The rear trailing arm bearings on this Citroën C5 were in a dreadful condition.
Citroën’s original C5 may be a bargain buy but repair costs to its suspension notably can eclipse its value. Rob
Marshall explains how you can save a packet on this unconventional model, by renewing rear trailing arm bearings at home for less than £50 per side.
Few budget cars combine space, ride comfort and economy as well as Citroën’s C5. Produced from 2000, it was facelifted heavily in 2004, prior to ceasing production in 2008, but the original model circulates in surprisingly high numbers. While the high-pressure hydraulics are slightly different to those of past models, which integrates electronics deeply and divorces the suspension from the braking system, it retains the same trailing-arm rear set-up as the BX and Xantia. This means that the C5 inherits the same problem of the arm’s pivot taper bearings seizing and collapsing. The post-2008 C5 (X7) and C6 models have a different rear suspension arrangement, based upon that of the Peugeot 508, and do not suffer from the same foibles.
Identifying the problem
While the C5 Haynes manual declares repair as a main dealer/specialist task, repair kits are now both available and inexpensive. The same part also fits both saloon and estates. As with past models, a taper bearing sits at either end of the hollow cast iron rear trailing arms to support the weight of the car. They were greased during production and protected by press-fit end seals. Ultimately, moisture enters and the resultant corrosion seizes the bearings.
While uneven tyre wear can result, due to the changes in suspension geometry, as the arm yields under cornering and braking forces, squeaking, creaking, or cracking sounds are more obvious signs that all is not well. In advanced cases of decay, the bearings collapse and the metal fragments grind themselves into the arm’s internal casting. If left for too long, the entire suspension arm will need to be replaced. Doing nothing and hoping that the noise will go away are not good ideas, if you wish to keep the car for more than a few months.
Thankfully, the procedure is more straightforward than typical workshop manuals describe, although a certain amount of strength is required to benchpress the heavy assembly in and out of position, unless you have access to a two-post ramp. Ensure that the car is supported by axle stands and be wary that, even when the suspension is raised, it can lower itself onto you without warning.