strut top warnings
Moderator: RichardW
strut top warnings
Hi guys (me again),
while with paul yesterday we got talking about MOT's and on to strut tops and he kindly warned me about the rubbers underneath my drivers side strut tops are perished, and they could go, he is indeed right and looking from the top today there seems to be some cracking/rust
I had a car full yesterday too, and now after cleaning my car, and doing dry steering (engine running but steering on gravel), i did hear some creaking?
is this also a sign that the strut might give up (it is a mk1 too)
the other one seems so much better than the drivers side, what is the worse damage it will do
thx
while with paul yesterday we got talking about MOT's and on to strut tops and he kindly warned me about the rubbers underneath my drivers side strut tops are perished, and they could go, he is indeed right and looking from the top today there seems to be some cracking/rust
I had a car full yesterday too, and now after cleaning my car, and doing dry steering (engine running but steering on gravel), i did hear some creaking?
is this also a sign that the strut might give up (it is a mk1 too)
the other one seems so much better than the drivers side, what is the worse damage it will do
thx
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Give the metal a tap with a hammer and drift and see if its really thin. If it isnt but just rusty, run some engine oil all over and around the top, it will also creep underneath. The purists will say dont do it because it will rot the rubber - maybe - I've been doing it for years and have never had to replace a strut top
Peter
Peter
I presume oil will stop it rusting more as well, do u mean lhm or engine oil?
Good advice there, what happens if I hammer through, it will be a weak spot then.
I've had a good grab and with all my might tried moving the car on the suspension sideways and also grabbed the top and with all my might wiggled it, seems ok like that.
Good advice there, what happens if I hammer through, it will be a weak spot then.
I've had a good grab and with all my might tried moving the car on the suspension sideways and also grabbed the top and with all my might wiggled it, seems ok like that.
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Ordinary clean engine oil is what I use, in fact I rustproof the whole car with it. If you put it in the sills it stops the rot where the jacking points have been damaged, spray it over the rear axle and it stops the pipes rusting where you can't see them. Use it anywhere you can see rust and it will stop it dead, it can't rust if the air can't get to it. It needs doing about once a year. I have never had to weld an XM yet.
Peter
Peter
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Apparently, they only pop WHILE car the is stationary, and never while on the move..
I could be wrong, but Im certain thats what Ive read...
Paul
I could be wrong, but Im certain thats what Ive read...
Paul
Sharing a pug 207 1.6 hdi Sw 16v.
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A very sad...
1994 XM 2.1 d auto
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A very sad...
1994 XM 2.1 d auto
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Hi Dei
Get someone with Xantia strut head experience to advise you. I realise that Paul has had a quick look but most of the advice so far has come from the XM camp. Xantia strut heads represent a significantly higher risk of failure than XM ones. They are also easier and cheaper to source as replacements than XM ones. The rusting that can cause strut head failure is mainly caused by rubber delaminating from the steel and then sucking water in to the thin gap by capilliary action. Condensation for example under the bonnet of outside parked cars is enough to run this process and over the years it can attack the top of the strut heads of Xantia and XM's which both have a thin layer of rubber over the steel cone. In the wheel arch of an XM the underside of the strut head is bare steel and despite the much wetter and salt water conditions there is seldom any significant rusting of the underside of the strut head. XM's rust from the top down and PeterN's oil treatment works well if they are not far gone. With the Xantia strut head Citroen decided to mould a further thin rubber
layer to the underside of the strut head. This layer peels in exactly the same way as the top rubber with the same capilliary action to suck water in. This time though the water is available much of the time often with added salt so the corrosion of the underside of the strut head is faster and much more aggressive here. The metal cone of the strut head is a forging so at the bend where the flat base turns into the cone then molecular structure of the steel is streatched. This makes that bit of the cone much less resistant to rust attack. Xantia strut head cones often rust right through at this point giving a total failure of the strut head. Rusting at this point is particular to Xantia's and particularly difficult to examine for.
John
Get someone with Xantia strut head experience to advise you. I realise that Paul has had a quick look but most of the advice so far has come from the XM camp. Xantia strut heads represent a significantly higher risk of failure than XM ones. They are also easier and cheaper to source as replacements than XM ones. The rusting that can cause strut head failure is mainly caused by rubber delaminating from the steel and then sucking water in to the thin gap by capilliary action. Condensation for example under the bonnet of outside parked cars is enough to run this process and over the years it can attack the top of the strut heads of Xantia and XM's which both have a thin layer of rubber over the steel cone. In the wheel arch of an XM the underside of the strut head is bare steel and despite the much wetter and salt water conditions there is seldom any significant rusting of the underside of the strut head. XM's rust from the top down and PeterN's oil treatment works well if they are not far gone. With the Xantia strut head Citroen decided to mould a further thin rubber
layer to the underside of the strut head. This layer peels in exactly the same way as the top rubber with the same capilliary action to suck water in. This time though the water is available much of the time often with added salt so the corrosion of the underside of the strut head is faster and much more aggressive here. The metal cone of the strut head is a forging so at the bend where the flat base turns into the cone then molecular structure of the steel is streatched. This makes that bit of the cone much less resistant to rust attack. Xantia strut head cones often rust right through at this point giving a total failure of the strut head. Rusting at this point is particular to Xantia's and particularly difficult to examine for.
John
Xmexclusive
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John,xmexclusive wrote:Hi Dei
Get someone with Xantia strut head experience to advise you. I realise that Paul has had a quick look but most of the advice so far has come from the XM camp. Xantia strut heads represent a significantly higher risk of failure than XM ones. They are also easier and cheaper to source as replacements than XM ones. The rusting that can cause strut head failure is mainly caused by rubber delaminating from the steel and then sucking water in to the thin gap by capilliary action. Condensation for example under the bonnet of outside parked cars is enough to run this process and over the years it can attack the top of the strut heads of Xantia and XM's which both have a thin layer of rubber over the steel cone. In the wheel arch of an XM the underside of the strut head is bare steel and despite the much wetter and salt water conditions there is seldom any significant rusting of the underside of the strut head. XM's rust from the top down and PeterN's oil treatment works well if they are not far gone. With the Xantia strut head Citroen decided to mould a further thin rubber
layer to the underside of the strut head. This layer peels in exactly the same way as the top rubber with the same capilliary action to suck water in. This time though the water is available much of the time often with added salt so the corrosion of the underside of the strut head is faster and much more aggressive here. The metal cone of the strut head is a forging so at the bend where the flat base turns into the cone then molecular structure of the steel is streatched. This makes that bit of the cone much less resistant to rust attack. Xantia strut head cones often rust right through at this point giving a total failure of the strut head. Rusting at this point is particular to Xantia's and particularly difficult to examine for.
John
We are on Anglesey, apart from me, I Doubt very much theres anyone else around here that know as much as we do, even a local garage has admitted he doesn't know much about them..
The rubber under the wing HAD dropped away on his car, exposing the metal, but there wasn't day light just yet... I understand that you cannot tell when the "Tear" is gonna happen, and is hard to tell while its on the car..
Paul
Sharing a pug 207 1.6 hdi Sw 16v.
M reg Xm 2.1 td auto exclusive S2 269k and rising
L reg XM V6 12v SEi auto .. Light project
A very sad...
1994 XM 2.1 d auto
M reg Xm 2.1 td auto exclusive S2 269k and rising
L reg XM V6 12v SEi auto .. Light project
A very sad...
1994 XM 2.1 d auto
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Hi All
I tried to keep the previous item brief.
There is a bit more information that I have picked up.
I believe that the rubber peeling is caused by the forging process impacting "millscale" while shaping the steel.
I believe that the process was changed about 1998 or 1999 eliminating this millscale problem. I base this on a new old stock 1999 manufactured XM strut head the I recently purchased and examined.
John
I tried to keep the previous item brief.
There is a bit more information that I have picked up.
I believe that the rubber peeling is caused by the forging process impacting "millscale" while shaping the steel.
I believe that the process was changed about 1998 or 1999 eliminating this millscale problem. I base this on a new old stock 1999 manufactured XM strut head the I recently purchased and examined.
John
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Ive only heard of Xm ones going when the car has been stood too. WHich is a very odd thing, they must go when being driven too, especially if the shperes are on their way out.
No expereince of Xantias, but if they look a bit iffy then best source some recplacements.
No expereince of Xantias, but if they look a bit iffy then best source some recplacements.
Chris
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I hope your not intending to use your car until you get that strut top replaced, could be dodgy
Lucky you spotted that though, could have been nasty.
Lucky you spotted that though, could have been nasty.
Chris
07 Citroen C6 V6 HDi Exclusive - Red
07 Citroen C5 HDi VTR - Red
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93 Ford Mondeo 2.0i GLX
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07 Citroen C5 HDi VTR - Red
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01 Citroen Saxo 1.1i Forte - Mango Orange
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93 Ford Mondeo 2.0i GLX
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Well done Dei - better to discover it now (even if it is winter)!
Did my nearside last year, and yes, the screwdriver seems to be the best tool, doesn't it. I was initially drawn to the problem by the way the rubber covering in the wheel arch was separating.
Mine went in more or less the same place as yours, just below the sphere.
I replaced with new Citroen item, using the procedure outlined on the forum, rather than removing everything as per Haynes
Did my nearside last year, and yes, the screwdriver seems to be the best tool, doesn't it. I was initially drawn to the problem by the way the rubber covering in the wheel arch was separating.
Mine went in more or less the same place as yours, just below the sphere.
I replaced with new Citroen item, using the procedure outlined on the forum, rather than removing everything as per Haynes
Martin
1995 Xantia TDLX (deceased )
1995 Xantia TDLX (deceased )