Yes I'm surprised Ken recommended that. After years with motorbikes with exposed damper rods, I always keep mine dry. As you say grease would attract dust and grit and make a perfect grinding paste. Not good for the seals.

Guru's can be wrong too and it hurts

what are they?

Isn't that the bounce test? on a 'normal' car it's quite easy to tell when the shocks are gone by pushing down the corner of the car. I thought that formed part of the test? Not that any tester would have a clue how much bounce an 2cv is meant to have

The big "bean cans" mounted on the front and rear arms of old 2cvs. They're "inertia dampers" - there's a big weight in them, damped by oil, and mounted on springs. As the wheel goes up rapidly, so the weight is forced against the lower spring. Then, at the top of the travel, the weight is forced against the upper spring.

Renault tried it in F1 a year or two ago, and promptly got slapped down...

Yes, there's a bounce test...
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m3s02000701.htm
...but they'll be useless on the road loooong before they fail that.

the big cans here on the hub are batteurs Sam.

If you fit batteurs expect arguments with mot testers when he does the bounce test.

You betcha Russ,

even more fun, the 75 'shed' 2CV6 has batteurs front and dampers rear, that strange change over period.

Try explaining that!!!!!

Umm, batteurs were never fitted alone - if there's no hydraulic telescopics, there should be friction dampers.