alternate sticking fromy strut cure

Post by **Defender110** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 4:41 pm

My TGD Auto has been suffering from the sticking front strut syndrome with jerky suspension rises. I tried the method of cleaning and lubing the rod under the gaiter with no joy. I then read on the BX DIY site about removing the rubber overflow pipes and sticking them in a container of LHM whilst in the low position before raising the suspension to suck up some LHM to lube the internal bottom seal.
I figured that pumping was as good as sucking so I tipped some LHM into a pump oil can, flicked the pipes off from the inner wing and pumped LHM into one of them until it overflowed out of the other. Replaced the pipes and did the other side but just removed one pipe from the wing this time pumping a few squirts in there before replacing that pipe.

RESULT! transformed suspension / ride.

Apparently lubing the struts in this way became part of the Citroen 6 month service schedule on BX's??

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 4:52 pm

Would this work on an XM I wonder...

Post by **Tim Leech** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 4:59 pm

Ive done this and it did work well, the TZI still groaned and grumbled though, I coated exposed part of the struts in copper slip and its MUCH better!

sdelasal · Post by **sdelasal** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 5:10 pm

I put a hand vacuum pump on one of the leak off pipes and pulled a vacuum - the other pipe was connected to a container full of lhm - vacuum pulls it thu the strut. Same end result - strut flushed with lhm. I suppose its can be taken as a 'good sign' that the strut internal seals are not leaking by sufficiently to lubricate the bore. Steve

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 5:42 pm

I must do this. The Green Tiger is very stiff up front. Maybe I'll do it the day I reseal the leaking thermostat housing...

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 6:25 pm

Kevan, did much brown crud come out?

rmattila · Post by **rmattila** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:25 pm

A couple of years ago, there was a discussion on the Finnish Citroën forum about possible solutions to the design error of the front struts: the overflow/breather hole is so far from the bottom that the resulting dead-end will eventually collect water/crud and corrode the parts causing stickiness.

Two solutions were suggested: either drilling a hole at the bottom of the strut for removing water (which is somewhat difficult due to the structure of the strut) or using a vacuum pump to suck the stuff out through the overflow/breather hole.

I have not tried either of these - it's not such a big job to take the struts out every 100 000 km and replace them with overhauled ones.

The most important thing is to regularly check the rubber pipes, since driving with a broken one will quickly fill the bottom of the strut with unwanted stuff.

Post by **Defender110** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:55 pm

Roverman wrote:Ive done this and it did work well, the TZI still groaned and grumbled though, I coated exposed part of the struts in copper slip and its MUCH better!

I don'tunderstand how this can work unless your scraper seal is U/S as surely the first time the strut lowers it is scraped off!

Mathew, no brown stuff mate

Steve, like you said must be a sign the struts aren't leaking.