It is no secret that suspension elements suffer greatly when driving on Russian roads. Their timely replacement protects you from various emergency situations, including drifting into the oncoming lane and skidding.
The struts are the most important element of the suspension and serve to absorb the energy that is transmitted through the wheels to the vehicle body. In general, there are several types of racks - different models contain different fillers. The hardness or softness of the ride and comfort directly depend on it.
The most common types:
- Gas struts are the toughest struts. Most popular among fans of driving outside the city, as well as those who tune their car. Of course, thanks to the gas struts, you can feel any unevenness in the road, especially in cold weather. It is also worth noting that some cars are not designed to install this type of strut - squeaks may appear, the cup may become deformed, the interior may become loose, and the wheels may begin to bend.
- Gas-oil ones are somewhat stiffer than oil ones, that is, with an average level of hardness. An obvious advantage of this type of rack is that you will feel confident during fast trips on city highways. Oil struts, at a speed of 120-150 kilometers per hour, will already be thrown up and down. Comfort is lost off-road, just like on asphalt in poor condition.
- Oil racks were considered the most comfortable and convenient. They are quite energy-intensive, that is, on oil racks you can easily move even on “hard” off-road conditions. Irregularities will not be felt in the cabin. In short, this is a suitable option for everyday movement around the city. and also for driving on dirt roads. Now such racks are installed on 90% of VAZ cars, except for the newest models.
In addition, the racks can be front or rear.
The front pillar is slightly thicker in diameter than the rear, but lower. The top is attached to the glass using a support, the bottom of the stand is equipped with another fastener. Seats for the spring are located at different levels. It is worth noting that there are steering knuckles on the A-pillar. When replacing auto parts, it is necessary to change not only the rubber bands and springs, but also the support itself.
The rear pillar is telescopic. Its rod is attached directly behind the glass, and the base is attached to the beam. On the stand itself there are seats for the spring.
How to choose racks for a VAZ 2114
Suspension wear manifests itself in different ways and makes itself felt differently under different vehicle operating conditions. It’s one thing - a hundred thousand on the smooth asphalt of the capital, but it’s a completely different story when 2114 constantly swallows dust along country roads or on post-apocalyptic asphalt in the outback. Also, one cannot discount the driving style, which, like handwriting, is individual for each driver.
Being clearly aware of your ability to predict the road situation, it is quite easy to predict the life of the suspension. How many hits does the suspension get per week? How often do you look at the condition of the shock absorbers and how important is the delicate handling of the car in the conditions in which it drives most often? Having answered these questions, you can confidently say which struts are best installed on the VAZ 2114. Just first figure out what they are, these struts.
Possible faults
Among the most common malfunctions of struts on the VAZ 2114, a number of breakdowns are noted:
- extraneous noise has appeared, cracking in the area of the brake pads;
- the compression buffer in the car is damaged or completely ruptured;
- oil leaks on the body;
- The rod in the shock absorber began to jam.
If you notice at least one of the indicated manifestations in your car, take the car to a service station. If the services of a car repair shop are currently too expensive, try to cope on your own. You can enlist the help of a friend who at least knows something about how machines work.
One way or another, it is advisable for every driver to be able to cope with minor problems on their own, because they can overtake you on the road far from home, as they say, it’s never too late to learn.
Types of shock absorbers for Samara 2
The VAZ 2114 is no different from other domestic cars, and some are even better. Therefore, it deserves that its design features also be taken into account, otherwise you can damage not only the suspension, but also the body. Impossible? Still as possible. It depends on what shock absorbers to install. But there is a choice:
- Oil shock absorbers. An antediluvian, but familiar at the genetic level, type of shock absorbers. These racks should not be installed on circuit racing cars. Their energy intensity is minimal and their response speed is minimal. They are slow and sluggish, but if the task is to ensure maximum comfort in the cabin, you need to choose them. They are soft and loose, but this will be the optimal choice for a pensioner, measured driving style with maximum smoothness.
- Gas-oil. Without going into technical details, which will be quite difficult to do, we note that this type of shock absorbers is the most common on modern production middle-class cars. They are universal, it is possible to break the suspension on them, but the swing and response speed will hardly allow this to be done unless the driver specifically wants the suspension to die. Arithmetic average, suitable for both country roads and normal driving on asphalt with normal dynamics.
- Gas shock absorbers. Expensive, rigid and durable gas struts are designed primarily for a sporty driving style. You shouldn’t expect any special comfort, but such racks will provide optimal controllability. Rigid, eliminating roll in turns, eliminating sway on uneven surfaces. The price of good handling is a stiff suspension. Whatever springs you put on the strut, this option will not provide a smooth ride in real life. In a word, this is not a Cadillac. This is a Porsche 911.
In a nutshell, yes. But a strut is more than just a shock absorber. It's also a spring. Therefore, if you assemble a strut from different elements, you can correct some characteristics of the shock absorber with a spring. This is what distinguishes tuning racks, which you can choose from hundreds of items. How to do this, read on.
Troubleshooting
The most obvious sign of suspension problems is, of course, constant skidding. The car stays heavily in the rut, the amplitude increases when turning, and it seems to become harder for you to control it.
The appearance of extraneous sounds is another sign of problems with the suspension. Various creaks and knocks can appear on both sides or only on one. When braking from a standstill or while driving, the wheels begin to squeak.
If you see oil leaks under the car, to the point where a puddle forms, it means that something is clearly wrong with the mechanism. Either the rack broke or there were other problems with it. However, this can be fixed.
Every car owner knows that repairing a shock absorber strut is useless. The reason is that the cost of repairing a spare part will be several times higher than the price of a new part. By the way, factory struts from SAAZ last no more than thirty thousand kilometers, then they begin to leak heavily and have to be replaced.
Front and rear struts: the right balance
Since there is a question about the proper selection of racks, there is an excellent opportunity to install racks of different rigidity in the front and rear. Within reasonable limits, of course. Nothing good can come from an oak front suspension and a cotton rear one. The car will handle even worse. Therefore, when choosing kits for front and rear struts, you need to know their characteristics.
Ideally, the front and rear pillars should have similar characteristics. However, there are adjustable stands, but they are more expensive. And depending on the type of shock absorbers, the struts get completely different characteristics. Let's briefly look at the most common ones. We will not touch oil shock absorbers, since few people offer them; their characteristics are stable - low piston speed, about 0.08 m/s, characterizes their operation as inert and soft elements. At high speeds, twin-tube oil shock absorbers lose most of their damping properties.
Leading manufacturers
When choosing new nodes, you should think about what exactly you want to get and what it will be like for you in the future. We recommend installing collapsible struts, since their design can be disassembled into parts, thereby simplifying and reducing the cost of suspension repairs. This is one of the key advantages of collapsible units.
KYB (Kayaba)
Look at the front element assembly in the photo to first understand what exactly this component of your car looks like. Choosing a manufacturer is a fairly pressing issue, since each of the options presented today has its own advantages and disadvantages. We invite you to familiarize yourself with them in the table.
| Manufacturer | Advantages | Flaws |
| Standard factory | Financially accessible | Not very reliable, can withstand about 30 thousand km, then require mandatory replacement |
| Racks from Priora | Gives rigidity, provides comfort, holds well on the road | There is no sound insulator, the bump stop suffers greatly |
| SS20 | Improved version of Priora struts | There are essentially no disadvantages |
| Plaza | Available in three versions - comfort, sport and supersport, they are of high quality | Afraid of low temperatures |
| Kayaba | The most popular, high-quality, reliable, not afraid of frost | There are many fakes on the market, which makes it difficult to find the original. |
From this we can conclude that spare parts from Kayaba are the optimal solution that will last a long time, reliably, and will not be afraid of harsh Russian winters, during which many analogues among the A-pillars simply will not be able to function normally, causing problems for you.
Gas-oil struts for VAZ 2114
The design of such shock absorbers is similar to conventional oil shock absorbers, but what distinguishes them is the upper reservoir, which is filled with compressed nitrogen. It cools the oil, so the likelihood of fluid foaming and breakdown is minimized. They are moderately hard, but can provide almost the same smoothness as oil ones.
They are slightly more expensive in price than oil-based ones, but they can provide much better contact with the road and clearly follow the surface at high speeds. As a result, the safety and controllability of gas-oil struts is at a high level. The price of racks for the VAZ 2114 gas-oil type starts from $120 per pair, and judging by the reviews, the most comfortable and safest of them is AL-KO 2873.
Front shock absorbers for VAZ 2113, 2114 and 2115
The front shock absorbers here are divided into right/left and have different part numbers. But their sizes are the same. As drivers note, these shock absorbers are moderately hard and hold the road well. If they are not used too intensively over uneven surfaces, the racks will last quite a long time.
Often, Samara 2 drivers install dozens of shock absorber struts on the front wheels (VAZ 2110). This car is heavier and the shock absorbers are a little stiffer. Therefore, when installing them, the front end rises slightly, and the suspension itself becomes a little stiffer. The table below shows the dimensions of the current original shock absorbers.
| Dimensions of original front shock absorbers for VAZ 2115, 2114, 2113 | ||||
| vendor code | Rod diameter, mm | Case diameter, mm | Body height (excluding stem), mm | Rod stroke, mm |
| 21700290500300 - left; 21700290500200 - right | 22 | 52 | 361 | 171 |
These shock absorber struts are also installed on Prioras of all modifications. Previously, slightly different part numbers were installed on the front wheels of VAZs 2115, 2114 and 2113: 21080290500200 - right, 21080290500300 - left. Now spare parts with these numbers are not sold.
Analogs of front shock absorbers for VAZ 2115, 2114, 2113
Numerous analogues are quite popular. Car owners are looking for substitutes to make the front suspension a little stiffer and increase ground clearance. In addition, the price of original spare parts is clearly overpriced. The following are the most popular analogs of shock absorbers VAZ 2115, 2114, 2113.
| Manufacturer | vendor code | price, rub. |
| Hola | S503 – left; S504 - right | 2000 |
| Trialli | AH 01159 – left; AH 01360 - right | 1900 |
| Pilenga | SH-P 2771–O – left; SH-P 2770-O - right | 1700 |
Gas-filled racks
High gas pressure ensures rigidity, excellent handling, and instant response to changes in road terrain. The gas is under pressure of at least 15 bar, and the speed of movement of the shock absorber rod can reach 0.3 m/s. Their advantages:
- the gas-filled rack can work at any angle;
- overheating and breakdown are completely eliminated;
- delicate damping of the slightest irregularities;
- excellent heat dissipation;
- long service life.
However, high shock loads on body elements can lead to the destruction of welded load-bearing structures, so front braces between the cups and modified strut stabilizers are used with gas shock absorbers. The price of such racks is significantly higher than other types. For example, Kayaba struts for a VAZ 2114 will cost from $200 per pair.
In short, this is all you need to know about how to choose struts for a VAZ 2114 in accordance with your driving style and preferred road surface. Take care of your suspension and good luck to everyone!
Changing the angle of the front wheels
Another way to increase vehicle stability by upgrading the suspension is to change the recommended angle of the front wheels. Many experts recommend installing negative camber, which will significantly increase vehicle stability. Tuning the VAZ 2114 suspension in this way is carried out quite often, but the following points should be taken into account:
- Negative camber will significantly increase the rate of tire wear.
- Adjustments will have to be made quite often.
- Other suspension elements will be subject to quite a lot of wear, since the possibility of installing negative camber was not taken into account when designing the car.
The correct angle of inclination of the front wheels can only be changed using special equipment. It is almost impossible to carry out such work on your own. Almost all service stations where film editing is carried out carry out wheel alignment adjustments.
Replacing springs as a tuning step
When replacing shock absorbers, it is also recommended to pay attention to the springs. This suspension element also prevents swaying and increases vehicle stability. Springs are made from special steel. Domestic versions last less, have low rigidity, and do not cope well with uneven roads. This causes the vehicle to sway.
There are quite a few springs that can be purchased and installed on a VAZ 2114 car. Among all the possible options, the sporty version is the most popular. It has greater rigidity. You should also pay attention to the ability to raise or lower the car by selecting a spring of a certain length.
When choosing a spring, you should pay attention to the fact that it must match the previously selected shock absorber. Otherwise, the shock absorber will fail quite quickly.
