Top Jap site for spheres

Alan S

Alan S

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Posted a link on the bully board from Japan. These guys go into things in a big way & are no mugs. One of them, Yohsuke I understand is a doctor & working on his Citroens is his hobby (relaxation??
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) and the info they manage to get is spot on. Goto the link & scroll down & you will find the specs for most model Citroens.

Alan S

http://www.bx.citroen.org/m33/m33.html
 
You'll have to excuse me, as I'm a unitiated, young, French car enthusiast with only one frog behind me .... what are 'Spheres'?
 
The sphere helps makes a Citroen superior to a Peugeot in my opinion
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Seriously, they are a "sphere" shaped (sort of) gas chamber which screw onto struts located at each wheel-suspension assembly, in place of shock absorber/ coil spring set ups (found in inferior cars
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).
They contain a rubber diaphram which keeps in the gas & separates the hydraulic fluid which is self contained in the car's hydraulic system.
So the car rides on this gas.
Gotta be the best ride available even by today's standards.
Introduced back in 1955 in the DS.
 
Hi,

yep, gibgib is right, they are basicly just a sphere containing a rubber membrane. About 1200psi of nitrogen one side, and fluid the other...

ds00204.jpg


First seen in the early 50's on the back of the old Traction Avant (which itself dates back to the early 30's).

lots of info on the net if you want to look it up.

seeya,
Shane L.
 
Just had new diaphrams and gas in the front and gassed the rears on the D, what a transformation... car rides like new cheapest suspension overhaul in the business. We Citroen drivers have a little chuckle when the Pug guys talk about lowering their suspension, panel beating wheel arches etc. get a real car.

Cheers
Chris
 
I gotta admit, you guys are right, the 405 and BX share the same motor, box, floor pan etc, but the big difference is the suspension, anyone who says a 405 is a great car to drive (which it is compared to normal cars) has never driven a BX. My MI16 is a great car,no doubt about it, but compared to a BX 16V its a very ordinary car indeed.
Seeya's,
David.
 
I was overcome with wanting a D bad last week but this feeling has passed by a bit.
Continental Cars have a (rather sad) D Special in their car yard which got me thinkin'
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Really inclined to sell the 405 at the moment & get something else (that breaks down every so often). The Pug is too well behaved, & perhaps a little boring though it's a great comfortable & practical motor car!
Miss the ride of the GS
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Hi gibgib,

great picture isn't it. I've seen it a few times before, a publicity shot from the late 50's isn't it?? As soon as I noticed you'd added it to the available avatars I new I had to have it
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After all the time I've spent lately on the old ID19 I thought why not?

seeya,
Shane L.
PS: Mines a second nose though, it's a first can you spot the difference (it's not much).
 
Hi Dave,

I'll have to take a 405 for a drive one day, I always thought it would be a better (more solid/substantial) car than a BX. Wonder if my old 'ID' will have the 'wheel spinning' problem the BX does. Must have spun the inside wheel about 20times today on the wet roads... Didn't even have my foot down... Is the 405 tied down better than the BX?? Those BX's have some grunt for such a basic low tech(small) motor. Can be fun
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Hope to get a BX16valve oneday!! I'll just have to wait until there being given away I guess
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seeya,
Shane L.
 
Hi Shane,
I haven't been around for a wile because I've had the flu and everthing has benn just to difficult.
Comparing 405's with BX's, I bet you'd be disappointed in a 405 like I was (is), my wife loves the Pug and hates BX's, her opinion is the BX is to light and flimsy, feels unsafe, the Pug is strong and solid and feels safe on the road, my veiw is, because of its weight the BX is much better, the power and handling easily out way the solidness of the 405, she hates the way the BX dash rattles, I say who cares look at it go, a BX 19 GT has about the same performance as an early MI16, the series 2 MI16 is much better and goes about the same as BX16V, which uses the early motor.
I have been contemplating retiring the 17G from daily driving but finding a sutible replacement is hard, 205GTI's don't go hard enough and 405's are boring so an old 19GT might be the go, there cheap and bloody good fun.
Seeya,
David.
 
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