Suspension; Front Axle; 18C Caster Angle - CITROËN Amicale 5 HP Manual

17 - SUSPENSION

Restoring a friction damper is simple. It suffices to check, on each of the mechanisms, the state of the central
ring (in wood or in bronze) which must show a minimum of play.
Also check the fixing rings on the frame and on the front axle or the bridge and possibly make them break out.
The central fittings were originally made of hardwood (boxwood). They have often been replaced without
inconvenience by seals of the Ferodo type.
But washers cut from 5mm thick marine plywood will do just fine.
To adjust, tighten the central nut using a torque wrench with a torque of 1 m Kg, (1 m daN) and regularly
check this tightening torque.
17 a - Leaf springs
Many 5 HP have collapsed springs: the rear of the car is low and the arrow of the leaves is approaching
horizontal.
They must be dismantled and re-arched by a specialist.
Take advantage of this disassembly to check the condition of the pins and mounting rings. If the rings are oval
or damaged, have them ringed.
Before reassembling the blades, coat each of them with copper, graphite, or molybdenum grease.
This will facilitate their travel and increase their longevity.
However, rolling in the sand dust has the opposite effect (accelerated wear) except to protect them by a leather
sheath.
Doc: RTA Pages 67 to 73 and 136 to 137......
and Site citroen-5hp.ch - Repair Manual

18 - FRONT AXLE

There is too much of a tendency to neglect the front axle settings, arguing of their lightness and great
simplicity. Mistake !
18 a - Parallelism
The Citroën manuals recommend a toe-in of 5 to 6 mm.
Old recipe: stroke your tires. If the hand feels a sharp angle going from the outside towards the center of the
car, the toe-in is insufficient. If the sharp angle is felt when pulling the hand outward, the pinching is
exaggerated. That said, gas stations nowadays have more precise devices ...
18 b - Camber
It is always positive, which means that the wheels are more retracted at the bottom than at the top, but not
adjustable and determined by the shape of the axle. During a restoration or after a shock, systematically check
that the two angles, right and left, are identical and as close as possible to a theoretical value of 2 °.
18 c- Castor angle
In profile, the axle should be tilted slightly towards the rear of the car. : 1 to 2 degrees
This angle hardly moves for cars with full front leaf springs, on the other hand it is a whole different story for 5
HP with front spring half leaves. The more these blades sag, the greater the caster angle ... and the harder the
steering is likely to be. On the other hand, heading in a straight line will be perfect.
It's up to you to find a good compromise by sliding bias cut metal shims, between the axle and the spring
leaves, (... thick side towards the rear) or to rebound the blades.
... But beware of too much rewound blades risk canceling the caster angle... hence the risk of loss of steering
control. (real life story)
Source: Forum, File '' Cale-de-suspension ''
PHOTO
If you notice that the swivel pins of the stub axles have to much play (it is enough to oscillate the wheel),
have them re-bushed, this will avoid tremors in the direction.
To also avoid losing a wheel, frequently check the correct tightening of the right and left wheel nuts,
- Right wheels (passenger side): right tightening (clockwise) - Left wheels (driver side): left tightening
(counterclockwise) )
Doc: RTA Pages 67 to 70 and 135