Xantia sphere "game" question

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longgo
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Xantia sphere "game" question

Post by longgo »

Hi chaps,
My car is 1.8 16V Xantia MKII estate, without hydractive year 2000.
The original spheres are, or should be: 400cm3 - 55bars - 1.5mm orifice front , and 400cm3 - 40bars - 1.2mm orifice rear. That is by book, but now i need to replace them so the rear one will be for MkII because they have 1.2-1.25mm orifice and MkI if not mistaken was 1.1. But what i can do for the front?
I have few thoughts of replacing them with similar but from MkI like 400-70bars-1.65mm or 450-65bar-1.65mm from 1.9D. Or to buy the original one 400cm3 - 55bars - 1.5mm and try to over drill to 1.55 or 1.6mm?
I`m not racing driver and like the smooth ride(racing and xantia :rofl2: ) so my money for now are on 1.9D ones but will be happy of some opinion.
Now perhaps will ask - why not monroe or IFHS comfort ones? For IFHS mate of mine told me he bought set for his car(exactly same as mine) few years ago before sell it, and they didn`t felt any further softer than OEM ones. And I never been using Monroe but RCA for my old one, and some NO NAME now which i presume are made from Lizarte. That noname are for sale in one big spare parts market chain and cost about 42-45e each, ans the IFHS including delivery will be no 175e for set of four.
Any advice? #-o
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Re: Xantia sphere "game" question

Post by Old-Guy »

IFHS Xantia sphere table here, but no data given for the comfort spheres, so it's not clear if the comfort spheres are suitable for your Xantia.

For the last 2 years, I've fitted IFHS spheres on both of the Xantias we have had - they seem to be as good as Amtex.
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Post by addo »

Isn't Finland part of the "pays froids" category for Citroën parts? That means a different sphere to the UK, oddly it's the same multicouche sphere as for pays chauds.
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Re: Xantia sphere "game" question

Post by Mandrake »

There is no mechanical or hydraulic difference in the suspension design between Series 1 and Series 2 Xantia's that would have any bearing on sphere suitability, so in that sense Series 1 and Series 2 spheres are fully interchangeable as long as you stick to the same engine class, hydractive/non hydractive, and hatchback/estate. (Rear spheres are very different between hatchback and estate, and hydractive and non hydractive spheres are very different)

The only real difference is that some of the earlier low powered S1 Xantia's like the 1.9D had ridiculously high pressures like 70 bars on the front strut spheres to give a soft floaty ride which was unsuitable for the higher performance Xantia's which had lower pressures like 45/50/55 bars. (firmer ride) Later on they standardised on the firmer spheres for all models including the lower powered ones. These sphere changes were not due to any changes in the suspension design in the Series 2 - just a decision to change in the ride vs handling balance, and quite possibly to reduce the number of sphere skews in inventory as well.
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Re: Xantia sphere "game" question

Post by longgo »

@addo - have no clue.. Didn`t cut any of the old ones to see.

I can fit any BX, Mk1, CX, XM spheres. That`s not the problem. My old xantia Mk1 1.8 8V was with 70 bars front and 40 bars rear (originally men to be 30 rear) and was riding quite nice and wasn`t any issue so far with stability.
Faster "new" xantia? Well, that Mk1 was 101 HP by documents and on highway I manage to squeeze 185km/h as top speed. Now that "modern" speedster Mk2 what I drive has 1.8 16v - 110hp(+10hp)
What max speed I drove it was 170km/h just for test but perhaps will not go more than 190 and it will be as I try to kill that poor animal. So I do not see any such difference and hence that is not V6 or 2.0 ACAV/CT, the "power" state is out of the picture. I can say casual "floating" is around 80km/h most of the time and 120-30km/h only from time to time on the highway.
The rear new spheres for estate has orifice hole 1.2mm and 40 bars, as the old one was 1.1mm for NON hydroactive cars as mine. That already is solved case. My questioning is for front ones. To get 65bars 1.6mm or to stuck on 1.5 55 bars. There is difference between hot and cold countries in membrane design and pressure. For cold ones as here should be 55bars, and oh hot ones(presume Italy, Spain) 50 bars. That is by "book" but cant say it is so for sure. Comfort ones from I.F.H.S will fit on my estate, but never found what actual specs they has. Just I quoted my mate`s opinion that they wasn`t that "comfortably" different than OEM ones he bought here. And that is why ask you guys what you`ve experienced using them.
Personally,also I never been using Monroe which here are for sale and have comfort version, which i presume is again 5-10bars extra pressure and 0.05mm extra size in the orifice.

And another crazy idea : the main accumulator sphere is 62 bars on 400cm3 and anty-sink one is 50bars 400cm3. Both hasn`t any dumpers inside, just hole. What will be if replaced the the anty-sink with 62 bar ones? Better rear performance or blowing some pipes :roll:

And something I didn`t pay attention : sphere-shop.co.uk sell "I.F.H.S." comfort one for my car under "XAVACOMFHL SP8089" but SP8089 is Monroe number. Does it mean Monroe make spheres for I.F.H.S. or is just for reference?
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Re: Xantia sphere "game" question

Post by longgo »

Just to lift up little the topic. I order Monroe SP8090 and SP8090, because by catalog were comfort ones and with better price tag in the shop I was looking at. And receive: I.F.H.S sphere in box branded Magnum technology ?!.
So somehow that explain why the product code of IFHS catalogue are : XAVACOMFHL SP8089 / XAHACOMFHL SP8090. And why there are three brands on the market selling same product under different name and price - no clue.

Because forgot to measure one thing before place them on spot , can someone give me orifice size of rear comfort sphere I.F.H.S. XA HA COMF HL / XAHACOMFHL SP8090?
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Re: Xantia sphere "game" question

Post by lexi »

Was that from Mr Auto you bought?
Citroen C5 1.6 HDI 110bhp Estate 06 plate

French Mistresses gone.
Citroen C5 HDI Mk 1 hatchback
Vel Satis 3.5 v6
ZX 1.9D Est.
ZX 1.9DHatch
Xantia 1.9td est.
Xantia 2.0 hdi Est.
Xantia V6 MK1
Xantia V6 MK 2
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longgo
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Re: Xantia sphere "game" question

Post by longgo »

Actually no.German site which have own version for almost any eu country
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Re: Xantia sphere "game" question

Post by aneesh84 »

And how long these Magnum Technology spheres last you?
Xantia Estate 1999 2.0 HDI 110
C5 2005 2.0 HDI 138
Nissan Leaf 2018 40Kwh
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