Another "speared" Xantia strut top...Check YOURS!

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rossnunn
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Post by rossnunn »

Ok some pics for you;

Offside strut top mount
http://web.onetel.com/~glynnunn/ross/pics/strutd.jpg

Nearside strut top mount
http://web.onetel.com/~glynnunn/ross/pics/strutp.jpg

Cars a 1996 (N) SE 1.8 16v with just over 90k on the clock.
Image
LeeDJC
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Post by LeeDJC »

rossnunn wrote:Ok some pics for you;

Offside strut top mount
http://web.onetel.com/~glynnunn/ross/pics/strutd.jpg

Nearside strut top mount
http://web.onetel.com/~glynnunn/ross/pics/strutp.jpg

Cars a 1996 (N) SE 1.8 16v with just over 90k on the clock.
The nearside one is imminent!!! I'd do both, but that n/s looks like it will go at any time now!!

I've just picked up my two new tops from Citroen today....will post some pics later so you can compare any differences between these and the original ones.
2004 Berlingo Multispace HDI, 105000
andmcit
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Post by andmcit »

Hi Lee.

Just a thought...

...while you've got your new ones still off the car in a nice new clean condition is it possible to post some good pics showing what the damned things are SUPPOSED to look like [off the car]!?

Will help to cover all aspects of this issue with Xantiae.

Andrew
andmcit
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Post by andmcit »

rossnunn wrote:Ok some pics for you;

Offside strut top mount
http://web.onetel.com/~glynnunn/ross/pics/strutd.jpg

Nearside strut top mount
http://web.onetel.com/~glynnunn/ross/pics/strutp.jpg

Cars a 1996 (N) SE 1.8 16v with just over 90k on the clock.
It's a difficult call from just seeing these from almost side on, but the droopy rubber covering and dropped gaitor don't bode well for the nearside and the glimpse of the brown rustlike area is cause for concern. You REALLY need a good close look at both of these on the visible metal and prod the rubberised lower face to see if it's crunchy!

Thing is, whilst you may still be able to get the gaitor to stay up, there may likely be terminal grot in the metal strut top collar unseen - hope the spheres have a reasonable damping left in them to cut down on the impact onto the strut.

At the very least watch these - one I caught on a recent rescued estate was actually starting to tear away on the metal collar so it wasn't an all-in-shape-fine and then totally-gone-the-next-minute failure... :shock:

Andrew
rossnunn
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Post by rossnunn »

well the nearside was ok until I proded it, does feel a little crunchy but I checked the rest of the plate & it seems solid, I also took a look from the top & there is a little surface rust but no more.
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LeeDJC
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Post by LeeDJC »

andmcit wrote:Hi Lee.

Just a thought...

...while you've got your new ones still off the car in a nice new clean condition is it possible to post some good pics showing what the damned things are SUPPOSED to look like [off the car]!?

Will help to cover all aspects of this issue with Xantiae.

Andrew
Yep, no probs. That was the plan.... :)

Will give everyone a good idea then. Also can compare to old ones to see if any strengthening mods have been made (if a good comparison is possible)
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LeeDJC
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Post by LeeDJC »

Pics of my new strut top as promised:

Image
Image
Image
Image
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LeeDJC
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Post by LeeDJC »

rossnunn wrote:Can you take the metal plate off the rest of the strut top?
I'm thinking there is a engineering place near the that will galvanise most stuff & he'll guarantee it'll not rot again.
Nope, doesn't look like it.
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LeeDJC
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Post by LeeDJC »

I think I can see the design fault with these. Basically the part which you can see from under the car when it's fitted is covered in rubber, hiding any rusting which is forming.

The reason it's rusting though, is because the top of the plate, which is up against the inner wing only has minimal rust protection. Also I should imagine any water, mud, general crap etc will sit up in there quite nicely and corrode the plate.

Only when it starts getting really bad is when you'll notice it, due to the rubber covering.

I think the best way to prevent this from happening again is to remove and throw away the old ones, and prior to fitting the new ones, make sure the inner wing where the plate will go up against is perfectly clean. Then apply liberal amount of waxoyl to the top of the mounting plate and to the inner wing.

Then precautionary measures should be taken every 12 months or so. By removing sphere, and hydraulic pipe then undoing the four mounting bolts. This will then allow you to drop the strut top through the inner wing enough to inspect, clean and re waxoyl the mounting plate.

I think this is the *only* way to stop this from happening again in the future. I also think this will be essential if/when citroen decide to stop producing the strut top.

This is certainly what I will be doing, as I intend to keep my Xantia for some time.
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rossnunn
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Post by rossnunn »

I was thinking the other day to be fair ours is now 10 years old so thats not bad really. If thats the only major major thing to go in 10 years I recon thats ok.
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RichG
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Post by RichG »

I have just done a 66000 mile service on my Xantia and was fearful of what I might find under the front wheel arches after reading this thread. I was surprised to discover that the strut tops showed no signs of corrosion and looked the same as they did when they were installed. Some 'boggling' with a screwdriver confirmed this fact.

Richard
1998 Xantia 1.9TD Estate (Sold - replaced with Skoda Octavia (sorry))
LeeDJC
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Post by LeeDJC »

I've just done both of mine today. TBH they looked worse than I think they actually were. Def better safe than sorry tho. Now I can drive the car the way it should be driven with total piece of mind :)
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DaveW
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Post by DaveW »

[quote="LeeDJC"]

Just did a search on Google, and found a cached post from the andyspares forum. A nice guide on how to replace the strut top.

quote]

I tried googling and the only Andyspares pages that came up "... cannot be found ..".

It would be useful if you would post the link to the page you found on here.

Dave.
Xantia Forte 1.8i, 16v X reg.(09/2000) 93K, aircon
andmcit
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x 30

Post by andmcit »

RichG wrote:I have just done a 66000 mile service on my Xantia and was fearful of what I might find under the front wheel arches after reading this thread. I was surprised to discover that the strut tops showed no signs of corrosion and looked the same as they did when they were installed. Some 'boggling' with a screwdriver confirmed this fact.

Richard
Checking them is half the battle - better safe than sorry in this case!

Your '98 car has a way to go yet to catch up with the exposure of weathering as Lee's '95 car where it's starting to go - while he says there'd possibly be more life left in the ones removed off his I do believe it'd only need a particularly bad pothole that is all too common everywhere now or the usual launchpad traffic 'calming' hump to exacerbate the rusting problem with painful results.

I'd get some paint onto the crowns of them - it's a good idea to drop the strut head down and inspect/protect the metalwork hiding there if you don't mind the fiddle/fuss.

On the balance of costs, yes, 100 quid each side every 10 years is no more horrible than getting quality tyres/brake discs & pads or exhaust components.

It's just be A REAL SOD getting a straight correctly coloured bonnet - I've spent over a year now trying fruitlessly to find one in the CORRECT metallic DARK green that'd be worth the hassle of travelling/collecting what with the added pitfalls of dents, ripples, fading or peeling laquer to get one that I need for my VSX, so I KNOW!!

I've got a lovely white or gold one but I don't want to look like a TAXI!!

Andrew
andmcit
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Joined: 03 Mar 2005, 17:59
Location: Swansea - South Wales
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x 30

Post by andmcit »

LeeDJC wrote:I think I can see the design fault with these. Basically the part which you can see from under the car when it's fitted is covered in rubber, hiding any rusting which is forming.

The reason it's rusting though, is because the top of the plate, which is up against the inner wing only has minimal rust protection. Also I should imagine any water, mud, general crap etc will sit up in there quite nicely and corrode the plate.

Only when it starts getting really bad is when you'll notice it, due to the rubber covering.

I think the best way to prevent this from happening again is to remove and throw away the old ones, and prior to fitting the new ones, make sure the inner wing where the plate will go up against is perfectly clean. Then apply liberal amount of waxoyl to the top of the mounting plate and to the inner wing.

Then precautionary measures should be taken every 12 months or so. By removing sphere, and hydraulic pipe then undoing the four mounting bolts. This will then allow you to drop the strut top through the inner wing enough to inspect, clean and re waxoyl the mounting plate.

I think this is the *only* way to stop this from happening again in the future. I also think this will be essential if/when citroen decide to stop producing the strut top.

This is certainly what I will be doing, as I intend to keep my Xantia for some time.
Lee, I'd concur with everything you've said - you've had to get your hands dirty tackling this issue, but now may just find a sharpening of your handling/steering as a result - how do you feel the car drives now after the new strut tops!?

I worry about the parts guy saying 'sorry mate, it's been discontinued or on "back order"', any day soon...

Andrew
Last edited by andmcit on 08 Jul 2006, 22:24, edited 1 time in total.
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