Rear suspension leak - front-to-rear pipe how to?

[Dollywobbler]

So, the TZD has a suspension leak. Fluid is gathering around the base of the suspension unit. Happily it's a drip rather than a stream.

I need to have a bit of a dismantle I guess, so I can try and find the problem. I've never done any work on the rear suspension before though, so I could do with some pointers.

At the moment, the car is on ramps, in low. Does that mean I can work away on it without having to remove the wheel or jack it up? Am I right in thinking a big clip holds pushrod to suspension arm? What am I actually looking for once I start? The suspicion is that the piston and/or seals are a bit iffy. There's talk of it needing a rear suspension boot last November - perhaps it had a holed one that allowed corrosion to set in?

Then comes the replacement parts. If it turns out I need a new piston/seals/bellows, where can I get these from?

[citronut]

well Ian
if you are lick and it only require a cylinder boot and possibly retaining clip here are price and part No.'s

Part Number Description Quantity Price excl. VAT Price incl. VAT Total incl. VAT Selection
26140919 HYD CYLINDER BOOT CLAMP 5.64 GBP 6.77 GBP 6.77 GBP

95577323 REAR HYD SUSPENSION CYL BOOT 8.06 GBP 9.67 GBP 9.67 GBP

you might find once you start poking around it has the infamous corrosion to the cylinder body, were it sits in the sub frame,

if you do need to remove the cylinder you will have to have that corner jacked up with the wheel off, then depressurise the system, as you will need to pull the large R clip out that holds the push rod to the arm,

before depressurising the system you will need to crack off the sphere

regards malcolm

[Dollywobbler]

Hmmm. Given how busy this week is looking, that ain't going to happen I don't think. Bother.

[citronut]

Hmmm. Given how busy this week is looking, that ain't going to happen I don't think. Bother.

well you know whats coming next if it is cylinder corrosion, she will dump all her green blood were she stands at the time

regards malcolm

[mat_fenwick]

I'm certain it's not corrosion - there's more information on his blog which says that the joint between boot and cylinder body is dry. Besides, all the cylinder wall failures I've seen (and heard about!) have gone from nothing to a spurt straight away. Have you ever known one seep?

[Dollywobbler]

I'm not sure if this helps. It certainly shows that someone has tried jacking on it...

[citronut]

I'm certain it's not corrosion - there's more information on his blog which says that the joint between boot and cylinder body is dry. Besides, all the cylinder wall failures I've seen (and heard about!) have gone from nothing to a spurt straight away. Have you ever known one seep?

i have seen one seep till it was depressurised and wiggled free from the sub frame,

Ian

it certainly looks like the boot is leaking, probably from the sub frame being bent upwards

regards malcolm

[Dollywobbler]

Hmmm. I may have to have words with the place that worked on the car last - though as they were working on the front suspension, I'm struggling to see why they might have jacked the rear. Is a Citroen dealer the best source of a new boot? We don't have one here...

[Dollywobbler]

Ah, interesting developments! I cleaned up all around the suspension unit, then started the car and let it rise up. Crawled underneath (it is still on ramps but it still feels very wrong!) and the leak appears to be ABOVE the axle. I can just feel a pipe with what feels like rubber connectors. Access does not seem too good. Could this pipe be the source of the leak? Is that the return pipe?

Interestingly, the leak stopped after I cleared up the first few dribbles, even when I put the car on intermediate. I'm tempted to take a test drive to see if it leaks anymore.

[citronut]

there is a three way union above the sub frame, the same type which lays on the front sub frame down behind the battery,

the pipes are just a push fit and if any have popped out they will again after being re/fitted,

follow the clear/white strut boot return pipe as that is one of the three pipes going to that union

regards malcolm

[Dollywobbler]

Thanks Malcolm. Is there a cunning trick to access them? With the suspension on normal, I could just about get one hand in above the subframe but only just. Perhaps I managed to push something back into place as there's certainly no leak now.

[mat_fenwick]

follow the clear/white strut boot return pipe as that is one of the three pipes going to that union

On the couple I've done rear suspension work on the clear(ish) pipe was the vent pipe leading to inside the rear axle, the black one the return pipe. Is this wrong then?

[Dollywobbler]

That's certainly not how mine is Mat - black pipe goes into the axle tube.

[Way2go]

That's the nearside rear isn't it? There's a number of HP pipes running over the subframe that side where if a pinhole break occurs the green stuff flows over and seems to come from anywhere. I had a front-back pipe go at this location and the leak first of all was not as catastrophic as you would think.
It got considerably worse when moving pipes to faultfind though!

[mat_fenwick]

That's certainly not how mine is Mat - black pipe goes into the axle tube.

Mine too! Must be the onset of dementia, as I would have put money on it being the other way around. Sorry for any confusion...