Nice squidgy suspension spheres...............

[Linegeist]

I wonder if any of you gurus have the ready answer to my query squirreled away..............

I have a knackered back, courtesy of HM forces - and it's one of the reasons I have Oleopneumatic Citroens. We also have a newish VW Bora but, after a couple of hours in the damned thing, I emerge like a geriatric stick insect as it has a ride (IMHO) like a bloody steamroller.

What would be nice - and given that I drive with all the verve, aggression and panache of a sloth on downers with a zimmer frame, is a set of spheres that are the softest available for the BX. I know dealers in France will do this on request - unfortunately, I no longer live there.

I changed all the spheres on my TZD last year in one go, and I must have introduced some air into the system (I didn't bleed it manually) and, for a week or so afterwards, the ride was almost Pontiac-like in its softness. The cornering was 'interesting' - but then once I allowed for this (it wasn't dangerous) it was very pleasant. Then it stiffened up to what is considered 'normal'.

I'd like to get this softness back - so which sphere combination d'you guys reckon would be best to use on my Athena?

[Stinkwheel]

Do they still do 'comfort' spheres?

I guess this would be the ideal but apart from that dunno, wait for a techincal person to happen along

[kiwi]

Heres a suggestion

Do what I did in the thread Sphere Recharging. You may find your spheres have lost pressure and need a recharge which apparently is recommended every 18 months. Just had mine donr and the soft ride is back

[Linegeist]

Tried that in August!

I changed all the spheres on my TZD last year in one go ...................... the ride was almost Pontiac-like in its softness......................... then it stiffened up to what is considered 'normal'.

What I want is an "old man's ride" see? Save the geriatric back a bit. Living out here in sheep country as I do, it's a bloody hour's trek just to get to a decent town. Couple that with what Uncle gordon and his band of goons have done to the country's roads, and I could be forgiven for longing for one of my old man's PanzerKampfWagens!

The 'Comfort Spheres' are what I had fitted to my French Mk1 GT. Good thinking. Trouble is - mention that phrase over here, and you get looked at as if you'd just emerged from under a warm, dry stone .......

[Tim Leech]

If you find out where to get some let me know, I think I must have comfort ones on my GT as the ride is considerably softer than the other cars I have which have both had new spheres recently.

[mat_fenwick]

it's a bloody hour's trek just to get to a decent town.

Where's that then? Surely the nearest one of any size is Chester, and you'd struggle to do that in an hour...

Back OT, this link has a table of spheres about 3/4 down the page complete with the various bore sizes. It seems like the ones to go for are for an early, low spec model, but whether everyone has rationalised the sphere selection to the bare minimum is another question...
You could always have a go with the Blank and Decker yourself?

[Philip Chidlow]

...I could be forgiven for longing for one of my old man's PanzerKampfWagens!

Citroen made a tank (well, prototype and a few pre-production ones). It had hydropneumatic suspension. (Is this the first recorded use of this by Citroen?) although I doub't it had much 'comfort'...

[Stinkwheel]

I dont read finish but most of it is in english..........

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

Towards bottom of the page these words appear.........

I.F.H.S. is a manufacturer of hydraulic suspension spheres and accumulators mainly for the after market of Citroën cars since1984. I.F.H.S's production process is ISO 9002 certified since 1994 and the spheres are TÜV approved since 1996

To improve the suspension comfort of Citroën cars, I.F.H.S. has developped comfort spheres for CX, BX, XM and Xantia.

Is that any help??

[Aerodynamica]

Hi, the trouble is that owners often cite the spheres as being the only line of defence in comforting a duff back.

The one thing in direct contact is the SEAT! this has a greater bearing on ill backs than the difference between spheres.

I think the easiest sphere swap for the rear would be CX saloon spheres (they even did a comfort spec of these)

Front is difficult because you must assume that all the bushes and bearings of the suspension are all free and dandy. Anyway, if they are then using the 500cc size spheres running at the full 55bar (BX 16 1987on) should be soft as. If you can get spheres recharged near you then have these charged to 60 bar (but no higher!!) which will give a softer spring. Don't put CX fronts on though because these are 75 bar and too high a pressure - I tried this as an experiment on my BX and they do not work at all! (they -might- work on a heavier engined Diesel though as the strut fluid pressure will be higher due to the weight but don't know that it's enough)

Changing the spheres only changes one area of the suspension's response - other things like the unsprung mass etc remain the same - fitting mega light alloys might also help after doing sphere work.

Also ensure the ride height is exactly right and not too high at the front or rear. It's really common for the suspension to creep up to a slightly too high height over the years.

[Stinkwheel]

We all know about the manufacturer Al-Ko when it comes to spheres right? I know ive bought them in the past (i think it was from andyspares back when i had my first CX Gti Turbo)

Here is a list of their part numbers and applications, also showing 'comfort line'

http://www.al-ko.es/pdf/turismo/marcas/ ... sferas.pdf

[Linegeist]

it's a bloody hour's trek just to get to a decent town.

Where's that then? Surely the nearest one of any size is Chester, and you'd struggle to do that in an hour...

Hi Mat ............ I live in a tiny Welsh-speaking village in the hills overlooking the nearby Wylfa Nuke power station - which is about as far West as you can get without getting seriously wet. The nearest decent town is Llandudno (a place I can't pronounce without spitting all over people).

I could get there in less than an hour - but as you probably know, thanks to the mad druid copper, we breed blasted speed cameras out this way, along with the halfwitted and inbred quislings who so enthusiastically man the devil-spawn.

...........but whether everyone has rationalised the sphere selection to the bare minimum is another question...
You could always have a go with the Blank and Decker yourself?

Now that HAD actually occurred to me .............. which is a miracle nowadays.

Unfortunately it also raises a whole slew of new and interesting co-questions. Like 'Do I use a 1/4" drill bit or a 3/8" .........??'

And whereabout's is that diaphragm wossname?? What happens if I drill too far into the sphere? And how far IS troo far?? Will it invalidate my life insurance or, more disturbingly, make my wife a rich widow overnight???

Regards
Professor Chicken

[Linegeist]

ANOTHER double post!!! AAARRGGHHHHH!

[kiwi]

Tried that in August!

Forgive my earlier response I thought when you said Last year you meant as around 12 months ago. As this is the case then last bit advice of recharging probably does not apply but still it is worth getting checked out on the Pressure in those Spheres just in case you have a duff one.

Your Lucky to be about an hour of the nearest town I got a bit more than that and the roads quite rugged in comparison to the urbanised areas of the country

I also think Aerodynamica is on a good path suggesting SEAT, what type seats you got in there?

[Linegeist]

I also think Aerodynamica is on a good path suggesting SEAT, what type seats you got in there?

At the risk of being labelled an awkward old bugger ................... I suspect the seats may not form a significant part of the equation. Y'see I use a fold-up orthopaedic spinal support when driving (and THAT'S a neat trick when I'm on the motorbike) which is, effectively, like sitting on a contoured fibreglass sheet. It holds the spine in the correct position laterally - but the jarring transmitted upwards through the spinal column by conventional suspension gets a bit exciting after an hour or so as a result. Hence why the BX is a huge improvement over our Bora in this respect.

Now softer spheres would remove even the little jarring I do get .... I know this from my earlier experience with air in the system.

FWIW, the front suspension's all working correctly - I had it all apart just before Christmas (when I did the rear arm bearings .... and discovered the proof that the bloody thing has done about 100,000 miles more than advertised on EBay ). I've done the Citaerobics thing with the return pipes in a jar of LHM to lube the leg bushes, and they're now freer than condoms at a gay stag night, while the rear arms now flap gleefully up and down like a Turkish Wrestler's jockstrap.

I think I'm getting there - in a very manly back-slapping sort of way ...............

[citronut]

a good few years ago i fitted front GS spheres to the rear, and if you just tickle the go go juice pedle the rear end would hit the bump stops,

for bleeding the after the system has been opend citroen use to state run the engine with the bleed valve open for two minuites, then close the bleed valve whilst holding the rev's at 2,500 rpm,

EURO CAR PART sell I.F.H.S sphere,

regards malcolm