Mmm........C5 rear brakes.

[c.morewood]

Yes!! Baking Paper does work 2 years of salty roads in Aberdeenshire and the rears still spin as freely as when I put the baking paper in there..I'm sure contributing to my best average mpg ever 56.6 last year 57.3 this year.

[Xantidote]

Yes!! Baking Paper does work

In saying I used Copaslip, I'm not saying nothing else will work. I'd have thought it more fiddley cutting out the wife's baking paper/parchment, but it's really a matter of what's to hand.

my best average mpg ever 56.6 last year 57.3 this year

Wow, is your middle name Peter Pretty good going, especially as it's not all flat around Aberdeen

[Xantidote]

@ Stickyfinger, (if still here)

Re that photo you posted earlier in this thread, which looks fantastic - I see you have a bit of whitish corrosion on the suspension cylinder. Ever since a few posts about failing seals over last couple of years, I've brushed a bit of old engine oil over the cylinder at the "open" end as seen in the photo, to prevent corrosion of the end where the seal is located. Worth considering?

[elma]

I use copaslip and paint my calipers. No problems to date except 2 of my 5 Xantias have been bought with stuffed rear calipers. I've snapped one retaining bolt as well.

[lexi]

Coppaslip as well as paint for me too. That last bolt today. Cleared enough space from the caliper with a selection of HSS holesaws to get a nut welded on. Good big nut as well. Snapped the bolt shaft again, 5mm beyond my welded nut. It is taking the breaker bar and a scaffy pole to break it
One more nut...........same result with even more pressure.
I have cut the caliper in half now and will repeat this tomorrow. I am getting nearer the swinging arm, so the shortening of the bolt and transfer of heat from weld may help me. The problem is compounded with no heat, so Mappgas torch ordered. At one time I never even attempted jobs without oxy/acy.
It is pants without it, like not having a welder. I have done the plus gas and freeze spray on this which are ok for many jobs . It did work on 3 out of the 4 bolts here.

[Stickyfinger]

@ Stickyfinger, (if still here)

Re that photo you posted earlier in this thread, which looks fantastic - I see you have a bit of whitish corrosion on the suspension cylinder. Ever since a few posts about failing seals over last couple of years, I've brushed a bit of old engine oil over the cylinder at the "open" end as seen in the photo, to prevent corrosion of the end where the seal is located. Worth considering?

It is spray "White Grease" mate.....no rot in there
I use a spray Electric connection/battery protection wax on all alloy parts now such as electro-valves, sphere mounts ect

[elma]

I like blowtorch and impact wrench for caliper bolts nowadays. No casualties to date...

[c.morewood]

"Wow, is your middle name Peter Pretty good going, especially as it's not all flat around Aberdeen"
Actually the best mpg was achieved on a run down to your neck of the woods Martin. 66.7

The copaslip as a barrier worked for me for about a year but by the end of the year the pads were once again pushing slightly on the discs stopping the freewheel rotation after about 1 turn. Using the baking paper is less messy and my wheels will turn 5 or 6 rotations before stopping.

[harryp]

Used the thin clear hard flat plastic from various "display" packaging and copaslip on both sides. Bit of a belt and braces approach. Seems to be OK after 5 years.... Will have to dismantle to check properly one of these days. OK it's a Xantia, but my previous one was bad at somewhere about 10 degrees. Was very surprised the caliper bolts had not snapped.

[Stickyfinger]

This is the stuff I use to protect alloy in areas such as sphere mountings etc, I also use it as intended in every electrical connection block/relays etc as well as the battery and the earth mounting plate.

I wire brush off all the paint I can and then apply this liberally. Water soaks into the oxide layer delivering more oxygen hence the corrosion, this seems to stop that.
Paint traps the water under it making the situation worse.

[lexi]

Today, I cut that caliper away. I left a square section of it with the bolt still inside. That let me put Stillsons on it and with a bit of force , I wound
the bolt and caliper remains, right out of that faceplate.
That green gunge held the bolt tight inside alloy remains. I will bleed and check for leaks tomorrow.
Once you renew the bolts, the corrosion is not the big issue it was any more. It is so easy to undo and clean/check it all without destruction or heat.

[dnsey]

I'm surprised that they didn't use a sealant / locking compound which could be removed with a solvent - would have made things a bit easier.
My insulator of choice is DPC polythene, just because I had some around.

[wurlycorner]

I need to get round to this on my c5 sometime soon (but not until I get a second car back on the road, to cover the inevitability that it won't complete in one day!).

Re: questions on this problem affecting other citroen's:
CX uses same/similar design, but has an ally caliper and ally arm, so doesn't suffer (also IIRC - long time since I had one apart - the caliper is not as thick, so far less deflection on the mounting bolts so less problem/chance of them bending).
Xantia has ally caliper but steel arm, so it's a recipe for disaster. I used silicone grease between the two, when I last re-assembled. We'll see how well that works...

[lexi]

All good and done with a nice feel on the brakes. Can't complain on a 13 yr old car that has had minimum maintenance .
Even the brake pipes are still solid with a little clean and paint.

[Xantidote]

A good outcome in the end