Best place for new spheres

LeeDJC · Post by **LeeDJC** » 05 Apr 2006, 14:53

I have just bought a 1.9D Xantia, but it needs new spheres, def on the back, but while I'm there I've decided it's best to replace all 5 especially as I've no idea when they were replaced last.

Also can you just use an oil filter removal tool, or do you have to use the sphere removal tool for these?

BonceChops · Post by **BonceChops** » 05 Apr 2006, 15:20

try www.gsfcarparts.com

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 05 Apr 2006, 15:20

Their are 6 in total, obviously depending on the age and type of car it is!

2 front spheres
2 rear spheres
1 Accumulator sphere (front)
1 Anti-Sink sphere (back, if its got anti-sink)

And a few more if its Hydra-Active...however if its a straight diesel i wouldnt think it did have Hydra Active however it has it if theres a button next to the gear stick/height control lever

Hopefully Im not wrong guys

LeeDJC · Post by **LeeDJC** » 05 Apr 2006, 15:25

Antisink as well - bugger. Didn't realise that was there. It's a late 95 so I guess it'd have an antisink. I haven't looked yet tbh tho - I know it def isn't Hydractive

If it does have this, how important is it to replace? Are there signs that it needs replacing?

If I don't know when any of the spheres were done, and it's bouncy, would I be better off replacing all of them so I know there all ok, or is this not neccessary?

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 05 Apr 2006, 19:35

If you're going to keep the car for any length of time, I would replace all your spheres. You may find a date printed on them (ie: 06-99) They begin to loose gas from day one, even as they sit in the warehouse, so they can be getting flat after three years or so. You may find it difficult to undo the rears with an oil wrench. Use the search facility to find ideas for removing them - there have been a few suggestions for home-made tools. Also, when doing the antisink sphere make sure you loosen the 9mm(?) union on the rear of the sphere before turning the body. Not to do so will twist the piupe and break it.

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 05 Apr 2006, 19:56

I would also recommend getting them all done at the same time...fairly expensive to do (£25 x 6) but even more expensive if you get a garage to do it.....it will be better on the wallet and give you valuable experience for future reference doing the job yourself.

I dont have my Xantia no more, but its still in the family

and i did the spheres (but not anti-sink) about 2 months ago. The fronts came off very easily even with one looking a bit rusty round the main width...the rears were slightly trickier...we jacked and supported the car up 'too' high at the back and couldnt get the car high enough afterwards to remove the stands

which took the job a bit longer than what it should have done, our mistake..but then this was our first time....they were really quite difficult to get off but we drove off to borrow a friends 'big' grabber type tool which helped a heck of a lot.

Accumulator just wouldnt budge and since the car was going in the next day for a cambelt and water pump i asked for him to do that for me...least he didnt charge

To save you some pennies.....start the car...let the car stabalise its height and listen to how many 'ticks' is coming from the Accumulator sphere at the front..anything less than one tick every 30 seconds then you may aswell change it..if its more than 30 i wouldnt bother.

Remember to take the old o-rings off.......lhm up the new ones and place them in the neck (not the sphere).

Sorry about the long winded post but Im a novice and sometimes a novice's explanation is more informative than the experts hehehe...waiting to be shot down hehehe.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 05 Apr 2006, 23:01

Before changing spheres -

Do the Citaerobics : up & down to full extremes with the height setting - several times. This is to vent out any gas from the hydraulics in the suspension. The gas would of course be from the leaking spheres.
Dop NOT drive the car while doing this

Despite what you may think - gas in the hydraulics side of the suspension makes it feel very rough during drive.

Now test the suspension softness in normal height. This is very simple : jerk down each corner of the car. It should feel soft like any other car suspension. If it feels solid - the associated sphere is flat.
You must have the engine idling to supply pressure from the pump.

Rest of the story is well explained by other submitters above

LeeDJC · Post by **LeeDJC** » 06 Apr 2006, 14:59

Thanks a lot for the advice - I've got the spheres on order, along with a removal tool!

One question tho, what *exactly* is the Citaerobics? I've seen it referenced to in a few posts. Is it going from low to high setting and back again a number of times?

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 06 Apr 2006, 16:27

You've got it in ONE!!!!

LeeDJC · Post by **LeeDJC** » 06 Apr 2006, 16:28

lol, cheers!