Reconditioned strut mounts for the XM and other questions

[Dieselman]

Anyone fancy taking a holiday to Lithuania and taking a carload of strut tops with them?

Funnily enough my girlfriend and I are going to Lithania the weekend after next. however I'm not sure we'll have room in our hand luggage for strut tops

Could the Girlfriend not make do with just the shoes she has on...?

[mds141]

Well the strut top arrived back from Lithuania on Friday. Certainly looks to have been a good job. All the corrosion has been repaired and a durable rubber re-applied. I'll be visiting Malcom at Savoy garage this next week to have it fitted. I'll take some pics and get them posted up. I'm hopeless at posting pics on forums, so if someone want to post them for me that would be great.

[Dieselman]

Use a separate host such as Photobucket. Upload the pictures tot eh host then copy the link from there and post that into your post.

Fitting a front strut is very easy and quick, the hardest part being undoing the sphere.

[XMX]

Well the strut top arrived back from Lithuania on Friday. Certainly looks to have been a good job. All the corrosion has been repaired and a durable rubber re-applied. I'll be visiting Malcom at Savoy garage this next week to have it fitted. I'll take some pics and get them posted up. I'm hopeless at posting pics on forums, so if someone want to post them for me that would be great.

No problem Mark

Heres the failing strut-top which was sent off to KINGas for refurbishment :-















The returned (Supposedly same/unit) refurbished strut-top :-











I'm not sure what's happened to the profile/length of the 'Upper Dust Canopy' which is attached to the upper strut-top casting and the configuration/position of the lower flange plate which bolts to the under side of the vehicle ?

It maybe however that KINGAs have to machine the length the 'Upper Dust Canopy' lip down to enable to fit the components into the tooling jig/fixtures prior to the injection moulding of the 'Polyurethane' as I can remember that the initial prototype ones had them completely missing



But just for the record I've measured the distance from the machined top face (Where the large hex. nut/fastener mates) of the upper strut-top casting and the upper face of the 'lower flange plate' (Which mates with the underside of the vehicle body).
The strut-tops I used for measuring/recording this feature are virtually new and O/E equipment and the measurements where on units NOT mounted to a vehicle (These are my spares stashed away for my XM's ) !

The following are the recorded results :-
For the 23mm dia. type strut-top = 107 mm and for the 25mm dia. type strut-top = 106 mm

It also looks like the protrusion of the neck (Which the strut leg/gaiter fits to), on the under side of the lower mounting plate is greater on Mark's unit now than previously and also than the ones shown in the initial/original KINGas posting too







If possible, (John or Paul) could you post up photo's of your strut-tops which you've had refurbished @ KINGas as a comparison ?

I hope this may be of help ?



XMX

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[mds141]

Thanks Richard. I've measured the distance from the baseplate to the top of the machined face where the large nut sits. I calculate 107mm, so not far out. I'm booking it into Savoy and I'll let Malcom have a look before we start stripping the strut down.

[xmexclusive]

From the photographs I think the returned strut head is possibly not the one sent.
The original repaired strut head photos and the strut head sent are all of the earlier Citroen design with the short under ring.
The returned one seems to have the later deep under ring that Citroen changed to in late 1996.
Provided the strut hole size is correct old and new types are interchangable but need to be fitted with the correct matching gaiter.

John

[XMX]

From the photographs I think the returned strut head is possibly not the one sent.
The original repaired strut head photos and the strut head sent are all of the earlier Citroen design with the short under ring.
The returned one seems to have the later deep under ring that Citroen changed to in late 1996.
Provided the strut hole size is correct old and new types are interchangeable but need to be fitted with the correct matching gaiter.

John

John, IIRC the donor strut top assy. was from a M or N reg. vehicle so that tallies !

Therefore as Marks XM is a 2000 model, the gaiters fitted to his XM should fit correctly onto the 'Neck' on the under side of the flange mounting plate with the unit which 'KINGas' has return refurbished to him !

So the lesson learned here (If sending donor units for a refurbishment) , is to be aware and check firstly the type you need if you've not removed the strut tops from the vehicle for a thorough appraisal !

The check list is as follows:-
a) The strut piston/rod size dia. (23mm or 25mm).
b) The lower flange mounting plate 'Neck' protrusion.
c) The handing obviously, as 'KINGas' can use a donor unit from which ever side to re-manufacture into a O/S or N/S unit.
d) Nearly forgot to state that most UK/RHD models had the 10mm dia. feed-pipes fitted with the Hydro-active suspension as there were a few early models without (Possibly dealer pre-launch models), which had the 3.5mm dia. feed-pipes for the Non Hydro-active models.

Also THIS threads worth a read thro' if your still unsure of your requirements ?



XMX

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