French Car Forum

GET the strut too!! Then its certain..

You may need to cut the old drop link off in scrappers!

Paul

There's one on ebay now, but from pic, rubber looks a bit perished!
Think I'll take a look down my local scrappers, then I'll be able to get the spheres too!

Any ideas which tools I will need. Think I've read 24mm for the strut top nut?
If I remove sphere, complete strut should drop out bottom right?
Luckily I have a sphere removal tool

cheers.

Yep, that's basically it

Remove sphere and pipe going to strut top. Pull the gaiter down.

Loosen the 24mm nut at the top but don't remove fully, just until the top of the nut is parallel with the top of the threads. Wallop the nut with a big hide hammer to break the taper and the strut will fall. Remove nut and pull strut fully out.

Then remove the four 13mm bolts and remove strut top.

Be preparted for plenty of LHM!

If you need strut tops and the strut to go with it from a S2 theres no need to take the strut top nut off... Get the whole lot.. Safer bet - of course if they want a stupid amount extra for the strut aswell, then its not worth it..

Paul

I JUST WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR!

When I said Series 2 1998 onwards strut tops fit Series 1 cars, I meant the Top AND STRUT - I have no idea if theres a diamiter difference between S1 and S2 non hydractive struts.. I fitted both top and strut leg from a 1998 T reg SX, to my 1994 SX TD... no problem!

Struts are easy to remove, 16mm deep socket for the hub pinch bolt through the rear, cut the drop link, sphere off, 3.5mm feed pipe off with 8mm spanner, tap the hub off the bottom of the strut FIRST, then 4 13mm nuts to remove the strut top, and when you compress the strut you get covered in LHM if its facing you!!!

Paul

OK, so it's either a complete series 2 strut or a new series one top strut!
cheers.

bigblackfalco wrote:OK, so it's either a complete series 2 strut or a new series one top strut.............!
cheers.

........ Top only....

I didn't want to cause any confusion with what I had done or was saying..

Paul

After nearly getting my Xantia sorted I hope this doesn't happen to mine...

On inspection my strut tops look in good condition, the only give away is the gaiters are at half mast and have been for quite a while. On reading through the posts I know that good ones can go pop too.

As GSF don't stock these parts I have been forced to get a quote from the main stealer, they quoted my £156.11 each, gaiters are £13 each plus I will need new seals and nuts too. What a rip off...

I may gamble and get a new bonnet from a scrappy and wait for it to happen. Hopefully not at speed...

I'm not getting any noises/juddering on full lock.

Martin,

You dont really need new seals or nuts! Ive put S2 Xantia SX struts and tops on my S1 Xantia... never used any new seals or nuts either..

If you goto the scrappy, get a set of struts and tops from a S reg onwards car with small 3.5 feed pipes on them!

Regards
Paul

Don't the S2 have this problem then?

Had they cured this fault in the later cars?

Are the S2 SX only compatible with mine? IE, strut length.

Hi Martin,

No S2 Strut tops do not rot like earlyer ones... My tops have done about 250k now, and still looked extreamilly good! And ALL S2 ones ive seen have been like this..

Its not strut length I was worrying abouts more strut piston diamiter into strut top fitting, so to be safe, just fit the whole strut and top...

Paul

Surely one of you roosters can actually do some measuring while it's all apart - will save a lot of postulating?

Cheers Paul, thanks for that.

I'll have a good look in the local yard...

Can anyone advise how much LHM fluid I will need during the replacement of one strut please?

A litre... or so...

Paul