C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

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Bob L'eponge
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C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by Bob L'eponge »

Hi all,

My 2009 'X7' C5 1.6Hdi Tourer now has almost 180,000 km on the clock and was recently due its Controle Technique (French MOT). Although I drive and brake gently, and so hadn't noticed it when driving, the tech found some play in the front suspension, which could be felt and heard if you slammed the brakes on full at walking pace. This sounded much like a worn lower engine mount knocking, but wasn't. Anyhow having now sorted this problem and got my certificate I though others might benefit from my experience.

I have changed both the low suspension arms, as the rubber bush on both these were failing / had failed where the rear arm of the triangle bolts to the sub-frame, just under the driver's feet. Detecting play in these joints can be tricky as rocking the wheel from side to side or from top to bottom might not show it up - rather one needs to force the wheel backwards and forwards, with this movement being translated into a 'side to side' movement at the mounting point.

Biggest issue with changing these on an un-laden vehicle is that the lower suspension arm will be forced downwards by the front strut, so when you try to fit the new one the bolts will face up to the mounting holes at an angle, and you are liable to strip the threads in the alloy sub-frame if you force them.

It seems that a common way to deal with this issue is to secure the disconnected strut to the bodywork under the wheel arch with a lifting strap, then jack up the suspension so the lower suspension arm is at its 'working position', so allowing the bolts to be fitted. I did just this on the right had side but found it a pretty fraught business, with the strut tending to be forced outwards, as well as up, only just managing to get the main Torx bolts in, and the drive shaft getting in the way when securing them.

For the other side I took the approach of dropping the strut right out of its upper mounts and overall this was a much easier and quicker process. Naturally the brake and ABS sensor need to be disconnected from the strut so it can be removed.

If the ABS sensor is seized into the hub (the only real problem I came across) it is easy enough to disconnect it from under the bonnet and pull the wire through - the sensor can then be persuaded free from the inner (hub) side without damage for cleaning up and refitting. Also, once the securing brackets are removed the brake caliper can be passed through the hub body, so allowing the whole strut to be placed to one side.

The strut with the disk attached is pretty heavy but I managed to get it back into place after fitting the replacement lower suspension arm easily enough by myself, aided with a couple of long M6 bolts that I dropped though the strut mounting and top mounting holes of the strut - these held the weight of the strut and kept it in approximately the right place whilst I got the driveshaft and what-not lined up at the bottom end. Removing the disk would make the refitting process much easier, especially if you don’t have much muscle!

A few more tips. You will need a 7mm hex key or bit for the brake mount, 16 and 18 mm spanners / sockets and a Torx 18 spanner for the lower suspension arm mounting bolts.

Take care when dealing with the left-hand drive shaft as this can easily pop out of the gearbox, so causing oil to leak out. I avoided this by using a webbing strap that I wrapped around the shaft, securing this to the gear change linkage so the driveshaft stayed in place.

Naturally, the lower mounting point for the strut should only be fully tightened once the wheels are back on and the weight of the car sitting on them. If the bolt is tightened when the car is jacked up the lower rubber bush will be under a lot of torsional stress when the suspension rises into its normal weight-bearing position. The anti-roll bar is also best disconnected / connected when the car is sitting on its suspension as this will cause the ball joint thread to line up with the mounting hole in the roll bar.

The drive shaft nuts need to be loosened as a first job and tightened as a last job by means of fitting the spare (steel) wheel which will give access to the securing clip and nut. Don't try to undo /tighten the hub nut when the wheel isn't fitted by means of applying the brake as this is likely to shear the small bolts that secure the disk.

Overall, not too difficult a job, especially if you drop the strut out to give full access to the lower suspension arm. Once the strut was out of the way the old lower suspension arm was out and the new one in place in about 10 minutes!
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by Bob L'eponge »

To add to the above. Of the two rubber bushings fitted to the lower suspension arms only the large round central bush is listed as a separate part by Citroen. However, both this bushing and the rear 'silent block' (the one mounted in the alloy carrier) are available as aftermarket parts.

Apparently, changing the central bush requires either press or a lot of careful and creative cutting (for example, using a hole saw to cut through the rubber of the bush) or even the use of a torch, and on mine the inner metal sleeve of the rear bush was also well seized onto the casting of the arm, but it is possible to change both of these items to save a few bob. That said, the complete arms, even from the more expensive 'name' after market suppliers, are not that expensive (I paid 70-odd Euros apiece) so most would probably choose to change the whole unit.

Having looked at the space available it does seem that there might be just enough space to change just the rear mounting 'in situ' without disturbing the rest of the suspension, especially if the rubber bushing is so worn that it has become detached from the central sleeve. This sleeve could then be cut through with a Dremmel cutting disk and the new part maneuvered into place in the gap between the mounting spigot and the roll bar. Given the mileage on my car I was going to change the whole unit in any case, but this might offer a good time saving, if it is possible.
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by coarist »

Thanks for the posting. It is very interesting for me.
I read from other forrums that some owners have a knock sound when going over speed bumps at higher speed. They beleived it comes from the pneumatic struds but they checked the whole suspension system to find no cause. The knock sound is produced when the suspension extends just after going onto the speed bump. As a first hand experiencer, how likely do you think this worn bush would be the cause? It has to be checked by jacking up the car then use a crow bar to check movement on the bushes, is this correct?
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by GiveMeABreak »

I'm assuming the original post related to steel sprung cars and not the hydractive 3+ systems?
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by jgra1 »

yes sounds like a steely Marc..

chaps it's my turn

I am hopeful I can set the car in 'low' and then go about replacing the arm.. the theory being that the strut is drawn up and compressed.. I am hoping I dont have to remove anything but the arm and the ARB link..

I will be back later without a running car, and some cuts and bruises ;)
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by EDC5 »

If you depressurise the suspension then there is no tension in any of the struts. Makes working on it a lot easier than a normal suspension.
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by jgra1 »

thanks EDC .. maybe could do that instead.. is it easy enough to do with the DiagB? having never done this, will the 4 corners just go limp and the car settle down on the stops, then I can jack it up?

The part hasn't turned up yet..grr.. means fitment is delayed by at least 10 days as coming Saturday looks nasty.. (have some other commitments in the intervening period)
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by EDC5 »

It's easy to do via diagbox but when I changed the strut on my c5 I released the pressure manually with the bleed nipple. I've got a few pics here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=58759&start=15#p554126

You'll struggle to get the jack under the car once it's depressurised. It looks odd how low it is on the floor haha.

I mentioned in the strut change thread how much easier it is to work on with no pressure in the struts, just watch the driveshaft doesn't come out of the diff.
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by jgra1 »

thanks EDC, I figured I could get the jack under before she goes down ;) >
but, changing the lower arm, dunno? surely if the arm is being held up as high as it can by the hydraulics, it should be fairly easy to change and I wont need to mess about with all the weight of everything at the same time? i.e. the arm will drop out and back in while the suspension stays up in the arch? as in non - depressurising?

the part just turned up, after waiting all day.. it's got an 'R' on , and certainly looks like the drivers side arm, not the passenger side!? almost everything I have ordered recently has been wrong, mostly my fault.. really getting anoyed with myself!

PN on box - 3520X6 .. will have a look back through my order and Marcs other post about part numbers
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by jgra1 »

just looked.. inside the box, is a bag with 3521T7 - RH and the correct part number is 3520X6 - on the box..

It will have to go back, unless they can do a deal and I keep it for the future, and get the correct one..
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Yes, it looks like the Top Hats have sent you the Left hand one John :roll:
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by RichardW »

Book time is 2.4 hours, and involves disconnecting the driveshaft from the hub (and removing it in the case of the LH shaft - presumably to prevent it dropping out of the gear box).... doesn't sound like a walk in the park!!
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by jgra1 »

yikes.. thanks Richard... at least it's an auto I suppose.. I probably wont get to it now until week after next, but will update when I have (or not) done it ;)
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by jgra1 »

Image

it's done..
I thought for some reason the suspension would be pulled up when in lowest setting, but only the back is!?
anyway, not the easiest job working alone, at least I didn't have to fight a spring, but the strut and hub are pretty heavy anyway, and need lifting to remove and refit the arm. I began to remove driveshaft but the ARB link was stopping that and I didnt want to tackle that part.
I undid the TRE, undid the 3 arm mount points, managed to get the donut bush bolt up past the CV gaiter, and that was that. but still took some effort to get the arm back in, because the roll bar is in the way..

the old bush just fell off.. the severe clunk when braking has gone now :)

just the torque arm under the engine to do and the Auto fluid and this service is done..
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Re: C5 (X7) - Front lower suspension arm replacement.

Post by EDC5 »

Fantastic! you must be happy that it's made a difference \:D/
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