Fluid In Suspension Cylinder Boots ?

[Mosser]

I am taking the rear radius arms off my Citroen C5 HDI 2001 model so that i can change the radius arm bearings, and i have found the pins that hold the suspensions hydraulic cylinder ram onto the radius arm are corroded in, so i was going to pop the rubber boots off the hydraulic suspension cylinders and remove the piston instead, but upon pulling the rubber dust boot off, i found it full of some sort of fluid ?, and a closer looks, shows some piping going in and out of the boot.

Does anyone know what this fluid is and where it comes from, and if its supposed to be there ?

 

Thanks

[myglaren]

The fluid is LDS and is supposed to be there.

The rams are designed to leak as a method of lubrication - most of the hydraulic components are the same. The boot receives the leakage and when flexing with the suspension movements 'pumps' the leakoff fluid back through the return pipes to the reservoir.

[Guest gs fan]

I am taking the rear radius arms off my Citroen C5 HDI 2001 model so that i can change the radius arm bearings, and i have found the pins that hold the suspensions hydraulic cylinder ram onto the radius arm are corroded in, so i was going to pop the rubber boots off the hydraulic suspension cylinders and remove the piston instead, but upon pulling the rubber dust boot off, i found it full of some sort of fluid ?, and a closer looks, shows some piping going in and out of the boot.

Does anyone know what this fluid is and where it comes from, and if its supposed to be there ?

 

Thanks

Not an easy job replacing the radius arm bearings , need various tools to remove and replace them.

Is it possible to get exchange arms with the bearings fitted??

Let us know how you get on with the job , I think mine will need doing sometime as I get some noise on occasions .

[Mosser]

The fluid is LDS and is supposed to be there.

The rams are designed to leak as a method of lubrication - most of the hydraulic components are the same. The boot receives the leakage and when flexing with the suspension movements 'pumps' the leakoff fluid back through the return pipes to the reservoir.

 

 

thanks, that clears that one up !, i will get on with the job early in the morning now i know the fluid in there is normal

[Mosser]

arm bearings all done, wasnt difficult really, just a bit time consuming, once i had the arm off, you wouldnt believe the play in the bearings, there was about 7-8mm of movement in them !!, the bearings had disintegrated and it had worn a giant chunk out of the swinging arm once the bearings had been ground away!,

I had to beat the snot out of the outer bearing races to get them out as they were fully siezed in, I beat one of them so hard that i actually split the outer race and it fell out then, and the rollers in the bearings were just dust !, there were 3 rollers left shaped like rusty rugby balls and half the outer race on 1 side was gone, worn/rusted away, and the inner race on 1 end had cold welded itself to the axle tube and i had to slit it with a dremel to get it off !

 

But the new bearings went in easy, tapped them in with a 24mm socket and hammer, and its all done now, if anyone else does it, you can probably expect it to take about 3-4 hours per side, the difference it makes to the suspension is amazing too, it floats again like my old XM did on the back, the slightest weight on the back and it goes down, then pumps itself back up a few seconds later, very nice and smooth and noise free on the bumps !

 

I just wish i had done the job sooner, as i could see the back wheels leaning in a bit and it was creaking when the suspension moved sometimes too.

[myglaren]

Excellent outcome, pleased it all went reasonably well and is a success.