Drops of LHM at the bottom of the front suspension struts

pitman · Post by **pitman** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:54 pm

Hi all,

I've got always one little drop of LHM at the bottom end of my front suspension struts, on both sides.

I don't see any LHM on the driveway neither do I have to top up LHM or see or hear anything wrong with the front suspension.

I am happy with it as it is but I have the feeling that the MOT guy maybe will see a problem and I am not sure if cleaning it up just before the test will work in every case.

It's not a general problem with the struts as described in http://www.bxclub.co.uk/diy/struts/, it's only the drops at the very bottom. The rest of the struts are fine and everything else is dry.

What's the best procedure to try to make those drops going away?

PS: It's still the original series one struts from 1986.

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 2:56 pm

Most likely your rubber strut return pipes are perished and/or broken. That will be an MOT fail but the good news is that they are available very cheaply from GSF.

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 2:57 pm

double post edited off!

pitman · Post by **pitman** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:04 pm

Thanks. I had the car over my pit and I couldn't see anything. It must be on those outlets where the rubber pipes are fitted because the rubber pipes themselves are dry.

Also, it must be a special condition, maybe all those humps they were building around us in the last time. I cleaned it up and had a short drive around over a a few humps and it stood dry.

So, I will clean it up just before the test and "investigate the issue later" ...

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 4:31 pm

The rubber material of the strut return pipes perishes and becomes porous, lettting a fine film of lhm drip down the pipes onto the strut.

Also, the bottom part of the strut return pipe is a "press-on" fitting kept in place with a special Citroen spring clip. Sometimes the spring clip isn't fitted properly, another kind of clip is used instead, or the pipe is clipped in the wrong position.

Any of these can cause leakage, but if the front struts are in good health, there isn't much leakback on these pipes - except when the suspension is put into "low" position, or if the car is driven over very bumpy ground.

pitman · Post by **pitman** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 10:05 am

Those metal spring clips look fine. So, it's probably the rubber pipe even if they look OK.

I'll try changing them.

Thanks.