Stiff ride

ohms · Post by **ohms** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:46 pm

I set about changing all 5 spheres on the TZD at the weekend, and replaced the fronts with BX 16/19 Hatch front and standard estate rears(all brand new Amtex gear). I then changed the hydraulic fluid and bled the brakes, following all the usual guidelines.

The ride is most definitely an improvement over the shot spheres but it is still very firm, choppier than any BX I've ever owned. And way harder than the TD Xantia.

Any ideas as to what could be causing the ride to be so hard, despite what are generally perceived to be nice soft spheres.

Do spheres have a shelf life???

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:50 pm

Yes, and amtex ones are known for being rubbish. Check them out on a sphere tester and I'll bet they're all nowhere near the pressure they should be.
Pliades spheres are a bit more expensive but they're much better.

BX Bandit · Post by **BX Bandit** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 8:38 pm

I saw you suggested Plieades spheres so I gave them a ring today to find out prices as I need a set for my TD. They work out at £26 ea + VAT.
postage for 5 spheres was £7.50 for a 48 hour service. But if you return serviceable spheres to them (at your own cost) they'll refund £10 + vat each. The chap did confess though that they will supply Amtex spheres if they don't have what you need in stock, but they'll check the pressures and re-charge if necessary. Not only works out marginally cheaper than say GSF, but you know you're getting correctly pressured spheres!!

M · Post by M » Wed Nov 21, 2007 9:50 am

Depending on where you are in the country a visit to Westroen down Nell Lane in Withingon Manchester can be very cheap - he supplies (re gassed) spheres at £25 each - fitted and they are warrantied for 3 years.

I had my Xantia done and had the two rears replaced under warranty and swapped for TD estate ones to soften the ride up - made a difference.

Once I get my squeak sorted out I am going to have the Turgid ones spheres swapped to estate ones.

sausage · Post by **sausage** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:49 pm

Can second Westroen, Brenda paid a visit last year for 2 fronts and an acc.

ohms · Post by **ohms** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:13 pm

Thanks for the heads up chaps, but a bit far for me to travel.

An update on the amtex situation.

Went back to GSF today and bought another set of identical spheres, albeit manufactured more recently. The replacement fronts and accumulator sphere were made only last week according to the date stamp, and the ride is absolutely fantastic as a result. All good then...except for the fact that the only rears they had left were manufactured in 2004 and unsurprisingly are as flat as pancakes.

The front I took off were manufactured only 3 months ago, but were as bad as the original 18 year old cit originals. how can the quality of these spheres be so hit and miss??

Have just contacted GSF again who have agreed to take the rears back for a refund, so am buying a pair of estate rears from AEP in bonny scotland. Same price as GSF, but they are IFHS spheres which are reputed to be very good.

According to there website there is a difference between estate rears. They do 16/19 estate rears >87 and 16/19 estate rears 87> any ideas what the differences are?

Not going to bother with the TD estate rears as I want the softer option.

ellevie · Post by **ellevie** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:36 am

According to the chart below the earlier spheres should have a slightly softer ride because the aperture is 1.25mm compared to 1.1mm for the later ones.

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cacaolat · Post by **cacaolat** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:08 pm

so if I order refilled spheres from pleiades, they should be able to supply earlier ones ? do I understand it right that estate ones will give a softer ride ?
I would like to soft ride

ohms · Post by **ohms** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:32 pm

Yep, have ordered the earlier (appaerntly softer)estate rears, should be here tomorrow, will post my findings once fitted!

cacaolat · Post by **cacaolat** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:50 pm

Have you fitted them yet ? are they woth buying ?

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 7:24 pm

ohms wrote:The front I took off were manufactured only 3 months ago, but were as bad as the original 18 year old cit originals. how can the quality of these spheres be so hit and miss??

That's just Amtex spheres for you. They are very hit and miss, and I wouldn't ever use them. Pliades spheres are far better and far more likely to be both accurate in the first place, and hold their nitrogen charge for much longer.

BX Bandit · Post by **BX Bandit** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:25 pm

ellevie wrote:According to the chart below the earlier spheres should have a slightly softer ride because the aperture is 1.25mm compared to 1.1mm for the later ones.

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What are the none, double, triple and quadrouple markings around the outer circle then? Some of the double ones have different spacings too...what does that mean?

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:38 pm

found this pic

always wondered what the diaphragm looked like

or for more

ellevie · Post by **ellevie** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 9:58 pm

I wondered about those cryptic markings as well. They don't seem to be correlated in any obvious way to the specifications in the chart. Are they actually stamped on the aperture plates or is it just the author of the chart being artistic ?

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 3:17 pm

They are stamped on the aperture plate. Also here you should find a stamped number relating to the aperture size.
Cant remember though what this code means. Could be the diameter in thou x 10 or the area of the aperture.