My dad keeps telling me how I could just take all the shocks off my car as 2cvs 'never used to have them anyway' is that true? and if so when were they first fitted?

Obviously its my own fault it fell off as I shouldn't have been driving across a field last weekend

.... off to fix it now...

They've had shock absorbers since birth, albeit, initially, friction dampers (frotteurs) with the obligatory inertia dampers (batteurs).

sam,
I assume that this observation



is connected with this comment...

"This sophisticated design made the suspension more responsive, enabling the 2CV to indeed be driven over a ploughed field as its design brief required. More importantly it could comfortably and safely drive at reasonable speed, along the ill-maintained and war-damaged post war French Routes Nationales. "

p.s. Wasn't friction & inertia damping provided from day one, gradually being replaced by hydraulic damping? Dads aren't always right, it seems.

You could always remove all 4 shocks and try bouncing from furrow to furrow.

Beat them pesky rabbits at their own game...

I did wonder! Thak you for clearing that up... he is sort of right then as his '52 wouldn't have had shocks like mine does (until he stuck it on a dyane chassis) in which case i'm guessing he stuck with the dyane's arms otherwise no, there wouldn't have been any shock absorbers!!

the friction dampers were on the arms i think

Friction dampers (frotteurs) are fitted in the end of the axle tubes and connect to the arms internatlly, batteurs (inertia dampers) are fitted to the hubs at the front and the arms ar the rear, IMO when Citroen did away with the batteurs, it was a backwards step.

You could remove the telescopic dampers but it will be all over the shop.

No joy removing that broken stud then? I would happily lend you my Ami front arms which have batteurs but they were never fitted without either frotteurs or telescopics too. I think. Suffice to say that I doubt it'd make the car driveable again.

I've had inertia dampers fitted to the front of my '88/89 2cv. It still has standard telescopic dampers, but the "batteurs" help to keep to car planted to the road and gives better, smoother handling and ride. I will at some point have them fitted to the rear arms too.