Xsara brake prob

Post by **boroboy** » 02 Aug 2006, 19:27

Hi all,
I own a 99 Xsara 1.4 LX. I've experienced a few moments when my rear wheel (drivers side), has seized on, mainly in the morning, whilst the handbrake is not applied. I reversed off my drive this morning & as I was braking to slow down, my rear wheels locked up & I couldn't drive forward or backwards, after a little while the rear wheels unlocked themselves. Gave me a slight shock, thought I'd reversed into a car.

Brake shoe prob? Should I strip down the rear shoes & put some brake grease on the springs?

Does anyone know the torque settings for taking the rear wheel hubs off?

Thanks.

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 02 Aug 2006, 19:29

Sounds like it could be the shoe retaining springs have come away. They hold the shoe to the back plate. Normally have a 'T' shaped head. I'd go for the strip down.

Post by **boroboy** » 02 Aug 2006, 19:52

Cheers Stuart,
That's what I thought, shoe fault, I'll strip both sides down on Friday.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 02 Aug 2006, 21:39

While you've got the back brakes to bits its worth bevelling the edges of the linings. This can stop all manner of problems from squeaks and groans to grabbing. Really its the leading edges that need doing but there is no harm in doing both and this does prevent problems when in reverse.

I simply cut the edges off at 45 degrees with a craft knife or a wood chisel.

In fact i think you will find all manner of problems in there - on our ZX it turned out the cylinders were leaking and the linings had come off the shoes! - It passed the MOT 2 weeks earlier with an advisory that the handbrake needed attention!

Its also worth sorting the adjuster very carefully. If its the star wheel type, dismantle it carefully and wash off all the grease, and then use new grease in the thread, wind the wheel over the grease to get it on that part of the thread and mae sure there is a dab on the contact face of the wheel. When you re-assemble make sure you can hear it click when it adjusts on each side - this with luck will save you further problems.

Do this before you stake the new nut!

Post by **boroboy** » 02 Aug 2006, 23:53

Jeremy,
Thanks for the info, a mechanic checked & adjusted my handbrake cable & checked the rear shoes & said that they'd recently been changed (inc cylinders). Usually story, I'm going to have to check them myself, had the car 3 months & it's been good so far (touch wood).

Also need a new heater blower resistor, £15 from main dealer, easy DIY fix, will do that before winter.

Went for a basic 1.4 8v car, rest from sporty high maintenance, low petrol consumption vehicles. How long will it last? Anyone's guess.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 03 Aug 2006, 08:29

Sounds very similar to the ZX problems. I was short of time when the handbrake stopped working and got a mechanic to replace the cbles - he found cylinders leaking and shoes damaged and replaced all - and it seemed OK - but after 15 months the handbrake was slack and it was apparent it wasn't adjusting.

I used new adjusters as it was more convenient but am sure I could have salvaged the old ones. The grease in the old ones was hard and the wheels were stiff.

So I rebuilt it carefully and it seems to work but one adjuster had to be teased to get it to work for some reason.

Your locking is a bit strange. I have had a locking drum brake which was cured by bevelling the lining but there was no question of it staying on. Staying on sounds a bit like a hydraulic problem - with fluid pressure being maintained. Load compensator? or has the master cylinder been adjusted (pedal linkage?) or has a flexy hose collapsed or a steel pipe been crushed?

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 03 Aug 2006, 09:06

usual thing when someone has fitted new shoes and cylenders,more than likly fitted them dry with no copper slip,or as jeremy said flexi hose colapsed in side so it let the fluid in but not back actting like a one way valve
regards malcolm

Post by **boroboy** » 03 Aug 2006, 10:38

citronut,
A mechanic tightened up my handbrake cable a few weeks ago & told me that I'd had recently fitted shoes & cylinders. Perhaps you've hit the nail on the head & the previous person that fitted the new shoe's didn't use any brake grease.

I quite enjoy car maintenance, it's just finding the time, work, family etc. Usual story, looks like I'll have to do the job myself. I'll check everything over, scared the hell out of me to be honest when the brakes locked up, couldn't drive forwards or backwards. Hope that couldn't happen at speed? Still I'll check them all tomorrow.

Post by **boroboy** » 03 Aug 2006, 10:43

jeremy,
Shoes & cylinders replaced recently. Perhaps not greased up correctly? I hope. I've only had the car 3 1/2 months now, like it though, good on petrol, cheap tax & insurance.

Needs a heater blower resistor (fan only working on 4), very slight oil leak, think head gasket & my brake prob, but besides that, A OK. Still the car has covered 87,000 miles & is 7 years young.

It's 100% reliable (touch wood) & that is more than can be said for allot of other cars I've owned over short periods of time, Lag 8v, Rover SEI, etc.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 03 Aug 2006, 13:17

the 1.4 tu engine suffer with head gasket leaking on the front left corner when viewed from looking under the bonnet,as this is where the main oil way is
regards malcolm

Post by **boroboy** » 03 Aug 2006, 23:14

citronut,
If I do decide to change my HG, would I normally have to get the head skimmed & crack tested? Or can I just clean the head up & then refit with new HG ? I changed punto HG a few years ago, didn't get the head skimmed or crack tested, as head looked ok, had no prob with it after that. I've never known a HG to leak oil only, usually water. Obviously a common fault with these 1.4 engines.

Is it important that I do change the HG? Only a very small oil leak, could I just not live with it? What about usinga slightly thicker engine oil, say a 15/40?

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 04 Aug 2006, 08:07

the need to skim a head depends on the circumstances for the removal of the head - so if its overheated in a major way then it should at least be checked on a machine - if its routine - for example access to valves - then maybe not.

The problem is the sheer dificulty on cleaning the surface - and so many people have a light skim taken so that they know the face is clean when its re-assembled.

This oil leak on 1.4's seems endemic. Thicker oil won't make any difference. You have to remember that its a high pressure oil leak - and of course you don't know what's going to happen next!

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 04 Aug 2006, 08:38

it is best to have it skimed even if its just a light one,and these heads dont usaly suffer with cracks, and if you dont fix the oil leak the next thing to go will be the cam belt when it gets soaked in oil,
regards malcolm

Post by **boroboy** » 04 Aug 2006, 14:02

Citronut,
Thanks for the advice.

Just striped down rear brake shoes & greased all springs etc. Drum wasn't the easiest to get on & off, couldn't get the shoes to close (using screwdriver through wheel nut hole), whilst trying to take drums off. Managed in the end, sheer persistence. Shoe's were not moving freely. Not that keen on the mechanical set up of the self adjuster & shoes, think poor quality set up. Seem to be moving freely now.

I have noticed that the handbrake cables will need replacing soon, outer casing cracked & damaged. That would't cause my rear shoes to seize up though? Especially when I wasn't using the handbrake at the time.

Post by **boroboy** » 04 Aug 2006, 14:04

Jeremy,
Thanks for the HG advice, I'll have a think about changing it, dependant on whether I'll be keeping the car.

Sorted shoes out, I'll keep my fingers crossed.