Fitting BX speres to the xantia front end.

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falling-out-with-my-car
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Fitting BX speres to the xantia front end.

Post by falling-out-with-my-car »

I was once told that it was possiable to soften the ride in the front of an Xantia by fitting BX spheres to the front corners.

has anyone tried this or experimented to get a more floaty ride in an Xantia, did you feel sea sick or was it successful?

I have medical issues that make the front end a bit bumpy even with new Xantia sheres and would like to soften the ride if possiable.

any advice would be gratefully recieved.

kind regards Nigel.
Citroen Xantia S2 1.9 TD estate 189K soon to be broken for parts Jan 2017 headlamps & radiator fan assembly already spoken for & A 1987 Citroen 2CV6 special just for fun.
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Post by citrov6 »

i don't know if you can simply fit bx sphere's, the pipe work would need to match and the pump switched to something that could fill them, might confuse the suspension having different spheres all round

you might want to try heavier wheels, i don't know what wheels yours came with but the heavier alloys add some slop to the cars suspension. which model is yours?
Love my black v6 xant - only one with cream coloured leather too!
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Post by Stempy »

When I first bought my current Xantia it was fitted with BX spheres as the previous lady owner wanted a smoother ride over the speed humps along her road. It was very floaty but I didn't leave them on long enough to get sea sick.
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Post by citronut »

i think you could fit BX spheres to a XANT with standerd suspension without any issues, but you could not fit the to a hydractive Xant,
many years ago i fitted GS front spheres to the rear and WOW what a ride,
every time you just looked at the throtle the rear whould hit the bump stop's,

very boat like,

ps.
it sounds to me like your spheres need checking as you said earlyer your not sure if you had re/con spheres fitted,
do you know if they were exchange units, if so they were almost definatly re/coned

regards malcolm
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Post by Old-Guy »

GSF's old website had a table of spheres available for download, but it's nowhere that I can find on their new site. Fortunately I kept a copy for my own use.

At the risk of upsetting GSF over their copyright, I've made it available at here for the benefit of anyone else who can't find it.

More of my ?help? files at here

(edited) £20 per sphere fitted, sounds to me more like 'conned' than re-conned!
Last edited by Old-Guy on 07 Jul 2009, 12:01, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by citroenxm »

Of course you can!!

How can a mechanical pump know whats on the struts it just pumps untill the regulator clicks it out...

It DOES make a lovly floaty boat ride! The Taxi customer, I put some on for him about 2 years ago, they lasted from about 150k to 277k !! They are just getting a bit bumpy now!

Paul
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Post by citronut »

Old-Guy wrote
" but it's nowhere that I can find on their new site."

i have a copy of a sphere table in an old Andyspares ring binder catalouge somewere

regards malcolm
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Post by falling-out-with-my-car »

Thanks everyone,

for the benefit of those who asked my car is a 1998 xantia 1.9 TD estate S-reg it has the Mk2 front end (grill joined to bonnet).

Has anyone any idea which BX spheres if any could be used to soften the front end ride please? the advice was given a long time ago apparently it wouldnt allow the car to go down to the stops at the front end like the rear.

its a shame the british market had to complain about the floaty ride so we ended up with springs in the front, the roads are bad here in Northants and the xantia seems to dectect every little bump even when the suspension system is in good condition. And before someone brings it up the ride height is pretty accurate, I checked. the book of lies I already have and thats exactly why I joined the forum. I seek truth...lol.

regards Nigel.
Citroen Xantia S2 1.9 TD estate 189K soon to be broken for parts Jan 2017 headlamps & radiator fan assembly already spoken for & A 1987 Citroen 2CV6 special just for fun.
New addition Citroen C5 2.0 HDi Exclusive Hatch purchased 09/12/2016 with 83K on the clock.
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Post by citronut »

my R reg MK1 1.9TD estate is more often than not quite a harsh ride, which i know is not corect,

i feel sure now that its due to the H/C linkage's not functioning as freely as they should,

because if i press on and off the front or the rear of the car it feels very soft,

but my daghters N reg 1.9TD hatch is a very plesant ride indeed, and it absourbs the road surface as it should,

so i belive by what you say there is something not quite right regarding you XANT

regards malcolm
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Post by citrov6 »

i'm suprised but pleased to hear they're interchangeable.

i was thinking that the flow rate would be off, but it seems not to be a problem, not that the pump some how 'knows' :lol: but the rest is fair points.
Love my black v6 xant - only one with cream coloured leather too!
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Post by falling-out-with-my-car »

malcom,

I get the same result when I push down on the corners the suspension is quite soft, tyre pressures are as spec on drivers door pillar. (unloaded levels). the H/c linkages are all nicely greased with copper grease, the rear linkages have a tendancy to rot away if not kept in check.

The rear middle sphere linkage's are not seized so I am at loggaheads as to what might be causing the bumpy ride, maybe its because I owned a couple of BX's and I expefct more of a quality ride.

if I load up the boot with something heavy the ride improves 100%

why Citroen had to meddle by stiffenning upm the suspensionm on the front beats me.

regards Nigel
Citroen Xantia S2 1.9 TD estate 189K soon to be broken for parts Jan 2017 headlamps & radiator fan assembly already spoken for & A 1987 Citroen 2CV6 special just for fun.
New addition Citroen C5 2.0 HDi Exclusive Hatch purchased 09/12/2016 with 83K on the clock.
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Post by Stempy »

I currently have XM front corner spheres on mine which are softer than Xantia ones but not as soft as BX, might be worth a try.
It infuriates me to be wrong when I know I'm right

Lexia ponce

http://perception.dyndns.biz/~avengineering/index.htm
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Post by citronut »

i dont think it is possible to say for sure if the H/C linkage's are perfectlly free as they are when brand new without removing them from the car,

i have one i removed from the front of a customers car when i fitted a re/con H/C carridge/linkage i bought from Martin at pleideas for 40 quid,

the carridge i removed i left soaking in old engine oil for a couple of months, when i fished it out it was not any looser, so i spent about an hour squirtting it with duck oil and working it till it was very free, to the point were i could move both the linkage turrets with no efort what so ever,

i plann on fitting this carridge to the front of my car in the near future,

Nigel wrote
"The rear middle sphere linkage's"

there is no linkage attached to the rear middle sphere, well at least on a standerd non/sinker, as all the linkage's are part of the H/C carridge/mountting bracket

my car rides very smooth with weight in the rear also,

this i why i belive these symptons are Hight corrector linkage related

regards malcolm
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Post by falling-out-with-my-car »

well we can't all be pro mechanics so if I make a mistake explainning something at least I still know what I mean without somebody being critical of my comments.

the middle rear sphere (accumulator sphere) has a linkage behind it which if I remember links to the Manual height adjuster, if not lubricated regularly this rusts away.
Iv'e broken my glasses so I can't look it up.

Apparently there is only one type of BX sphere suitable for use on the front of the xantia they are not all interchangeable, something to do with the size of valve and gas pressure. with more emphasis on the type of valve used.
no-one seems to know which spheres for which model BX though.

regards Nigel.
Citroen Xantia S2 1.9 TD estate 189K soon to be broken for parts Jan 2017 headlamps & radiator fan assembly already spoken for & A 1987 Citroen 2CV6 special just for fun.
New addition Citroen C5 2.0 HDi Exclusive Hatch purchased 09/12/2016 with 83K on the clock.
Stempy
Posts: 1626
Joined: 26 Feb 2004, 23:21
Location: Cloud Cuckooland
My Cars: C5 V6 Mk1 assainated by wife
Renault Kangoo 1.6 auto, tarted up and remapped
Still missing the Xantia V6
Not missing the AX
Contact:

Post by Stempy »

If you want to look at the sphere table you can get it here


http://uk.geocities.com/perception.av@b ... _table.pdf


You can then compare the volume/pressure/damping and choose a sphere that will suit.
It infuriates me to be wrong when I know I'm right

Lexia ponce

http://perception.dyndns.biz/~avengineering/index.htm
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