Rear Beam Refurb

[Grim.Badger 15]

Just started stripping a knackered GTi rear beam. It was free so I'm not bothered that the bearings seem really bad (failed an MOT for both sides ). I'm going to try and find a low milage base model beam to replace the crossmember and pins.

 

A picture of the beam is here

 

The beam has been lowered at some point. Is there any way of telling if it was done by the torsion bars or by the ARB splines?

 

Also if I was to adjust it back to normal ride height using the blank shock absorber method (piece of wood with holes drilled it in put where the shock normally sits), how long would it need to be?

 

Cheers

[Wurzel 16]

The dummy shock distance needs to be 330.5mm centre to centre for standard ride height (xu5 engines). I believe this to be similar in xu9 engined cars as well.

 

To lower the suspension, only the torsion bars do this, the arb has no effect

[Grim.Badger 15]

The dummy shock distance needs to be 330.5mm centre to centre for standard ride height (xu5 engines). I believe this to be similar in xu9 engined cars as well.

 

Cheers.

 

To lower the suspension, only the torsion bars do this, the arb has no effect

 

I must have been reading your guide wrong Does this mean that I have to take the bars completely off the trailing arms to adjust the ride height?

[Wurzel 16]

You will need to withdraw the arms a few inches in order to disengage the splines from the cross tube. The torsion bar remains fixed in the trailing arm. This is the 'spline' method.

 

In order to do this, you will need to detatch one of the arb end plates from the bar itself.

 

If you are happy with the amount of lowering/raising this 'spline' method gives, then it is a relatively quick method of doing so. If you want a more refined ride height adjustment (to get almost exactly the ride height you require), then the torsion bar needs to be removed from both the trailing arm AND the cross tube

[Grim.Badger 15]

Well it's in pieces now, as you can see here.

 

It took about 5 hours in total, wish I was being paid for that

 

One pin/shaft doesn't seem that bad see?

 

But the other one is kanckered. Bad Pin.

 

I take it that the crossmember will need replacing as well.

 

Here's hoping that I can find a low milage 205 to get a crossmember and maybe pins . There was a 35k one in a local scrappy a while back but that's been cubed

[base-1 17]

From the photo's, they both look f***ed to me!

[littlemike 0]

Yeah they both look knackered! You won't know whether the beam tube is until you remove the bearings though.

[Grim.Badger 15]

Fair enough, don't have enough experience to tell myself. Anyone got a picture of a good one?

 

I doubt the beam is any good given the pitting on the right shaft but I'll check before chucking it.

[B1ack_Mi16 67]

Fair enough, don't have enough experience to tell myself. Anyone got a picture of a good one?

 

I doubt the beam is any good given the pitting on the right shaft but I'll check before chucking it.

 

To be perfect the shaft shouldn't have any pitting/rust at all, but you probably can get away with some minor rust/pitting.

 

You need to get two new or good condition used shafts before you assemble that beam..

 

This is a picture of a new shaft from when I refurbed my beam.

 

[Grim.Badger 15]

To be perfect the shaft shouldn't have any pitting/rust at all, but you probably can get away with some minor rust/pitting.

 

You need to get two new or good condition used shafts before you assemble that beam..

 

This is a picture of a new shaft from when I refurbed my beam.

 

 

Mmmm shiney. Did you use new components or get the old ones blasted? I haven't made up my mind about how much cleaning I'm going to do on the components, the more the better I suppose

[speedy indy 0]

Gonna start doing mine tomorrow.....

Have the week off work so thought i might as well....keep me out of trouble

 

How long did it take you to get the beam off the car ??

 

Any idea of what parts i would need ?

[Guest smokinslim]

There's been several threads recently listing the parts (and part codes) needed to refurb a beam, from minimal requirements to extensive rebuilds. Also some threads have extensive information about beam related issues to look out for and what to do about them.

 

Be careful when buying second hand beams that aren't recently refurbed.

I had to replace mine about a month ago. Found one in a local scrapyard; moving freely, no obvious camber or funny noisey - the only other one they had was no use. Got it on the car, seem ok. After a few days i noticed camber on the driver's side wheel. A few weeks on the beam groans whenever i get into or out of the car (username contains 'slim' for a reason) and the driver's side wheel rubs on the inner arch occasionally.

Luckily i've just managed to get myself another 205 for £30 which had a rebuilt beam fitted for its mot last year praying this one's good.

[Wurzel 16]

Yeah they both look knackered! You won't know whether the beam tube is until you remove the bearings though.

 

If you have a complete bearing in the end of the crosstube (all 360 degrees and not worn at the top), then that's a good sign. If it isn't all there, then a quick clean up will quickly show the damage.

 

Slight shining of the shaft is acceptable. The norm is to turn the shaft 180 degrees in the arm giving a better bearing surface.

 

Running new bearings on a pitted shaft will decrease life dramatically (to a few months).

 

Two new shafts at around £110 from Pug is a lot of money but well worth it for a beam that will last for another six to ten years maintenance free.

[pug_ham 242 3 Cars]

Both of those shafts are definately dead, I'll try to post a picture of the shaft I managed to save from a scrap car last week (looks the same as the one posted by Kristian).

 

I've got to turn the other shaft as it is just starting to get ridges on from the use of non Peugeot outer bearings but it was the best condition of the three remaining from the two beams I stripped for bits.

 

I can get a beam apart in about an hour now, managed to do two last week in just over two hours including getting the cars rested on tyres, not the easiest task in a scrapyard using any jack etc laying around.

 

Graham.

[Grim.Badger 15]

Given the state of these bearings (Left and Right) does anyone think the beam will be good

Sorry for the fuzzyness of one of them, it was the best of a bad bunch I took. On this one some of the rollers have gone on the upper side. I'd show the inner bearings which seem in similar or better condition, but it was hard enough to get photos of these, let alone ones lodged 20cm into a tube

 

Cheers

Edited April 11, 2006 by Grim.Badger

[jonah 1]

The dummy shock distance needs to be 330.5mm centre to centre for standard ride height (xu5 engines). I believe this to be similar in xu9 engined cars as well.

That's the figure out of the Haynes manual but IMO it's wrong. The beam from my standard 1.6 measured 322mm when I dismantled it and I reset the new one to the same figure, which put the sill heights pretty much dead level to the ground.

 

Also the ratio between ride height and shock length is 3:1, not 3:2 as given in the Haynes.

[pug_ham 242 3 Cars]

Given the state of these bearings (Left and Right) does anyone think the beam will be good

Looking at those the bearings are pretty much stillthere so until you get the old bearings out its hard to make an honest judgement but if the bearing cases are there on both sides of the beam & they haven't worn right through already then you might be lucky &the centre tube has survived OK.

That's the figure out of the Haynes manual but IMO it's wrong. The beam from my standard 1.6 measured 322mm when I dismantled it and I reset the new one to the same figure, which put the sill heights pretty much dead level to the ground.

I'd have to agree actually that teh haynes measurement is slightly on the high side as I've rebuilt a beam with the shock centres about 325mm apart & that looked like a 4x4 compared to one set at about 315mm.

 

The rear beam on my STDT is set at about 310mm & I think it looks a nice match for the front (309 GTi springs) for an everyday use car that occasionally gets loaded with engines, beams & other associated bits.

 

I've made a proper dummy shock absorber now so I have 0.5mm increments between 295 & 325mm to get a decent height set evenly on both sides.

 

Graham.

[Wurzel 16]

I keep forgetting that those figures are 'allegedly' wrong. Trouble is, I've never set a beam to that height before. I always use the mk1 eyeball to ensure it matches the front and a tape measure to match both sides, regardless of shock length.

 

I guess the only real way to find out is through Peugeot themselves. I might start sending a few emails out in a bit.

[Guest smokinslim]

Used to getting blood from stones are u lol....