Comfort Spheres - Where?

[SamWise1972]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I tried a search, and got nothing. I'll need to do the front spheres on my car soonish, and since it has comfort spheres on the back, and they're luverly, I'd like 'em on the front too.

So, where can I buy them? Not GSF, as far as I can see, and a google revealed nada. Any thoughts?

[steelcityuk]

Try AEP, they deal some spheres on Ebay. That's where I bought a set, took them off after a week though.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/AEP-DIRECT-Citroe...1638.m118.l1247

Steve.

[SamWise1972]

Why? Were they too soft?

[dean]

Hi Samwise

The only thing with comfort spheres is they will make the car handle like a dog, when i bought my xm it had them on and it was a soft ride but it couldn't firm itself up enough in the corners and as a result rolled like a ship in a heavy sea. With standard spheres on it, and with the system working as it should the ride will still be amazingly soft, but will go round corners as well

Regards Dean

[DerekW]

Hi Sam,

I may be wrong but I think that "comfort spheres" usually rely on larger damper valve orifices. This tends to make the ride floaty and is not something that I would recommend.

If you want a softer ride, then go for spheres with the same damper size but larger volume and/or higher pressures.

But first ask yourself what's wrong with the existing ride. If it's at all harsh then look to your centre spheres, they have more effect on ride comfort than anything else.

Derek

[dean]

what he said too

[Peter.N.]

Well, I've got comfort spheres and I like them...so there Yes, they do make the car wallow a bit, something like a CX, but does give a nice soft ride at high speed, but as you know, I don't go round corners, well, not fast anyway. I would be quite happy with a DS ride.

I got mine from GSF, do they not have them now? And yes, they do have a larger orifice

Peter.N.

[DerekW]

Har Har, beat you to it Dean!

Derek

[SamWise1972]

Interesting. The back end, which apparently has comfort spheres, is lovely and soft, and hasn't given me any problems in terms of roll, not that I tend to press on that often, and when I do, it's in sport mode. The fronts are a less cushy though, and citroenxm suggested when I picked it up that they'd need changing in the coming months. I could do the central spheres too, but what does it suggest, when the front rides noticeably harder than the back? I'm also planning to hydroflush it before too long.

[dean]

Dam, i need to learn to type faster

[Peter.N.]

The central spheres are primaraly responsible for the soft ride and little will be gained by changing the outer ones if the inners are flat.

Peter.N.

[dean]

Centre spheres need to be changed first as Derek said if there is no difference between sport and normal, providing you electrovalve/s are working. I suppose if you like to press on sometimes (and i do) you dont want 'comfort' spheres but if you are never likely to take a corner at speed then why not.
I still think putting comforts on ruins the whole feel of the car though, the thing i like about the Xm is it is super comfy when you are just going from a to b but when you are on a twist A road and the mood takes you it will surprise you with its handling too, and very few cars do both!
Each to his own i suppose

Been beat again

This post has been edited by dean on February 01, 2008 07:58 pm

[SamWise1972]

Hmmmm. So, front central sphere first? Or maybe I should do the fronts at the same time. It seems to me that the front would be the most likely to affect the handling on a front drive car - bodyroll is probably a big component of understeer, and that's NOT what I want! I'm happy with the back, but the front should be softer, I think. I can certainly tell plenty of difference between sport and normal, but without getting out of the car, and pushing down, I can't tell whether the difference is at the back only.

[dean]

Might be worth doing the accumulator sphere if your pressure reg cycles very frequently, depends how much money you want to throw around i guess, but i would replace all three front ones if they are very old and giving a firm ride, the job is done in one hit then, and you havent got to think about spheres for a while.

[Peter.N.]

A good test is to see how far you can 'bounce' each corner, with the engine running, good spheres you should give you 4"-5" of up and down movement, the rear will normally be softer, much less and the spheres will need replacing.

Peter.N.