptonaut

How much clearance do you actually need - what are you using now?

You mention the Citroen C5. I ran two successive BXs and then a Xantia between 1989 and 2013. The everyday ride was brilliant and fact it maintained its ride height irrespective of load was superb. The facility to take the ride height to intermediate for obstacle clearance was a plus but only gained a few inches. Driving at max height isn't recommended other than for exceptional obstacles - there's no damping at that setting.

Hydropneumatic suspension was, by 1989, pretty mature technology having been around since the mid fifties. If you check how it works it's not actually that complex but techs working on it need to understand it and, after 10 years since it disappeared form mainstream C5 models that knowledge is thinning fast.

Five plus years ago replacing the spheres was still a menu item in French chains like Norauto but probably not now. If there's an old style Citroen specialist in your bit of Spain you might be OK. I think I'd struggle in the UK, certainly once the French Car specific garage in my nearest town hangs up his spanners as he must do soon.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 13 Dec 2020 18:36

Any car - I need clearance without the need for a 4x4 - badbusdriver

Depends on both your budget and what is available to you in Spain.

First thing though, a hydraulic suspension Citroen might seem a god idea for the ability to raise it up, but in reality it wouldn't be. Not just because of the complexity, but because when the suspension is raised, it is rock hard. So if this track of yours is particularly rough, you'd have to go along at a snails pace to try and prevent the possibility of breaking something.

If you don't mind something old and basic, given the Spanish climate, I'd be inclined to look for something like a Renault R4. Spacious, simple, rugged and typically (for an old French car) soft loping suspension.

If that is just a step too far back in time, maybe a late first get Citroen Berlingo/Peugeot Partner Combi or a 2nd gen Renault Kangoo. These are actually pretty close in spirit to the old R4 and there should be plenty kicking about.

But just be aware that you definitely don't want low profile tyres on big alloy wheels, regardless of what you end up buying.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 13 Dec 2020 21:14

Any car - I need clearance without the need for a 4x4 - KB.

Mention of the Renault R4 had me looking them up. It's an intriguing thought, but with your practical head on rather than your romantic head on it's probably a step too far. I had a Reault 16 and learned what a really rusty car looked like.

Apart from the other, worthy, suggestions, I'm thinking a Dacia Duster must come reasonably close to fitting the bill?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 13 Dec 2020 23:00

Any car - I need clearance without the need for a 4x4 - mss1tw

Do they do the Dangel Berlingo/Partner over there

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 13 Dec 2020 23:57

Any car - I need clearance without the need for a 4x4 - edlithgow

You could fit a lift kit to your existing vehicle if its suitable. There are various options, starting with rubber spring inserts (though these compromise and stress the suspension), and then perhaps going to supplementary air bags, I used to have a link to a British seller of the latter who wasn't very expensive, but I seem to have lost it.

If you fancied a trip, there were places in "The souk of the mechanics" in Marrakesh that would cast you strut top spacers and do other desert-driving adaptations pretty much while you waited, and very cheaply. Hopefully they are still operating, though I daresay prices have gone up.

Casablanca as well, apparently, though I havn't been there.

I thought of doing an improvised lift to the Skywing as an "appropriate technology" student project, but couldn't quite lever it into the schedule.

DIY Hydro-pneumatique?

https://www.autospeed.com/cms/a_111868/article?popularArticle

Uses Firestone rolling lip airbag (water filled) linked to pop bottle accumulator. Twin-airbag spring assist kits for rear axles seem to be about 150 US, about the same as Sumo-spring rubber inserts, though latter gives no adjustment.

Edited by edlithgow on 14/12/2020 at 00:03

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 14 Dec 2020 01:04

Any car - I need clearance without the need for a 4x4 - edlithgow

Pug 205 seems to do OK

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZmzGYANZvI

Sorry, a bit muddy. And a bit French

Sand

www.youtube.com/watch?v=c88j0Qw4UXU

still French though.

He's got other vids showing suspension and other mods.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=afdo-AWcc3c