C5 X7 suspension strut fluid leak - Replacement mini guide page 2

[EDC5]

So after finding an ominous oil patch under my drivers side front wheel, I found a oil soaked front strut:












As can be seen, the strut is wet from top to bottom, so maybe the seal has gone at the top?

Here is a vid that may be more useful:



In the worst case I'm guessing I need a new strut. What is the part number for the drivers side front strut?

L5 or L6 ? im not sure on the right/left convention of Citroen?



It seems to be a slow leak at the moment, a few drips per hour. Am I OK driving it as long as I keep an eye on the LDS level?

[EDC5]

Just to clarify, there is no clip in the pic, it just looks like it... maybe it's come off but the plastic was deformed into the shape of the clip?

[xantia_v6]

There should be no oil in the boot, the boot needs to be able to compress when going over a bump.

The oli could however be coming from above, or below, which would change the nature of the failure.

[EDC5]

I guess I'll have to replace the strut then, can I get a conformation on the part number for the drivers side front strut?

I think it's 5271L5 (Front Left) Looking at the bonnet?

Is it a big / difficult job to do?

[bobins]

Book time is a gnats under 2 hours.
PM sent with instructions

[GiveMeABreak]

5271 L6 Elis = Right hand one £309.66 inc. VAT - ouch!

[EDC5]

Okay, part ordered, should be here in time for the weekend.

As well as the instructions kindly provided by Bobins I've seen this video:



No detail on the hydraulic aspect but it doesn't look too bad overall. I'm assuming the strap is there to stop the driveshaft coming out too far from the gearbox.

Also, I don't have a Hub Puller, is there an alternative DIY method or should I get one for the job?

[lexi]

If you had a big 3 leg puller, it may do the job............with some improvisation. Welder is handy for making these kind of tools up.

[EDC5]

Right then, the strut has been changed and I'm glad to report that the car drives like a dream, really pleased!

So, here is the new strut,





So, I got the C5 up and hovering:



Another look at the wet strut and caked on oil everywhere:




First job was to release the pressure from the front suspension. after cracking the nipple, I put a length of hose over it and drained it into a box:




Easy enough.... First challenge was the sphere. Now the oil filter removal tool kept slipping off and the sphere itself was on incredibly tightly:



No luck doing this so I got a belt sander's belt to help with the grip. Eventually with two sockets on the tool it came off:







Luckily, I didn't have to weld a nut to the sphere or anything so drastic!

Time to get the driveshaft nut off. 35mm is the proper size but the closest I had was 1 3/8" which worked fine. It was on tight too and I'm glad I was using a 3/4" drive socket!



Strapped up the driveshaft:




After this I took off the Anti-Roll bar drop link, the track rod end and the bottom wishbone joint. Most of them have a spanner nut and a torx bit in the shaft to assist removal:



The ARB drop link actually holds the bottom of the strut into the suspension, hence it's odd length:



Everything free!:



Now onto the hub puller, as simple as it is effective:



Everything free now and the hub can be pulled out freely:




This was the main problem, one of the torx screws had corroded solid into the turret:



This is not what you want to see:



So, it had to be drilled out, luckily no damage was done and a suitable alternative bolt was used for the new one:



Finally got the bastard out!





Thats the last LDS it'll ever leak!

Shiny new one installed:



So, not much else to say apart from refitting is the reversal of removal

When the other side eventually goes it'll only take half of the time

So overall, £190 for the strut, £30 for some tools and 6 hours of time.

Autopsy to follow when I've got a bit of free time and I've cleaned all of the oil off me

[myglaren]

Good job!

£190 was a decent price for the strut!

[GiveMeABreak]

Excellent write up Ellis, I’m copying the post to the 'How To' section.

[EDC5]

Good job!

£190 was a decent price for the strut!

Yep, much cheaper than a dealer in Britain. delivery was quick from Germany too.

Excellent write up Ellis, I’m copy the post to the How To section.

Thanks, I might be able to add a bit more detail in the future but the essentials are there

On another note, the 'creaking' noise (viewtopic.php?f=3&t=58511) is still there, despite a thorough inspection of all joints and bolts... the mystery continues.

As I say, I'm pretty keen to find the point of failure of the old strut so it will be dismantled for info.

[bobins]

Nice write-up. It really shouldn't be a case that in such a new(ish) car you come across seized Torx screws. Doesn't bode well for those doing this job a few more years in the future

A word of note - now that you've disturbed the ARB link, don't be surprised if it starts knocking in the next month or so and needs replacing. That's what I found when I had mine apart to do a front spring. Don't bother going for cheap parts with the ARB links - make sure it's either genuine Citroen or a reliable make (Lemforder ???).

[GiveMeABreak]

I couldn't find a specific reference to PSA vehicles - Except Vauxhall - so time pull up the drawbridge and keep them at arms length now they've joined the club. Who knows about the subsidiaries and second / third level suppliers though!

I guess I won't be getting on a Japanese Bullet train anytime soon.

[EDC5]

Nice write-up. It really shouldn't be a case that in such a new(ish) car you come across seized Torx screws. Doesn't bode well for those doing this job a few more years in the future

A word of note - now that you've disturbed the ARB link, don't be surprised if it starts knocking in the next month or so and needs replacing. That's what I found when I had mine apart to do a front spring. Don't bother going for cheap parts with the ARB links - make sure it's either genuine Citroen or a reliable make (Lemforder ???).

Thanks

Yep it really was the only issue, the nut had corroded solid into the aluminium turret casting, was lucky that it could be drilled out really. Strangely the other two came out really easily. I think the T40 bit was far too small for the bolt, as it rounded off quite early on (hence the mole grips) the replacement bolt was an Allen head which is much better in my view.

I was thinking about leaving the job overnight and getting a replacement ARB as a matter of course but the old one seemed fine. I'll update the thread if I hear it knocking in the coming month(s)

An interesting point is that once the pressure is released from the suspension it is far easier to work on than a normal suspension as there is no tension in any of the components.

I wonder if this has something to do with C5 X7 front strut (made by KYB) problems:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... zda-boeing

I hope not.... were the original struts made by them also? the new one has a June 2017 build date.

I couldn't find a specific reference to PSA vehicles - Except Vauxhall - so time pull up the drawbridge and keep them at arms length now they've joined the club. Who knows about the subsidiaries and second / third level suppliers though!

I guess I won't be getting on a Japanese Bullet train anytime soon.

I think PSA will be migrating all Vauxhalls to their own platform over the next few years so I doubt there will be any contagion