strut mounting, strut monting

[kenhall1202]

Hi Noz

I am still digesting your interesting write up in the self help section - my comments to follow.

Here is another part sectioned early '4 dimple, short inner tube' type strut top picture. Notice the four holes in the inside tube which I believe are provided so that the strut gaiter can 'breathe' as it extends and contracts with suspension movement. The upper thin metal shroud (not shown in the picture) is simply a dust cover which serves to shed any water/dirt which might otherwise collect on top of the rubber or eventually find its way into the strut seal area via the breather holes.

Ken

This post has been edited by kenhall1202 on October 06, 2010 11:11 pm

[xmexclusive]

Further to my last post here, I have now sectioned the heavily rusted Xantia strut head.
I was interested to find that the top skirt was a black plastic moulding rather than the steel skirt of the XM one. It also became clear that on the Xantia strut head the recessed lands in the rubber are actual holes right through the rubber. The Xantia rubber only joins the baseplate to the centre cone in one axial plane.
This almost certainly confirms that on a redesign the rubber ring cannot afford to be continuous. I will see if I can take some photos.

John

This post has been edited by xmexclusive on October 04, 2010 09:27 pm

[minijet]

.
Nice to see ideas and info still being put forward on this thread

Great pictures Ken, that last one is really good.

John, pictures of the Xantia strut top would be very usefull to compare with the XM tops.

Noz, I like the repair manual, a very usefull and informative guide.
But there's one thing I'm not sure about - the part 2A, I don't see how it offers any improvement to the strut top.........unless it is bonded to the rubber moulding (3).
Have you heard anything from the injection moulding company yet?

I havn't anything to add to the discussion at the moment, been a bit busy with other things (and I'm having to use my daughters lap top as the desk top is knackered )
I passed the broken strut top on to davetherave, so maybe he'll be able to come up with an idea or two.

Paul

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[KINGas]

Citroen XM old broken strut mounts renewed with polyurethane. Original shape and hardness retained. Improved inside construction now preventing from splitting strut mount into two parts in case of elastomer failure. Corrosion resistant coating applied. We can renew strut mounts even with corrosion hardly damaged lower plate and also remake drivers side to passengers side and vice versa. Two years warranty is applicable for our renewed strut mount!

We are located in Eastern Europe, Lithuania, Kaunas.

Find us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/elastomereu/133866053327802
website: www.elastomer.eu (sorry no english version yet)
email: info@elastomer.eu
or by phone: +370 699 69591

Sincerely,
Irmantas Galinis
www.elastomer.eu

[KINGas]

We are constantly enhancing quality of our products. In the attached photos strut mounts with metal shields and natural black color.

[KINGas]

photo

This post has been edited by KINGas on December 13, 2010 10:09 am

[KINGas]

As metal cone plates deteriorate unequally so we have to repair them by welding also individually. We will add welding or additional metal where needed.

Besides no rust problem will arise any more after our special, durable multilayer anticorrosive coating.

The price of XM strut head refurbishment is 60 EUR + VAT (21%). No price added for remaking drivers side to passengers or vice versa.

We don't have in our stock already repaired strut heads for sale, so at the moment we can only repair your strut heads.
The shipping costs would be about £15 to one side and £15 backwards (The parcels are transported in a van once in 2 weeks): http://www.ritoma.co.uk/indexen-4.html
You can also order faster and a bit more expensive shipping.

[KINGas]

In order to move this project our company will cover half of shipping costs (from UK to Lithuania) for UK customers but only till the end of this year! Prepare a package, give your address and our courier will take it from your door.

[xmexclusive]

An update.

My package of 7 XM strut heads left just after christmas and has arrived in Kaunas for rebuilding.

John

[kenhall1202]

Hi KINGas,

As a matter of interest have you ever repaired/modified any of the later type of XM2 strut mount? I notice that all the ones you have shown so far have the shorter inner cylinder, whereas the later ones have a longer cylinder with a wider lower opening (which in turn requires a modified flexible gaiter).

The reason I ask is because I believe that Citroen modified this later type so that the lower cylinder could not physically pass through the upper base plate on failure of the rubber between the two. If you have had experience of repairing this type is it still necessary to weld on the additional metal rings which you have shown previously?

Ken

[citroenxm]

Most of johns will be Series 2 Tops, as he only has 2.5 TD Series 2 cars....

Unless you mean, very later cars, from around P 97 to W 2000 cars.....?

Paul

[kenhall1202]

Hi Paul,

My 2.1TD (RP7249 = 13 Sept 1996 DOM) has the later type with the longer, larger diameter 'bellmouth' where the gaiter attaches. According to Citroen Service the design change was made from RP7196 = 20 July 1996 onwards and remained like this (as far as I know) until XM production ended.

My original strut tops are still serviceable after nearly 13+years and around 186K miles, although I did remove the loose thin rubber from the o/s domed plate, followed by priming and painting, to halt the rusting. Reported failures of this type due to rubber tearing/debonding (as opposed to rust induced failure) seem rare but obviously the lower age will be a factor.

Ken

[xmexclusive]

Hi Ken

Took the 7 remanufactured strut heads over to the store last night so cannot measure them until I next go over. Due to other pressing matters these remanufactured strut heads have been here in the boot of the car since they came back.
I will do some check measurements and take some photos before they get fitted.
I am satisfied that the baseplate needs a ring as well as the bellmouth (head centre) whatever the original design.
On XM baseplates the worst of the rusting is typically at the top opening of the baseplate cone. This can weaken and/or enlarge the size of the hole leading to increased risk of pop-up. The welded ring acts as a structural reinforcement to the top of the cone and also a guide point for cone weld repairs.
The costs of this work are very small relative to the total cost of repair and transport.
I have yet to see post ORGA 7196 baseplates from XM's other than 2.5's.
I have a number of 2.5's and can see no discernable difference between 1994 , 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 strut heads.
I had always assumed that the change you identify first happened in 1994 with the introduction of the large diameter (25mm) strut rod. I seem to remember that the Citroen Workshop manual mentions the change in strut boot but describes this as a change from single use item (replace if disturbed) to a multi use design.
The XM microfiches (page 749 et seq) contain serious errors as far as 2.5's are concerned including wrong size strut and strut head. I would not be surprised to find that this has not been corrected on Citroen Service. Do not use it myself currently so cannot check.

John

This post has been edited by xmexclusive on February 03, 2011 09:22 pm

[kenhall1202]

Hi John,

To clarify the details of the later type of strut top that I am referring to above, here is a picture of a replacement one made in 2001 (has top tapered hole for 25mm strut rod diameter) where the longer bellmouth, which extends ~30mm below the baseplate, has been enlarged to ~100mm diameter. This is identical to that fitted to my 1996 2.1TD.



Ken

This post has been edited by kenhall1202 on February 04, 2011 02:14 pm

[xmexclusive]

Thanks Ken

That description and photo help no end.
I can confirm that none of the ones that I sent for refurbishment had the deeper bellmouth. One pair of 2.5 ones came from a P reg car (MOT failure due to delaminated rubber cones both sides) so will have to check the ORGA. I have noticed a deeper bellmouth on Xantia strut heads but had assumed that was just part of the design. I will start checking out what is actually fitted to my 2.5 TD's.
The microfiches I have checked give the change over date as from ORGA 07322.
Yet another oddity in this sad tale.

John

This post has been edited by xmexclusive on February 04, 2011 04:27 pm