xantia brake mod ????

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 23 Feb 2005, 01:21

I tried to modify my brake pedal as per thread the other day , but I could not get the cylinder off the pedal.
Can anyone tell me (in detail) how to do it ?
Does it screw off or pull off, as I tried , but as space is limited I could not really pull hard enough.
P.S. Had the pads & discs changed today. Grand total £ 188.!!
but now they are telling me the h.brake cable o/s has seized as there is a lot of movement on the lever. It goes almost to top but holds car well enough albeit on 1 wheel according to the mechanic.
What could the problem be with the h.b. cable?
Thanks guys I love the forum

john alexander · Post by **john alexander** » 23 Feb 2005, 01:30

Hi Pat. I did mine last week, if you lift the pedal up, with your other hand pull the cylinder out.I used a flat screwdriver behind the collar and gently levered it out, its just a snug fit.Regards john.

Dave Burns · Post by **Dave Burns** » 23 Feb 2005, 01:37

It just pulls out Pat, wiggle it while pulling on it, and I mean pull.
The handbrake cable outer sheath gets damaged where it passes through the guide loops on the suspension leg, this lets water and crap in, eventually the steel spiral that gives it its strength rusts through, the outer sheath then breaks in two.
Either buy the cables from GSF or your main dealer, there are a lot of dodgy cables out there that don't fit properly, wrong lengths and over size nipples are the main problem with them.
Dave

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 23 Feb 2005, 02:06

I think you'll find that Quinton Hazell do a handbrake cable with about 1 ft of very tough reinforcement where the cable goes through the front guide. Got 2 on my BX and if I recall correctly there was a common cable for Xantia and BX and it cost about £12. Fitted easily on both sides and one has been on there for at least 4 years now.
jeremy

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 23 Feb 2005, 02:12

Thanks guys for your help. I,ll try and pull it out on saturday.
By the way, whats a decent price for changing the h.brake cables? as I´ve been quoted £ 150 plus vat.
Extortionate or what?

CommY · Post by **CommY** » 23 Feb 2005, 05:23

That's not a what, that's pure EXTORSION. If your near to Darlington I'll do it for half that amount.

Post by **RichardW** » 23 Feb 2005, 13:34

If you read Haynes you would think changing a Xantia handbrake cable is the Devil's own job. I had one go and put it off for this reason, using a temporary clamp on the cable. Had forgotten about it till the MOT tester pulled it off on the brake test... Anyway, I changed the O/S cable in less than 1 hour, and that included jacking up my Visa to get the axle stands out from under it, so £150 is WAY over the top. Getting the cable in and out under the exhaust shield is a bit of a fiddle (esp as you can't see it!) but easy enough if you think through it. Get the car well jacked up as you need to get in under the side behind the Passenger side wheel to free the cable. Make sure you get the correct cable, as the O/S and N/S are different lengths on the Xantia.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 23 Feb 2005, 15:50

I had to do 3 handbrake cables on my first Xantia.
The guides on the front struts had a nasty habbit of wearing through the cable outer, which let water in. Cue the ineviable rust and its new cable time because the cable outer breaks and the cable sticks at that point. The newer Xantia has plastic inserts in these guides, the older one now has rubber hose cable tied in...