C5 Hdi 2001, Rear Brake Pads

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jmd
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C5 Hdi 2001, Rear Brake Pads

Post by jmd »

My rear brake pads are showing 50% wear after 10,000 miles. Car is driven carefully carries only driver 90% of the time & an empty boot. Has anyone any advice. I was under the impression that the front pads would wear two sets of rear pads. I should add that heavy braking is not practiced. (My previous Xantia was treated to new rear pads at 200,000.)
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CitroJim
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Post by CitroJim »

Very bizarre :?

My only thoughts are that you either have a set of cheap substitue pads which are poor quality or you have the infamous caliper corrosion problem which are causing them to wear wedge-shaped.

Corrosion between the trailing arm and caliper pushes the caliper off-centre in relation to the disc and causes the wedgeing. It seems to have very little effect on braking though so can go unnoticed for a good while.

If they're wearing wedged, you'll need to remove the calipers and clean up the mating faces, both on the caliper and the trailing arm. The corrosion (Aluminium oxide) can get very hard and it'll need chiselling off the caliper. Reassemble with some anti-seize compound to prevent a reoccurance.

The calipers will have to come right off to be cleaned up properly so ensure you have some 3.5mm hydraulic seals before you start.
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Post by C5IAM »

Have to agree with Citrojim, my C5 is the same year as yours and I changed both front and back at 69000 miles, could have got another 10 out of them. Had some corrosion, but nothing too severe, the top of the caliper where the pin goes through.
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Post by jmd »

Thanks for your replies. When I renewed the pads last March/April. I did notice a lot of rust around the rear pads, and caliper, which I scraped off and applied copper grease. Obviously didn't clean them properly. Will have another go-when I get seals.
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Post by MikeT »

I don't know about C5's and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, just hope it helps in the future but...

I read that Xantia rear brakes contain aluminium components which reacts with copper grease to cause corrosion. Instead, an aluminium-safe grease should be use which I then tried to obtain without luck.

Local parts shop said it was a specialist product and lack of demand meant they won't stock it. They suggested motor factors which I tried and they didn't stock it either. So I bit the bullet and went Citroens parts who told me they have no such product. At which point a Citroen mechanic appeared to get a part and I questioned him on the type of grease he uses on the Xantia rear brakes to which he answered "copper grease" :?

I gave up and replaced my pads without using any grease.
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Post by CitroJim »

You are absolutely correct about Copper Grease Mike and it is technically not the right stuff at all.

I know the stuff you mean but sourcing it is not easy.

I've always used copper grease on aluminium and thus far not experienced a problem. I used it on my TD capliers a couple of years ago and a couple of weeks ago when I took them off to replace the discs, they were still as clean as a whilstle.

I believe that most benefit comes from the grease keeping the water out and reassembly with any sort of grease would be better than nothing.

I keep a pot of copper grease permanantly on my bench with a stiff brush in it. I slap it on everything :D Next to my array of hammers, it is my favourite tool.
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Post by AndersDK »

MikeT wrote:I don't know about C5's and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, just hope it helps in the future but...

I read that Xantia rear brakes contain aluminium components which reacts with copper grease to cause corrosion. Instead, an aluminium-safe grease should be use which I then tried to obtain without luck.

Local parts shop said it was a specialist product and lack of demand meant they won't stock it. They suggested motor factors which I tried and they didn't stock it either. So I bit the bullet and went Citroens parts who told me they have no such product. At which point a Citroen mechanic appeared to get a part and I questioned him on the type of grease he uses on the Xantia rear brakes to which he answered "copper grease" :?

I gave up and replaced my pads without using any grease.
As for sealing the surface between the arm and caliper you may use any kind of antirust mass.
The aluminium paste is just as common as the copper paste. Its sheer ignorance if dealers dont stock it. Comes in exactly the same kind of 100mg (or whatever) tubes as copper grease.
Only difference between the 2 types is the metallic powder : either copper or aluminium. The base carrying grease is the same.
Anders (DK) - '90 BX16Image
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