Xantia strut tops

np · Post by np » 22 Mar 2006, 13:27

As some of you maybe aware,i need to replace the strut tops on my Xantia.Or maybe just the drivers side as its the worst.Citroen pr net recons on £100 each.
Now,just been to the scrapy this morning & they have a early 98 mk 1 TD hatch,SX.In ex condtion,with brand new strut tops & spheres on it.Now i know the spheres will be different,but can any one comfirm that the strut tops are different between a non hydractive saloon & a hydractive estate.
Thought i would post here before i start wasting my time with the Stealers parts dept.
Cheers

Post by **RichardW** » 22 Mar 2006, 14:47

The non HA ones won't fit a HA car

the pipes are completely different.

np · Post by np » 22 Mar 2006, 15:20

Ok thanks.Bang goes that idea then

.
Thanks.

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 22 Mar 2006, 15:23

Now you really didnt think it could be quite as easy as that

Nothing wrong with wanting to believe it could be so but it never will be

np · Post by np » 22 Mar 2006, 15:36

Its a shame because this Xantia had no signs of damage,88k on the clock,& someone had started to strip the engine out already.It had all the books in it,loads of recent reciepts for work,with the new strut tops & spheres.I might go back & have the stereo out of it as it has the code,& my display is going on mine.I had the airbag rotary conectors & steering wheel controls from it(see airbag light fixed).
Its a nice friendly scrapy as well,so i can try the radio in mine while i`m there.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 22 Mar 2006, 22:17

you should grab the strut tops anyway as someone will buy them of you,as it would be a shame to let them go to srap
regards malcolm

meexi · Post by **meexi** » 22 Mar 2006, 22:31

does pr.net list them different for a non HA and an HA?

np · Post by np » 22 Mar 2006, 22:45

00005271E2 HYD SUSPENSION SPHERE BRACKET 78.39 92.11
Thats the ref nos & price for mine.Having all the details of my car registerd on there,i presume thats for the VSX Hyractive.
Can anyone check there non Hydractive car on there?

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 22 Mar 2006, 23:05

I've been here before!! I went to the stage of replacing the whole strut with a spare I had with the VERY LAST job of tightening the hydraulic union onto the strut head.

Yep, you've guessed it! I have a VSX and had fitted a non Hydractive strut...

I couldn't work out at first why the nut union wouldn't thread!!!

Doh!

The VSX has a hefty 15mm'ish diameter bore feed and that wasn't going to fit into a spindly little 8mm nut port using the standard 3.5mm pipe was it!?

At least it all came apart easier the second time 'round.

It would be particularly interesting to determine whether the strut top on an estate is beefed up further over the saloon on both available systems. You can bet Citroën will have done so = because they can and usually do...

Fraid it may be a smile nicely at the partonising Prats Dept man and grit your teeth...

Andrew

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 23 Mar 2006, 00:17

I don't think there is any difference between the strut tops for estates and hatchbacks - at least not in the info I have which goes up to 1998.

However it seems that the replacement parts strut tops are a bit more beefy and better designed - mine got replaced just before I bought it at my request (they were nearly perished) and the new ones have a lot beefier looking rubber blocks.

I would say that they became aware of the strut top rubber failure issue and modified the replacement parts strut tops to be a bit more sturdy...

Regards,
Simon

np · Post by np » 23 Mar 2006, 02:12

andmcit wrote:
The VSX has a hefty 15mm'ish diameter bore feed and that wasn't going to fit into a spindly little 8mm nut port using the standard 3.5mm pipe was it!?

Andrew

That will explain then why the SX i saw had what looked like the small bore pipe going to the strut top,& mine has the large diameter pipes going to it.

On the up side,i think i only need to do the drivers side for now,as thats the one thats rusty & bad,where as the passenger side is spot less.Unless one was changed before i had the car.

Post by **RichardW** » 23 Mar 2006, 08:08

pr.net lists 4 types of strut top:

Without PAS (not available in UK, or perhaps at all anymore)
With PAS, without Hydractive
With PAS and hydractive
With PAS, Hydractive and ES9J4 engine (V6 I think?)

Note that there are two types of cylinder boot listed, before and after RP 7245, but it appears that all the new tops require the new cylinder boot - which gives credence to the story that the tops were modified.

For a change the hydractive ones are cheaper than the non-HA ones

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 23 Mar 2006, 08:17

RichardW wrote:pr.net lists 4 types of strut top:

Without PAS (not available in UK, or perhaps at all anymore)

These ones have the pivot point moved further forward to reduce the castor to 1 degree, and have one notch on the front side of the rubber below the sphere. All the others are 3 degrees castor and have two notches at the front...

With PAS, without Hydractive
With PAS and hydractive

These have the obvious differences of pipe size, but also the taper for the cylinder shaft is different, as is the size of the middle nut.

With PAS, Hydractive and ES9J4 engine (V6 I think?)

Yeah most likely. The V6 model is VERY heavy at the front, perhaps they just used more rubber in the mounting to reduce fatigue with the extra weight.

Hmm, I wonder if my car now has the V6 version fitted.... as they are definately different to the original ones on Dad's Xantia.....a lot more solid and substantial rubber block on the under side...

Note that there are two types of cylinder boot listed, before and after RP 7245, but it appears that all the new tops require the new cylinder boot - which gives credence to the story that the tops were modified.

Mine must now have the new type cylinder boot fitted as well - its quite a bit longer with probably 30% more ripples in the concertina, and is a lot softer material. (Neoprene instead of plastic ?)

The original ones really struggle to reach with the suspension right up, especially when they get a bit old and hard, and the rubber ring at the top deforms, then they fall down and let the dirt and muck in... my new ones still have plenty of flex when fully extended, and yet they don't bunch up when its right down.... definately an improved design.

The new strut top rubbers also seem to have a much more pronounced circular lip for the boot to attach to, perhaps thats why a new version of the boot is needed to match them...

Regards,
Simon

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 23 Mar 2006, 09:37

when i purchased a pair ot strut tops for one of my customers car,i was told by my local dealer there are 4 variation of these tops,so yes they are model specific, also think there might be a diferance between ACTIVE and ACTIVA with these strut tops
regards malcolm