strut top warnings

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 04 Jan 2010, 12:06

i just been to the scrappy now and they sold me two whole struts and tops for £70, subject to them having NOT rusted at all i will take them, if not i will get my deposit back, they said come back tomorrow so they can have time to take them off, gives me time to take mine off for the rest of the day, at least i will know the procedure for tomorrow, this may explain why my steering is off centre too!

i took the vw to the scrappy, i woudn't dare drive the xantia anywhere now, i was gonna take it to pick the wife up from the airport tomorrow

i can't imagine what can happen if the strut falls through on the motorway, or on a bend!

now where was that procedure on here??

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 04 Jan 2010, 12:24

deian wrote:now where was that procedure on here??

Gosh

That was a lucky one Dei..

The procedure is buried deep in the mega strut top sticky. I wrote a quick guide yers ago but basically, the job is dead easy.

In summary, jack and support, wheel off. Gaiter down. Depressureise on low, remove feed pipe into back of top, take sphere off.

Undo the big nut at the top of the strut a few turns. Wallop it with a big soft hammer to release the strut piston taper in the strut top bore, remove the nut fully, strut falls away. Remove four securing bolts on strut top, tease it out. Recover the bump stop from the top of the strut, it might stay in the old strut top. Note which way up it goes.

Watch that the brake lines and LHM return pipe on the strut are not strained as the strut falls down. You are best disconnecting the LHM return pipe at the end where its rubber pipe joins the metal one. It just pushes on.

Replacement is a reversal. Fit new strut top. Draw the strut piston right up, slip the bump stop on, push piston into new strut top and hold it there whilst you fit the big nut. You will need a larhe allen or torx key to counterhiold it until the taper bites. Best to have an assistant at this stage to either old the pistoin up as you fit the nut. Because it'll be covered in LHM it'll be as slippery as an eel!

I'm sure others will flesh this out a tad...

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 04 Jan 2010, 12:27

thanks for that! at least if i can take this one off i can check for any differences with the one i am buying, could the vsx ones be different?

I will hammerite the new strut top to seal it.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 04 Jan 2010, 12:30

YESSSSSS!!! the hydractive VSX ones are very different to non-hydractive ones.

Non-hydractive have a 3.5mm LHM feed pipe whereas hydractives have a 10mm feed pipe.

The two are not interchangeable

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 04 Jan 2010, 12:41

i did tell them the vsx one could be different, so hopefully they have found one, if not i will just get a genuine citroen one

i'm reading that sticky thread now, i keep looking past it all the time, when it was right under my nose!

Scary stuff!!!

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 04 Jan 2010, 12:43

Dei,

You should have come over on Sat on your own..

I was right in the middle of swapping strut tops and struts when you arrived..

Dei,

Ill give you your money back for those TOPS if they are the wrong ones...

Paul

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 04 Jan 2010, 12:55

You sure? I paid £70 for two whole struts and the tops (i won't take them if they seem useless with rust of course).

I will take my struts off now and take a closer look (with pics as usual), I will also take the part with me tomorrow to compare with what i buy! I have a feeling they could be bad examples.

We'll see. I had to investigate more paul especially that I'm off to Manchester tomorrow to get the wife, couldn't take such risks!

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 04 Jan 2010, 13:57

you know the brand new ones are around the 130 odd quid mark each now, and that is trade, not like XM ones at between 300 and 400 quid each,

regards malcolm

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 04 Jan 2010, 15:15

So two is a weeks wage, which I cannot really afford - its ok when you can charge a customer the amount and more, but not for my own car..

Paul

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 04 Jan 2010, 15:31

I got the top off now, it was sooo much easier than i thought it would be to get it all off, strut still attached to the bottom, but all other connections off

The metal was like rotten wood!
The following are just for reference more than anything:

So what is different on the VSX ones, the nut that holds the feed hose in place, or the one that holds the strut to the top?

If it wasn't for the unexpected cost I wouldn't be at all bothered, but budgeting for the unexpected these things throw us off course in life, dad has just had to replace BOTH front springs on his mondeo, and there i was boasting that mine doesn't have springs... it has rotten strut tops!

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 04 Jan 2010, 16:16

That one was bad Dei

The difference is in the feed pipe and union fitting. The top nuts are the same. Hydractive strut tops have 10mm pipe unions (thick pipes) whereas non hydractives have 3.5mm pipe unions (thin pipes).

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 04 Jan 2010, 17:03

Thing is, your strut tops lasted 15 years, bet his springs didn't

Jim and I found that it helped to use an old rag or similar to get a purchace on the internal shaft of the strut when re-fitting it, otherwise it can end up sliding down inside rather than up into the new strut top to be secured in place with the nut.

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 04 Jan 2010, 17:23

just been to scrappy now and he didn't get round to taking one off for me, so i went round with one of his lads and he had 5 xantias, non of them vsx model.

He argued with me they were all the same till they all saw my hole, gutted, he also argued this morning (when i didn't have the s.top) that he's never come across one rusted like mine, till i showed him!

Then i went to citroen, they want £132.02 for one, they had two types on offer, the little man insisted on getting the VIN number, I didn't know it from the top of my head, I offered them the ORGA number and the little man said that wouldn't do, offered them the reg, that didn't work, so i asked them to know what the difference was, all they had to do was to print out the sheet, and there were the differences, hydractive and non hydractive!

(oh they've discontinued the non-power steering model xantia one, what a weird idea that was, all hydraulic minus the power steering, anyone had one? no thought so

)

So car is off the road till i decide whether to buy one from citroen tomorrow unless i find one off ebay or somewhere.

A 7 letter word starting with B comes to mind! I could have new spheres for it for that much, and a couple of tyres!

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 04 Jan 2010, 17:30

Was that Mathews Salvage?

Paul

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 04 Jan 2010, 17:32

Yes, so no vsx's there, sadly!