C5 2.0 HDI N/S/R Caliper rubbing off wheel

[THELABMAN]

Hi Folk,

I was on the way home tonight with my Mrs in the car when it developed and awful rubbing or grinding noise from the rear end when going around a roundabout .... I managed to find somewhere to pull in and check the car to see what the problem is and it's the bolt heads on the Caliper rubbing off the wheel, I know it's a fairly common fault but up to tonight I'd no warning off this at all is it possible to just start so suddenly.

My biggest problem is that I've been off work for seven days and typically I'm due back out at 7am tomorrow to 7pm and the same right through to Sunday and I'm wondering is it safe to drive with it as it is or am I best to take a day off tomorrow to get it sorted at the garage.... I've a round trip of about 60 miles, mostly on the M8 and M74 motorways, so you'd be talking of me doing 240-250 miles before I could have it looked at on Monday.

Regards

Peter

[Hell Razor5543]

There is a known issue on both the Xantia and C5, whereby the metallic differences between the calliper and the trailing arm push the calliper badly off alignment. The bad news is that on the C5 the bolts are thread locked into place, and it is possible for the calliper to damage the disks. The following post shows the issue, although it is on a Xantia;

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... =3&t=38467" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[THELABMAN]

Hi Hell Razor,

I won't be attempting to do the job myself as I don't have the tools, facilities or with my Arthritis the strength in my hands to undertake this task so it will be getting left to my local garage to look at it ..... I'm just wondering if it's safe to drive this way for a few days or does it need done ASAP as it will be Monday before I'm off again and I'll have covered another 240 or so miles by then....

Peter

[SwissSPEC]

If you don't whizz round corners or roundabouts, it won't rub, so i'd say it's safe to leave it for a little bit.

[waynedance]

My rears started playing up, I swapped the left with the right as they are symmetrical so just like fitting new ones.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[THELABMAN]

Hi SwissSPEC,

it's mainly motorway in and out of work but with a fair few roundabouts and corners on the A and B roads before and after the motorway.. problem is when it starts rubbing it keeps going for quite awhile even on a straight road.....

Peter

[THELABMAN]

Hi Waynedane,

I'd a brand new Caliper fitted on the O/S/R only the other week as the car failed it's MOT as it was leaking brake fluid.... I'm just worried as to why they didn't notice how bad this was when they done it..... I've used this garage for almost 30 years now and never had an issue with them before now.

Peter

[Hell Razor5543]

I cannot offer an opinion as to the safety side of it, as I don't have any C5 experience. However, I would suggest you get replacement disks and calliper bolts. It is likely that the disks will have become damaged, and possible the bolts might have bent. I would also suggest that, if the garage you intend to use isn't a Citroen specialist, you print out the post I linked to and take it with you when you get the callipers done. Some garages might consider this patronising, others appreciate the helpful information provided.

As it is likely the bolts have been thread locked, a blowtorch is needed to get round this. Heat the bolts up, then loosen them, and repeat as required.

[THELABMAN]

Hi Hell Razor,

They aren't a Citroen Specialist but should be with the amount of work they've done on my cars over the years as I've had a ZX, BX, 3 Xantia and this C5 and to date they've had no problems with anything they've thrown at them although I think they sometimes run and hide when they see me coming ......

I think to be on the safe side it looks as if I'll be phoning work tomorrow and booking the day off as it's 30 miles in and back out with no direct public transport link.... by the time I got umpteen buses and trains in it be time to turn round and come home as soon as I got there.

Peter

[hrvoje.marin]

Hi Hell Razor,

I won't be attempting to do the job myself as I don't have the tools, facilities or with my Arthritis the strength in my hands to undertake this task so it will be getting left to my local garage to look at it ..... I'm just wondering if it's safe to drive this way for a few days or does it need done ASAP as it will be Monday before I'm off again and I'll have covered another 240 or so miles by then....

Peter

trained and strong person is necessary for rear caliper overhaul , tools too.

Marin

[sparksie]

Hmm
Second attempt to reply to this!
Something smells fishy about this.
OP says he's just had a new caliper professionally fitted on the other side.
Any professional outfit will almost certainly have done pads at the same time as the caliper, so it's highly probable the faulty caliper is now sporting new pads too!
And suddenly it's rubbing?
I think I'd be looking at this very careully before driving it anywhere...
There might be something about the pad change that's not up to par!
It wouldn't be the first time a securing pin got omitted, or a slider bolt not tightened, or even a pad fitted inside out!
Pop the wheel off and have close look at it, even if you can't actually work on it yourself...

[Peter.N.]

If you do change it make sure you used thread lock again, if you don't the bolts come undone and you loose your brake fluid - guess how I know

Peter

[THELABMAN]

Hi All,

I'm just getting ready to head down to the garage to get them hopefully to look at the car......

I know when they changed the drivers side Calliper they only changed the pads in it as they gave me the box with the other set to take home.... I raised this at the time and they said there was loads of life left in the pads on the other side and to change it would have bumped the cost up as I'd have ended up needing a new Calliper there too.... I know the rule is to change both sides but they said as the bulk of the braking is taken up on the front wheels everything would be ok and the brake test machine showed both rear brakes well within tolerance of each other.

As I've said I've used them now for almost 30 years and never had an issue with them before now so this is a first for me.

Peter

[Hell Razor5543]

30 years of service is not something to throw away lightly. I would ask them to check the callipers and trailing arms for the weird corrosion that is known to occur on the Xantia and C5 cars. It is very hard, but brittle (like roofing slate). A sharp cold chisel and hammer are the only tools that will reliably remove that corrosion. I have had to deal with it on both Xantias I have owned. I intend to put some form of gasket between the callipers and trailing arms next time I do any major work in that area.

The main problem is that the corrosion pushes the calliper off alignment, to the point where it can damage the brake disks.

[THELABMAN]

Well the cars in the garage getting looked and hopefully will be back on the road later today.....

The guys aren't Citroen specialists but we used to have a Citroen dealership just down the road from them so over the years they've worked on just about everything up to the C5 and seem to know most of the common problems.

Peter