DS5 suspension

This is the Forum for all your DS Automobiles Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

intermilan206
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Nov 2021, 09:20
Location: Malaysia
My Cars: Citroen DS5
Peugeot 206 GTi
Renault Megane Scenic MkI
x 3

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by intermilan206 »

p4n05 wrote: 10 Nov 2021, 16:18 Which ones did you get as i cant seem to be able to find the ones for the DS5 (Citroen DS5 2012 that is). Even in the Bilstein website there isnt an option for DS5. There is for DS3 but not DS5

https://www.bilstein-shop.com/citroen-c-89337.html?p=1

Many thanks

Panos
Can refer to the links below for
Bilstein B4 for Citroen DS5 & DS 5.

This is the link for front right.
https://www.bilstein-shocks.co.uk/products/22-232472
This is the link for front left.
https://www.bilstein-shocks.co.uk/products/22-232465
This is the link for the rear shock.
https://www.bilstein-shocks.co.uk/products/19-232485

Sold in other online shop as well.. e.g. autodoc
CC1701
Posts: 14
Joined: 08 May 2020, 08:56
Location: Melbourne, Australia - Sendai, Japan
My Cars: Citroen C5 X7 Tourer 3.0TT — Citroen DS5 165 HDi
x 6

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by CC1701 »

Hi,
I still haven't got any new ones. Hope to get some advice from those who have done it before proceeding.

The part numbers are:

Bilstein B4 Front Right — 22-232472
Bilstein B4 Front Left — 22-232465
Bilstein B4 Rear — 19-232485
or Sachs Rear — 314934

We put 225/50-R18 Michelin Primacy 4 tyres on to replace the 235/45-R18 original size. This really improved the ride greatly.
But one front shock is noisy so they need to be replaced still
CC1701
Posts: 14
Joined: 08 May 2020, 08:56
Location: Melbourne, Australia - Sendai, Japan
My Cars: Citroen C5 X7 Tourer 3.0TT — Citroen DS5 165 HDi
x 6

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by CC1701 »

intermilan206 wrote: 09 Nov 2021, 09:50 On 2nd set of ori front shock (rear changed to Sachs) and they are still rubbish except on perfect road surface. The low speed ride quality is absolutely unacceptable.
Would love to know whether Bilstein B4 or KYB shocks able to provide pliant ride to DS5.
The OEM ones are indeed very rough, especially at low speeds (fine on smooth highway though). We've driven just a couple of DS5 and they all ride much the same harshly at low speeds, even the newer >2015 DS - DS5's.
There are many reviews on both the Bilsteins and KYB's for other cars but very few for them on a DS5.
Most suggest that the KYB's have a harshish low speed ride, presumably like the OEM ones and that, although the Bilsteins are firm-ish they aren't harsh. The Bilstein B4 look like the best option but the FLH side is out of stock until next year.
So thinking about the KYB ones.

Titan do an adjustable coilover kit for the DS5 (see below). Being in Malaysia, do you have any knowledge of them?
Converting to coilovers seems extreme and usually they are for 'sports' driving whereas I'm looking for comfort.

https://shopee.com.my/Citroen-DS5-Year- ... 2728367354
intermilan206
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Nov 2021, 09:20
Location: Malaysia
My Cars: Citroen DS5
Peugeot 206 GTi
Renault Megane Scenic MkI
x 3

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by intermilan206 »

Hi,

Mind sharing pictures of the alloys with those Primacy 4 since its narrower and taller than before. Wanted to know how it look like.
intermilan206
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Nov 2021, 09:20
Location: Malaysia
My Cars: Citroen DS5
Peugeot 206 GTi
Renault Megane Scenic MkI
x 3

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by intermilan206 »

CC1701 wrote: 16 Nov 2021, 04:13
intermilan206 wrote: 09 Nov 2021, 09:50 On 2nd set of ori front shock (rear changed to Sachs) and they are still rubbish except on perfect road surface. The low speed ride quality is absolutely unacceptable.
Would love to know whether Bilstein B4 or KYB shocks able to provide pliant ride to DS5.
The OEM ones are indeed very rough, especially at low speeds (fine on smooth highway though). We've driven just a couple of DS5 and they all ride much the same harshly at low speeds, even the newer >2015 DS - DS5's.
There are many reviews on both the Bilsteins and KYB's for other cars but very few for them on a DS5.
Most suggest that the KYB's have a harshish low speed ride, presumably like the OEM ones and that, although the Bilsteins are firm-ish they aren't harsh. The Bilstein B4 look like the best option but the FLH side is out of stock until next year.
So thinking about the KYB ones.

Titan do an adjustable coilover kit for the DS5 (see below). Being in Malaysia, do you have any knowledge of them?
Converting to coilovers seems extreme and usually they are for 'sports' driving whereas I'm looking for comfort.

https://shopee.com.my/Citroen-DS5-Year- ... 2728367354
I have used Titan customised kit for my Peugeot but that was more than 10 years ago and it wasn't a coilover. Back then adjusting the soft/hard of that kit is so troublesome, I finally gave up and switched to Koni Yellow which I still use until now.
Having said that.. basically they know what they are doing. I have the experienced of having my kit (for my Peugeot) done by the owner himself. As for the coilover kit that they have for DS5, I am aware of it but too pricey / won't spend that much. I am thinking of replacing the original shocks with Bilstein B4 and replace the existing tyres (Michelin PS4) with softer sidewall tyres (perhaps with Michelin Primacy 4) to improve the ride quality. Handling be damned.
Back to Titan... I am not sure but from the pictures, design and setup of the coilover seems pretty standard. But whether have they done proper and adequate R&D prior to introducing kit for DS5 is something that worth validating. There aren't many DS5 here in Malaysia.
Additionally need to know if its easy to adjust the hi-lo and soft-hard settings (can be done without having to take them out of the car?) and whether they shipped the DS5 kit with preset settings that served as baseline / default settings.
gwest
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 130
Joined: 27 Apr 2020, 08:07
Location: Tasmania
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: Daihatsu Rocky diesel 1984
2013 Citroen DS5 THP165
2011 DS3 THP 150
x 13

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by gwest »

This will come too late for qprdude but I note the following comments from: www.pistonheads.com/gassing/"....

"I agree with the Hydractive3 comments, the DS5 really should have it. It's the biggest downfall of the car, the standard suspension setup. The early cars, 2012/2013 had different rear shock absorbers to the later cars, I have just fitted the later 2014+ shocks to my 2013 car and it has made a huge difference, the ride is much softer, more stable and less crashy than before. It's not hydropneumatic soft but it's a big step in the right direction. I would recommend anybody with an early DS5 do this mod, well worth the money. Sachs part number 314934.
CC1701
Posts: 14
Joined: 08 May 2020, 08:56
Location: Melbourne, Australia - Sendai, Japan
My Cars: Citroen C5 X7 Tourer 3.0TT — Citroen DS5 165 HDi
x 6

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by CC1701 »

intermilan206 wrote: 20 Nov 2021, 18:22 Mind sharing pictures of the alloys with those Primacy 4 since its narrower and taller than before. Wanted to know how it look like.
The change in tyre siize isn't visually noticeable. Only 10 mm narrower. Even that isn't noticeable as sidewalls vary a lot between manufacturers. The sidewall is just 7 mm taller, again visually the same.
But it rides and steers a whole lot better. Where it does make a difference is that 7 mm in radius stops the nose scrapping on gutters/curbs, and corrects the speedo to within 1-2 km/h.
CC1701
Posts: 14
Joined: 08 May 2020, 08:56
Location: Melbourne, Australia - Sendai, Japan
My Cars: Citroen C5 X7 Tourer 3.0TT — Citroen DS5 165 HDi
x 6

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by CC1701 »

intermilan206 wrote: 20 Nov 2021, 19:07 I have used Titan customised kit for my Peugeot but that was more than 10 years ago and it wasn't a coilover. Back then adjusting the soft/hard of that kit is so troublesome, I finally gave up and switched to Koni Yellow which I still use until now.
Having said that.. basically they know what they are doing. I have the experienced of having my kit (for my Peugeot) done by the owner himself. As for the coilover kit that they have for DS5, I am aware of it but too pricey / won't spend that much. I am thinking of replacing the original shocks with Bilstein B4 and replace the existing tyres (Michelin PS4) with softer sidewall tyres (perhaps with Michelin Primacy 4) to improve the ride quality. Handling be damned.
Back to Titan... I am not sure but from the pictures, design and setup of the coilover seems pretty standard. But whether have they done proper and adequate R&D prior to introducing kit for DS5 is something that worth validating. There aren't many DS5 here in Malaysia.
Additionally need to know if its easy to adjust the hi-lo and soft-hard settings (can be done without having to take them out of the car?) and whether they shipped the DS5 kit with preset settings that served as baseline / default settings.
Thanks for the detailed reply. Troublesome to adjust doesn't sound like much of an incentive. I am worried that coilovers are more for performance cars and I'm not that fussed on fiddling with it too much.
The DS5 has recently developed a problem with its auto box. Have changed the fluid and its helped but there is a lot of debris in it. It may well be time to move on to another car. As such, might just put a hold on doing the shocks.

Tyres: I had PS4's on my C5 X7 and replaced them with the Primacy 4. Did the same as the DS5, went up a profile and down a width (245/45-R18 -> 235/50-R18) Wow, even on the C5 (hydro model) they made a huge difference to the ride, which, although good, it did crash over sharp bumps at low speed. On the 50 series Primacy 4's its just lovely to ride in at low speeds.
PS4's are one of the very best perfomance tyres with huge reserves of grip; wet and dry. But they are noisy and get noisier as they age and at some point, mine 3 years, they went off and lost part of their temendous grip and the ride further deteriorated. Great tyre, especially in the wet, but the Primacys have enough grip and seem made for the C5 and DS5, are confident in all conditions, but their grip level isn't quite as high as the PS4's.

Only 319 DS5s came to Australia. They are pretty rare here too, as are DS5 specific parts. My wife loves hers but we'll see if we get another or move on to something else.
Last edited by myglaren on 24 Nov 2021, 09:31, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Quote tags
yason
Posts: 3
Joined: 30 Nov 2021, 09:12
Location: Finland
My Cars: C5 -03, C4 Picasso -08, DS5 -12

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by yason »

What's the deal with 1st gen (Citroën DS5 till 2015) and 2nd gen (DS Automobiles DS5 from 2015) suspension these days? Are the currently sold shocks compatible across the old and new DS5 because that's effectively the picture I get from browsing spareparts stores?

The rear shocks seem to be shared by many models. For example, most stores list the same Sachs 314 934 for DS5 gen 1&2 and C4 Picasso and other PSA cars with the similar construct in the rear suspension. I can understand that as the rear ones are just pretty standard-form shocks with eyes in both ends. Actually, I'm quite sure you could fit a number of different shocks in the rear as long as the length fits all right and the eyes are properly bushed.

The front, however, I've understood to differ more between 1gen and 2gen DS5. The later generation was reported to have much better ride than the first generation and thus enjoying different front struts/shocks as well. But again the parts shops give the exact same shock for both gen 1 and 2, such as: https://www.mister-auto.co.uk/front-sho ... 22-232472/ and because PSA owns Mister-Auto I would expect them to know what they're selling.

What's the deal here? If I were to install those front shocks in my gen1 DS5 would I get a better ride closer to gen2 DS5? Or are those just comparable to the original gen1 shocks and if I had a gen2 DS5 that would actually be a downgrade? Is there actually a difference between the new and old and if there is could someone spare the OEM part numbers for the gen 2 front shocks so that I could hopefully find pictures and compare.
User avatar
GiveMeABreak
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 36996
Joined: 15 Sep 2015, 19:38
Location: West Wales
My Cars: C3 Aircross SUV HDi Flair Peperoncino Red (The Chili Hornet)
C5 X7 2.0 HDi Exclusive Mativoire Beige (The Golden Hornet)
C3 1.6 HDi Exclusive Aluminium Grey (The Silver Hornet)
C5 MK II 2.0 HDi Exclusive Obsidian Black
C5 MK I 2.0 HDi SX Wicked Red
Xantia S2 2.0 HDi SX Hermes Red
C15 Romahome White
XM 2.0 Turbo Prestige Emerald Green Pearlescent
XM 2.0 Turbo Prestige Polar White
XM 2.0 SX Polar White
CX 20 Polar White
GS 1220 Geranium Red
CX 2.4 Prestige C-Matic Nevada Beige
GS 1000 Cedreat Yellow
x 5644

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Speaking strictly from the official struts point of view, the parts were already different depending on the engine variant and build dates. There is no one size fits all and although the ride in the DS5 was notoriously bad, using the wrong shocks for the wrong engine probably won't help. Diesel engines are generally heavier than petrol engines of course, but even so, there are different struts depending on the diesel engine variant too.
Please Don't PM Me For Technical Help

Marc
yason
Posts: 3
Joined: 30 Nov 2021, 09:12
Location: Finland
My Cars: C5 -03, C4 Picasso -08, DS5 -12

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by yason »

Of course. Thus, for reference, the parts and numbers I mentioned come from comparing the gen 1 and 2 parts both with the same 2.0 litre hdi163 that I have.
CC1701
Posts: 14
Joined: 08 May 2020, 08:56
Location: Melbourne, Australia - Sendai, Japan
My Cars: Citroen C5 X7 Tourer 3.0TT — Citroen DS5 165 HDi
x 6

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by CC1701 »

DS5 Tyre / Shock Absorber Update
After much consideration we managed to improve the transmission and the wife decided she wanted to keep the DS5.

A quick recap:
Unhappy with the ride quality we swapped to 225/50-18 Michelin Primacy 4 tyres all round that improved the ride considerably. But it was still hash over pot holes (a regular feature of our Australian roads) and any sharp bumps in the road. The 50 series improved the ride quite a lot but it still was harsh and unforgiving.

Bilstein A4 Shocks
A few months ago we replaced all four shock absorbers with Bilstein B4's all around. These have made an enormous change to the ride quality. It now rides very well, just like a normal car rather than a billy cart.
The Bilsteins have a typical Germanic feel. Small bumps can be felt but are not intrusive or jarring, think Audi A4 - firm and controlled but not harsh in any way. The initial jiggling at low speeds settled after about 1kkm. Even before it wan't intrusive or uncomfortable in anyway. No crashing over pot holes, rough edges or road patches.
Rear comfort is considerably improved too. Sitting in the back is no longer some form of torture. Ride in the back seat is now quite comfortable.

Handling is very sharp, it points and steers well. Is confidence inspiring in corners - not that my wife will drive it that way. There is less body roll feeling well balanced at all round. There is still that typical french (all fwd) understeer but its not pronounced and you'd need to be pushing quite hard to notice it. In normal driving it handling is very neutral.

The 50 profile tyres and Bilsteins have completely transformed the DS5 from being one of the worst riding modern cars I've experienced into good, comfortable car that is a pleasure to own and drive. Its not silky smooth like a hydro-sprung C5 but comfortable, controlled and handles nicely.

Finally, the DS5 a nice thing to be in.
CC1701
Posts: 14
Joined: 08 May 2020, 08:56
Location: Melbourne, Australia - Sendai, Japan
My Cars: Citroen C5 X7 Tourer 3.0TT — Citroen DS5 165 HDi
x 6

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by CC1701 »

opps
Last edited by CC1701 on 28 Sep 2022, 05:07, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Paul-R
Donor 2023
Posts: 6916
Joined: 07 May 2009, 16:24
Location: Wirral, NW England; Vaucluse 84, France
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: 2015 1.6 Blue HDi 120 Peugeot 308 Active SW
2013 2.0 HDi 163 C5 Exclusive Tourer
2003 2.0 HDi 110 C5 Exclusive Estate (Gone)
2001 2.0 HDi 90 Xsara Estate (Gone)
x 1369

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by Paul-R »

Going back 40 odd years to when I used to go rallying Bilsteins were THE damper to put on your rally car. The comfort on normal roads was a surprising bonus and their performance in the forest was legendary. DeCarbon may have had the patent for high pressure gas filled dampers but Bilstein took the ball and ran with it.
As I get older I think a lot about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.

"Trying is the first step towards failure" ~ Homer J Simpson​
antonioprm
Posts: 12
Joined: 24 Jul 2022, 02:38
Location: Portugal
My Cars: Citroen Dyane · 1969
Citroen GS · 1975
Citroen C4 · 2005
Citroen C4 Picasso · 2008
x 2

Re: DS5 suspension

Post by antonioprm »

Can the Bilsteins be fitted to the hybrid? The parts linked to by CC1701 do mention a 2.0 HDi 165, but I'm not sure that's the one.
Post Reply