xantia suspension getting dangerous.

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Hatty
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xantia suspension getting dangerous.

Post by Hatty »

Hello lads and ladies, I have just joined the forum today although I have viewed posted before through Google. Firstly I most compliment you on this blog sight that ye have its very informative =D> .
From reading the blogs and post I am sure ye are probably sick of the issue I am having the problem with. I have a 1998 turbo diesel Xantia I bought the car for 200e three years ago and I am driving it since, but to be fair I have being doing homemade repairs on it to get if over the NCT or MOT as its called in England. There is 235,000 miles on it now she’s going like a Singer sewing machine but I have a few problems with it.
My must worrying one at the moment is the suspension, I told you that you’d be sick of my problem :roll: . My car has the 6 sphere setup. When I bought the car the front spheres were bad and the car was very hard and bounced up and down on the front I drove it for six months till I got sick of it and replaced them and it was fine. The back ones were Ok till a pin hole leak came on the weld on the sphere itself I risked it [-X and welded it with my tig welder and its grand that was months ago.
But in the last week or so I have found the car to be very wavy on the road its like someone took the antiroll bar out. I checked the bushings wheel bearings wise mountings everything grand . I then noticed when I closed down the bonnet the front of the car bounced. With the car in normal drive mode the car is awful soft in the front I could nearly get the front wheel to touch the arch by bouncing it be its a soft bounce if that makes any sense and when I put the car in the low and two high positions its grand and hard. The back spheres are hard all the time and I know they are on the way out for along time but I am not too pushed about that at the moment.
I don’t think my front spheres are gone again, the car is like a boat on the road for handling and I am very wary of it 8-[ I can even shack the car from side to side by hand and it looks like its on a vibrating table. The only change I did to the car was tighten up the aux belt driving the oil pump as the belt was slipping and noising. And on the same day I went under the car with WD40 and gave a shoot of spray to the linkages that adjust between the heights. Any ideas greatly appreciated.
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CitroJim
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Re: xantia suspension getting dangerous.

Post by CitroJim »

Welcome Hatty :-D

II had this problem a while back on the rear of my Activa. It had me scratching my head trying to understand what was wrong for weeks! I even tested the spheres for pressure and found them good.

The problem was the damping elements in the spheres. They were badly worn and not giving sufficient (or any) damping and therefore making the suspension very soft and bouncy; just like if a accumulator sphere (which has no damping element) was being used in place of a suspension corner sphere which has damping.

You say you replaced the front spheres. Did you use brand-new ones or re-gassed ones? It is possible that if they were re-gassed the damping elements were already wearing.

You can see if the damping elements have any wear by looking at the riveted disc on the end of the sphere. If it is loose then the damping element is worn.

If you replace your spheres I believe you'll find the problem will be resolved. Spheres really are the only thing on a six-sphere car that can cause this.
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
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Re: xantia suspension getting dangerous.

Post by Hatty »

thank you jim
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Re: xantia suspension getting dangerous.

Post by red_dwarfers »

Can't really add any more to be honest.

Welcome to the forum Hatty :)
Kev

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Re: xantia suspension getting dangerous.

Post by Hatty »

thank you kevin. il look forward to thanking to ye all again.
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