DS Front End Repairs

Published February 9, 2019 · Updated September 16, 2024

A couple of months ago my DS had one of the front suspension boots replaced to cure a bad LHM leak. When this was done, it was apparent the bushings in the steering rack were worn. Since the front of the car was apart, it made sense to order these parts and then have them fitted before the front was put back together. I ordered the parts a few months ago, but for some reason Franzose sent them by the slow boat. This was rather irritating as the DS has been sitting partially assembled for months. Some of these repairs are beyond my skill so are being entrusted to Jason who does all the non routine stuff on my DS.

The car also had a vibration from the camshaft pulley. This was a good opportunity to replace it with a rebuilt one I had purchased. The one on the car had been welded up and it vibrated. Due to its configuration, the DS uses a camshaft pulley for accessory drive. Most cars use a crankshaft pulley.

The aerodynamic shape of the DS precludes a normal radiator grill. Instead of air being forced through the radiator once the car is up to speed, the DS engine fan sucks the air up a chute through the radiator. At idle, the fan is not running very fast, so in traffic the air flow over the radiator can be sub optimal. This is why the fuel injected models and the DS23 have an auxiliary electric fan. The electric fan cannot replace the engine fan in the DS, as it will not pull enough air at high RPM. It can supplement it in heavy traffic, especially in a hot climate like Australia.

I purchased a slimline Davies Craig 10″ fan. The airflow rating is just under 700CFM and draws 7 amps. It was mounted behind the radiator. This is where the factory mounted the electric fan and doesn’t stop air hitting the front of the radiator. We also added a fan controller so I can adjust the cut in temperature. This can be seen to the left of the radiator in the picture above. Also visible in the picture without the radiator ducting is the ducting for the front inboard brakes.

There are a number of finisher panels under the front wings around the wheels. These had surface rust, so were powder coated along with the air cleaner assembly. They look much better, especially with the new paint job.

After all these repairs the front of the car is back together and the wings on. I have some of the original stickers to mount on the new powder coated air cleaner once I give it a clean.

Before Jason came to work on the car I had given the radiator a good flush. Being originally from South Australia, the cooling system on this car was quite dirty when I got it. This time, a few years later I was able to remove some more deposits but it was much better than before.

The car is not yet finished. I was unable to adjust the windows properly. Turns out the mechanisms have been modified in the past with non DS parts. This will be fixed along with wiring up the new fan. The new powder coated pieces look great compared to how it was before.