Xantia suspension gaiter

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Jaf
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Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by Jaf »

Hi guys. I noticed that the gaiters over the front suspension strut have perished. I've got the news ones coming in on Monday. Anyone changed them? Any tips? The guys at Citroen reckon it's about 4 hours to change the pair.

Cheers!
Fred, a silver 1998 1.9TD SX Xantia.
Gwin, a white 1994 1.1 AX.
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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by CitroJim »

Hi Jaf!

It's not that bad. You need to knock the struts out of the strut tops and that's easy enough. Loosen the big nut on top of the strut top and with the nut still mostly on the thread, give it a whack with a soft-faced mallet to break the taper between the strut piston and the strut top. Then remove the nut completely (it'll need counter holding via the hex or Torx in the top) and then the strut will fall down and you'll be able to pop the new gaiter on. getting the top of the gaiter back on the big ring under the strut top can be the trickiest part.

It's never four hours though unless you take a lot of tea breaks during the job!
Jim

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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by Xaccers »

Use a rag to help grip the inner piston when you push it back up inside the strut top, or maybe a big extendible magnet to help keep it up as it will be very slippery when covered in LHM.

For getting the gaiter back on, fit as much as you can, then gently use pliers to pull the remaining edge up and spin the gaiter around as you go.
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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Just a thought. While you've got the strut top off it would be a good idea to give it a thorough inspection.
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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by Jaf »

Thanks Jim, Xac, Hell Razor. Take it you do it with the suspension on full to give it some space?

I remember years ago changing a strut. It was one of the ones where you have to use the spring compressor. Put the spring compressor on, started undoing the nut and it was very tight. Eventually it came loose and the strut smacked me right inbetween the eyes! I saw stars and had a big bruise! Although I'd put the spring compressor on I'd completely forgotten to tighten the thing up! Sigh.
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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by CitroJim »

Hell Razor5543 wrote:Just a thought. While you've got the strut top off it would be a good idea to give it a thorough inspection.
Yes, a good thought :-D Although there is no need to actually fully remove the strut top it is so easy to do when doing a gaiter change you'd may as well and give the whoe thing a good bath in rust preventative wax...

Although, where I believe you are Jaf rust is not such a problem as it is to us UK-based folks...
Jaf wrote:Take it you do it with the suspension on full to give it some space?
No, on low but with the front of the car high on axle stands so the strut and wheel have enough room to fall say six inches. No need really to remove the wheels although it perhaps makes it a little easier...
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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Ah, can't help with this, not having done one. The reason I suggested inspecting the strut top is because of this link;

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 19&t=19386" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

James
Last edited by Hell Razor5543 on 17 Nov 2012, 19:02, edited 1 time in total.
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ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by Xaccers »

Set the car on high, put axle stands under the front jacking points (you may not need to even jack the car at all, but if you do use the front subframe - I normally try and get the jack's cup over the large nut you can see just behind the front wheels), then set the car on low and when it settles open the 12mm bleed screw on the regulator by the accumulator sphere at the front of the engine no more than 2 turns, then stop the engine.
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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by andmcit »

From that speared strut thread referenced above - pictures are always a good way to show repairs:
Important lesson learned the hard way it seems.

This sight greeted me this lunchtime when I was about to go on a mosey out:

Image

The sphere bracket crown was as rotten as a peach on close concentrated
attention where I tugged all the rubberised covering off the underside, yet
to look at it without actual prodding it all 'looked fine'. The giveaway had I
taken the trouble to be more thorough was the paint lifting on the topside
ledge which flaked away in big swathes to reveal a less than happy more
regularly found bobbly rusty surface.

It would seem that removal to check isn't strictly necessary if you're
prepared to have a real go at the faces visible. I've had the car since
January and done little more than drive it, change the engine oil & filter
and all the Activa rear spheres with the plan to have a thorough going
over checking brakes etc when the weather improves and the light
evenings lengthen - seems events overtook me here.

I must be out of practice as it took me near 2 hours; that's after I'd
finished faffing about getting the bracket from Citroen, bought some
silicone sealant and then remembered I needed to get LHM fluid from
GSF before they closed at 2 just in case I spilled loads about the place!!

FWIW, I've taken some rough and ready pics with my mobile as I was
afraid of doing nasties to my damned expensive Canon Digital Camera.

This is the car as I managed to leave it outside my work with the system
fully depressurised - the bonnet is scrap but is still managing to just about
stop the weather getting into the engine bay.

Image

As Richard said earlier, in a nutshell you basically have to remove
everything connected to the 'sphere mounting bracket' or strut top;
the fluid feed pipe and it's clip/bracket, the main corner sphere and
then you need to undo the big nut on the crown that holds the end
of the strut's inner ram against a taper inside the strut top.

Image

sphere wrench from GSF:

Image

As the car is hydractive, the feed pipe for the hydraulics is the same
diameter as your finger as opposed to the usual 3.5mm.

The big nut of the top is usually very tight; here the whole strut head
swung around and round as it'd totally broken/separated off the wheelarch
- I had to put the sphere back on hand tight to brace it against the
surrounding engine bay fitments:

Image

Image

The next bit is my dodge to knock the inner piston downwards into the
main body - I've learned the hard way in the past that the thread on it's
end can be burred over if you're not careful hitting it as there's not much
to see or hold the nut - I usually have another identical nut to take up the
depth of a socket that I can then give a short sharp tap against - here I
used a small adapter from the socket set - the allan key head in the piston
end allows the nut to be threaded off if it catches and just turns:

Image

You then need a long bar with a slim diameter to compress the inner piston
downwards into the main strut body which will eject a fair bit of fluid about
the place and you could keep the main hydraulic feed connected until after this stage:

Image

The broken head was loose to simply lift out here though it would normally
be connected to the donut/collar attached to the wheelarch if it's still in one piece
- chance would be a fine thing...

you can see here the top face of the LHM covered bump stop:

Image

and this is that inner bump stop:

Image

Then the totally mullared collar/donut is undone:

Image

and dropped down the main strut leg:

Image

and fished off. I've been very nasty to it tugging it about before it got
removed and the lower rubber has hidden a multitude of sins behind it's
smooth rustfree outside surface...

A totally rusted lump of rubbish - no wonder it collapsed! :(

My dodge that is a 'bit hairy', is to have the car supported by a big trolley
jack (additional blocks/timber is additionally used to hold the bodywork up
with both wheels off the floor and the wheel of the corner in question is left
on - I've found it's easier to get a purchase on the whole strut leg and
move it about to get the right orientation

BUT YOU MUST WATCH THAT YOU DON'T PULL THE DRIVESHAFT
OUT OF THE GEARBOX OR SPLIT ITS TRI-AXE KNUCKLE ON THE
INBOARD END!!


For this particular side of the car, I had the car with a slight left lock on it
to help prevent this happening so easily although it doesn't look very nice: :shock:

Image

Image

I then fitted the newer gaiter bellows before I forgot (guess how I found
it's IMPORTANT TO DO THIS BEFORE BEING DISTRACTED BY
EXAMINING THE OLD KNACKERED STRUT in the past...) :roll:

Old and new:

Image

Image

The new strut top has a noticeable bump on it's forward facing edge which
must allow easy identification of it's presence on prospective new Xantia
purchases:

Image

Rightho - the assembly!!

I'm determined that this one will be around as long as I can keep the car,
so lashings of clear silicone sealan**** applied:

****EDIT - not such a good idea I've been advised - Acrylic based? TBC

Image

Top of the strut has been swung out to allow access for the old/new sphere
mounting bracket:
Image

Now fit the lovely new strut top and FIT THE BUMP STOP - remember this:

Image

it's a fiddle but you need to fit it inside the strut top head from underneath!!

DO NOT FORGET TO FIT IT!!

I HAVE IN THE PAST AND NEARLY DID AGAIN TODAY!!
Yep, it'll all need to be dismantled to fit the offending item AGAIN...

only handy if you need the practice!! ;)

Now with the wheel aligned right by leaning against it, I can orientate the
strut and grip the inner strut and feed it upwards into the sphere mounting
bracket - it's a bit slippery with LHM so you may need a bit of paper towel
to get a grip on it.

Image

you will find with a bit of jiggery pokery and patience that you can feed the
inner piston up through the head to protrude enough to feed the nut onto
it's thread!!

I could now almost just reshow the removal pics and pretend they're
fastening it all but you get the general idea!! Take your time and reattach
the remaining pipes etc and the jobs a good'un!!

****EDIT - use loctite/threadloc on the big nut on the stru top to maintain
a secure fastening/seal - there are two o rings on the taper and this is the
only way to guarantee no leakage!!

I'm not saying this is the definitive method, just the way I find it works
for me, and if everyone finds a better procedure/sequence post it up with
piccies here!! ****Thanks Simon/Lexi for additional pointers/corrections!!

Image

Image



Andrew
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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Hello Andrew,

Could you copy and paste that VERY USEFUL post into the one I linked to? That one is a Supersticky, and your post would be useful to have there, to make it simple to find.

James
James
ex BX 1.9
ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR

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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by andmcit »

This is there lost on page 13! :lol:
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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Found it!

James
James
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ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by citronut »

i would have thought it easier to separate the bottom of the strut from the hub, then slide the gaitor up from the bottom of the strut,
a lot less to undo
Regards, malcolm.

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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by CitroJim »

I don't think you'll get it up past the leak-back foot or the drop link tab Malcolm. The gaiters are not very stretchy... they're made of plastic rather then rubber...

Plus you'd have to disconnect the drop link and that may entail use of an angel grinder and thus the destruction of an otherwise perfect drop link...
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Re: Xantia suspension gaiter

Post by citronut »

CitroJim wrote:I don't think you'll get it up past the leak-back foot or the drop link tab Malcolm. The gaiters are not very stretchy... they're made of plastic rather then rubber...

Plus you'd have to disconnect the drop link and that may entail use of an angel grinder and thus the destruction of an otherwise perfect drop link...
ok
i had forgotten about the drop link bracket :roll:

i'll go sit in the naughty corner :oops: :wink:
Regards, malcolm.

current ride a BX 1.7 TZD estate
1986 MK1 BX 1.9na D Auto(in Mothman Andy's stable )
layed up roppy 1.9TD XANT estate, now gone to meet her maker
purple and lilac metalic 2CV(VIOLET)registered to her in doors
1972 DS special been layed up aprox 31 years
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