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Xantia Activa Ram Bush Subsitute: Page 1
The rear roll corrector ram on the xantia Activa has a small bush, actually a rose joint, in the lower eye. The bush is very small and fails after a very short time causing a nasty knock and rattle from the rear end when traversing bumps. New ones are available from Citroen but now cost in the region of £150. This page shows how to make a substitute.
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The first job is to remove the old bush. If the ram is off the car then a press can be used but if the ram is still on the car, the old bush can be removed using a threaded rod and sockets as mandrels.
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Before the bush can be removed when the ram is in-situ, it will be necessarey to remove the eye bolt and remove the subframe tie-bar so that the ram can drop sufficiently far down to allow the threaded rod and mandrels to fit. The old bush will be very tight in its eye.
Removing the old bush using a threaded rod and sockets
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The replacement subsitiute bush is made from molybdenum impregnated Nylon66. Although the subsitute bush is not a rose joint as per the original, it has been extensively tested over several years and on many cars and found to be entirely satisfactory in service and long-lasting. The bush is simply a cylinder 23.9mm in diamater, 23.8mm long with a 12mm hole through the centre. It is a straightforward job to machine one on a lathe.
A new bush being machined on a lathe
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Here's the finished product.
The new bush freshly made
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Press the new bush into the ram eye. It must be a snug fit and is best pressed in. If the ram is still on the car, it can be pressed in using the threaded rod and mandrels. Ensure the new bush protrudes equally both sides of the eye.
Pressing in the new bush
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The final resut, bush pressed in and ram ready for reinstallation. Now enjoy a nice quiet ride!
The new bush in place
This is the bush in question:
