What brand spheres??

addo · Post by **addo** » 21 Jun 2011, 22:55

Why not make up a gassing head like many others have, to suit a quadrant bevel cut on the original cap? Lot cheaper than fitting recharge ports.

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 21 Jun 2011, 22:59

addo wrote:Why not make up a gassing head like many others have, to suit a quadrant bevel cut on the original cap? Lot cheaper than fitting recharge ports.

We have one, along with a few other sphere recharging units. The ones we usually get allow you to pressurise spheres on the car as the gas is not lot out of them by removing the top cap. Might have to be the way we do it though.

addo · Post by **addo** » 21 Jun 2011, 23:28

I know the ones you mean; from memory the prices were getting silly here - about $90/sphere.

Removal of the sphere for pressure testing isn't too difficult in most cases (and those where it may be, like a Dee brake accumulator, you can't fit a valve to, anyhow)...

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 22 Jun 2011, 10:25

Yes, they are quite bulky things, I had to fit another type to some of the Activas spheres as access was limited and so smaller versions were used. Have ran out of those now too.

No its not difficult, its the route we will go I think.

XantiaExclusiveHDI · Post by **XantiaExclusiveHDI** » 22 Jun 2011, 11:54

Citroenmad wrote: Im yet to be impressed with these, having bought two cars with them recently fitted the pressures were all over the place, some lower than they should be and others much too high, neither car felt quite right.

Hmm - that's got me wondering... I had all mine replaced by Westroen at 36K. I did wonder if the car felt right after - certainly the accumulator was OK since the pump rarely kicked in. Got me wondering if they are the correct pressures - and how to check?

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 22 Jun 2011, 19:51

A HDi Exclusive with 54K miles, very nice

Only way to really check them is to remove the spheres and test them with a pressure testing rig.

They should have been somewhere near, though dampers differ from models and body styles, I hope they put the right ones on the right cars. One of the spheres on my Xantia was double the pressure it should have been though.

It is vital to pressure test spheres before regassing, I have heard that its not done as a routine thing by them. Not sure how true that is mind.

XantiaExclusiveHDI · Post by **XantiaExclusiveHDI** » 22 Jun 2011, 21:26

Citroenmad wrote:A HDi Exclusive with 54K miles, very nice

Only way to really check them is to remove the spheres and test them with a pressure testing rig.

They should have been somewhere near, though dampers differ from models and body styles, I hope they put the right ones on the right cars. One of the spheres on my Xantia was double the pressure it should have been though.

It is vital to pressure test spheres before regassing, I have heard that its not done as a routine thing by them. Not sure how true that is mind.

Yes - I bought it at 36K and only do around 4K a year now

I did have to quote them the sphere numbers as I seem to remember - and that the front suspension spheres were the original multilayer ones which they didn't seem to be aware of. How do I tell if I've got the correct spheres installed?

I've never really been convinced the cars suspension was as compliant as my Xantia SX before it.

Well I've no idea how to go about testing the sphere pressures - I will ask my local independent to see if they can do it

I have always heard good things about them - hence why I decided to get them all done by Westroen.

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 22 Jun 2011, 22:12

I've used Westroen just the once for a set of sphere's for my Activa and the car rode rather badly thereafter with the rear being extremely sloppy (it was before I had a sphere pressure tester). After Jim bought the car from me we tested the rear sphere's and found them to be very low on pressure, Westroen said a loss of pressure wasn't included in their warranty

it later transpired that the dampers in the sphere's were also knackered. Needless to say I won't be doing business with them again.

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 22 Jun 2011, 22:14

If your happy with the ride then I would leave it alone, if not then your best to get the pressures checked. However only some Citroen independents carry a sphere pressure tester and so I doubt a local non specialist Citroen indy will have one.

If the front ones were the multilayer ones, im surprised they needed touching at all, with only 34K miles.

We had a 1994 XM last year with only 30K miles, it had multi layer front spheres which were still at the correct pressure.

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 22 Jun 2011, 22:21

If you want your sphere's pressure tested then you could get several of them them done at the National as Jim or I could bring our testers with us, the rear centre ones are difficult to gain access in a field but the rest should be OK.

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 22 Jun 2011, 22:29

DickieG wrote:If you want your sphere's pressure tested then you could get several of them them done at the National as Jim or I could bring our testers with us, the rear centre ones are difficult to gain access in a field but the rest should be OK.

Shame I can't got hold of the right regassing nipples I want or we could have had a very useful service going

XantiaExclusiveHDI · Post by **XantiaExclusiveHDI** » 22 Jun 2011, 22:34

Blimey - I had no idea they provided such sloppy service

I'm really wondering now about mine

My local is a Citroen specialist - Richard Dalton - I'll ask him if he has the relevant equipment.

The front was fine to be honest - the rear was a little bouncy. All the spheres were the factory originals. After replacement the front appeared to be kinda similar - and the rear was a great improvement. As I said though - I never thought it felt as compliant as my SX - which was a surprise being the Exclusive is Hydractive...

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 22 Jun 2011, 23:06

XantiaExclusiveHDI wrote: The front was fine to be honest - the rear was a little bouncy. All the spheres were the factory originals. After replacement the front appeared to be kinda similar - and the rear was a great improvement. As I said though - I never thought it felt as compliant as my SX - which was a surprise being the Exclusive is Hydractive...

How many spheres were replaced at the front?
You have 4 at each end with a VSX/Exclusive (accumulator, two hard corner spheres, and one soft hydractive sphere)
It's the hydractive sphere that gives you the soft ride, assuming the electrovalves are working.

XantiaExclusiveHDI · Post by **XantiaExclusiveHDI** » 22 Jun 2011, 23:12

Xac wrote: How many spheres were replaced at the front?
You have 4 at each end with a VSX/Exclusive (accumulator, two hard corner spheres, and one soft hydractive sphere)
It's the hydractive sphere that gives you the soft ride, assuming the electrovalves are working.

All eight were replaced.. The electrovalves are fine as far as I'm aware. I carried out the diode mod as soon as I got the car as a precaution.

Post by **Rhothgar** » 23 Jun 2011, 23:10

DickieG wrote:I've never had a problem with GSf Amtex sphere's, I recently pressure checked some which have been on the car 10 1/2 years and the greatest loss of pressure on any of them was just 2 Bar, not bad!!

They sound like regassed original Citroen ones!

I was gutted the other week when I replaced all the spheres on my Xant as a routine job only to find that the rear three spheres were Original Citroen cum Westroen regassed and they were also only 2 bar below spec!!

Good waste of £75 then!