31 replies to this topic

[ryan22_lgm]

Right slammed the metro at the front today and you guessed it the driveshafts popped out ! So I have read about extending the pot joints on here before but can't seem to find it now ! Or can you buy bigger ones? Cheers guys!!!!

[rally515]

Im in no way wanting to lower my metro more than is now but id be genuinly intrested in knowing more about this extended cv joint

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

If you've lowered it so much that the driveshaft popped out it must look utterly ridiculous and not to mention dangerous. The Metro is to much of an easily accesible car for people that just want to buy a car which is easily lowered, and they always end up looking rubbish 

Edited by Mini-Mad-Craig, 03 July 2013 - 10:32 PM.

[ryan22_lgm]

If you've lowered it so much that the driveshaft popped out it must look utterly ridiculous and not to mention dangerous. The Metro is to much of an easily accesible car for people that just want to buy a car which is easily lowered, and they always end up looking rubbish 

Haha I'm sure it's not as dangerous as some of these vws going round scraping on everything. I'm just interested to know about extending pot joints !

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

But they're lowered on springs for the most part, not a system which was specifically designed and engineered precisely to run at a certain PSI. Metros don't even have shocks, your entire rebound and compression is determined by the pressure of the hydragas system. 

[rally515]

But they're lowered on springs for the most part, not a system which was specifically designed and engineered precisely to run at a certain PSI. Metros don't even have shocks, your entire rebound and compression is determined by the pressure of the hydragas system. 

 

Hi craig, by shocks as a common way of saying shock absorber's can i confirm this is what you mean ? as my metro is hydro but has shocks ? confused haha

[Chance]

I think some of the early ones had shocks at the front but later on they were taken Off and had no shocks

Think I read it on metro owners club website somewhere

Edited by Chance, 04 July 2013 - 04:07 AM.

[Mk1Dave]

Still had shocks. The hydro gas units act as the spring I believe. Never seen a metro or mgf which uses the same system that didn't have shocks. When I worked at rover

Edited by Mk1Dave, 04 July 2013 - 09:55 AM.

[Rob Gavin]

some of the early cars and Turbo's had front shocks fitted. 

 

with regard to the lowering, first thing, have you shortened the rods or simply let out pressure?  I wouldn't recommend the latter as the hydragas units will not be performing correctly.

 

second;  the more appropriate way of getting round the drive shafts popping out is to raise the engine so the shafts are back in line with the hubs - this was a trick in the old metro challenge cars I believe

 

just my tuppence worth

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Still had shocks. The hydro gas units act as the spring I believe. Never seen a metro or mgf which uses the same system that didn't have shocks. When I worked at rover

 

What were you at Rover exactly? A cleaner? 

[Mk1Dave]

Still had shocks. The hydro gas units act as the spring I believe. Never seen a metro or mgf which uses the same system that didn't have shocks. When I worked at rover

 
What were you at Rover exactly? A cleaner? 

In sure in rember the later ones having shocks. If I'm wrong I can live with that. It was along time ago memory isn't all that great

Edited by Mk1Dave, 04 July 2013 - 12:56 PM.

[Ethel]

The pressure is down to the weight of the car, obvious if you think about it.  You're only altering the volume of hydrolastic fluid. That doesn't make haphazard lowering a good idea, if you've altered the driveshaft geometry so far that they've fallen to bits; you surely have to wonder about the ball joints etc being asked to go where they physically can't.

 

The comparison with dubbers stops at how far they are off the floor, not how it's achieved, if you were contemplating fitting a length of skirting board to your sills it might be valid.

[All-agroA+]

its obviously lower than absolute 0 on the bump stops. Lower isn't always better, if you want to lower a Metro PROPERLY then you don't let fluid out, firstly individualise the displacers, then you need to machine the displacer cone tubes that locate the displacer knuckles. you machine more than is needed and then adjust the height by pressurising the fluid side more than standard pressure. this Lowers AND stiffens the suspension. 

 

 

if your shafts are coming out, its TOO LOW! 

[hankins]

But they're lowered on springs for the most part, not a system which was specifically designed and engineered precisely to run at a certain PSI. Metros don't even have shocks, your entire rebound and compression is determined by the pressure of the hydragas system. 

 

 

Lowering as much the VW people do on just springs is outright dangerous. Changing just the springs is just part of the system, to lower a car correctly you don't just lower the hight the car sits at,this is all changing springs would do. 

 

To lower a car correctly the goal is to keep the suspension geometry as close to standard as possible but have the hight the car sits at lower than standard.

With a lot of engineering and thought it is possible. I managed to lower a 206 130mm all round and retain the standard geometry 100%, it was a nice ride and never bottomed out once.

[mini13]

as above if the shafts are coming out its too low for the road, been there done that,

 

that said, you have two options (apart from raise the height)

1) get a set of metro challenge drive shafts, they are a bit longer to prevent exactly this on low track cars, good luck with finding a pair though!

2) get two sets of std shafts cut and cut and join them to get a lengthened set, there are people that splice shafts for mini engine conversions for a reasonable price, try looking on 16v mini for example.