Xantia II Estate - Rear Suspension Cylinder Differences

addo · Post by **addo** » 04 Jan 2009, 12:20

There have been several changes noted by different part numbers..

Non-Hydractive: Up to RPO 8208 (early 1999?), then from 8209 through 8518, then one afterwards until cessation of the model.

Hydractive: Up to RPO 8056 (late 1998?) then another P/N until cessation.

Sphere specs didn't change through all this, so I am curious what the variations represent. Anyone willing to offer their opinion?

How common are Hydractive estates in the UK, especially Series II?

Thanks, Adam.

Post by **aerodynamica** » 04 Jan 2009, 13:07

Quite often the estate version of some model has different rear hydraulic strut dimensions - the diameter it increased.

For the same sphere and suspension arm a slightly larger piston diameter will give a firmer ride (actually firmer damping and a sharper spring rate change over its stroke)

A thicker piston will have a higher load capacity as the same pressure of LHM holding it up is spread over s larger piston area.

<just thought I'd add that in

addo · Post by **addo** » 04 Jan 2009, 21:15

G'day Graeme,

Your comments made me look back through the parts listings. Piston diameter makes some sense as with the Hydractives, crossover regulators changed at that same time point. I'd wondered if there were other elements to the changeover, like position of fluid connections.

Worth noting, perhaps, that they changed a final time "on the fly" after only about 150 RPO numbers - perhaps an urgent tweak was in order?

Now I just need to find someone breaking a W-reg estate with Hydractive, for the rear cylinders!

Regards, Adam.

rory_perrett · Post by **rory_perrett** » 04 Jan 2009, 22:08

Just come across this one this afternoon. Changing the rear suspension arms from my 1998 Xantia hatchback to my 2000 one and I thought I would change the rear cylinders as well. Duscovered that the hydraulic feed pipe is different and has a different sort of seal with suspension cylinder. The 1998 car has a flared end, metal to metal fit, the 2000 has the usual Citroen rubber seal arrangement. The unions were also a different size across the flats, one was 17mm (1998) the other 16mm (2000) Confused me. Not sure about any other differences.

addo · Post by **addo** » 04 Jan 2009, 22:12

Wow; thanks for the info - could be a trap for new players, given how inaccessible the hydraulic lines are above the subframe. Don't suppose you took any "work in progress" detail photos?

How do your cars' RPOs sit with reference to the lists above?

Thanks, Adam.

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 04 Jan 2009, 22:30

I cannot be too certain what the exact differences between the pipes are
that Rory describes, but I'd only expect the real difference between the
pipes to any ram to be the normal 3.5mm with rubber seal flared end on
the standard hydropneumatic and the bigger rounded end banjo joint of
the hydractive on the fatter (10mm or thereabouts) diameter VSX/EXclusive/
Activa.

Graeme is correct to mention the diamter of the piston and Citroen has done
this upgrade or heavier duty ram on the estate over a saloon on models such
as the GS/A and CX in the past, to the point where new subframes and rear
trailing arms/brakes were totally different to their saloon counterparts.

I'd say a late s2 estate with hydractive would be a very rare sighting
- does it have to be s2 as there were a damnsight more s1's so the
probability of finding one that's being broken is a lot higher!

Andrew

rory_perrett · Post by **rory_perrett** » 04 Jan 2009, 22:36

The 1998 car is RP7783, the 2000 is RP8509. Wasn't in the mood for pictures, getting too annoyed that the job wasn't going as smoothly as I wanted and that I wasn't going to get both sides done today. Got to finish the job (probably next weekend} so will try and get some pictures then if I'm in a better frame of mind. I notice that the rear antisink valve is different as well not sure how significant that is. Earlier this week I swapped the right hand engine mount (body to bracket), supposed to be different part numbers but looked the same and fitted no problem. The one on the 2000 car had failed completely!

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 04 Jan 2009, 22:53

What are the specs for the two cars you're changing items between Rory,
are they both hydropneumatic or is one an Exclusive?

Andrew

addo · Post by **addo** » 05 Jan 2009, 08:51

Good stream of info so far; if we can run it to ground, should be a decent reference for anyone in the future.

Dash Rip Rock wrote:Everybody, SOLOS!

(Also known as multiple tangential post theory...

)

Anyone care to kick tyres on the new (UK) cost of 5272 44 (left rear estate cylinder, hydractive final version) and 5272 45 (ditto but right rear)? Emails from Oz to UK dealers usually get ignored...

Regards, Adam.

rory_perrett · Post by **rory_perrett** » 05 Jan 2009, 12:09

Andmcit

The 1998 car is a 2.1TD Exclusive, the 2000 car is a HDi 110 TD Exclusive both Hydractive.

The main reason for the swap is the rear disks and pads on the 2000 car needed replacing and the ones on the 1998 car are reasonably new. As the 1998 had just had new arm bearings thought the best thing was just to change the lot. As the 2000 car's rear anti sink doesn't seem to be working I thought I would take the opportunity to change the rams as well in case they were leaking, followed by the rear accumualtor and anti sink valve to see if that cured it (already changed the front accumulator). Might have to think again if bits aren't the same.

Rory

addo · Post by **addo** » 05 Jan 2009, 20:44

Hi Rory, my 01/99 estate rear suspension droops a little, too - about 1½" after not long sitting. Maybe they changed some settings from the factory, and this just tips it over the edge of bleeding down slightly?

Regards, Adam.

rory_perrett · Post by **rory_perrett** » 05 Jan 2009, 22:44

Adam

Mine is a bit more pronounced than that. If you switch the engine off and load anything of any weight into the boot a minute or so later the back drops down to the stops. A small bag of shopping is enough. Although it can appear to "stay up" overnight as soon as you get in, down goes the back, and it can take 30 secs or more to come back up again.

The 1998 car, although it is 2 years older and twice the miles never sunk down, even during the 6 months I ran it without a rear anti-sink sphere. Fluid is obviously leaking back at quite a rate.

addo · Post by **addo** » 03 Feb 2009, 09:33

Back to this one after some digestion of minutiæ on Service.Citroen!

All X2 estates run the same seal kit; therefore bores are the same. It's a larger bore than the X2 saloons (which are all the same). So the changes are most likely in entry pipe only - as Rory outlined.

This also means, that in a country where you can't visit the scrappy for a pair of H-II estate rear cylinders, it should be possible to remachine the seats to convert from SX small bore tubing to Hydractive size...

Does anyone sell a tooling set to do these seats, or can it be made up with modified mill cutters and taps?

Thanks, Adam.