Comfort Spheres, All aboard HMS XM . . ?

the usual GSF sphere fitment reference has stopped working thanks to their site redesign
but there is this for the Xantiae:

http://www.kolumbus.fi/perhe_pitkanen/xw/spheres.htm

Andrew

They all do come apart - the discs are a thin penny washer like design and aren't too
difficult to dismount. I'm not the masochist who's done this BTW, but have seen and
tried the results in a pal's V6 - he did this within a fortnight of buying the car after
being unimpressed with it after owning a CX GTi!

Andrew

Ohh! my head hurts... I've done over 60k on comfort spheres without coming anywhere near loosing control of it - I just don't drive that fast, or I wouldn't be getting 50 mpg - I think i will stay as I am, thanks.

Peter.

I dont see why the XM never came with a pair of simply massive hydractive sphere's charged at the 70bar ish mark, it almost seems as if cit weren't making the most of the fantastic new suspension system they had developed .......but then the designers must know best .

D

Its this compulsion that people seem to have of wanting to go round corners at 60 mph, or at least the manufacturers think they do. The suspension was much softer on the CX and DS but I didn't see any more of those in hedges than the later cars. Its very soft on American cars but it would suit me fine. Most modern cars, with the possible exception of Jaguar, dont feel as though they have any suspension at all. My XM rides better in hard mode (faulty ECU) than most German cars do with fully functioning suspension - or perhaps most people just don't care.

Rant over - well temporaraly at least.

It's the motoring press thinking they do.

Look at how the motoring press raves about the Focus and the Mondeo having such taut handling and such driver feedback, while they never complain about bits falling off (every Ford I've driven lost more bits than any Citroën I've driven).

On top of that, if you drive 7 different cars a week for a living, it's hard to like a car that does things differently, and appeciate a car for the things that it does do differently. The DS and CX were prime examples. I distinctly remember that the CX was ripped to pieces in the motoring press, simply because the author didn't take the time to work out how to properly operate the DIRAVI steering, and as a result decided that the car cornered badly. I sat there reading it, and shouting "for Pete's sake, learn to drive, man!"

The funny thing is, Jez Clarkson and co. seem to appreciate this. Jeremy is famous for being fond of the old CX. Not because it goes 'round the track in 1:30 (it doesn't), but because it does soooo well what it is set out to do in the first place.
And while the rest of the motoring world is shouting about how the Mazda MX-5 should really have a 2 litre turbo engine and more grip, Hammond loves the car to distraction BECAUSE it doesn't have a 200HP engine and lots of grip - because that exact combination allows him to have fun on real roads rather than on a racing track.

Over the years, Citroën have learnt that, if they were to survive, they should cater for the 'middle of the road' user who had to be impressed, rather than scared gutless as the DS or first generation CX would do, on their first test drive.

I would wish that my XM would be as bonkers - and as responsive - as my CX was. But then again, if this would've been the case, Citroën would probably no longer exist. If I acquire a secondhand C6 ten years from now, I will probably be happy they still do.

This post has been edited by peterh on November 16, 2008 12:42 am

In the UK, Citroen are behind the Japanese and ahead of all the Germans for reliability:

1. SUZUKI
2. HONDA
3. MAZDA
4. SKODA
5. TOYOTA
6. HYUNDAI
7. NISSAN
8. CITROEN
9. FORD
10. KIA

Hasn't always been the case of course, but in the same way that Fiat now provide a lengthy anti-perforation warranty, Citroens hold together

As I say to people who want to know why I've switched to driving them, a fast car is only fast on those 2% of occasions when traffic, weather and road conditions allow - and when the law is looking the other way. In contrast, a comfortable car is comfortable 100% of the time you're in it. Whether you're pounding a motorway or stuck in a queue, something quiet and cosseting will always be a pleasant place to be.

(I should say that as long as you avoid Audi, VW and BMW, there's a high chance Citroen owners will find something they like in most Mercedes. The W220/W221 S-Class on standard 17-inch rims has the best ride of any car I've been in, CX, XM and C6 included.)

Some common sense at last! And the XM which was so complicated and difficult to work on 18 years ago is now one of the few cars you can repair yourself without a computer and about £10k worth of software - were very privelidged really arn't we.

I'd like to know what research data they used, and which parameters they applied, because I see a few huge deviations with the JD Powers results (as well as with the Dutch Autoweek results, which are usually fairly well in line with the JD Powers data). I miss Subaru, one of the most consistently scoring brands when it comes to reliability, in that top 10 list. Also, in the same list, Merc is actually near the bottom of the pile.

It also doesn't make very sense to throw all models of a brand on one pile. Pug, for instance, have always faired fairly well with their 206 and 207, whereas the 307 and the 407 have been dysmal (in the latest Autoweek owner research, 22% of the Pug 407 contributors have had a roadside breakdown. Not good for a car that's been around for two or three years.
Same with Renault, who do quite well with the Clio, yet usually get screwed up on the Laguna and Espace figures.

Interestingly (and completely off-topic:) in this year's survey, the most reliable car from the Renault stables appeared to be the... tadaaa... Dacia Logan!

The numbers come from actual warranty claims.

The big problem with all that JD Power pferdesscheisse is that it is skewed utterly by the fact that buyers are often willing to overlook problems if they consider the car or the brand to say something about them. Witness this year's triumph of the ghastly Prius and the awards heaped upon Subaru and Skoda over the years. The people I know who own these cars would still be smiling smugly if all four wheels came off at 70mph.

In addition, the survey sample is always tiny - typically no more than 15,000 owners. Plus they've never asked me, meaning I've never had the opportunity to go into a tirade about how unreliable my two S-Class were

This post has been edited by ThwartedEfforts on November 16, 2008 01:32 pm

I rest my case... your witness.

I think you can swap spheres from other citroen models to a better ride.

For example if you have a xantia then fitting BX estate spheres on the rear improve things greatly. The same can be done with the Xm but im not sure which car they are needed from.

We have only ever used genuine Citroen spheres, my Xm has a full set of Genuine Xm spheres, albeit with a little more pressure to give a better ride.

If your going to fit comfort spheres for a better ride you must have everything else sorted on the car first, LHM flush for example, make sure your suspension ECU is working as it should, make sure all linkages are free and the self leveling works fine and that your current spheres are top notch, genuine items with the right pressure. - If you have done all of this and you still want your Xm to be softer, then go ahead, purshase the comfort spheres, but not until the above has been checked!

I have never tried comfort spheres, nor do i want to, as much as i like the floatyness of the Xms ride, there needs to be a balance for me, i still want it to drive nicely and corner well but ride softely. I hate being a passenger in the Xm, it makes me feel sick! But i love it to drive, there is very little like a well fettled Xm.

Out of interest how many actually use the height lever? To the full lowered and high position? If you dont the lack of use can seize linkages. Be careful when going into the low position, remember you have limited brakes in low. (Likewise with the engine off, so never tow a hydraulic citroen!)

I leave my Xm in low if im not using it the next day, and put it into high every now and again, in high you actually get a better turning circle, good to know in tight spots.

Edit: my spelling gets worse! Corrected!

This post has been edited by Citroenmad on November 18, 2008 11:37 pm

Hi all, i agree that regular operation of the height correctors is a MUST to maintain that wonderful supple ride.Everyday i drive down our driveway i select intermediate on the manual height selector and then straight to low, then to normal before entering the main road.I believe this prevents any sludge build up on the height corrector seal lips,lubricates them and prevents sticking of the connecting linkages, which are a sure cause of bad ride.I've never felt the need to experiment with sphere settings but have looked at the various combinations of volume/pressure/damper diameter.It would seem to me the sphere values from BX TZD be best matched to give increased ride comfort with minimum effect on the firm control.Only theory, i've no mind to go there myself,i like mine just the way it is.