VSX strut tops

ohms · Post by **ohms** » 24 Feb 2009, 20:33

Does anybody know how much new strut tops are for the hydractive VSX Xantia please. Got a car in desperate need of replcaments. Does anybody know if second hand units from MK2 xantias will fit please??

Also, the electrovalve on the front and rear suspension, how do I test to see if it is working correctly. I'm sure I heard something about a listening test. Hydractives are all new to me

Thanks chaps

addo · Post by **addo** » 24 Feb 2009, 21:27

People seemed to be paying around £110 each for the strut tops, if they were assertive enough with their dealer. You need to fit a new strut top, O-ring, pipe seal and new locknut. Hydractive and Activa Xantias use the same strut tops - V6s excepted.

Cheers, Adam.

Post by **CitroJim** » 24 Feb 2009, 21:35

ohms wrote:Does anybody know if second hand units from MK2 xantias will fit please??

They will as all new strut tops are now of the MK2 variant.

I'd be be very wary of fitting second-hand ones. They can be duff and not be obvious. For choice, always fit new ones. Xac and I pulld what looked like a good one off a scrapper and it fell to bits in our hands.

Hydractive strut tops don't need a new pipe seal as the pipe (large diamater) has a flare on it similar to the pipes going into the hydraulic pump and not to dissimilar to a brake pipe flare on a conventional car.

New strut tops come complete with new O rings already fitted.

Be careful removing spheres from really bad tops. When we did Fatherjack's, the act of removing the sphere almost finished off the strut top.

addo · Post by **addo** » 24 Feb 2009, 21:39

Jim - from my perusings of the Service.Citroen data, they had a while of using the fat pipe with different seals - then went back to the original setup! The parts numbers change, then change back...

ohms · Post by **ohms** » 26 Feb 2009, 20:51

I have access to some excellent condition strut tops that look to be as new.

Only problem is they're off a non-hydractive car. Is there anyway of modifying the strut tops to fit a hydractive xantia?

Not sure if anybody's ever done this, but would apprecaite ideas/opinions. Haven't got a spare £280 lying around at the moment so am looking for an economically viable solution.

addo · Post by **addo** » 26 Feb 2009, 21:13

I'm certain it's possible. However you'll need a mill, the sealing end cutter (either a flat bottomed drill bit or a flare socket cutter of the correct angle), a pair of taps (intermediate and bottoming) plus appropriate drills.

If you just tried it by hand, there's a near-certainty accuracy would be poor enough to allow decent leaks.

ohms · Post by **ohms** » 26 Feb 2009, 22:49

Maybe more hassle than it's worth.

Do all of the later spec MK2 xantias come wih hydractive suspesnion? Or is it only the high spec models?

Not familiar with later cars and don't know what spec comes with what.

addo · Post by **addo** » 26 Feb 2009, 23:15

Hydractive was optional on Xantia IIs. I have an SX break with standard (non-Hydractive) suspension.

Post by **RichardW** » 27 Feb 2009, 07:48

Hydractive wasn't optional - well only from the point of view that you only got it if you opted for VSX / Exclusive trim!

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 27 Feb 2009, 08:47

the easyest way to tell the diferance between hydactive or not from under the bonnet, is the pipe type/diamiter hyractive stut feed pipe is made up of large diamiter reinforced rubber sections with short sections of 6mm metal pipe with 12mm pipe nuts, standerd susp has 3.5mm pipe with 8mm pipe nuts

regards malcolm

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