C5 Suspension Retro-fit

[Guest pingpong]

Hi guys,

 

Just signed up as I've a idea rattling around that I need to be put to bed or let grow.

 

Put very basically I'm thinking of retro-fitting the Hydractive system from either the Xantia or C5 onto a 106.

 

OK, OK stop laughing now! :)

 

I've taken a look at the exploded diagrams & the system does not seem that complex - just a lot of plumbing. I think could well be possible as the front struts look to be standard McPherson-fit into the hubs & the rear's maybe able to replace the 106's rear shockers. (I'm planning to keep the torsion bars athough I could replace these with pain steel rods)

I must stress at this point that I've done nothing more than looking at exploded diagrams & read various pages on the Hydractive suspension setup. I've not done any measuring & I am only looking at controlling the suspension & not the brakes or steering (as per the Xant)

 

I'm thinking, the c5 may be the better option (all be it abit more expensive as we have a old xantia thats due to go to the scrappers shortly), for starters, it uses a electric pump, as apposed to the mechanical one on the Xantia. Various (most)levers & bars used on the Xant are electronics on the C5, thus giving over to easier retro-fitting.

I did have concerns that the ride height would be waaaay to high but if the c5 knows which height it should be at it may well compensate for the lighter shell & bring it down to the right levels & if it doesn't, could the correct height be programmed? & how would the suspension handle the lighter body weight, but if its computer controlled it should it not compensate for this?

Another, quite major, issue I could see would be the front legs, as I remember the Xant's (my only real point of referance) strut towers are much lower than that on the 106 - to make room for the spheres, however could the top assembly be remote fitted using some custom pipework? (new strut-top mounts may need to be made) & would this have any adverse effects on the suspension's working - or again would the system just compensate?

& I've not even looked into if the mk1 C5 uses a canbus system? because that could be a proper ball ache.

Do the various conponents (like the Rigidity Regulator Sphere, Height Correctors etc) need to be mounted at specific points on the chassis or would anywhere be fine, bearing in mind it'll all be running on custom made pipework.

Does the C5 have a evolution of the Xants Activa anti-roll system? as it uses jacks on the end of the ARB's but can't see them on the C5's diagrams?

 

The reason for all this is my 106 is abit of a show thing & a track wanabe, so its lowered & while it looks great, the ride is rough as so this should give me the best of both worlds - in the real world it would ride like a carpet but at a show I can drop it on its bum & regain the 'looks', while out on track it should handle like a go-cart.

I've looked into custom air suspension but thats rolling in at funny money, where as I'm more than capible of carring out this modification if it does look to be doable.

 

Cheers

 

Ross

[Johndouglas]

Try your question on http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/

There are some guys on there who know Citroen hydraulics inside out.

[paul.h]

May be also worth you looking at the latest C5, this is supplied with standard shock absorbers or with the hydractive ones in their place on the exclusive models so may be a more normal size for a retrofit.

[Guest pingpong]

Thanks John I'll give them a go.

 

Paul, I need to think about cost, I'd imagine the parts needed would be big money - even from a scrappers because the cars so new?

[coastline taxis]

While this sounds like a worthy project a few concerns of mine would be the following

1 the suspension on a c5 is all hydraulic i dont think your 106 would have enough weight or lenght for the suspension to give a decent ride quality and i think it would proberly be solid.

2 the suspension is controled by part of the ecu so that would need to be looked into.

3 The actual height of the front rams even when lowered wouldnt take the car down to the height your looking for

4 Space in the engine compartment for the spheres and the pump and resevoir

 

But do keep us informed of how your geting on with it as it is intresting

[Guest pingpong]

yeah weight was one of my concerns too, being that the suspension will be running at a high enough pressure to compensate for the weight of the c5, as you say this may make the ride rock hard, I don't know if there is any way round this? If the computer can be reprogramed on the weight parameters (I'm assuming the c6 for example is heavier) or if I could run the system at a lower pressure?

I'll have to look into the ECU, I assume this maybe for the throttle control (fly by wire?) / control the idle, increasing the tickover as the pump engages etc?

In relation to the ride height, I;ve seen a c5 on its lowest setting & it looks about right to me :)

Space could be a issue, but with some packaging management I think this could be over come (the pump could do under the boot floor for instance) The topmounts / spheres either down the sides of the 106 strut towers (behind the inlet manifold) or down to front of the towers with the ECU/fusebox relocated.