Installing a subframe on viburnum 1

Installing the subframe and wishbones

When buying a car, I understood what the support of a domestic manufacturer would lead to.
The advantage of our cars is their maintainability, the price of components, a huge amount of tuning, and, trivially, the simplicity of the design of the units. The suspension and handling of Kalina Sport did not even smell like sport, with the exception of the factory lowering and the blue color of the struts))) In general, there are no complaints about the struts, they are quite soft and quite functional, at least not oak. Levers with these crabs and braces, when I first saw the suspension design, I was surprised by the engineering. General impressions of the suspension (used car): - The muzzle floats - Rutting is a nightmare, the car does not hold the road at all - When accelerating, you feel like you are driving through puddles, the muzzle rises and moves in different directions - When changing lanes, you are not sure that you will stay in the lane - Braking It’s also a bad dream, it crawls in all directions - On uneven roads, the wheels behave according to the laws of cosmic physics. These were all disadvantages. But there are also advantages, right? And now here are the advantages: -Soft -When driving at a steady pace, the car is quite comfortable -Repairability We can talk a lot about the standard suspension of the front-wheel drive VAZ family, but let’s leave that aside and move on to the most interesting part. What awaits us in the market? A huge number of different wishbones, from different companies and manufacturers. I note that the quality of these levers is the same, from very bad to good and so on. A huge number of different stretch marks, reinforced crabs and the like. The most serious thing on the market for suspension tuning is subframes. I won’t consider all types, I’ll just say I chose an auto product. And the technical master chose the levers without any pros and cons. I’m not the first to put these pieces of iron together, so I was calm that everything would grow together and fit. The subframe fell into place almost without problems; I had to slightly bore the ears of the mounting bolts. In general, I really liked the design of the subframe, everything on the car product is on par, the geometry of the seams, pipe bends, painting. I definitely recommend it. A few words about leverage. Externally, the structure is very massive, everything is welded with high quality, all the holes match, the silent blocks are without distortions, even the ball fastenings are made at a slight angle so that it does not break. Technomaster levers, I definitely recommend them. It was decided to dispose of the original stabilizer with its ever-exploding eggs and install a 20 mm stabilizer from the same technician. Here I would like to draw your attention, there are no stabilizers for 20 mm viburnum. There are 2110-2170, according to the seller, it’s not that it doesn’t fit, but problems may arise. I ordered on Meta-S and no one warned that instead of Kalinovsky, it would come under 2110. However, everything fell into place and became friends, except that in extreme positions the rubber touches the stabilizer, not critical, but not pleasant (decided pancakes 5mm). The old stabilizer was simply sawed in half, we were lucky with the dismantling, the pins did not come off the body, usually this is the most problematic place for scale. I’ll say right away that I don’t like the stabilizer bars that come with the kit, they don’t inspire confidence at all, but I installed them for now. The suspension was assembled, everything was in place without any serious problems, I went to the alignment. What happened in the end according to the settings, coupled with grant supports with an offset of 12mm (EUR version), Technomaster levers and an autoproduct subframe: -caster 3.29″ -camber -1 The toe is slightly more positive, I don’t remember the exact value. The first trip, I couldn’t understand whether I liked it or not. The softness disappeared, the muzzle became hard. The steering wheel surprisingly began to turn even easier. I couldn’t immediately assess the behavior on the road until I got out on the highway... The road grip is a plus, the ruts no longer cause inconvenience, I won’t say that you don’t notice it, but it doesn’t throw you off like before. The roll from turning into turns has decreased significantly, it has not been completely cured, but it has become more interesting, much more interesting. Now the most important thing is what I began to worry about after the test drive, whether the elasticity of the suspension had disappeared. The suspension works well, small holes are transferred to the body, this is not very good, but differences in the height of the road surface are overcome very confidently. Previously, the body swayed at speed, but now this problem is completely gone, the car “licks” the track. No, the Kalina did not turn into a BEV or a Toyota, it just became much more collected, and began to correspond a little more to the “sport” nameplate. Lane changes are now carried out without the former fears of leaving the lane, braking does not lead to the sides, when accelerating the car behaves more collected, and I personally enjoy turning) It so happened that according to the plan after the repair I had a short vacation planned in Karelia, so I I tested the suspension and steering in the most suitable conditions, with endless turns, elevations and slopes of the track, near Sortavala and Ruskeala Park. In addition to the subframe and levers, an Autoproduct stretcher for the front cups was installed, and a Technomaster TV for the rear cups was installed, so that the body does not “play” under load. It's a shame that TV's mounting ears were jammed and I had to straighten it out. I carried out all the machinations of replacing components in the local “resto garage” of my friend Vasily. I will even say more, he installed the subframe in my absence, I only helped with the installation of the levers, he also fixed the jammed ear of the TV. And much more would have been impossible without his participation in my plans! So if you are reading this, thank you for your help and support of my ideas! For the Severodvinsk guys, I advise you to contact Vasya for advice or maybe even repairs)

What is its advantage?

Unlike all the others, it has levers of its own design, which differ from the stock ones:

1) The levers are rigid, no longer deformed like standard ones, and also do not have parasitic twist adjustments inside, which other manufacturers offer. The stiffer the lever, the sharper the control.

2) The front silent block of a different design, from the Audi 90, standing vertically. The lever under load is more elastic and tends to return to the horizontal position, and the parasitic movement of the lever back and forth during acceleration and braking is reduced. This is a progressive solution that can be found to this day in many foreign cars.

3) The front part of the lever moved lower, which created a tilt in the direction of travel. This solution allows you to minimize dives during acceleration and deceleration.

Here, for example, is the difference with the more progressive Vesta suspension. Pay attention to the lever - hard, and with one vertical silent block, and there are many other places where you can find such a solution

An unusual solution from the world of drag racing - this creates an anti-peck effect. This effect can also be achieved if the whole car is tilted with its muzzle forward and a rake is applied to the muzzle, but then the castor will begin to change. In the subframe of the car product, this moment is also calculated

To summarize, we understand that this subframe contains the largest number of advantages for a quite reasonable price tag.

But does it have any disadvantages? As it turns out, there is.

The manufacturer's goal is to create a bolt-on solution that can be easily installed without modifications to the body. As a result, some compromise solutions appear.

And while on the Prioro-Caline family everything is still going well, then one big nuance appears on the chisels - the subframe hangs TOO low.

Even with a slight lowering like -70, for example, the subframe can cause inconvenience, especially if you do not live in the central part of the Russian Federation, and the quality of the roads leaves much to be desired. Needless to say, it is very clearly visible even from under the bumper. And practically nothing can be done about it. Well, although it’s nothing... Okay, we’ll talk about this at the end.

So, now we seem to have dealt with this topic. But are there even cooler solutions? Maybe there is something more rare and unique that you can’t find on sale, but what works better?

Yes, there are such solutions.

In front of you is a subframe from the legendary car - 21106, essentially a small-scale car for homologation in racing, which has significant and interesting technical solutions that distinguish it from stock. In particular, it had its own original subframe installed.

Its design is somewhat similar to the previously mentioned “Autoproduct”, but there are also differences that relate mainly to the levers:

1) The levers here are also rigid, but the silent blocks stand longitudinally and on the same axis. This is a big plus, because they don’t break out when the suspension moves, which means they wear out more slowly. But there is no vertical silent here yet;

2) The levers here are wider - they increase the track of the car by 50mm. Here it should be mentioned that on the “one hundred and sixth” the glasses are wider, but this is not the point, the main thing is that due to this, stability in turns is greatly increased.

3) The biggest and most important thing is that the rear mountings of the levers are COMPLETELY on the subframe, without engaging in any way with the body itself, and the subframe itself at the rear has a more rigid and developed fastening than the Avtoproduct product.

Please note that there is no longer any connection between the lever and the body, and this is a plus, since the body is more unloaded

You can also find such a subframe, this one is from 21128, essentially everything here is the same, only it is already built for a VAZ engine

As a result, if you remove from the calculation the fact that this subframe is not for chisels, then it will also provide a significant advantage in taxiing.

Here I will make a small but important historical insert.

One of the creators of this subframe is Baburin A.V., he worked as an engineer at AvtoVAZ and participated in the project to create 21106. And today this man is the head of Avtoproduct. Do you get the point?

Today's autoproduct subframe is a direct descendant of the solution from 21106, with some additions for bolt-on installation. Of course, it is difficult to say that it is many times better than its ancestor, but there is still a possibility of such an outcome.

This is what the very first Avtoproduct subframes for the 10th family looked like. The direct similarity with 21106 is immediately visible, the only difference is in the rear mounts to the body. Here you can also notice the engine mount on it - on the top ten this has already been thought out structurally.

Fine. Let's say we figured this out too. But is there anything else more perfect?

21106 is a great car, and as already mentioned, it was created for homologation in racing. But that was then, more than 20 years ago. What now? Is there such a machine today, created according to similar requirements? Oddly enough, yes, there is one too. And her name is Kalina NFR.

At first glance, everything is the same as what we talked about earlier. The same design, the same levers and silent blocks, well, they were painted in a different color, but what else is the difference?

Previously, I also thought that there was no difference. But I was wrong.

On the left is the NFR subframe, on the right is the regular Autoproduct

If we compare the drawings of the subframes, we will still notice that the front silent block of the NFR is located further from the rear one and closer to the center of the car, which turns out to be practically on the axis of rotation of the rear hinge. Roughly speaking, in stock, at Avtoprodukt this silent block works without breaking, but at NFR it does not.

Of course, it is not known for certain why the front hinge was moved, perhaps, for example, so that the large 17th wheels would not touch it when turning, but most likely this change also had a positive effect on taxiing. There are also smaller differences, for example, in the NFR, according to statements, the subframe is made of a single pipe, and fewer seams and sharp corners mean better, but at the same time it does not have an additional mortgage in the spar, which is actually not superfluous.

Let's summarize.

Each of the 3 mentioned subframes has its own advantages. If you combine them in one sample, and at the same time solve the clearance problem, you get an almost ideal solution. The only thing missing is to move the rail to this subframe, but that’s a completely different story.

In reality, for the same bolt-on chisel, only the auto product has a solution; any other subframe would have to be searched for a long time, and also remade later.

There are also several other interesting modifications from motorsport from racing teams or just amateurs, but often everything is already in the ShS and for real combat missions. I see no point in discussing them here.

Now let's get back to my car.

Bought good stuff

Knocked in, as often happens, not without nuances

So much for the clearance

So, I wanted to combine everything at once, both cool suspension developments (which really don’t work with incompetent lowering, but that’s what it is), and the actually beautiful look of a low car.

Suspension - Subframe with rigid wishbones AUTOPRODUCT

What did I do on my viburnum? The first thing I ordered was rigid polyurethane SS20 (red). The polyurethane arrived, was installed, sharpened and clamped with washers. The effect is good, but not as much as I wanted. In order not to wait for the tuning piece of hardware mentioned above, we took a pipe and welded together the front brackets for attaching the front silent blocks to the body (“made” ten-thousand mono-mount). I didn't notice any effect at all.

I began to study subframes and wishbones. Visually, in terms of reliability, all adjustable wishbones are complete crap. Subframes do not shine with technical perfection and look like just a way to make money on suckers. All but one. This is a subframe with rigid wishbones from AUTOPRODUCT. Quote from the site

I confirm: this is true. IT'S ALL TRUE. Even about the anti-peck effect. The design is copied from Western analogues. What is important: the wishbone is made from a factory wishbone, to which a tubular rod is welded to the front VERTICAL silent block. The entire subframe is welded properly, the necessary places are reinforced with gussets. There is a 5mm aluminum engine protection. The castor is adjusted by special eccentric washers, which shift the fastening of the front vertical silent block of the triangular lever left and right, thereby moving the wheel back and forth. There were no problems during installation.

In terms of driving sensations, it’s just what you need. More precisely, what all vases from the factory are sorely lacking. The wheels stopped crawling during dynamic acceleration, sharp braking, and sharp turns. The car received composure and integrity. I tried to work out the profile of the road harder, but not tensely. This subframe has a small drawback - it lowers the ground clearance by a couple of centimeters. But the mountain, just the mountain, definitely outweighs the advantages; all the sensations simply cannot be described in words.

My opinion: if you like to drive dynamically, if you don’t care about the safety of yourself and those around you, you should have a subframe like this.

Subframe for Lada. How to save money? Pros and cons and why you don't need it.

Somehow it became interesting to read about increasing body rigidity. Why and why VAZ needs this. And what benefits does it give? I also came across an experiment from ZaRulem magazine. The strut gives an increase in cornering speed of about 30%. I have already written all this in other articles. I will attach links below.

Moreover, such data was obtained simply by installing a spacer. What happens when you install a subframe? It should turn out to be a good foreign car in terms of handling. At the same time, keep the price of servicing VAZ. Ideally, a dream car.

There are several types of subframes. To get maximum comfort you need to install it with levers. Short levers will raise Logan's handling to unprecedented heights. But his price is steep.

In the end, I settled on an AVTOPRODUCT subframe without levers. Why on it - because this is the only manufacturer who at least said that they considered something there, and in the event of an accident it should be cut off and the engine will not go into the cabin (and yes, this is very likely). If you look at the thickness of the brackets, this raises doubts, but let's hope for the best.

This subframe sells for about 6 thousand rubles. And plus protection of 3 thousand. The toad continued to strangle.

The first thing I did was go to Avito. And lo and behold. In my city. For 3 thousand. Slightly used. No protection. Let's take it.

I decided to paint it. The paint is original, by the way, perfect. It just fell off when I started picking at it with a screwdriver.

What remains is the defense. For 3 thousand to buy a sheet of aluminum 4 mm thick. the toad strangled. I found a piece of AMG-5 2 mm thick at work. I decided to make it out of it.

I’ll say right away that 2 mm is a bit thin. The original is 4 mm. Not suitable for rallying. But we are like in the joke “from rally to rally.” It will withstand climbing carefully in the forest.

Now about the installation.

I did not check it before installation. And that was the first mistake. Only one of the four mounts was the right size. And then I couldn’t figure out whether it was a crooked subframe or a tired body that was to blame. The issue with the subframe crab was solved with a sledgehammer. The rear holes had to be drilled out. Oh, and don't forget to buy other bolts for the rear arm. The old ones will be short.

This is what happened

Now about the pleasant things. What has changed in handling:

At first I thought it was nothing. In theory, the main improvements should occur when driving on a bad road at high speed. But I'm not an enemy to my car. I don't want to drive at high speed on a bad road. The main improvement that was noticed was that all the “crickets” in very unpleasant holes, when you have to almost hang the body, have disappeared. That is, the body has become stiffer. This will definitely add resources to him.

Now why don't you need this? VAZ engineers have been thinking about the G8 suspension for years. They carefully selected the angles so that nothing would converge. It was always in tension and could only be assembled with a crowbar. But it was possible to assemble it alone. But with a subframe, forget about repairs in complete isolation. He weighs 15 kg. And you won’t be able to place it alone even on a small overpass. Especially when it doesn't fit the body very well. And all that remains is to either improve her social skill and call friends, or take her to a service station.

What kind of subframes are there for our cans?

1) Turbotema 2) Stinger 3) ClubTurbo 4) Autoproduct

The cheapest solutions are in the picture above. They differ slightly from each other. All they do is increase body rigidity. They do not change the suspension geometry in any way. Essentially it's just a pair of spacers between the arms, connected to each other. You don't have to focus on them.

And here there is only one solution available on the market, which has a significant advantage over other subframes. This is an Autoproduct subframe with rigid levers.

Installing a subframe on viburnum 1

And most importantly, the price of the experiment is 850 rubles for protection + electrodes + 100. 200 rubles to collect all sorts of metal from the ferrous metal shop.

PS: but for me the effect itself is due to daisies and springy longitudinal thrust, capable of accumulating energy (like a spring) and discharging when the thrust from under the wheel passes. And when the wheel is reflected, the displacement is transferred to the steering rods. Those. theoretically, the subframe itself doesn’t seem to solve anything (without L levers), but maybe there will be a little effect?

I read and read about these stretchers - my opinion has changed over time, but as they say, it’s mine and I could be wrong.

The body stands on 4 wheels and the torsion occurs relative to the support points of the body, in the front there are glasses and the lower arms - it seems like from the braces in the front and the body reinforcement at the rear, the body itself has much more rigidity than from the rigidity of the side members hung forward, which are connected by a subframe. The lower brace holds the body from below, either with or without a subframe - the mounting location is the same - there is no other (((. There is a weak mounting point, including for the subframe. The subframe is held to the body itself here behind these ears (like the most common stretch) - I’m not sure that this is a strong enough place to take not only transverse, but also all other forces. These ears do not hold up well against longitudinal loads, they are designed rather for transverse ones.

And in front the subframe is held firmly, but in front and by itself it is suspended relative to the body. These are the elements that are connected by the TV. But there seem to be no torsional loads, they are on the glass near the engine shield. There are also two engine mounts.

And the beam or crabs are attached to part No. 13 in the figure

So it turns out that only the linkage of levers has rigidity, but not the body itself, i.e. the wheels will move less relative to each other. And the second nuance is the method of attaching this lever, in the photo above it is on the sales blocks and the L-lever does not deform during acceleration and braking. Namely, this deformation (under the force of a huge torque, especially on the 1st and 2nd, creates a force only on the trailing arms) crushes the arms/daisies on the suspension stock and, as a result, when the position is fixed, the wheel turns

Added after 4 minutes As a primer just L lever

Again, it is attached to the body through these ears, and the front, as in the previous post in photo 3 (part No. 13), as on the stock one, is the main load-bearing part of the structure.

This is my understanding so far about the subframe. +/- I didn’t describe it here, it’s just how it all works and of course it takes some % of the load in torsion even with all these nuances and adds stiffness to the suspension - but how much and what is a question for the owners.

Replacing the subframe of Lada Kalina sedan (VAZ Kalina)

For almost 9 years now, Russian motorists have been eating the fruits called Lada Kalina. And now, this summer, “on all shelves” in Russia is the long-awaited “Kalina” of the new, second generation. What did the All-Russian berry become? Is it ripe? AvtoVesti went to Tolyatti to taste a new product from VAZ “breeders”.

However, we decided to make a report on how the new Kalina tasted not in the traditional format, but mainly in the form of detailed answers to your questions, which you, dear readers, gave us plenty of before the test. You can immediately see how great the interest is in one of the main new products of this year! And how will Kalina-2 shine against this background? Is this really a new car or is it really just a matter of upgrading an old car? Here are the answers to these and other questions. So, let's go...

What platform does the new Kalina stand on and how much has the body changed? Making a new base for Kalina is still an unaffordable luxury for AvtoVAZ. Therefore, the basis of the second generation vehicle remained the previous VAZ 2190 platform, which Granta also shares with Kalina. By the way, after some modernization, the same platform will be rolled out for Datsun brand cars - the VAZ platform attracts the Japanese with its low cost.

The body of the Kalina itself was not radically cut, limiting itself to only “local” changes. So, on the rear of the hatch and station wagon (there will be no sedan in the range, since there is a Granta for that) new bumpers, fenders and rear side windows have appeared. At the front of the new Kalina they installed a hood and fenders from Granta, but the headlights, bumper and radiator grilles were already original. Moreover, the front bumper now protrudes forward more due to the new engine radiator, so the Kalina has added 44 mm in length.

But, having received a new voluminous bumper, the car lost the previous amplifier underneath, which covered the evaporator and radiator of the “condea” in case of accidents at low speeds. To this, the VAZ team responds that they just carried out the so-called “insurance” crash test at speeds of up to 15 km/h, and the new bumper, which has internal stiffeners, completely protects the air conditioning components. Although personally I’m also worried about another question: how long will it take for this new bumper to replace the broken one? Our auto industry, as you know, is traditionally lame in terms of prompt supplies of spare parts for its new models. I still remember how my friend, who bought a just-released Priora in 2007, spent two days calling all over Moscow and Togliatti in a desperate search for a new side mirror to replace the one that had been demolished by a truck. I would like to believe that something has changed since then...

Let's move on. The new headlights have daytime running lights, but Kalina, alas, will not have lensed headlights like on the show car: it’s expensive. So, they only teased... But the new car will get the exhibition red color “Magma” and you won’t have to pay extra for it, like for other metallic colors. And the door handles on some trim levels of the new Kalina are now painted in body color.

In addition, Kalina for the first time received an electric drive for the lock of the fifth door (Norma and Luxury configurations), which is now unlocked using buttons on the key fob and on the panel, as well as with a key. But, cutting circles around the cars while taking photographs, I was once again convinced that the usual button for opening the fifth door is still missing: constantly reaching into your pocket for the key and running to the instrument panel in the turmoil of loading and unloading will be very annoying.

What has changed in the cabin, has it become tighter?

Since the body of the new Kalina remained virtually the same, the interior also retained its dimensions. There is still plenty of room overhead, and with my height of 180 cm, I can sit comfortably both in front and behind me. So those who feared the loss of Kalinovsky space can breathe a sigh of relief. At the same time, a lot of new things appeared in the cabin. The interior door panels with wide armrests were taken from Granta, an eyeglass case was screwed over the driver's head, and for the rear passengers, a cup holder loop was once installed on the parking brake housing, which can even fit a half-liter bottle of water. In addition, the rear seat belt buckles are now carefully stored in a mesh and always at hand, plus a buzzer for front seat belts not fastened has been added. But the matter was not limited to trifles. The instrument panel of the second Kalina is completely new. Moreover, the VAZ team immediately designed the dashboard for the new climate system, which is now better configured, runs quieter, and its air ducts are more securely fixed. By the way, if in the “Norma” trim levels the car will be equipped with a simple air conditioner, then the luxury versions are already entitled to a new automatic “air conditioner” from the American company Visteon, which itself controls the temperature, intensity and direction of air flow. On the day of the test, it was hot at the factory test site, but the Kalinovsky climate control did not disappoint: it cooled stably, worked quietly and was controlled conveniently due to the grippy buttons and “twists”. True, VAZ testers note that the “climate” noticeably takes power away from the engine, but for comfort, of course, you often have to pay something.

Luxury Kalinas now sport a new multimedia system with a touch screen. Moreover, the color display itself stands high and is convenient to look at on the go. In general, such a “shaitan system” still looks unusual in the interior of a Russian car. And somewhat alien: the black shiny control buttons somehow do not fit into the overall ambiance of the instrument panel. And the USB connector is hidden in the glove compartment, although it would be much more convenient to put it in a niche under the cigarette lighter. The multisystem itself promises a lot of things in the menu, but as soon as it came to viewing large photos and videos from a flash drive, the system began to slow down. And you won’t immediately understand the control interface; you’ll have to dig around for a long time to learn all its intricacies. At the same time, the system was able to connect with the fifth iPhone via Bluetooth and start music and phone calls through it, but proudly refused to be “friends” with the iPhone via the USB multimedia port, limiting itself to only the charging function. But no matter how much I nitpick, for the Russian automobile industry such a system is still a real breakthrough!

But so far there has been no breakthrough with the seats: they have not changed radically on the new Kalina, remaining just as soft and even amorphous. The release of the driver's seat with height adjustment, which is already in the plant's plans, is also delayed. But all these settings-profiles-softness-hardness pale in comparison to the procedure called “take out the headrest”! I couldn’t master it alone, no matter how hard I tried. There, it turns out, you need to know how to pry this headrest, where to pull it and when to press the latches. If the head restraints will be adjusted in the same way not only on pre-production prototypes, but also on commercial vehicles, then AvtoVAZ should not dream about new seats, but at least bring the old ones to mind. As well as the tilt adjustment of the steering wheel: on one of the test cars, the mechanism turned out to be so tight that I had to pull the steering wheel up with both hands, as if lifting a weight. But the new “Kalina” is also positioned as a car for women! But it’s unlikely that a fragile young lady will be able to cope with such an “exercise”...

What kind of engines will there be, and are they afraid of the timing belt breaking?

For the second Kalina, three gasoline engines are offered, which still “eat” only 95 gasoline. On the 95, of course, the engines are faster, but what to do if the gas station only has the 92, but you need to drive? Vote with a canister by the road? By the way, the Lada Largus (also known under the agent nickname Renault Logan MCV) was initially also able to “function” on 92-octane gasoline, but in the process of preparing for Russian production, VAZ convinced specialists from Renault to reprogram the engine to use AI-95 fuel. Well, now we know who to “thank” for this...

However, let's return to our Kalinas. The “Standard” and “Norma” trim levels will for the first time receive an 8-valve 1.6-liter VAZ-11186 unit developing 87 hp. and 140 Nm, which is 6 “horses” and 8 Nm more than the 8-valve of the previous generation model. Will there be the same 1.4-liter engine with 4 valves per cylinder? The answer is negative: VAZ says that the 8-valve engine with similar power produces 13 Nm more torque, is simpler in design and cheaper.

The “Lux” versions (and later some versions of the “Norma”) will be equipped with a new 1.6-liter 16-valve engine with a modernized intake system (the index of such an engine is 21127), combined only with a 5-speed cable manual transmission. The engine was boosted from 98 to 106 horsepower, which immediately raised questions among motorists, because in Moscow, for example, the transport tax on such an engine will be about 1.5 thousand rubles more. To this, the VAZ team responds that although the torque increased by only 3 Nm (to 148 Nm), the engine became more torquey and responsive in the operating range of 1000-2500 rpm. I checked: the engine really drives more confidently and smoothly from the bottom and accelerates the car quite quickly from medium speeds, so such a boost looks quite justified. As for consumption, on a test hatch with this engine, after driving on the highway and frisky flights around the training ground, the computer gave a figure of 10.5 l/100 km.

But the main novelty under the hood of the second Kalina is, of course, a 4-speed automatic transmission, which will first be offered for the Lux, and later planned for the Norma trim levels. Although the combination of the Japanese “automatic” Jatco AY-K3 and the VAZ 1.6-liter engine of the 21126 series (98 hp and 145 Nm) is not new: it is entirely taken from Granta. Not to say that this “Kalina” turned out to be too fast: the hatch gets to “hundreds” in 13.8 seconds, and the station wagon in 14. When moving the selector from position P to D, the box twitches, but when accelerating, on the contrary, “automatic” It switches smoothly, and when the gas is released, it obediently, although with a slight delay, moves to higher gears.

But the reactions to adding gas are peculiar. VAZ says that they specifically used more “driving” settings on the automatic transmission. At speeds of up to about 120 km/h, I slightly pressed the gas - and the automatic transmission quickly switched down. On the one hand, it’s great, the box isn’t particularly “stupid”! But there is also a downside. I drove a station wagon on the dynamometer ring of the VAZ test site, but the 1.6-liter engine clearly did not have enough traction even for an empty car. Because of this, the “automatic” often rushes between gears: when pressed in the 4th and 3rd stages, the box moves reluctantly, and strives to jump to lower ones at the slightest movement of the gas, or even without waiting for it at all. The result is frequent driving at high speeds and a consumption according to the computer of 11.8 l/100 km under the same driving conditions as those of a hatchback with a manual transmission. Frankly, such nervous fussiness is not always appropriate, although, perhaps, over time one can get used to such behavior.

What else is new? All three engines are now equipped with a radiator from the American company Visteon, which is 15% more efficient. VAZ workers proudly tell how in the hot summer of 2010, loaded test cars with trailers equipped with this radiator drove head and shoulders through the Zhiguli Mountains - and did not “boil” a single engine. Resistance to overheating, of course, is a good thing, but why was the coolant temperature indicator removed from the instrument scale? It was somehow calmer with him. Future potassium growers may not be too pleased with the fact that an American radiator, according to rumors circulating in Togliatti, costs almost twice as much.

And now (drum roll, everyone stood up tensely!) I will answer the most exciting question about power units. Yes, all three engines on the new car are “back-to-back”, that is, when the timing belt breaks (God forbid, of course!) a “friendly” meeting of the valves and pistons occurs. All engines of the new Kalina are equipped with a lightweight connecting rod and piston group (each pair of connecting rod and piston has lost 400 grams), which reduces mechanical losses and allows the engines to gain speed faster. The VAZ people also insist that the recesses for the valves somewhat impair mixture formation. And even in the lightest and thinnest piston it is difficult to make recesses - there is a fear of burnout. At the same time, the Grant is still offered with an 8-valve engine with a “heavy” connecting rod and piston group and recesses for valves in the pistons, but this engine is no longer available for the new Kalina.

Has the problem with leaks in the heater and air pockets in the cooling system been resolved?

The leaking radiator of the “stove” was one of the extremely unpleasant “sores” of the car, because the coolant also flooded the “brains” of the engine, located just under the radiator! But in Tolyatti they say that the new Kalina will no longer have such a problem: the car has a more reliable heater radiator, and the engine control unit has been moved away, just in case, and moved to the engine panel. As for the air jams in the cooling system, they, according to VAZ employees, were on cars with a cable-operated throttle valve. To prevent it from freezing in the winter when driving for a long time at a constant speed, the throttle block was heated by the “appendix” from the engine cooling system. And since the throttle heating channel was higher than the expansion tank, an air lock formed there. But VAZ employees say that after the appearance of an electronic gas pedal on Kalinas back in 2011, the problematic throttle heating was removed as unnecessary.

Has the manual transmission been improved on the new Kalina?

In fact, the modernized “five-speed” began to be installed on the previous generation “Kalin” and “Grants” in October 2012. The new box finally said goodbye to the “tremor” of the gear shift lever, which was transmitted through a rigid drive rod. Now, instead of this traction, there are cables from the Japanese company Atsumitec, which “untied” the gearbox lever from the vibrations of the power unit. With the abandonment of traction, the box was also “cured” of oil leaks through the gear shift rod, because the gear selection mechanism is now located on top, and not below, as before. Along the way, the volume of oil in the box was reduced from 3.3 to 2.2 liters, and instead of mineral oil, semi-synthetic oil is now poured into it.

The switching mechanism itself is completely new, developed by the German company Shaeffler. It can be easily removed without dismantling the box and is removed from the oil bath so that its viscosity does not affect switching. And the gearbox shifts really well, tested! The lever now moves easily (the force on it is reduced by three times), the strokes are short and clear (the longitudinal stroke is reduced by 32 mm, the width of the circuit is reduced by 40 mm), the backlash in neutral has been halved, so I didn’t have to get used to it and there were no errors with gear shifting. I never appeared. Yes, it seems that it was not in vain that when working on the gearbox, the VAZ team took the fifth VW Golf as a sample of the sensations from switching. I don’t know if the Kalina is on par with the Golf, but for a Russian car the quality of gear changes has really risen to a new level!

New synchronizers of the 1st and 2nd stages, also supplied by Shaeffler (which, by the way, also supplies synchronizers for the GAZelle Next), also contribute to the ease of gear shifting. The brand of this company also bears the new clutch release bearing and gear shift forks. There were no questions about the clutch either: it picks up from about the middle of the stroke and its drive is quite informative. But there was still a fly in the ointment. When starting and picking up speed in first and second gears, you can still hear, albeit muffled, but periodically, a characteristic “growling” in the box and a slight howl of the front gearbox, which for me personally immediately evokes associations with the UAZ. And at idle speed the transmission still “sputters”, although less noticeably than on previous Kalinas. In general, AvtoVAZ still has work to do.

Is the new Kalina noisy?

During the test, representatives of the plant repeatedly repeated to me that the fight for noise and vibration insulation in cars is now a priority for AvtoVAZ. But the result of the “war for silence” is still half-hearted. On the one hand, for example, the engines and gearboxes in the second Kalina were placed on new supports from the German company Anvis, and an additional small muffler with a soft bellows was inserted into the exhaust tract to reduce noise and vibrations in the cabin. It helped: the 1.6-liter engines with “mechanics” and “automatic” that I tested during the test operate muffled and smoothly at idle, without shudders, and even when driving they “voice” moderately, breaking through with a hysterical sound only closer to the maximum speed. I was also very pleased with the climate control installed on the test cars from the American company Visteon, the fan of which, even at maximum speed, works surprisingly quietly and does not howl like an old vacuum cleaner.

But all you have to do is “crank up” the new car above 110-120 km/h – and that’s it, the aerodynamics of the body begin to howl and hum, drowning out all other sounds: the large “bugs” of the side mirrors left over from the previous model make noise, and they are joined by the roof rails on the station wagon’s roof... In general, you can no longer talk to passengers in a low voice. This is what a natural speed limiter looks like!

And the new “Kalina” clicks numerous electrical relays in every possible way. The central locking servo clicks like a rifle bolt, the buttons for the power windows and mirrors click, the controllers under the brake pedal and in the automatic transmission selector click – the car seems to live its own life! (At the same time, it is surprising that the operation of the turn signals is accompanied by a pleasant buzzer, and when you turn on the emergency lights, there is not a sound in response).

True, we drove pre-production Kalinas and I hope that the commercial vehicles will just “quiet down”. In addition, during 2013, AvtoVAZ promises to introduce new underbody sound insulation on cars in the “Norma” and “Lux” versions and increase the number of plugs for hidden body cavities. On previous Kalinas, light bulbs often burned out, door moldings peeled off, the low-hanging horn broke due to dirt and water, and to replace the stern lamps, the lamps themselves had to be removed. Have they changed anything on the new Kalina? To prevent the light bulbs from turning into “consumables”, for the second “Kalina” they changed their supplier, switching to more “long-lasting” products. At the same time, VAZ employees say that the low beam lamps burned out from frequent switching on/off, but with the new daytime running lights, the load on the “low beam” lamps will be less. The peeling off of door moldings in Togliatti is attributed to defects during assembly, and the plant has been working on this problem, so the installation of new moldings on double-sided tape in the new Kalina will continue.

But the sound signal has finally been moved higher, so now it will live longer. But to replace the rear lamps, alas, you will again have to take up wrenches: the sockets in the new lamps are still not accessible from the interior.

Have assembly and painting technologies changed, as well as the level of galvanization of the body?

There have not yet been any radical changes here, and the volume of galvanized parts has remained almost the same as in the previous Kalina. About 38% of the body parts of the new car are still galvanized (as, by the way, are the Granta), including, for example, the floor and body side members, internal and external door panels, fenders, spare tire niche, etc. In addition, a thick layer of protective mastic is applied to the bottom and wheel arches. And the plant still provides a 6-year guarantee against through corrosion. True, plastic fender liners covering the entire arch were not found on the test cars. But they can still be supplied by the dealer - something that is quite useful on our roads. And it’s definitely worth splurging on protective “aprons” for the side “windows” in the engine compartment, open to all wind and dirt, through which the tie rods pass: for some reason the factory doesn’t install them. Saves money?

What has been changed in the chassis? Has the suspension become softer, and has there been less knocking?

The suspension design of the second Kalina remained the same, but modernization swept through here too. In order for the car to be controlled more accurately and to hold a straight line better, the camber in the rear torsion beam has been reduced, and the longitudinal angle of the shock absorber struts in the front independent suspension has been increased (this solution has already been used in the Lada Kalina Sport).

But the suspension itself has not become softer. On the contrary, the car’s ride has noticeably “densified”, become more collected and not so rolly. At the same time, the suspension has not lost its energy intensity and still allows you to safely drive on bad roads, absorbs small and medium-sized potholes well, and shudders only on large defects in the road surface. At the same time, in the pits and speed bumps, we did not hear the expected knocks during rebound and compression: it seems that AvtoVAZ still did some work on this.

But in Tolyatti they went even further. The suspension that was on the test cars is, in fact, just an intermediate option. The fact is that AvtoVAZ has already developed a new package of suspension modifications, developed jointly with Renault, which will include springs, shock absorbers, silent blocks and anti-roll bars with changed characteristics. The cars will receive all this during 2013 and it seems that in terms of omnivorousness, comfort and controllability, the suspension of such a Kalina II will be close to the Renault Logan. Although at the same time the VAZ team admits that they are not yet allowed to get even closer to the level of the Logan because the Kalina does not have a front suspension subframe, which the Logan has.

At the same time, such a subframe would make it possible to install a steering rack on it, increasing the sharpness of control. In the new Kalina, the rack is still mounted on the engine shield. But on the driver's side, it is now screwed to the metal not through a rubber bushing, but directly. VAZ workers say that because of this, the rigidity of the steering mechanism has increased by a quarter. Of course, experienced Kalinovods will certainly feel this difference. But I still have other sensations: a “wobbly”, “rubbery” steering wheel with considerable near-zero zones of “insensitiveness”, although the new car has a “short” steering rack.

Although, what taxiing revelations do I expect from the family Kalina? What it provides is aimed at a quiet ride and comfort. Moreover, the steering wheel itself is well insulated from irregularities, and the electric power steering will now be offered on the cheapest “Standard” version. In addition, the new car is stable in a straight line. Even at the maximum 170-180 km/h, the Kalina did not require constant steering. At some point I became insolent and completely let go of the steering wheel. And nothing, it goes and doesn’t wobble. As for the brake mechanisms, according to the first impressions, their power is generally sufficient, but the pedal travel is a little long, and with active braking in the initial phase on dry asphalt, both cars felt a slight pull to the right. Although the brakes at AvtoVAZ are also planned to be modernized in the future: the supplier of brake pads will change, and the vacuum booster will become larger.

What will the ground clearance be?

Let me reassure the readers: the new “Kalina” has not turned into a low-set “puzoterka”. The clearance under the engine crankcase of cars with manual transmission is a respectable 160 mm, and this is with three riders on board! At the same time, the cars still have the same flat bottom as a board, with the exhaust tract and gas tank pressed in, and the brake and fuel lines are covered with protection. Although versions with an automatic transmission have slightly less ground clearance with the same load: 145 mm under the gearbox housing, which hangs below the engine sump. By the way, the ground clearance of 145 mm indicated in the factory specifications was measured not under the engine, but under the door sill at the rear wheel with the total weight of the car.

Will there be a factory option with gas equipment?

A new generation gas Kalina is included in AvtoVAZ’s plans, but this will only be a methane version. And considering that there are so many methane gas stations in vast Russia, we will obviously not see such a Kalina anytime soon.

How safe is the new Kalina?

First, the good stuff. In the new Kalina, an airbag for the driver is now included in the “base”, starting with the cheapest “Standard” package. With some versions of the “Norma”, Bosch ABS will be available (previously only in the “Lux”), with a braking assistant, plus front belts with pretensioners and force limiters. And the “Lux” versions we tested were already equipped with a passenger airbag. (By the way, the belts and pillows for the new Kalina are supplied by the same Japanese company Takata, which has already become a prominent supplier for the GAZelle Next).

Kalina with Bosch's motion stabilization system is also ready for launch, but when it will go on sale is unclear: against the backdrop of a slowdown in the market, AvtoVAZ is still being cautious. Due to a change in supplier, the launch of a series of new rear seats with Isofix mounts, which are already available, for example, in Granta and Lada 4×4, has been postponed. At the same time, the new Kalina has already passed the mandatory frontal and side crash tests in accordance with UNECE directives R 94 and R95. AvtoVAZ has not yet reported the results, but they confidently say that they usually pass such tests successfully. But testing according to the more stringent Euro NCAP method for Russian manufacturers is voluntary, and VAZ has so far limited itself, as they say, to “simulating the conditions” of these crash tests, but they have not yet reported specific results either.

What will the price be and when will sales start?

Production of the new Kalina started just the other day, on May 16, and the start of sales is promised at the end of June. And sales will begin immediately with “live” cars. There will be no pre-orders: VAZ employees say that they have already been burned by them during the launch of Granta, which was pretty much spoiled by resellers. As for prices, it is still known that the new hatchback in the cheapest “Standard” version will cost 324,000, and the station wagon – 331,000 rubles. That is, the base “Kalina” has risen in price, respectively, by 12,000 and 14,000 rubles, and their equipment already includes previously unavailable electric power steering and a driver’s airbag. But how much are the “Norma” configurations priced at, how much do the cheapest cars with automatic transmission or air conditioning cost, as well as luxury versions with a manual transmission? In response to this, the VAZ team is still silent, like partisans. Yes, they like to spread fog in our auto industry...

But it is known that the “Lux” versions will be the first to go into production. And AvtoVAZ did announce some prices for them. A hatchback with an automatic transmission in the top configuration (alloy wheels, climate control, two airbags, ABS, full power accessories, light and rain sensors, heated front seats and windshield, multimedia system) will so far cost 445,000 rubles (+ 39,000 the same price), and a station wagon with the same equipment with automatic transmission – 452,000 rubles (+ 26,000 to the old price).

Technical specifications (manufacturer's data):

Source

https://auto.vesti.ru/news/show/news_id/512533/

Why install a subframe on the Lada Granta, what is the result?

Well, let's not take into account the words of these individuals. But let’s take into account that most modern cars have a subframe and this has a positive effect on their driving characteristics.

We will not discuss with you the question of how you ended up with a VAZ car. Perhaps you are a patriot, or maybe your neighbor persuaded you and you agreed to buy this strange cart. Now you pick up a file and modify this car to the level of modern cars. So to speak: the savings come out sideways.

If you wish, you can bring the VAZ suspension to the modern level of a foreign car with your own hands. That is, install a subframe. This will give the car stability on the highway and more comfortable off-road driving.

Let's look at how this can be done using the Lada Granta as an example.

For this car, sets of various parts are sold that will give the suspension modern characteristics.

So you have 2 options: buy 2 spacers at the top and at the bottom, it’s somehow even funny, the car needs to be strutted.

The top one is placed on glasses, it costs about 1000 rubles and the bottom one is more expensive 2000 rubles. At the same time, it does not interfere with protection. Well, the 2nd more expensive option is to install a subframe, which is sold separately.

Yes, by the way, when installing braces, as well as a subframe, you will have to do a wheel alignment and set the caster. However, the suspension characteristics have changed and therefore need to be adjusted.

If you chose option 1 and took 2 stretchers, then you do not lose the warranty conditions and this option, although not better than a stretcher, is very close to it.

But if you install a subframe, then you will have to completely shake up your suspension. And here the warranty is already removed from the car. Therefore, if you have a new Grant under warranty, then it is best to choose option 1.

Also, along with the installation of these components, it may be useful for you to install gas-oil shock absorbers. These shock absorbers are somewhat softer on the move, and also handle various irregularities better. But their main advantages are revealed at speeds of more than 100 km per hour, and this option is more suitable for those who most often travel outside the city on the highway.

Total: As a result of these manipulations, you will receive a suspension comparable to the suspensions of various modern foreign cars. And you won’t feel inferior when the question comes up about whether you have a subframe. Also on the track the car will behave more stable. On off-road terrain, various bumps and potholes will go more smoothly.

Of course, it’s difficult to make a car out of a Lada Granta, much less a foreign car, but you can still get closer to the quality level of foreign cars if you have straight arms and a great desire. And how nice it is to make something yourself and then use it. No foreign car will give you such pleasant sensations! ))

Why install a subframe on the Lada Granta, what is the result?

Well, let's not take into account the words of these individuals. But let’s take into account that most modern cars have a subframe and this has a positive effect on their driving characteristics.

Let's look at how this can be done using the Lada Granta as an example.

For this car, sets of various parts are sold that will give the suspension modern characteristics.

So you have 2 options: buy 2 spacers at the top and at the bottom, it’s somehow even funny, the car needs to be strutted. The top one is placed on glasses, it costs about 1000 rubles and the bottom one is more expensive 2000 rubles. At the same time, it does not interfere with protection. Well, the 2nd more expensive option is to install a subframe, which is sold separately. Yes, by the way, when installing braces, as well as a subframe, you will have to do a wheel alignment and set the caster. However, the suspension characteristics have changed and therefore need to be adjusted.

If you chose option 1 and took 2 stretchers, then you do not lose the warranty conditions and this option, although not better than a stretcher, is very close to it.

Subframe for Kalina Cross

To begin with, I will give a short quote from the VAZ report for the 3rd quarter of 2013:

The Company's activities may be affected by a shift in demand towards premium brands and an increase in demand in the SUV and CUV segment with a simultaneous decrease in sales in classes B and C. In order to minimize the negative consequences of this risk, it is planned to develop and produce pseudo-crossover versions based on the existing LADA model range.

Development is planned... There is an abyss of deceit in this phrase. The fact is that a crossover based on Kalina began to be developed immediately after the model was put into production, in 2005. By 2007, the all-wheel drive Kalina was ready, it was even shown at the Moscow Motor Show.

Then I talked to one of the VAZ engineers, Valentin Vlasov:

He talked a little about the principle of all-wheel drive.

In short, the car was fitted with an angular gearbox attached to the VAZ-21113-04 gearbox,

after which the shaft transmitted torque to the GKN silicone coupling, and then to the Nivov gearbox. The rear suspension is on the original subframe.

The exhibition car had a 21128 1.8/98 hp engine, and the main gear was “increased” to 4.3.

Here are photos from VAZ's description of this car. It can be seen that the “conflict” between the rear suspension on the subframe and the niche for the spare tire is inevitable. But VAZ found an opportunity to “make friends” with them by moving the niche back to the rear frame:

And here’s what the power take-off gearbox looks like from below:

And the all-wheel drive clutch:

The single-drive version was held at the Scientific and Technical Center under the name Kalina Cross XM-001. Here are her four initial options:

They returned to the topic of a crossover based on Kalina in 2009, making the first sketches of a new car, which would later become Granta and Kalina-2. Already at the time of the presentation of Grants, VAZ had solutions for a front-wheel drive crossover on this platform. Naturally, with an eye on the updated Kalina. That is, a station wagon or hatchback with increased ground clearance and a plastic body kit (a la Sandero Stepway). We considered different levels of ground clearance, raising the car by 30 and even 50 mm. They were looking for a compromise between increasing cross-country ability and cost: every additional millimeter of ground clearance brought the need for more and more improvements. We more or less settled on an increase of 18 mm, this made it possible to raise the car with minimal means, using standard “Kalinovsky” wheel drives.

But... The project for the production of such a machine was canceled by the OPP in 2012. Some say that VAZ’s French partners opposed the project (the pseudo-crossover Kalina would have taken away some of the buyers from Stepway). According to another version, they decided to make the model at the main production facility, at SKP, it was the idea of Oleg Grunenkov, director of the Kalina/Grant/Datsun project. But something didn't work out. Although Igor Komarov stated at least twice during 2013 that the Kalina CUV is ready and the plant is only waiting for the go-ahead from marketers: they say, there will be demand, we can start.

In general, the whole of last year passed in tense anticipation, fueled by the media, which remembered Kalina Cross for every reason and without it. Against the background of these expectations, Alexander Baburin, head of the Togliatti company Avtoproduct, decided to offer his version of the Kalina crossover.

Baburin

I have already briefly mentioned Alexander Baburin. This is a former VAZ designer who at one time even managed to work as the director of SeAZ (for a short time). At VAZ he worked on suspensions and all-wheel drive; he worked under Vladimir Guba, including in the sports car department. He rose to the rank of lead designer. The above-mentioned all-wheel drive Kalina is largely his work; it was also created under the leadership of Guba, as well as all-wheel drive vehicles based on the “Ten”, the integration of the Opel engine into the 2123 and the “Ten”...

Now Baburin, within the framework of Autoproduct, develops and produces various tuning hardware for VAZ cars - stretchers, subframes, brackets, levers... But this is all momentary, but the maximum task is to develop an SUV of our own design with a plastic body (in collaboration with Togliatti designer Vitaly Ivanov) . But there is no investor for the SUV yet. Therefore, Alexander took on an “interim” project - a crossover based on Kalina, in two versions - 4x2 and 4x4. Since VAZ can’t decide on this.

The guys from Autoproduct have prepared a full range of solutions that will allow you to convert a standard Kalina into a CUV with relatively modest efforts. These are new front and rear suspensions plus an all-wheel drive design. This is what the hanging solution looks like in metal. The design of both suspensions is McPherson.

Front suspension on subframe:

This is how Alexander himself talks about it.

By making the front suspension a single module on the subframe, we increase the rigidity of the entire structure, which improves handling. Even with such an archaic steering rack mounting as in Kalina. If it were possible to move the steering to a subframe, the accuracy of the reactions would increase revolutionarily. But - alas...

The front subframe adds a little more than 15 kg of weight to Kalina. For the 4x4 version this is even a benefit, as it compensates for the weight of the rear gearbox.

Rear suspension on subframe:

This is a unified design and can be used for both types of drive. Unless for a 4x4 there will be room to hang the rear gearbox. Let's listen to Baburin:

Springs and shock absorbers will also be “their own”. I put this word in quotation marks, since Avtoproduct does not have the capacity to produce such parts; you will have to order from a third-party supplier, but according to your own specifications. In principle, the St. Petersburg Plaza is already making a number of original single-tube sports struts for Avtoprodukt, but for the Kalina CUV the order will most likely be placed at another plant.

Experienced 4x4 in an old body

There was one Kalino owner in Tolyatti who did not want to wait for the completion of the project and ordered all-wheel drive for his car right now, immediately. This minute. I saw the final work on this Kalina, the units were already mounted and adjusted, all that remained was to disassemble it all, paint it with protective paint and assemble it completely.

As you can see, the amount of alterations is not that small. I had to completely sacrifice the spare wheel niche:

Convert the gas tank to the rear driveshaft:

Naturally, the configuration of the exhaust system has also changed:

The shafts are original, but the CV joints are serial, “eight” and “Nivov”.

The clutch here is interlocked with the rear gearbox:

The unit itself is taken from a Volkswagen Golf 4 Syncro. The next cars, apparently, will also be built on other units.

Here's what the assembled rear suspension looks like (without wheel drives for now):

When can I expect a test drive? For mono-drive – soon. Baburin bought a Kalina in a new body and is waiting for the installation of custom suspensions. And this will be a “finished” design, suitable for displays and test drives. Showcase car. Vitaly Ivanov is currently changing the design. When it is completed, the economics of the project will become clear: what is the cost, how many of these vehicle kits can be made by Avtoprodukt, and how much they will sell. The front-wheel drive CUV promises to be relatively inexpensive, despite a significant number of custom parts. At the same time, the car will not only receive increased ground clearance, but also improve handling. It should, in any case. We will find out how this will actually happen in the near future. I’ll make a special trip to Togliatti to ride Baburina’s Kalina. And Cross 4WD…. She'll be there later. For about six months. But clearly earlier than VAZ itself.

COMMENTS (40)

Very interesting, thanks for the article. At one time I was very interested in the fate of the viburnum 4x4. I'm glad that a car like this will probably become a production car. I wish there was a more powerful engine for all-wheel drive.

Subframe Tuning, Kalina, Granta

Applicability: Installed on VAZ Kalina, Granta cars. Technical characteristics: Material Steel 20. The design and correct selection of materials made it possible to obtain maximum rigidity and achieve minimal weight of the subframe. The weight of the subframe is only 6.0kg. Which is significantly lower than the weight of analogues from other manufacturers.

Installing a subframe provides the following advantages:

Specifications:

The suspension design of Lada Granta, Lada Kalina and Lada Priora cars differs from that used on more modern Lada Vesta and XRAY models. One of the distinctive features is the presence of a subframe in the latter. Let's find out why it is needed and whether it is worth installing it yourself as an additional accessory.

Advantages and disadvantages

increases body rigidity;
increases rigidity at the suspension mounting points;
improves engine protection from below;
increases castor by 1.5 degrees;
increases the wheelbase of the car by 15 mm;
reduces vehicle rolling when starting/braking.

the weight of the car increases (about 15 kg);
clearance decreases.

Varieties and prices

subframes without levers (cost about 5,000 rubles);
subframes with levers (cost about 10,000 rubles).

Results

Installing a subframe will strengthen the body, reduce its deformation and protect the power unit. A subframe with levers improves handling, vehicle stabilization and reduces anti-dive effect. What do you think, does it make sense to install this accessory on Lada Granta, Kalina or Priora for that kind of money for everyday driving?

Survey results from the Lada2111.rf website:

Let us remind you that we previously told and showed in the video what effect the front strut brace gives.

Baburin

Front suspension on subframe:

This is how Alexander himself talks about it.