Hi All

Does anyone know if the front suspension struts are different from the Mk1 to the Mk2, and to complicate it further, will Mk2 front struts from a V6 hatch, fit a Mk1 V6 estate???

If YES, I've got them for my project, if NO, have you got 1 or 2?

Cheers - Justin

01737 85 11 77

I would have thought they would be all the same, most parts are. I cant find them listed anywhere, I usually look on the GSF list but they dont seem to do them. Noz will probably see this soon, I am sure he will be able to tell you.

Peter.N.

Hi all
I have a related query regarding the head cap that takes the sphere and bolts the front strut to the body shell. Are these all the same size and has anyone experience of replacing rusty ones. I am trying to work out if it is worth looking for second hand ones or should I get new. I think I will need to replace 3 over the next year or so. These are in 3 different cars, anyone got any ideas why only one of the two in a car should rust badly

regards

xmexec

Hi Justin,

Sorry for the delayed reply, I've been away most of the weekend. This info might already be too late for you.

When I first got the silver 2.5TD the strut tops failed within the first year. No problem I thought just get to a scrappy and find a new pair. However, that wasn't as easy as it sounded. I found plenty S1's and even stripped a couple of struts off and took them home only to find that the strut top was not interchangeable.

The problem lay in the diameter of the strut piston. The ones from the scrappies were 22mm diameter. The ones on the car were 25mm diameter. Both struts have the same size securing nut on the top of the piston. Therefore if the upper thread diameter is the same but the piston diameter varies then it stands to reason that the taper on the end of the piston must be at different angles for different strut diameters. Sure enough, if you present the S1 strut top to the end of the S2 piston the tapers didn't match so you couldn't get them to seal.

I'm no expert but if you measure the piston diameters and they are the same then there's a good chance the strut tops will be interchangeable. (this all presumes that both cars have hydractive. If not then they are not interchangeable at all since the pipe connector will be a completely different size - 3.5mm vs 10mm)

To verify which diameter was fitted to which car just check the electronic form of the parts microfiches. If you don't have the file, I'll upload it when I get broadband later this week hopefully.

Hope this helps

Cheers

noz

Mk1 struts and mk2 strut tops(sphere mounts) mounts do not mix, unless you want to chance it............

(Citroen says danger of death etc)

Mk1 strut tops cant be bought, you have to buy mk2, and then change mk1 strut for a mk2 strut.

And if you modify one side, you should really do the other.


Been their, coudnt afford the T-shirt after what the bits cost........

Here's a relevant document. Not sure about its date though. I know that citroen did a change in October 91. Then, I'm sure till at least April 1993 cyliders were 22mm. I can't remember why I labled the document "changes 1991". Somethign about 1992 is written on it. Anyway, parts number should help a bit.

George

Hi All

It is my understanding that the front strut piston size does not vary just the diameter of the piston rod. As the top of this rod fits and bolts into the strut head it is best to recover the strut and head assembly as one unit.
Russek says as the piston size is the same then you can fit a thin rod strut/head on one side and leave a thicker one the other.
Russek also states that the heads for the thicker struts can be fitted to the narrow rods but not the other way round.
I do not think that the change to thicker strut rods applied to all the Mk2 XM's initiall, just the 2.5TD's and the V6's.
I have been collecting a few strut assemblies over the last year or so to investigate the head rust problem and seek cures.
If the rust is bubbling and splitting the rubber cap it is worth removing the rubber and cleaning up the metal underneath and giving it a rust treatment. At least you will then be able to see how serious the rusting is.

Regards

XMexc

Hi XM Exc

Could you explain how you remove rubber and clean-up metal?

I'd like to give it a go, when I get the time, but wouldn't know how...

Cheers

Hi Chadders

The rubber on the top of the strut head is a thin layer over the top of the steel collar. The main bulk of working rubber is underneath the steel collar. They just mould all the rubber in one piece around the steel. The thin layer of top rubber is about 1mm thick and extends about 20mm down over the steel all the way round the strut head. Maybe it is the elastic movement of this top rubber under load or perhaps the steel has mill scale problems. Either way this top rubber tends to separate from the steel but lay on top of it. I think water from condensation (and field mice pee, they seem to like it under the bonnet) then gets sucked up under the rubber by capillary action and the presence of the rubber flap keeps the conditions right and accelerates the corrosion of the steel strut head. On one strut head that worried me about a year or so ago I just peeled this top rubber off, cleaned up the steel with a wire brush and one day I will rust treat the steel. The strut head steel now stays dry and I have seen no further evidence of continuing corrosion. My experience is that strut heads corrode from the top and not from underneath. I cannot therefore accept the claims made elsewhere that european XM strut heads are rusted by salt corrosion.
I am not recommending anyone follows my example just reporting what I have found. I have a couple of very rusty strut heads from a scrap car that I intend to section to photograph and measure the extent of the rusting/metal loss.
Anyone out there that has kept a failed strut head to let me have to experiment with?

Regards

XMexc