DS Handbrake Calipers

[Ramaling]

I have removed the handbrake calipers from my 1973 DS23 Citroen and noticed that on one side the brake pad arms are curved and on the other side they are straight
I have forgotten which side is which - didn't take a proper note
I am assuming the curved ones are on the drive'rs side to enable improved passage of the cable where it curves down to the caliper
I assume the straight ones are on the passenger side
Can anyone confirm please?

 

[Budge]

My car is LHD, but I do recall that RHD cars have different arms on the two sides. On a LHD car I would describe the arms as straight, so if you have a curved pair, i would assume that pair is something to do with accommodating RHD. So straight on the LHS (as per a LHD car) but curved on the RHS.

 

[kenlin]

My car is LHD, but I do recall that RHD cars have different arms on the two sides. On a LHD car I would describe the arms as straight, so if you have a curved pair, i would assume that pair is something to do with accommodating RHD. So straight on the LHS (as per a LHD car) but curved on the RHS.

I went down to the (RHD) DS23 this morning to take some photos to see if that would help answer Rob's question. I'm glad I did. I noticed the belts to alternator and to pressure pump were a bit slack so I spent some time tightening. First the passenger side: all went well until I dropped a spanner down into the never-never. Half an hour later and with challenges to my lower back, I managed to retrieve it and completed some belt tensioning.
On the driver's side the belts were even slacker. But when undoing the fasteners, I found that the adjusting bracket had actually broken, close to the end where mounted on the engine block. Luckily, a replacement bracket was obtained from a local source, currently in the sad for me process of his retirement from the Citroen repair business.
Some time later, I was able to get those photos of the park brake set up. The better one is of the driver's side set up, where it seems the two arms are quite straight. The passenger side shot, with the car's alternator in view is less clear. You can make out the disc and perhaps the park brake

pads. But the photo may need some editing to show much of the park brake caliper.

 

[Ramaling]

The handbrake shoe actuator arm on the left shows the distinct bend. Its companion on this assembly has the same bend. The image on the right is still attached to the caliper and is straight.
Thank you kenlin for your efforts however I think it might be nearly impossible to detect the difference on the car as you can't take a side on image that shows the bend

 

[faulksy]

The parts book has this to offer

The bent caliper arms go on the right caliper and by the look of it, the two arms are different. There should be a part number in the castings otherwise identifying the different arms is going to be a challenge.

The two straight arms go on the left caliper.

 

[Budge]

Parts book 648 answers it. We are talking about 'part 4' in the relevant diagram. The book says there are 4 identical arms needed on a 'normal' (LHD) car but on a RHD car, only two of these arms are needed, and are for the left hand side.

Lower down the page it lists special parts used on RHD cars. These include parking brake arms for the RHS. For 'Part 4' there are TWO variants: there is an interior RHS arm, and an exterior RHS arm. They differ from each other in some way.

So for an RHD car, the arms on the LHS of the car are the arms commonly found on LHD cars. The two arms on the RHS are special and are not the same as each other - so if you remove them, don't muddle up which side of the disc they go on. But, if you are lucky, they may have a number cast in them that corresponds to the numbers in the picture here.

 

[Budge]

You beat me to it Faulksy! And you managed to say it with far fewer words than me

 

[Ramaling]

Gentlemen - Thank you so much for the follow up
Unfortunately, given the perversity of Citroen, my two arms are stamped DV 454 - 58 and then 017 and then 016. Clearly they are mirror imaged and my guess is the 016 is outside and 017 is inside. Following this arrangement they will both bend upwards to contact the handbrake cable higher up and reduce the kink or bend in the cable itself

 

[Ramaling]

I went down to the (RHD) DS23 this morning to take some photos to see if that would help answer Rob's question. I'm glad I did. I noticed the belts to alternator and to pressure pump were a bit slack so I spent some time tightening. First the passenger side: all went well until I dropped a spanner down into the never-never. Half an hour later and with challenges to my lower back, I managed to retrieve it and completed some belt tensioning.
On the driver's side the belts were even slacker. But when undoing the fasteners, I found that the adjusting bracket had actually broken, close to the end where mounted on the engine block. Luckily, a replacement bracket was obtained from a local source, currently in the sad for me process of his retirement from the Citroen repair business.
Some time later, I was able to get those photos of the park brake set up. The better one is of the driver's side set up, where it seems the two arms are quite straight. The passenger side shot, with the car's alternator in view is less clear. You can make out the disc and perhaps the park brake View attachment 240895pads. But the photo may need some editing to show much of the park brake caliper.



View attachment 240896

Dear Kenlin
I looked more clsely at the number stamped on the arms of your hand brake assembly. Like mine they are stamped DV 454 58. Must be a DS 23 thing

 

[kenlin]

Dear Kenlin
I looked more clsely at the number stamped on the arms of your hand brake assembly. Like mine they are stamped DV 454 58. Must be a DS 23 thing

Yes, I had noticed those numbers too Rob but could not find the 016 and 017. They must be on the side, or out of sight at least. I had replaced the pads on mine as part of an engine-out process but I don't think we had dismantled the caliper units. At least the park brakes do work better now, though still not as firmly as would like. Good luck with the renno.

Ken

 

[Ramaling]

Yes, I had noticed those numbers too Rob but could not find the 016 and 017. They must be on the side, or out of sight at least. I had replaced the pads on mine as part of an engine-out process but I don't think we had dismantled the caliper units. At least the park brakes do work better now, though still not as firmly as would like. Good luck with the renno.

Ken

Dear Ken,
Yes the 016 and 017 numbers are on the underside of the arms
Rob