citroen c3 brakes

nope just push the pistons back make sure the pads are free in the caliper mounts as they stick hth

The C3 piston just pushes in.

Chris

Thank you. I'm pleasantly surprised it is that simple. I did have a Xantia many years ago and I think they just pushed back too. There seem to be many kits available that rotate clockwise (IIRC?) to push the pistons back in but for some reason I got it into my head that Citroens needed the rarer and more expensive anticlockwise (?) rewinder. I notice the Haynes book suggests bleeding the brake whilst retracting the piston to remove any dirt. I've never done that before. Is it a good suggestion?

TIA.

the only pistons that need rotation are ones that are hand brake as well. Releasing the fluid from the caliper is a better idea than pushing it back into the main system for many reasons.

Thanks for all your help. I had a Ford Focus once which was a pain to push back but it may have seized, I can't remember it was so long ago. I can't remember which end the handbrake worked on. I thought most cars hand braked on the back? I'm sure my Xantia had a front hand brake though. It also had those wires that touched when the pads wore, I've not seen those on any of my cars since.

I will follow the advice re. bleeding.

Thanks again.

some of the older citroens did have front handbrake, I do not think yours has, but I try to avoid French cars when possible!

My usual ploy when changing pads is to suck out as much fluid from the master cylinder as possible and replace it with fresh, clamp the brake hose to the wheel you are working on, remove the bleed nipple, clean it and grease the threads, replace the nipple and do it up lightly, remove the caliper pins or bolts (it may be necessary to release the nipple here to let the pistons retract a little, particularly if the discs are heavily worn) With the caliper loose put a bleed tube on the nipple, slacken it and push the piston back (often a G clamp is ideal) you will see the fluid in the bleed tube, when the piston is right back tighten the nipple and then remove the tube (this way there is no chance of air getting back in) Change the discs and pads, clean the slidy bits etc., remove the clamp, pump the brake pedal to get a firm pedal, repeat as needed on the other side, If you are being really good you will also pump some extra fluid through each side to ensure an actual change of fluid, rather than just a refresh. Lastly check the fluid level and have a gentle test drive, run in for a week or two and all should be well.

"Mrcheerful" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

No, it's basically the hydraulically suspended cars and the 2cv. With hydraulics, the wheelbase lengthens as the car sinks - if front and rear wheels were locked, it wouldn't be able to do so, putting a strain on the transmission and/or handbrake. Same, but less so, with the softly-sprung

A C3 is totally conventional.

When it comes to older Citroens, that's your loss...

The slightly biased front/rear weight distribution also makes it more sensible & once you've got disks all round the price penalty's much smaller.

I like older Citroen, light 15, ds dix neuf even the 2cv, but those are not the cars that I get asked to fix, I first started hating french cars with the bx, then eventually got so fed up with french complications, excessive prices, bad design, special tools etc. that I made the decision to turn them away wholesale, it was like lifting a cloud. I occasionally work on a very few french cars per year for specially selected customers only, cold callers are automatically rejected. I don't miss them !!

Thanks for the detailed instructions in your other post.

I've never seen the insides of a BX; what is so horrible about them? What about AXs?

I have been phoning around for prices for the discs. I was surprised how expensive they are. Is it worth paying the dealer's premium for their parts? An independent parts shop offered mintex. How good or bad are they?

Thanks again.

AX seem ok. BX were horrible, I remember one of the old favourite breakdowns on the 1.4 was a sort of transfer shaft between clutch and gearbox breaking, and a rotten job to change, they also did a sort of auto clutch thing and of course the suspension died on a frequent basis.

Mintex brakes are fine, I fit several sets in a busy week.

"Mrcheerful" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Don't be daft.

The hydraulic suspension's VERY reliable. The only things to go wrong commonly are when some f****it's put brake fluid into the tank instead of LHM, despite the bloody great big warning on the tank...

What sort of "frequent" failures did you used to encounter?

I forgot to ask, what size G-clamp is best? I have been meaning to buy some G clamps because I am sure they would be useful for many other jobs too, but I'm not sure what size is best. I was looking on the Screwfix website and see that the Irwin ones are twice the SF own brand. The only difference seems to be that one is iron and the other is steel. Is it worth paying more for the Irwin or am I just paying for the name? Or OTOH is the SF own brand cheaper because it is only half as good?

Thanks again.

rotten pipes that were tricky to change and of course spheres, you forget that unlike an owner I only see them when they are broken.

an 8 inch clamp is about right, but be sure that the clamp actually does up to a small amount, some clamps only go down to a 3 inch gap (so you would need spacers), you need one that will go right down to nothing or nearly so, the slidy type ones may not do it without having to insert spacers and the like as their threaded bit is usually quite short. very little effort should be needed so overall strength is not important.

"Mrcheerful" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Because, of course, brake pipes never rot on "normal" cars... Later BXs etc were plastic coated and usually outlast the car unless damaged.

And you seem to forget I've had a G, four CXs, two XMs (one for seven years), and there's been three Xants between my parents...

Yes, spheres need changing - every four years or so, roughly. Mainly (antisink on later XMs and Xants can be a pita, but don't actually seriously affect the working of the suspension) the work of minutes and about £25 each.

They still work, though, right up until they get completely flat - which they never do if people actually bother to maintain them. Presumably, you regard a brake fluid change at roughly twice the interval of an LHM change as "broken", too? How long would you expect conventional dampers to last?

After all, if you don't bother changing LHM, it doesn't actually rot and f*ck the calipers up, unlike DOT...

Best tool for the job is an old-fashioned valve spring compressor. The part that is meant to fit the spring collet sits nicely on the piston, and the fact that it is fully adjustable over a range of perhaps 200mm means it fits pretty much everything.

Chris

you appear to like the challenge, I did not like presenting people with the bills!

"Mrcheerful" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

I repeat...