Xantia lumpy front at raising and lowering

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Dommo
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Xantia lumpy front at raising and lowering

Post by Dommo »

I've heard about Xantias being lumpy when rising up or going down (I think it was in that video on youtube by someone on here actually!), I remember it saying it means something needs greasing, is this what the lurching/lumpiness looks like at 0:55 - 1:05 and at 2:47-2:52 in this video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoSpWVqICTM

If so, what is it that needs greasing, the struts??

There's something else I wanted to ask but can't for the life of me remember what it is... So I'll ask in a minute if I remember.

Thanks.
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Post by red_dwarfers »

If your talking about the videos on the French Car Forum channel, thats me :wink:
Basically, you need to pull down the gaiters on the suspension struts (naturally after having put the car on high and slipping axle stands under the jacking points on the sills) and grease them with either LHM or grease. As to which grease is best I don't know, I just use Moly.
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Post by Dommo »

That's the one, Kev! I need to do that then, well I don't need to but I want to just as a precaution. Isn't leaving it bad for wear on the strut? I bet it helps sensitivity once lubed up as well actually. Is LHM or grease best for lubing it up then? With LHM it would at least be able to flow down the strut when it extends, whereas with grease it would get pushed up and stay up out of the way surely?


That's the other question - Why when hydractive engages (over speed bumps or driving fast on quite bumpy roads, for example) would the back end be quite bouncey? I'm assuming it's dodgy rear corner spheres, or rather hoping it is because I've ordered some!

Cheers :)
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Post by Xaccers »

I've used lithium spray grease before with good results
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Post by Old-Guy »

Personally, I use a spray-on white grease that contains PTFE (teflon) - I think it's made by Wynns.

You might also give the front height corrector mechanism a good greasing.

Then regular Citarobics sessions will help keep the suspension working smoothly at all times.
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Post by Dommo »

Old-Guy wrote:Personally, I use a spray-on white grease that contains PTFE (teflon) - I think it's made by Wynns.

You might also give the front height corrector mechanism a good greasing.

Then regular Citarobics sessions will help keep the suspension working smoothly at all times.
I was looking at the height corrector at the weekend actually, I wasn't sure where to grease?? I looked at the thing the Activa roll corrector thing acts on, but much above there I can't tell what requires grease?

Thanks.
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Post by red_dwarfers »

Take a look at this Dommo. A few pictures down is a cleaned and greased front HC.

You might not want to take the corrector off if it is generally working okay. not sure what access is like on the Activas but I imagine it will be a lot more cramped to grease on car.
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Post by Dommo »

Cheers Kev. I'll have a look into it further, but it's very hard to see what's what down there with the roll corrector linkage being in the way.

I call my Activa 'Kev' by the way, as the number plate ends in EKV :lol:
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Post by red_dwarfers »

Dommo wrote: I call my Activa 'Kev' by the way, as the number plate ends in EKV :lol:
I feel privileged to have the same name as an Activa :D :lol:
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Post by Dommo »

red_dwarfers wrote:
Dommo wrote: I call my Activa 'Kev' by the way, as the number plate ends in EKV :lol:
I feel privileged to have the same name as an Activa :D :lol:
No problem Kev :lol:

I do sometimes call it a cActiva however.. Usually when it requires 60 litres of fuel after 380 miles of moderate driving!!
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Post by vince »

Does anyone have any tips on re attaching the gaitors to the top mount again. I have done it before but i have one (the same one) and im having difficulty re attaching it all the way round its circumference.

Thanks
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Post by Dommo »

vince wrote:Does anyone have any tips on re attaching the gaitors to the top mount again. I have done it before but i have one (the same one) and im having difficulty re attaching it all the way round its circumference.

Thanks
I'd also like to know the answer to this!

And does anyone have any clues about the other question I had as I've got the spheres now?
Dommo wrote:Why when hydractive engages (over speed bumps or driving fast on quite bumpy roads, for example) would the back end be quite bouncey? I'm assuming it's dodgy rear corner spheres, or rather hoping it is because I've ordered some!
Thanks :)
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Post by CitroJim »

Dommo wrote: I'd also like to know the answer to this!
Ahh, 'tis a tricky one.

Ensure the ring on the strut top is nice and clean and smooth.

Ditto the gaiter topmost concertina (the one that will fit over the ring.

Smear a spot of LHM on the ring. This lubricates things just enough to help.

Bring the gaiter up and engage the rear part of the first concertina into the ring so that it's sort of half hanging on and hanging of the strut top ring.

Grasp the second or third concerta in in your fingers and pull up the whole gaiter, rotating as you go until the whole of the first concertina is engaged with the ring.

Utter some choice phrases and it'll go home.

If the weather is cold, gently warm the gaiter with a heat gun on low setting to warm it a little.

Make sure the gaiter is free to easily rotate fully around both the strut top ring and the strut itself at the bottom of the gaiter.

Don't use any tools on the gaiter to attempt to get it to engage on the ring. You risk tearing it.

Practice makes perfect :wink:
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Post by CitroJim »

Dom, sorry, in answer to your second question. Yes, bounciness in hard mode is likely to be the rear corners.

They can go completely flat and you can be generally blissfully unaware of it because the car is in soft mode (by Activa standards) for most of the time and the centre sphere is doing all the work.

It's not unusual to find hydractive corners are ruptured when you spin them off. They will squirt you if they are...

Conversely bouncyness in soft mode will likely be the centre sphere.

EDIT: A good test of corners is to drive briskly over a hump-back bridge. Anything less than perfectly composed and it's new corners time. The car will switch to hard going over the bridge.
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Dommo
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97 S1 VSX 1.9 Turbo D
99 Xantia Activa
98 2.1TD Xantia
99 306
x 19

Post by Dommo »

CitroJim wrote:Dom, sorry, in answer to your second question. Yes, bounciness in hard mode is likely to be the rear corners.

They can go completely flat and you can be generally blissfully unaware of it because the car is in soft mode (by Activa standards) for most of the time and the centre sphere is doing all the work.

It's not unusual to find hydractive corners are ruptured when you spin them off. They will squirt you if they are...

Conversely bouncyness in soft mode will likely be the centre sphere.

EDIT: A good test of corners is to drive briskly over a hump-back bridge. Anything less than perfectly composed and it's new corners time. The car will switch to hard going over the bridge.
Definately sounds like the rear corners are shot then, as I suspected. In soft mode it's fine, but I went over a speed bump quite briskly and the back went pretty bouncey, same happened once going up a fairly bumpy road at a fair pace too, so I just assumed it's the corner spheres.

Another thing I was thinking, with the engine off and door closed for >30 seconds, the rear end does pretty much lock out, which even though it's in hard mode, it shouldnt do surely? As the rear corner spheres should still be doing something to absorb movement?

Anyway, I have a pair of rear corner spheres, manufactured a massive 16 days before I picked them up!! Just need to make up a sphere removal tool and I'll get to it. I'll also grease/lube the front struts while I'm doing some work on the suspension. I assume all spheres are the same diameter? And therefore a tool made to fit one sphere should fit them all?

Thanks Jim. Dom.
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