I've just tried the LHM strut lubrication idea from the Common Fixes section on my 97 Xantia TD. I'm certain no fluid was sucked up into the pipe and thus none got to the strut. So what's the next step? Do I force LHM up the tube with a syringe? Do I pull the plastic bellows cover down from the top of the strut and grease or use LHM? If its the bellows route, then how to get the thing back over the ring at the top?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Cheers
Duncan
Xantia front strut lubrication
Moderator: RichardW
Duncan - did you use a clear jar to see if any LHM was syphoned in ?
Also it's imperative the leak-off hose is in good nick, no cracks, as then it simply takes in air instead.
I prepared to do it on my BX this morning, and found out that if the jar/bottle with LHM is on the ground, then the LHM could simply be too far down to get syphoned up.
It's cold, rainy & windy here right now, so I dont have the guts to continue. Weather forecast is better later today, hope I get hands on.
Best alternative would be continued LHM injections with a syringe, until the hose runs over, ensuring the strut is filled.
Also it's imperative the leak-off hose is in good nick, no cracks, as then it simply takes in air instead.
I prepared to do it on my BX this morning, and found out that if the jar/bottle with LHM is on the ground, then the LHM could simply be too far down to get syphoned up.
It's cold, rainy & windy here right now, so I dont have the guts to continue. Weather forecast is better later today, hope I get hands on.
Best alternative would be continued LHM injections with a syringe, until the hose runs over, ensuring the strut is filled.
Duncan -
Any chance you have a small strong magnet in your toolbox ?
I just had a look again on the schematics for BX/Xantia/XM struts.
Noticed the "swollen" section on the hose, right before it enters the rubber dingy ?
I'm pretty sure this is the wellknown ball bearing non-return valve, as found in one of the 2 hoses on the BX strut.
This non-return valve will block off the hose when the strut is syphoning !
It may be possible to keep it open by a strong magnet pulling up the BB from it's seat. The magnet could be located with gaffertape or plastic strips.
Any chance you have a small strong magnet in your toolbox ?
I just had a look again on the schematics for BX/Xantia/XM struts.
Noticed the "swollen" section on the hose, right before it enters the rubber dingy ?
I'm pretty sure this is the wellknown ball bearing non-return valve, as found in one of the 2 hoses on the BX strut.
This non-return valve will block off the hose when the strut is syphoning !
It may be possible to keep it open by a strong magnet pulling up the BB from it's seat. The magnet could be located with gaffertape or plastic strips.
Just finished lubing me BX front struts -
It's a lot easier using the keyboard writing up solutions - than getting the hands dirty [:D][:D]
I thought using a tallish slim 1L LHM bottle would do the job, but the leak-off hoses are much shorter than I had on mind [:I]
Sorted it using a small jar (approx 0.1L) zip-tied to the hoses, holding the hose ends at bottom of jar. The jar was simply dangling down from the hoses - at front to the control arm - and quite easy to fill up from a LHM bottle. It only seeped up some 0.05L, approx half the jar content.
Took each side at a time, and did the Citaerobics a few times. In my case the LHM did not get dirty - at all.
Now to the final test drive [8D][8D][8D]
No words for it - you <i><font color="green"><b>have</b></font id="green"></i> to try it yourself [:p]
Lubing the strut rod using grease is good - but <font color="green"><b><i>this</i></b></font id="green"> is aaaahhhh .... [^][^][^][^]
... MUST be an easier way doing this [:)]
It's a lot easier using the keyboard writing up solutions - than getting the hands dirty [:D][:D]
I thought using a tallish slim 1L LHM bottle would do the job, but the leak-off hoses are much shorter than I had on mind [:I]
Sorted it using a small jar (approx 0.1L) zip-tied to the hoses, holding the hose ends at bottom of jar. The jar was simply dangling down from the hoses - at front to the control arm - and quite easy to fill up from a LHM bottle. It only seeped up some 0.05L, approx half the jar content.
Took each side at a time, and did the Citaerobics a few times. In my case the LHM did not get dirty - at all.
Now to the final test drive [8D][8D][8D]
No words for it - you <i><font color="green"><b>have</b></font id="green"></i> to try it yourself [:p]
Lubing the strut rod using grease is good - but <font color="green"><b><i>this</i></b></font id="green"> is aaaahhhh .... [^][^][^][^]
... MUST be an easier way doing this [:)]
Anders,
The one way valve would explain why when I injected 50ml of LHM into the pipe, then removed the syringe, 50ml of LHM squirted out! (anyone know if LHM is bad for tyres?) I tried using a very strong magnet to move the BB but without being able to see what I was doing, and with lots of steel for the magnet to stick to rather than the probable oneway valve, it all was a bit pointless. Any ideas how to tell if you have moved the BB other than trying to squirt LHM down the pipe? I think us Xantia owners will have to work out a different method. Could anyone post the diagrams of the Xantia strut, as there may be something useful.
By the way the symptoms I'm trying to cure are jerking when rising at the front, and occasional groans (from the struts!).
Cheers
Duncan
The one way valve would explain why when I injected 50ml of LHM into the pipe, then removed the syringe, 50ml of LHM squirted out! (anyone know if LHM is bad for tyres?) I tried using a very strong magnet to move the BB but without being able to see what I was doing, and with lots of steel for the magnet to stick to rather than the probable oneway valve, it all was a bit pointless. Any ideas how to tell if you have moved the BB other than trying to squirt LHM down the pipe? I think us Xantia owners will have to work out a different method. Could anyone post the diagrams of the Xantia strut, as there may be something useful.
By the way the symptoms I'm trying to cure are jerking when rising at the front, and occasional groans (from the struts!).
Cheers
Duncan
Duncan,
Only schematic I know of on the web, is the XM strut :
http://citroeny.cz/servis/xmser/predni_vzpery.gif
I'm still not sure IF there is a BB valve in the Xantia/XM strut hose, as a couple of owners had success.
I'm lost here, as I dont have detailed info on these struts.
Hope other readers can enlighten this.
I have to limit my write up to apply only for BX struts, until the method has been prooved to work on Xantia/XM.
Only schematic I know of on the web, is the XM strut :
http://citroeny.cz/servis/xmser/predni_vzpery.gif
I'm still not sure IF there is a BB valve in the Xantia/XM strut hose, as a couple of owners had success.
I'm lost here, as I dont have detailed info on these struts.
Hope other readers can enlighten this.
I have to limit my write up to apply only for BX struts, until the method has been prooved to work on Xantia/XM.
This is just a thought, based on logic and theory & absolutely no practical experience (How's that for a disclaimer?)[:o)]
Could it be possible that the 2 hoses on a Xantia are operating slightly different than to a BX? Would it work if the hose with the apparent ball valve was left out of the bottle but the other one was left in? The ball in my opinion (if there is one) should be sitting at the bottom or towards the open end of the pipe, so if a crochet needle (plastic & no sharp end) is carefully slid up the pipe & the ball pressed upwards, that should break the vacuum and allow the LHM to be sucked into the strut......shouldn't it?[?][8]
Alan S[8D]
Could it be possible that the 2 hoses on a Xantia are operating slightly different than to a BX? Would it work if the hose with the apparent ball valve was left out of the bottle but the other one was left in? The ball in my opinion (if there is one) should be sitting at the bottom or towards the open end of the pipe, so if a crochet needle (plastic & no sharp end) is carefully slid up the pipe & the ball pressed upwards, that should break the vacuum and allow the LHM to be sucked into the strut......shouldn't it?[?][8]
Alan S[8D]
BX front struts are quite different from XM/Xantia(/C5?) ones, as I explained a while ago (maybe a year?).
Xantia struts are similar to ordinary twin-tube dampers, except that damper valve is on the sphere. And, there is no nitrogen or air in outer tube (it's also in the sphere, remember?) - it's completly filled with LHM. There's only one pipe leading from the strut - overflow (at least I didn't see the second one). I think there's no non-return valve in the pipe, because there is no need for it - LHM won't be sucked in the strut during extraction like in BX, I presume. Lower part of the slide bearing on the top of the strut is lubricated with LHM.
BX struts are different. A 32mm diameter (from my remembering) thing coming out of the strut isn't a piston, but cylinder. Piston is in the strut. Only lower part of the strut (outer tube) is filled with LHM, and two pipes are coming from the strut - breather and overflow. Slide bearing on the top of the strut isn't lubricated, so it doesn't last very long.
Xantia struts are similar to ordinary twin-tube dampers, except that damper valve is on the sphere. And, there is no nitrogen or air in outer tube (it's also in the sphere, remember?) - it's completly filled with LHM. There's only one pipe leading from the strut - overflow (at least I didn't see the second one). I think there's no non-return valve in the pipe, because there is no need for it - LHM won't be sucked in the strut during extraction like in BX, I presume. Lower part of the slide bearing on the top of the strut is lubricated with LHM.
BX struts are different. A 32mm diameter (from my remembering) thing coming out of the strut isn't a piston, but cylinder. Piston is in the strut. Only lower part of the strut (outer tube) is filled with LHM, and two pipes are coming from the strut - breather and overflow. Slide bearing on the top of the strut isn't lubricated, so it doesn't last very long.
Alan -
That was my first mistake on these struts [:I]
There is only 1 (one single) return hose on XM/Xantia front struts, as opposed to the 2 hoses found on BX struts.
The internal construction of the XM/Xantia strut is very different from the BX strut.
I've just exactly finished editing my write up, with a disclaimer for XM/Xantia struts using this lubing method.
Have a look : Lubing front struts
That was my first mistake on these struts [:I]
There is only 1 (one single) return hose on XM/Xantia front struts, as opposed to the 2 hoses found on BX struts.
The internal construction of the XM/Xantia strut is very different from the BX strut.
I've just exactly finished editing my write up, with a disclaimer for XM/Xantia struts using this lubing method.
Have a look : Lubing front struts
Hello Everyone - I'm brand new to this forum so please be patient if I've "missed the boat" on this topic.
A few years ago I had a Citroen BX which seemed to have a hard ride.
On advice, I changed the front spheres. The results were disappointing - no difference!
I phoned the garage who had fitted the spheres and explained that I wasn't happy. The Mechanic was very helpful. He explained that the the problem was probably due to the front struts. These ride in a nylon collar which after a few years, tend to stick, producing a "jerky" suspension.
"Open the bonnet, look at the top of the strut and you'll see a plastic plug. Pull it out and squirt in some WD40."
I did this and it worked like a charm. Thereafter I repeated the excercise every 3 months and continued to enjoy the Citroen suspension.
It really did work for me and I hope it will help those with a similar problem.
A few years ago I had a Citroen BX which seemed to have a hard ride.
On advice, I changed the front spheres. The results were disappointing - no difference!
I phoned the garage who had fitted the spheres and explained that I wasn't happy. The Mechanic was very helpful. He explained that the the problem was probably due to the front struts. These ride in a nylon collar which after a few years, tend to stick, producing a "jerky" suspension.
"Open the bonnet, look at the top of the strut and you'll see a plastic plug. Pull it out and squirt in some WD40."
I did this and it worked like a charm. Thereafter I repeated the excercise every 3 months and continued to enjoy the Citroen suspension.
It really did work for me and I hope it will help those with a similar problem.
I thought that non had gone up the pipe[:0] But I convinced myself some fluid had Oh Well........
Lubed struts again this afternoon,and this time had a good look around as I did it with a big light and mirror.
Put LHM around with oil can as high as I could up strut rod watched it run down to top of strut outer (the black bit) where it pooled up, lowered suspension and the pool disapeared, but outer was still dry, so did it again and sent it up, whilst the car went up I held the strut and could feel friction in the strut, lubed and went up and down again about 5 times either side, the motion in the strut definately got smoother.
Looking with light and mirror Lhm was definately going somwhere and not dripping down.
Took a bit of time but not to messy, just kept going when the fluid was pushed out the way and put some more on with oil can, wiping the excess away. Will let you know results........TO BE CONTINUED!!!![^]
Lubed struts again this afternoon,and this time had a good look around as I did it with a big light and mirror.
Put LHM around with oil can as high as I could up strut rod watched it run down to top of strut outer (the black bit) where it pooled up, lowered suspension and the pool disapeared, but outer was still dry, so did it again and sent it up, whilst the car went up I held the strut and could feel friction in the strut, lubed and went up and down again about 5 times either side, the motion in the strut definately got smoother.
Looking with light and mirror Lhm was definately going somwhere and not dripping down.
Took a bit of time but not to messy, just kept going when the fluid was pushed out the way and put some more on with oil can, wiping the excess away. Will let you know results........TO BE CONTINUED!!!![^]