Rear axle beam (again)

[SuperKingCheese]

Hello,

I posted here a while back about my rear axle on my old 2002 Picasso. The problem was the usual negative camber on the rear wheels, so I replaced the axle with refurbished one and the camber had resolved on the near side wheel but still the off side was rubbing against the wheel arch.

Yesterday I installed a brand new axle beam thinking the refurbished one could have been faulty and again the near side is fine but the off side wheel is still rubbing the wheel arch.

So what could be the issue here? I can't believe both a refurbished and brand new axle could turn out to be faulty on the same side so there must be another problem I'm missing.

[mickthemaverick]

My first reaction to that situation is has the body warped or shifted to impact the wheel?

[Paul-R]

Agree with Mick. Sounds like there is unresolved impact damage there. How bad is the interference with the wheelarch? Could the wheelarch be dressed back with some judicious hammer work?

[SuperKingCheese]

Agree with Mick. Sounds like there is unresolved impact damage there. How bad is the interference with the wheelarch? Could the wheelarch be dressed back with some judicious hammer work?

I can't put my fingers between the wheel and the arch, if I look under the car there is a gap of about 2 or 3mm. Is it possible it could be the brake drum? or even the wheel itself? I was thinking about swapping the drum and wheel from the other side to see if it resolves but I will definitely check the body work to see if its bulging out towards the wheel.

[Paul-R]

Wheels do come with different offsets. Is it possible that the wheels are not original fitment?

You keep saying wheel but in my experience it's the tyre that actually rubs against the wheelarch. Yes, I had the same problem years ago with our Xsara Estate car.

[SuperKingCheese]

Wheels do come with different offsets. Is it possible that the wheels are not original fitment?

You keep saying wheel but in my experience it's the tyre that actually rubs against the wheelarch. Yes, I had the same problem years ago with our Xsara Estate car.

Yes I do mean tire.

I have just swapped the drum and wheel from the good side and I still have the same problem. Aside from the drums I have replaced all other parts, shoes, brake cylinders, backing plates, wheel bearings and new shocks when I replaced the axle so there isn't a lot left that could be causing the problem.

[Paul-R]

Try swapping the rear left and rear right wheels over and see if that makes any difference. I'm clutching at straws here.

[wheeler]

Assuming the wheel & tyre sizes are correct Then surely this has to be a chassis issue. Did all the bolt holes line up perfectly when swapping the axles?
Are you aware of any impacts? how long have you had the car?
Someone maybe jacked it up somewhere they shouldn't have?

[SuperKingCheese]

Assuming the wheel & tyre sizes are correct Then surely this has to be a chassis issue. Did all the bolt holes line up perfectly when swapping the axles?
Are you aware of any impacts? how long have you had the car?
Someone maybe jacked it up somewhere they shouldn't have?

My mother bought the car brand new and I bought it off her in 2010 so it's been in our family since new and has never been in an accident. It was always serviced by our local Citroen garage until I bought it and I have always done the maintenance myself. I have always jacked the car up properly and I assume the Citroen guys would have done the same.

And yes, all the bolts lined up properly when I swapped out the axles. I have just swapped tires with the other side and also put the spare on and it's still got the same camber problem.

[Paul-R]

Can you actually see the camber when standing at the rear of the vehicle?

Are the tyre sizes as listed in your handbook? What size tyres are fitted?

[SuperKingCheese]

Can you actually see the camber when standing at the rear of the vehicle?

Are the tyre sizes as listed in your handbook? What size tyres are fitted?

Yes tire sizes are correct and match the handbook, looking at the car from the rear there doesn't appear to be any negative camber on the affected side, however the near side which is not rubbing the wheel arch visibly has negative camber.

I have just been looking under the car again and it seems I have overlooked something...The rectangular shaped bushing which the axle bolts on to, I didn't replace them, didn't even know they were bushings until 5 minutes ago. Maybe these are the issue.

[mickthemaverick]

Having been out for a while I've just come in and caught up with this thread. It sounds like the suspension to axle/chassis is the most likely problem, possibly a broken spring or knackered bush?

[SuperKingCheese]

Having been out for a while I've just come in and caught up with this thread. It sounds like the suspension to axle/chassis is the most likely problem, possibly a broken spring or knackered bush?

Picasso's don't have any springs on the rear only shocks which are brand new and replaced the same time as the axle. I did notice the rectangular bushings which the axle bolts on to which are original and I didn't replace them. At the time I didn't pay them any attention but now realize these mounting points have rubber bushings inside.

[myglaren]

Picasso's don't have any springs on the rear only shocks which are brand new and replaced the same time as the axle. I did notice the rectangular bushings which the axle bolts on to which are original and I didn't replace them. At the time I didn't pay them any attention but now realize these mounting points have rubber bushings inside.

I find that quite unlikely. Do they have torsion springs perhaps, that are not immediately visible like coil springs.

[SuperKingCheese]

Picasso's don't have any springs on the rear only shocks which are brand new and replaced the same time as the axle. I did notice the rectangular bushings which the axle bolts on to which are original and I didn't replace them. At the time I didn't pay them any attention but now realize these mounting points have rubber bushings inside.

I find that quite unlikely. Do they have torsion springs perhaps, that are not immediately visible like coil springs.

The suspension is a torsion bar axle, there are 3 torsion bars running through the axle beam and then 2 shock absorbers, there are no springs.