Xantia-Rear suspension strut removal

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NewcastleFalcon
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Xantia-Rear suspension strut removal

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Hello

This is my first posting to the forum. I have received lots of help from consulting the posts over a number of years, and thanks to everyone who contributes.

Below is a bit of optional background but the crux of the posting is

"How to I get the rear suspension strut out of a CItroen Xantia after shearing off a completely rusted spring clip from the suspension link rod?"

Background information:

I had to do a little job on my rear suspension unit for the MOT as the tester failed it on a slight weep of LHM from the suspension sphere/suspension strut junction. No significant loss of fluid, no pools of LHM on the tarmac under the car.

Last years MOT I had to fit a new sphere, and remove the old canonball.
Using this forum I eventually came up with the solution to getting the old one off. I made up a tool along the lines suggested in the forum, using the threaded rod, and my own slight innovation using inner portion of an axle stand with ready made holes in to create the "P" to tighten round the old sphere. It worked a treat-you can easily get a long bar down the tube bit of the axle stand to get extra leverage. What helped also was removing the "shield" around the rear disc by undoing the 3 10mm bolts to get a bit extra space to do it from the side of the car. This "special tool" cost precisely £1.65 to make.

Before I came up with this solution though I spent a fair bit of time with club hammer and chisel, and probably did enough damage to the strut/sphere interface to create the current problem of slight weepage of fluid from the join.

Having a SORN L reg Xantia outside my front door, I thought I would take the rear suspension strut from the old car and use this to fix the problem.

All went well until I reached the stage in the Haynes Manual described as "Remove the spring clip from the suspension link rod (see illustration)". Yes the spring clip was there, pretty easy to access with the pliers/mole grips but totally and absolutely "rusted in". It was obvious that no matter how careful I was, this particular spring clip was never going to be able to be removed from the suspension link rod, and yes it sheared off as expected.

I think this leaves the suspension strut pretty much unremovable.

Has anyone got any tips before I resort to the angle grinder?

Thanks

Neil
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Post by CitroJim »

Hi Neil and welcome to the forum :D

It's not an area that I've had a lot to do with on a Xantia so what I say may not work terribly well..

I'd be tempted to give the while area a good dousing in Plus-Gas and waiting for a bit before (if access will allow) to rotate the cyliner a bit (after the sphere and hydraulic pipe is off) and then drill the broken end of the clip a little into the rod and then use a small diamater pin punch to try and drift the remains of the clip out.

Either that, you may have to tray and remove as much of the exposed bits of the clip as possible and pull the cylinder out complete with the link rod so you can attack it further on the bench. If push comes to shove, it may be necessary to remove the trailing arm to give access.

If what I've said is a lod of rubbish, I apologise. Hopefully someone who has been here before will be along soon with better advice :wink:
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Post by Pleiades »

Hi Neil.

As Jim states, you can remove the arm with the rod attached and then sort it all out on the bench.

The pin hole does go all the way through so you can also use a punch from the other side.

Regards
Martin.
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Xantia-Rear Strut Removal

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Thanks for your replies

The inner retaining nut on the radius arm looks like another case of diffucult access for a decent socket and wrench, looks like you would have no alternative but to have to use a deep socket, on a short extension bar protruding through the "coils" of the brake supply pipe to get anywhere near. I would be very surprised if your average ring spanner could make any impression on the rusted on retaining nut. Not sure of the exact size of the nut-the outer one I slackened off with an old 15/16ths Socket.

One other item which I will also have to tackle on the bench is the supply pipe nut to the strut itself. Hammering on an undersized socket (7mm)which usually works for me didnt so this is still to remove.

Not having done the job before, if all goes to plan would I expect to withdraw the strut from the subframe by manouvreing it out towards the front of the car, as opposed to pulling it out in the direction of the rear of the car. Looks to me that the geometry of the components and subframe would only allow it come out towards the front of the car.

Any assistance would be very gratefully received.

Thanks again

Neil
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Post by citronut »

the nut/bolt head is 24mm and i usualy fit a ring spanner on the nut, then with two long half inch extentions, a 24mm socket and a two foot knukle bar, place an axle stand under the outer end of the extention just before the knukle bar head, as long as you have not remeved the two anti roll ber bolts the sppaner will jam up against the anti roll bar, now undo the arm pivot bolt with the knukle bar till you can use a ratchet,

regarding the ram feed pipe nut i would use vice grips the gently undo it

regards malcolm
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Post by Pleiades »

Hi Neil.

The main bolt is 24mm, you cab slip a ring spanner up behind the coil of the brake pipe and use a decent inch drive socket set on the outside of the bolt.

The only way that the suspension cylinder will come out is remove the pipe and push it towards the front of the car, there is a shoulder on it to prevent it from coming out towards the rear bumper. Also the pipe nut has to either come out or be cut off level with the ally on the cylinder, otherwise it will not go back through the hole in the subframe, sometimes it is easier to cut it level, then sort it with a drill and tap when you can see it more clearly.

Regards
Martin.
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Xantia-Rear Strut

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Thanks again-armed with your help I have gained that necessary extra enthusiasm to persevere and finish the job off. With the good old haynes manual, dismantling bits of a new car must be fairly straightforward. Dealing with older cars and the dreaded rust there is no substuitute for tips and wrinkles gained from many hours of persistance and creative thought to overcome difficult jobs.

Many thanks

Neil
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Post by citronut »

spell check, on this forum this is how to spell persevere/persistance (PERCY WHAT SIT ) TEA HE

i always use loads of PERCY WHAT SIT to get these stubon pipe nuts out, rather than cutting them off if it can be helped, even if i have to resort to a bit of heat and with vice grips,

obviuosly Martin has a a full machine shop to hand i would susppect, so them it would be easyer to cut it off

regards malcolm
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Post by red_dwarfers »

citronut wrote:spell check, on this forum this is how to spell persevere/persistance (PERCY WHAT SIT ) TEA HE

i always use loads of PERCY WHAT SIT to get these stubon pipe nuts out, rather than cutting them off if it can be helped, even if i have to resort to a bit of heat and with vice grips,

obviuosly Martin has a a full machine shop to hand i would susppect, so them it would be easyer to cut it off

regards malcolm
Ahh so thats what Percy What sit means :lol:

The Google Toolbar http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/too ... index.html has a built in spellchecker :wink:
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Post by toofargone »

Just wondering if you got the strut removed NewcastleFalcon. I am in a similar position.

I cannot see the spring hole going through the whole way.

Hope you have success.
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Xantia-Rear strut removal

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Hello

Not yet!

I am waiting for some decent weather as my "workshop facilities" consist of no garage and an unmade road outside my house. I have used this workshop for over 20 years now and have come to the conclusion that a bit of sunshine is required to get anywhere near a successful job done. I got the car through the MOT by removing the sphere at the rear which was suffering from the weepage of LHM at the join, and replacing it with a genuine citroen sphere from the old car, a new seal, and some "plumbers" thread sealing tape (gas spec) on the threads.

It's worked for now so the pressure is off to remove the strut from the old car.

Roll on a bit of sunshine

Kind Regards

Neil
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Post by citronut »

you would probably have found just a new seal will have done the job, as the ram to seal matting surface usualy dose not suffer any carosion, and as Jim said carosion at the very end surface of the ram dose not matter, as the sphere seal sits in the reaes,

i would not use any sealing method on the thread as this is the fluid side of the seal

regards malcolm
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Post by toofargone »

Just to say tht I got the strut removed on my car. Rightly or wrongly, I drilled with a 7mm bit from the outside of the strut--so that I could tap the spring out of the hole.

This worked. I did not drill a lot into the area--but had to as I could initially see where the spring hole was. I had the wheel off and had to jack the arm up to an angle where I could get the drill into the area.

Hope all goes well. I think it took me as long to get the car sitting safely on jacks as the job itself---Xantias seem to me to be a bit dangerous to work at.
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Post by john alexander »

Hi ,Malcolm you have been lucky , I've twice had to replace rear rams because of corrosion at the end . In both cases the lip supporting the seal was corroded so much a piece fell out. If you look at a new ram you will see the casting is machined on the outside thereby reducing the wall thickness. Regards John. P.S hope you continue to be lucky Malcolm !!!.
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Post by Xaccers »

toofargone wrote: Hope all goes well. I think it took me as long to get the car sitting safely on jacks as the job itself---Xantias seem to me to be a bit dangerous to work at.
How so?
Set car on high.
Axle stands on lowest setting unless you really need to get deep underneath.
If you can't slip them under as is, use a jack on the sub frame to lift the car, slip axle stand under jacking point on sil, gently lower jack so car rests on axle stand. Repeat on the other side.
Set car height to low.
Once the front drops right down, turn the engine off and with the back up in the air you should have plenty of room underneath.
While you're under there, give the rear height corrector a good clean and re-lube.

It's one of the best features of the car, it does all the heavy lifting for you :)
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