Citroen Specials Club - the club for all lightweight cyclecars

To day a new event, I got shimmy It was pretty bad and append 2 times what a bad experience that is. I am wondering what is the source of this phenomena, any suggestion welcome.. I will tomorrow lift the front wheel to see if there is any mechanical slack..

Almost certainly a wheel bearing.

Also, check the kingpins and steering arms. I've had this before with well worn balls!.

My solution was to buy new steering arms but rebuild them with Delrin steering cups.

Rgrds
C

As plan I have left the front wheels and yes the left bearing seems to at least need an adjustment. Now the question is as I have wirewheels how to remove the flange the 3 nuts have been removed but the flange remains in position I do not want to hammer this nor to heat and there is no room for my bearing tractor. Any trick.?
Cheers.
Paul

Once the three nuts have been removed from the wire wheel adaptor, it should just fall off.

There is no adjustment of the front wheel bearings. The nut that holds the driveshaft on pulls everything tight and tensions the bearing.
If the bearing is worn it will need to be replaced, however, I would have thought that the noise of a well-worn bearing would drive you mad long before any shimmy was felt.

My money would be on worn steering arms. Have a look here: http://www.citroenspecialsclub.org/hints/fs7.pdf
and here: http://www.citroenspecialsclub.org/hints/fs8.pdf

Rgrds
Callum

Thanks Callum,
I thought the adapter would have come on after nuts being removed but it does not.. maybe to much painting. . And not a single once of grip..
I buy your advice as I did not notice any noise before the shimmy show up, however I need to fix it ASAP, summer has arrived.
Regards
Paul

Bingo, king pin need to be changed, I will take the opportunity to have wheel alignment and height adjusted
thanks all for help.
Paul

Paul,
I suffered similar symptoms to those you've described a couple of years ago. Assuming you intend to replace the kingpin yourself, before you purchase the replacement parts, check that the kingpin hasn't "dropped". I.E. The screw plug underneath the pin hasn't come out and the pin worked it's way partially out of the bottom of the swivel housing. That's what had happened to mine!
In previous posts on this forum, you'll find comments about repeated replacement of kingpins, progressively reducing the interference fit of the pin. One fix is to run a few beads of weld down the outside of the housing, thus shrinking the hole slightly.
I didn't use this method, but drilled and tapped a hole into the arm, tightened a bolt, coated with Loctite into the tapped hole and then cut the head off the bolt.
If the kingpin is loose, and you can't do either of these "fixes", (there are probably others) I think you'll need a replacement arm.
Good luck with the sealing of the top plug!

Hutchii,
Well noticed I will see how things go thanks for your advise, yet the problem to remove the flange (splined hub) at least the left one as I have not tried the right one..anyway I won't be able to work on that next week due to other comitment, over booked probably
regards
Paul