Rear of Xantia sinks when pushed down

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 20 Feb 2007, 14:15

Changed the front and rear suspension spheres on my 97 Xantia SX estate.
Unfortunatley I couldn't get the drivers side rear sphere off so had to replace the strutt.
Also used hydraflush and replaced the front discs and pads.
For a couple of days, the ride was beautiful, our road is seriously bumpy, but the first time down there with the new spheres my girlfriend didn't feel a thing.
Then the ride started getting a little more bumpy, I put it down to getting used to the new spheres and becoming more sensative.
Did 600 miles and refilled with green blood, and loads of citrobics.

Now the ride is still bumpier than when I first put the spheres on, doing a bounce test moves the passenger wing up and down fine, but the drivers side feels pretty solid, could replacment spheres split that quick? (I got them from a local parts place in Leighton Buzzard before I found out GSF were just over in Luton!)
Also, doing the bounce test on the back, it drops as if there's no pressure there, and slowly returns to level.
She's started sinking with a creaking sound when I turn the engine off, and the acumulator ticks when raising the car up.
When setting her to full height, I've also noticed on the pump there's a pipe that goes into a 17mm or 19mm nut, and around the rim of this nut looks like pulsating air, I've tightened it and that seemed to help.

Any ideas? I was going to swing by GSF and get new accumulator and anti-sink spheres.
Should I replace just the drivers side front sphere (that is giving hard suspension) or replace both front ones again?

Stewart(oily) · Post by **Stewart(oily)** » 20 Feb 2007, 15:43

I have known reconditioned spheres to fail suddenly, perhaps that is what happened to the one you mention, sureley there will be some warranty on the failed sphere, why not try to get a replacement one from your original supplier?
Stewart

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 20 Feb 2007, 15:56

Stewart(oily) wrote:I have known reconditioned spheres to fail suddenly, perhaps that is what happened to the one you mention, sureley there will be some warranty on the failed sphere, why not try to get a replacement one from your original supplier?
Stewart

An ex-mechanic friend of mine who introduced me to them when I needed parts for my Megane now tells me they're useless at giving you the right parts, and the two front spheres they gave me have silver metal bits sticking out the ends where the normal green tip should be, the metal bits have flat sides for using a spanner to remove them from the struts rather than needing a strap wrench/home made sphere tool.
Something about the place makes me wary, if I'd known about GSF I'd have gone there for the parts.

Am I right in thinking the GSF spheres are new and not reconditioned?

slim123 · Post by **slim123** » 20 Feb 2007, 16:09

Please do not undo the silver bit with the flat sides, this is a replacement filler plug, undoing this will not remove the sphere, it will simply let the gas out!!! at 55- there will be a big rush.

The spheres that you have are from someone somewhere that simply removes the filler plug and replaces it with a valve, then blows the thing up to pressure.

As said before there surely must be some warranty with the company that sold them to you.

There are, in my opinion only 3 x types of sphere on the market to trust, I will name in my preferred order,

Pleiades, re-con original equipment.
GSF pattern parts
Citroen original (expensive)

Regards
Slim.

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 20 Feb 2007, 16:17

Great, that's the front spheres dealt with.

Any ideas on the rest?
Back not bouncing when pushed down, but sinking until it auto levels.
Groaning/creaking when the car sometimes sinks after the engine is turned off.
Ticking while the car raises itself up.

dnsey · Post by **dnsey** » 20 Feb 2007, 16:27

The groaning and creaking and harsh ride suggest shot rear arm bearings. Are the rear wheels perpendicular to the road? Any 'lean' confirms bearing trouble.

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 20 Feb 2007, 16:38

dnsey wrote:The groaning and creaking and harsh ride suggest shot rear arm bearings. Are the rear wheels perpendicular to the road? Any 'lean' confirms bearing trouble.

The harsh ride is from the front driver's corner.
Rear wheels seem fine, and there was no wobble from any of the wheels when I had the car up in the air.

Stewart(oily) · Post by **Stewart(oily)** » 20 Feb 2007, 16:46

On the Xantia the ride height linkages are quite complicated and prone to seizing up or at least getting stiff, give these a good clean and lubricate them (I use an oil/grease mixture and an inch paintbrush) and the system should become supple again.
Stewart

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 20 Feb 2007, 17:02

Stewart(oily) wrote:On the Xantia the ride height linkages are quite complicated and prone to seizing up or at least getting stiff, give these a good clean and lubricate them (I use an oil/grease mixture and an inch paintbrush) and the system should become supple again.
Stewart

Cheers, just done some citrobics (no creaking or groaning) and going from full height to normal, the back went down but the front stayed up.
Had to go down and back up to normal in the end.
Will give them a good clean and lube this weekend.

Front sphere:
http://www.finmereairsoft.co.uk/modules ... 7_1652.jpg

Where I can see bubbles from the pump when it's raising the car up:
http://www.finmereairsoft.co.uk/modules ... 7_1653.jpg

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 20 Feb 2007, 17:51

I'm not familiar with Xantias but that looks like a rigid pipe coming from the pump - in which case its a high pressure pipe - either for the steering or for the suspension/brakes.

If its blowing bubbles - then firstly there must be an air leak in the pump feed as this is the only way air can get in the system - and secondly the joint must need tightening slightly.

Air in the system will cause all manner of problems - the usual culprits are the connections at both ends of the feed pipe from the reservoir to the pump which must be sound and tight.

slim123 · Post by **slim123** » 20 Feb 2007, 22:02

The "air bubbles" wil not be air but droplets of LHM leaking past the seal in the pump, when coming out and mixing with air will look like air bubbles. It is possible that the sealing surface inside is cracked, best to leave well alone, as you could well make matters worse by fiddling with it. If it gets worse then it will be pump change time.

Regards
Slim.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 20 Feb 2007, 22:18

Yes, GSF spheres are new.

Post by **ekaftan** » 21 Feb 2007, 03:41

Xac wrote: Where I can see bubbles from the pump when it's raising the car up:
http://www.finmereairsoft.co.uk/modules ... 7_1653.jpg

I had that leak. There is an oring behind that large nut you can change. The oring costed me US$3 at the local citroen dealer.

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 23 Feb 2007, 16:15

ekaftan wrote: I had that leak. There is an oring behind that large nut you can change. The oring costed me US$3 at the local citroen dealer.

90p at the local dealer so I'm picking one up tomorrow.

Replaced the front spheres, accu, anti-sink all from GSF and the ride is lovely again.
Rear seems to still sink rather than bounce when pushed down, just wondering if the rear spheres the other parts place sold me are duff as well.
Might change them when I get paid, just to be sure.

Post by **ekaftan** » 23 Feb 2007, 16:23

Xac wrote:
Replaced the front spheres, accu, anti-sink all from GSF and the ride is lovely again.
Rear seems to still sink rather than bounce when pushed down, just wondering if the rear spheres the other parts place sold me are duff as well.
Might change them when I get paid, just to be sure.

If they were duff you would see no bounce and no sink. It would be hard a as a rock.

Maybe you have some 'tightness' in the rear arms? shot bearings perhaps?

With new spheres you easily make it to the stops with just your body weight on the rear bumper. It should come up in 30 seconds or less via the height corrector or return the normal height when you release the pressure.