xantia suspension

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gpitman
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xantia suspension

Post by gpitman »

Can someone tell me how I can tell what type of suspension I have e.g. hydractive or not. I have six spheres as far as I can see. I got told I had hydractive so I put on the three at the back which has improved suspension but what will happen if I have fitted the wrong ones. I am desperate as I have also ordered the front ones now so need to know quick so can change order if needed
citronut
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Post by citronut »

hi gpitman and welcome to this forum

check the diamiter of the front suspension feed pipes going to both the stru tops (sphere mount), the standered system will have 3.5mm pipes,

im sure someone will be able to tell you more in depth

regards malcolm
andmcit
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Post by andmcit »

As Malcolm says, the struts top pipe feed diameter is a giveaway, and so
too is the model spec/trim. You're going to know if the car is VSX, Athena
or Exclusive over an LX, SX, Dimension, Desire or Temptation!!

What is the car badged as or named on the reg doc?

Andrew
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Post by xantia_v6 »

Another clue is that standard Xantia have 5 or 6 spheres and hydroactive have 7 or 8.

If you put hydroactive "corner" spheres on a normal Xantia, the ride will be very firm.
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reblack68
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Post by reblack68 »

Is the biggest giveaway not the switch next to the height lever? I understood that Hydractive cars have a switch there but non-hydractive cars don't.
Richard

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citronut
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Post by citronut »

reblack68 wrote:Is the biggest giveaway not the switch next to the height lever? I understood that Hydractive cars have a switch there but non-hydractive cars don't.
thats the sports mode swithch

regards malcolm
gpitman
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xantia suspension

Post by gpitman »

Hi
Thanks for the reply It is a sx model facelift but got told it was hydractive when got spheres. They seem to work alright but are they going to do any damage and also affect the handling as I tow caravan with it or is it better to change them for the proper ones
andmcit
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Post by andmcit »

The car will be a lot firmer than it was orinally intended to be designed by
Citroen; it won't actually damage anything but it'd help to fit the correct
spec spheres. The rears may not show up the difference of the wrong one's
fitted but I'd expect due to the greater weight borne by the front they
would. If the firmer spheresare at the back the car would be tauter with
less suspension fluid transmitted into the suspension arms so it may even
make the car less wallowy when towing!

In reality, the car is probably not a mile off a car with the correct spheres
fitted that are a bit flat; there will be more strain on the other joints and
suspension components that will not appreciate the extra work they've been
asked to do so I'd get the correct spheres and reorder the right pair for the
pending fitment one's!

I'm sure someone here would buy your recent hydractive spheres! ;)
I'd take them off your hands! :D

Andrew
andmcit
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Post by andmcit »

It may be worth checking exactly what sphere was fitted as the extra
middle one at the rear end. The wrong hydractive middle rear sphere
could be fitted instead of the rear reserve 'anti sink' one on your car!

Andrew
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Post by Pleiades »

You won't be able to fit the rear suspension accumulator where the anti sink sphere goes as there will be no 4.5mm hole in the sphere to put the pipe in. Although you would be able to put the anti sink sphere in the wrong place!

If it is an SX then it will not have the hydractive suspension.

The easiest givaway is as others have stated, the pipes. These pipes going to the suspension units, front and rear are 8mm spanner sized fittings on the standard car and 17mm on the hydractive, so there is a big difference.

Please do not rely on the switch! We had a guy that was convinced that he had a hydractive Xantia because of the sport switch down by the gear lever, so we sent him a full set for the hydractive, well he spent about 3 hours trying to find a home for the extra spheres and eventualy phoned us to ask where they went, after about 15mins of discussion, I realised that the sport switch that he was talking of was for the auto gearbox, not the suspension, on the later auto Xantia they had the fancy electronic gearbox that had a sport mode, I only realised this when he mentioned the fact that it was 1999 petrol auto and remebered one of my past Xantia's. I often wonder who has this now. anyone here maybe? It was a blue petrol auto with an LPG conversion T429 VAV I think. I bought it new in 1999 and had the gas fitted at about 3'000 miles, this made it quite a cheap car to run, sold it on in 2003.

Martin.
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