Rear Beam Swap - North Herts

[C.A.R.]

I've managed to source a second-hand beam in good condition which I'll be looking to swap onto my car in the near future. It's lowered 40mm so I'll need to source some springs for the front end too just to balance the car out.

It's a straight swap and I've watched Darrens video on Youtube twice now, I'm just wondering if anyone locally would be happy to lend a hand? I have all the tools (I think) and can supply tea and biscuits.

I have a few questions also -
The rear beam mounts, should I replace these at the same time? It seems logical.
If yes to the above, which ones? Best value / quality
What things should I check at the same time? The new beam is being supplied bare, with no calipers (but it is a disc beam) and I'm not sure on this bit as in the video it was a drum beam to drum beam swap.
I plan to stick some yellow hammerite on it depending on the current finish, as mine is incredibly rusty for a Y-plate (never seen a beam rust before).

Thanks in advance.

[C.A.R.]

Can anyone answer my Qs or help pretty please?

[C2K]

Not sure I can spare the time to help this time but its a piece of piss. Handbrake cables might give you some fun if youre trying to keep the hydraulics closed. Give me a call if you need to talk it through.

[si_batt]

Yes I agree that replacing the mounts is a good plan, I think I used Lemforder ones from euro car parts, they're of the order of £100, its worth ordering them online as there is usually a discount code.

As for doing the job, if you're reasonably mechanically minded, its really easy. Just takes a bit of time.

[Scott]

If the Lemforder are £100 it's almost worth fitting solids while you're there for £25 more. I understand that pushes the budget higher but it all depends really on how long you plan on keeping the car.

[Niall]

Soak the brake unions for a few days, a few days before hand and when you do them, heat them up a little bit but be very careful you don't twist the pipe as its too easy to do and we all know a twisted pipe is no good!

Lemforder mounts are good. As above, solids can be had for £25ish more but the difference in handling between solid and normal is all down to personal opinion. Ive got almost new originals on mine and i love it.

Getting the handbrake cables out of the callipers is normally a nightmare of a job without damaging the ends of them but you could just unbolt the callipers from the beam and drop them but now would be a ideal time to replace them. Both can be had for about £25 and it does make a good difference!

[Eeyore]

Yeh it wouldnt be much more to install the solid mounts. Definitely worth doing.

[si_batt]

Do the solid mounts make the car noisy at all? I found a pin punch and hammer the best way to get the handbrake cables out.

[Niall]

Do the solid mounts make the car noisy at all? I found a pin punch and hammer the best way to get the handbrake cables out.

Road noise is ever so slightly increased apparently but i can't imagine it will be to the point where its silly!

[Scott]

If it's that much of a problem stick in some Cloud 9 or something

[Niall]

Or just park it up and leave it.

[C.A.R.]

Well after speaking to someone I met a couple of years ago he is now suggesting fitting a professionally refurbished beam @ about £290 on an exchange basis. I think it may be worth considering if I keep the car longer than 6 months. Maybe I'll spend a little more and hold onto the car for longer?

So new beam @ £290 and new mounts @ £100... This is starting to get expensive!

[Chris]

Tbh you don't need to touch the brakes as you can get the caliper and piping off the old arm without disconnecting any of it then just swap over the beam tubes and arms if your changing the mounts over you'll have to unbolt the tube anyway.

[C.A.R.]

Yea I was thinking that Chris, surely you can un-bolt the calipers and support them (so as not to put tension on the lines) and just bolt up the new beam? Or am I missing something which would make it impractical?

Whilst I sleep on it, what's the best option for a new beam, refurbished GTi6, Estate or Xsara VTS?

[Chris]

To a degree yes. The rear pressed metal part of the beam needs to stay on the car as that's where the flexy bolts to the car, then remove the rest from the trailing arm and suport. It'll be clearer when you look at it under the car.

[C.A.R.]

Aaargh decisions decisions. On the one hand I want another car in 6 months time, but I need this to get me by. I don't want to skimp on maintenance etc. as I never have since owning this car!

£290 for the beam then £100 for the mounts. On a car worth £1100! Eek.

[C.A.R.]

Right...

Rear beam sourced, this was originally on Nialls' 1.8 I believe, it's been stored outside for a while so it's got a fair share of surface rust and dirt!

I've stripped the caliper which was left on it and removed the brake discs too.

One thing I'm lost on is brake pipes. These are all corroded to shit, I had to cut a couple of them. Will the ones on my car need to be removed and re-fitted (system re-bled) or can I get away with leaving them all in situ whilst fitting the new rear beam?
How does it work?

[Alan_M]

I know it adds to the budget, but wouldn't it be worth fitting new bearings and seals whilst off the car? Last thing you want is to chuck it on and find 6 months down the line, the creaking/camber is apparent.

I've just spent £80 on beam rebuild parts at Citroen for a VTS setup, but that's me going overboard. The offset washers/nuts etc all come in bags of 20! You could probably half that.

[C.A.R.]

I don't have the facilities to get the old bearings out though. It really is a case of slap it on and hope for the best. Worst case, it has camber / develops camber then I can refurbish the one which comes off.

[rocker8742]

Chris regarding keeping your caliper on the car and just fitting them to the new beam - the pipe from the caliper joins the flexi line from the car at the points circled in the pic. Basically the join goes through a bracket with a hole in to hold the lines in place

It's not the best explanation but hopefully when you see it it will be clearer

There's a join at either end of the flexi going to solid pipe so it goes
Caliper - solid pipe - flexi - solid pipe - join to the car side

The way I found easiest was to disconnect the solid pipe where it meets the car and catch any fluid left dripping while you transfer all of the calipers and lines to the other beam as it doesn't take too long, you just have to bleed the brakes once its all back together - like Niall says though soak the join and use some heat as they can be a bugger, I found getting a couple of brake pipe spanners helped a lot as well.

[attachment=13378]

[C.A.R.]

Cheers,
I have made a little more progress on the beam, I think I know where you're coming from now. Sadly none of the connections on the brake pipes are coming off easily, despite being soaked in penetrating oil overnight. Sounds like I'll have to be very lucky with all of the current lines on the car and the unions or I'm going to be running the risk of not getting the job finished in one hit.

How are the flexi pipes joined to the brackets? The ones on the new beam are rusted solid. I can turn the 17mm part of the Flexi hose but it just spins in the bracket and doesn't want to budge.

I found another guide online the other day but none of the pictures worked, I think it was on 306gti6 forum.

Still nobody local wanting to help?! :p

[DeeTurbo]

I could try come over and help. When would you like to fit the beam? I did my girlfriends 206 the other week and I didn't have to open the brake pipes on that.

I've got work tomorrow and I might be going over to Bristol on the Sunday but next weekend I should be free.

[rocker8742]

The best thing I found for getting the pipes apart was to heat the joins with a blowtorch but they were the worst part of the swap IMO

I think from memory the brake line has a thread which pushes through the bracket then there's a nut on the flexi side where they connect.

Had I'd been closer I'd have come to lend a hand but can't justify the travel at the minute, but like I say the brake lines were the worst part for me

Oh and be careful with the bleed nipples on the rear callipers I snapped one of mine off first time I did this lol

[Toms306]

Blowtorch on brake lines? Brake fluid is flammable...

The pipes should be held in the bracket with a flat spring clip like the fronts iirc.

[C.A.R.]

How does it 'undo'?

It appears the clip has welded itself to the bracket

[Toms306]

It should just pull out, sounds like it's rusted in on yours though. Maybe coat it in plusgas or something?

[Niall]

Blowtorch on brake lines? Brake fluid is flammable...

The pipes should be held in the bracket with a flat spring clip like the fronts iirc.

Not all brake fluids are Tom and even still, it won't catch fire unless you just have it in a container and your burning that.

Don't get too much heat on them pipes otherwise they will soften and just twist. They can be a bastard but will go eventually. I found on mine, soaking in penetrating spray for a few days then rocking back and forth on the spanner eventually worked the spray in and loosened it up. Took me a good 15-20 mins a side but got there in the end!

[C.A.R.]

Well the ones on your old beam are definitely buggered now, as they have too much surface rust on

I've got a brake pipe spanner (11mm) but even this has managed to spin and round one of the unions, so it's going to be fun getting that one off...

Is it worth investing in a 17mm brake pipe spanner as well?

[Niall]

Don't think there is any 17mm brake unions on the 306?

[Toms306]

Brake pipe spanners don't really work on rusty old ones, much better off with mole grips tbh!