C5 X7 Front Control arm rear bush replacement - Help!!!

[julianb]

Hi all, apologies if this is in the wrong forum but it's my first post here and I have a problem I'm struggling to solve.
I have worn rear bushes on the front lower track control arms of my 2008 C5 X7 executive estate with active suspension. I have removed the arms and have in my hand replacement FEBI 32116 bushes (they specify aluminium subframe and active suspension on the fitment spec) - but they're not the same as the ones on the end of my arm. The bush holder is the same size, but the bush itself is smaller and set lower in the housing. (sorry, no photos cos I haven't worked out howto attach them yet and drag & drop doesn't work). The arm i've taken off is I think original as it has the PSA barcode sticker still on it, and I'm fairly sure the old bush is original too as the height corrector bracket fits it perfectly.
The new FEBI 32116 bushes have the hole for the height corrector, but the cylindrical bush itself and its holder in the replacement Febi part are a smaller diameter (45.3mm) than those on the original (50mm) and set lower in the housing This means that the arm will sit lower (approx 10mm) at the back when refitted and the height corrector bracket which sits round the old 50mm bush will sit at a different height as will the corrector! (Basically the bracket from the original arm doesn't fit the FEBI bush at all! On the original bush the centreline of the bracket hole is in line with the centreline of the bush. On the FEBI 32116 with a smaller bush set lower, the bush centre is 10mm below the bracket hole.

My problem is (at least) twofold:
1) there doesn't seem to be a different bigger bush available on ebay or at any of the other parts suppliers that matches what I've taken off (and what my height corrector bracket fits) - did Citroen fit two different bushes to this car? If so there must be a different bracket too??
2) If I fit the FEBI 32116 to the car the rear end of the arm will sit 1cm lower than it did on the original bushes as will the height corrector, the bracket of which i shall need to cut to fit level.

I have it in mind to press the old bearing out of the original housing (already done) and the new (smaller) bearing out of the new Febi bearing then turn up a cylindrical billet of aluminium on my lathe and press the new bearing into the old housing - UNLESS ANYONE CAN SUGGEST WHERE I CAN BUY A NEW REPLACEMENT BEARING AND IT'S HOUSING THAT MATCHES MY ORIGINAL or has a part number or something - I'm completely stumped.

I would buy a complete arm with the bearing attached, but suspect it will simply come with a FEBI 32116 equivalent drifted on which the corrector bracket won't fit to either...

Thanks - JulianB

Oh, and I'm off on holiday in the car to France towing a caravan a week today.....

[wurlycorner]

Hi
To add photos you need to be in the ‘full editor and preview’ mode for posting and then click the ‘attachments’ tab.
Select 'Add files' and upload them there and then you can press the ‘place inline’ button under each file, to put it in the post.

[mickthemaverick]

This is listed as fitting 2008 C5 III Break with active suspension. Does it look right?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276777070322 ... R7ix78ObZg

[Kees]

I don't understand, why people not gif the complete information about the car, for example wich engine and vin number!!
But if febi 32116 is the wrong one, you need Febi 177695

[julianb]

I don't understand, why people not gif the complete information about the car, for example wich engine and vin number!!
But if febi 32116 is the wrong one, you need Febi 177695

Hi - the FEBI 177695 won't fit because there is no hole for the height corrector bracket....

[julianb]

I don't understand, why people not gif the complete information about the car, for example wich engine and vin number!!
But if febi 32116 is the wrong one, you need Febi 177695

BUT the bush itself looks the same size so I may be able to push it out and replace the ones in my original housing - thanks.
No VIN supplied because it's always stripped by the admins here anyway....
It appears that several different bushes and height corrector bracket arrangements were used on the C5's with active suspension...

[julianb]

This is listed as fitting 2008 C5 III Break with active suspension. Does it look right?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276777070322 ... R7ix78ObZg

Impossible to tell if it fits from the pics - would need to see it 'end on'....

[julianb]

Hi
To add photos you need to be in the ‘full editor and preview’ mode for posting and then click the ‘attachments’ tab.
Select 'Add files' and upload them there and then you can press the ‘place inline’ button under each file, to put it in the post.

Thanks Ian - and how do I get into te 'Full Editor' mode? Can't find any button or instructions, this is just infuriating. I'm in some sort of mode that shows me raw hypertext!

[myglaren]

Hi
To add photos you need to be in the ‘full editor and preview’ mode for posting and then click the ‘attachments’ tab.
Select 'Add files' and upload them there and then you can press the ‘place inline’ button under each file, to put it in the post.

Thanks Ian - and how do I get into te 'Full Editor' mode? Can't find any button or instructions, this is just infuriating. I'm in some sort of mode that shows me raw hypertext!

Immediately below the quick answer box:-

[mickthemaverick]

As well as Steve's guide you can get straight into the Full Editor simply by clicking the 'Post Reply' button top left of the thread viewing screen you are looking at.

[julianb]

I finally spoke to Febi on this one and they have tacitly admitted that the part they have had manufactured is not correct. They claim they have no more stock 'so there is no problem', and that the next batch will be correct. As I pointed out, the 'channel' still has stock though, so ordering the part can still leave you in trouble. They also mentioned that the bracket fitted to the new whole arm is correct (I didn't buy one because I feared it wouldn't be) but I haven't been able to verify this.

My eventual solution was to take the new 'off-spec' Febi brackets, grind off the 'arms' to leave me the bush, then spin up the bushes in a lathe and fit them to the old brackets which I'd pressed the worn rubbers out of. Works fine, but should I really need to do this? It took me ages to get FEBI to own up on this one and I still have it only Verbally following a call to their technical department....

So beware.....