Advantages and disadvantages of the Chevrolet Niva suspension design and is it worth repairing it yourself?

Rear suspension

Chevrolet Niva is designed for driving on asphalt and off-road. Therefore, the car, in addition to all-wheel drive, has increased ground clearance. The latter performs three functions:

• Reduced shock loads on the body, wheels, bearings.
• Providing traction.
• Reduced body vibrations when driving over uneven surfaces.

The pendant is divided into two parts:

• The front one is shown in the diagram below. Includes four control arms (two on each side), ball joints, telescopic shock absorbers, coil springs and anti-roll bar. The front suspension is independent - vibrations of one of the levers do not affect the position of the other.

• The rear is shown in the diagram below. Includes rear axle beam, torque rods, telescopic shock absorbers and coil springs. The beam rigidly connects the wheels. They cannot oscillate independently. Accordingly, the rear suspension is dependent. This slightly reduces comfort and maneuverability. But the beam increases the rigidity and reliability of the structure.
  Read also:  VAZ engine series 2108: characteristics, malfunctions and tuning

In addition to the listed parts, the suspension also includes other elements: rubber bumpers, silent blocks, bolts, nuts, fasteners, gaskets, brackets. All of them are subjected to large dynamic and static loads. In addition, the rubber parts of the silent blocks and the boots of the ball joints dry out over time and need to be replaced even after the car has been stored in a garage for a long time.

Bearing lubrication, what kind of lubrication is needed, how to change bearing lubrication, step-by-step instructions

The bearing grease should be replaced at the intervals specified by the manufacturer. If the lubricant is dirty or insufficient, the bearings will wear out very quickly. To replace you will need a container, Litol-24, a screwdriver, a hammer, a torque wrench, a wheel wrench and two keys for “13”.

First of all, remove the wheel and dismantle the brake pads. The caliper should be removed without disconnecting the hydraulic hoses. You just need to take it to the side and hang it on a wire. Next, pull out the rubber holder with the hose from the bracket.

Then you should unscrew and unscrew the pin nut of the outer joint of the side link. We install the puller and press out the steering joint pin that is held in the protrusion of the swing arm. We unscrew 3 nuts of the bolts that hold the support on the arms and the ball joint, after which it is necessary to unscrew the hub nut. We take out the bolts and remove the steering knuckle assembly with hinges. Using a suitable bushing, press the hub off the bearing rings.

Removing the front knuckle

Use a screwdriver to pull the oil seal out of the hub, but keep in mind that after this you will have to replace it. We take out the inner and spacer rings of the bearing and wash all the elements with kerosene, and fill the internal cavity with lubricant. Apply Litol to the outer and inner rings of bearings.

We insert the spacer and inner rings into the steering knuckle, and then press the oil seal into the socket of the steering knuckle. We reinstall everything in the reverse order and adjust the hub bearing clearance according to the instructions described above.

Pros and cons of chassis

Significant advantages are:

• Components for the Chevrolet Niva chassis are always available at most dealers. The cost of these spare parts is much lower than that of competitors' cars.
• High maneuverability in all conditions.
• The chassis has a large departure angle of 350 degrees and entry angle of 370 degrees. The presence of such characteristics allows you to overcome any obstacles on the road.
• Smooth and easy movement on the highway.
• Soft ride in off-road conditions thanks to reduction gear and forced locking of the center differential.

Along with the benefits that the owner of Shnivy receives, he is also rewarded with the following disadvantages, by the way, coming from the advantages:

• Noticeable vibration of the body when driving, especially from the rear axle.
• High fuel consumption due to the heavy rear suspension and permanent all-wheel drive. For example, a car engine “eats” about 8 liters of gasoline on the highway and 14 liters in the city. Such consumption, for example, is equal to the fuel requirement for a Toyota LC 200.
• The chassis is equipped with poor quality seals, bushings, silent blocks and ball joints. You need to pay attention to these parts after 15,000-20,000 km.
• Wheels move to the side when driving after 25,000 km due to broken wheel bearings.

Along with the benefits that the owner of Shnivy receives, he is also rewarded with the following disadvantages, by the way, coming from the advantages:

• Noticeable vibration of the body when driving, especially from the rear axle.
• High fuel consumption due to the heavy rear suspension and permanent all-wheel drive. For example, a car engine “eats” about 8 liters of gasoline on the highway and 14 liters in the city. Such consumption, for example, is equal to the fuel requirement for a Toyota LC 200.
• The chassis is equipped with poor quality seals, bushings, silent blocks and ball joints. You need to pay attention to these parts after 15,000-20,000 km.
• Wheels move to the side when driving after 25,000 km due to broken wheel bearings.

Replacing the upper arm

Removing the upper arm

If, when diagnosing the front suspension of a Chevrolet Niva, you find mechanical damage or decide to replace worn silent blocks, you will have to remove the upper arm. To work, you will need two 13mm wrenches, one 22mm wrench, a jack and a wheel wrench. Jack up the car and remove the wheel, then place a support under the lower control arm and load the suspension by lowering the car.

Remove the three nuts that hold the ball joint to the upper arm. Then unscrew a couple of nuts from the upper arm axle bolts. When turning the bolts, they must be held with a wrench.

Remove the upper arm, paying attention to the number and location of the adjustment washers that are installed on the axle mounting bolts. Installation of the upper arm into silent blocks is carried out in the reverse order.

Chevrolet Niva suspension, diagnostics and repair

Repairs or diagnostics can be carried out either at a specialized car dealership or independently. And in order to save money, many prefer the second option. And if you also prefer the second option, this article will help you with this.

An excellent domestic SUV is the Chevrolet Niva; the front suspension, just like on any other car, requires timely maintenance so that it lasts a long time.

1. Check that all rubber parts are free of signs of wear, aging and mechanical damage.

2. Also check that there are no various cracks or signs of aging on the rubber-metal hinges, or that the rubber has not come off the reinforcement. If you find such elements, they should be urgently replaced with new ones.
3. Check the condition of the protective covers of the ball joints and hinges. If they seem worn out, you will have to replace the entire hinge assembly.

4. Pay attention to the condition of the bushings of the rubber lower and upper hinges.
5. Check the condition of the rubber-metal bushings of the levers at the lower and upper hinges.
6. Inspect the rubber bushings on the stabilizer bar, check the condition of the stabilizer brackets, which are attached to the arms and side members.

Also interesting: Niva Chevrolet installation of air conditioning - Auto magazine MyDucato

Replacing the upper ball joint

Repairing the front suspension of a Chevrolet Niva sometimes involves replacing the hinge. To dismantle and install it, you will need keys 13 and 22, a wheel wrench for removing wheels, a support in the form of a jack, a mounting blade, a metal brush and a hammer.

First you need to remove the wheel and place a support under the lower arm, and then lower the car. This way the suspension will be loaded and the position of the arms will correspond to their position under load. Clean the dirt from the ball joint, remove the brake hose clamp from the bracket

Loosen the hinge pin nut and unscrew it completely. If the pin rotates due to wear or a loose cone fit, the lever should be pressed down with a pry bar, resting against the last coil of the spring.

Remove the brake hose bracket and install a ball joint remover, and then press the pin out of the steering knuckle boss.

Unscrew the three nuts that secure the hinge to the lever and disconnect the hinge from it. Installation of the upper ball is carried out in the reverse order of disassembly.

Purpose and design of the front and rear

It serves as a connecting element on the Chevrolet Niva, providing elasticity between the wheel and the vehicle body, thanks to the perception and damping of vibrations of the acting forces, and this element is positioned as independent.

Also, the main advantage of this car, as mentioned above, is the presence of independent front suspensions. On both sides there are two wishbones, cylindrical coil springs, a telescopic shock absorber, and a transverse stabilizer.

To carry out diagnostics, you need to place your car over the inspection hole, or lift it with a special lift; it is important that the front wheels are suspended.

During work it is necessary to observe safety precautions. Therefore, if there is no hole, you need to choose a method in which your car will be well fixed, so if the car stands on only one jack, then climbing under it will be very dangerous. Wooden stands, ramps, and special stands are often used for work. Also, when lifting the vehicle, do not forget to use wheel chocks.

Independent Wheel Bearing Clearance Repair

If you feel or feel vibration in the steering column while driving, then most likely the clearance on the front wheels in the bearings of the hub itself has increased, so their service life will be reduced, and the tires will begin to wear unevenly. And if there is no gap at all, then the hub will rotate tightly, which will also lead to a decrease in service life, so its gap should be greater than zero fifteen ml. Adjustment of the front bearings is carried out using a wheelbrace wrench, a twenty-seven wrench and a hammer.

• A wheel that is in a suspended state should be rocked; if there is play, the gap must be adjusted. After this, press the brake pedal and rock the wheel; if there is no play, then there is a gap in the bearings.
• It is necessary to dismantle the decorative cap and unscrew the lock nut from the hub, and hold it with a wrench to prevent it from turning. When repairing the chassis while adjusting the hub, it is advisable to install new hub nuts, since even after adjustment there is a high probability that the old ones will take their original place, which will not allow them to be properly locked. If this is not possible, then you can take the nut from Drugov’s car.
• Then you need to twist the hub nut so that the torque is 19.6 Nm. turning the hub several times, ninety degrees in two directions, will install the bearing itself. After this, loosen the adjusting nut and tighten it to 6.8 Nm. Having done all this, simply unscrew the nut twenty-five degrees.
• After everything is done, change the collar of the nut on the pin of the external drive joint.
• After the adjustment is made, check how the wheels rotate; if they rotate easily, then everything is fine. The final check can be made only after driving several kilometers without braking, assessing how the hub heats up.

Replacing the silent blocks of the upper arm

Upper arm silent blocks

The silent blocks in the upper lever are changed for the same reasons as in the lower one. To work you will need a 22mm wrench and a puller. First, remove the upper arm with all silent blocks and the machine axle. Unscrew the upper arm nuts and remove the washers and nuts from the axle.

Using a puller, you need to press the silent blocks out of the lugs and press new ones in here. After that, put everything back together and adjust the wheel alignment. You won’t be able to do this on your own, since you probably don’t have special equipment.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Chevrolet Niva suspension ensures a smooth ride and controllability of the car, regardless of the quality of the road surface.

The safety and comfort of the driver and passengers depends on its condition.

Wear of suspension elements leads to an increase in braking distance. They can cause loss of control.

And also interesting: VAZ-2121 or VAZ-2131: which is better? —

Therefore, owners need to monitor the condition of the elements and replace or repair them at the first sign of malfunction.

The car demonstrates good off-road qualities. They clearly appear after lifting to install rubber with an increased outer diameter.

Comfort in the cabin is preserved not only on asphalt. This is facilitated by the independent front suspension along with fairly soft springs.

However, many owners of the Chevrolet Niva note the insufficient strength of the reaction rods holding the rear axle.

Those who plan active off-road trips should take care of reinforcing the parts. Kits of reinforced reaction rods are sold for this purpose.

Also in need of attention are ball joints with silent blocks, which are not durable. To extend the service life of the hinges, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the anthers in order to change them on time.

Any repair requires not only experience, plumbing skills and a standard set of tools. Most operations are performed on an inspection pit or overpass.

To replace ball joints and silent blocks, pullers are required, and checking and adjusting the alignment angles of the front wheels is carried out only on special stands.

Repairing a car yourself is worth it only if you have the necessary equipment and tools. It is often cheaper to go to a service station than to buy pullers or keys for a one-time job.

Suspension repair is a serious process on which your safety on the road depends. If you are not confident in your abilities or do not have the necessary tools, it is better to turn to professionals.

We are replacing the lower ball joint

Lower ball

If, when diagnosing the chassis of a Chevrolet Niva with your own hands, you determine the need to replace the ball joint, you will need a small set of tools:

• keys for 13, 22 and 27;
• wheel nut wrench;
• metal brush;
• mount;
• jack;
• hammer.

Remove the wheel and place a support under the lower arm, thereby loading the suspension and aligning the position of the arms. Remove the hub cap and unscrew the nut. It is always tightened very tightly, so use a head with a reliable knob.

Unscrew the nut that is screwed onto the ball joint pin, and then press the pin out of the steering knuckle boss. Unscrew the nuts of the bolts that hold the lever on the support and remove the bolts by moving the steering knuckle away. Remove the wheel hub from the splines of the outer wheel drive joint. Remove the ball joint and then install in the reverse order of assembly.

Signs of trouble

Chevrolet Niva suspension parts are designed for different service life.

The levers, beam and anti-roll bar do not need to be changed even after 100-200 thousand kilometers.

But rubber-metal hinges, boots and bushings gradually lose their properties even while parked.

VAZ-2123 owners have to deal with the following malfunctions:

• Wear of silent blocks, ball joints.
• Damage or cracking of anthers.
• Reduced performance of shock absorbers.
• Breakage of jet rods.

In addition to replacing faulty parts, it is necessary to regularly check and adjust the angles of the front wheels.

Otherwise, the car's handling deteriorates, and the tires begin to wear out rapidly. Wheel alignment is checked every 10-15 thousand kilometers and after very strong impacts when falling into road potholes.

Some problems can be identified by hearing while driving. Worn ball joints or silent blocks, faulty shock absorbers or broken rods knock, squeak or ring when driving on uneven roads.

In addition to extraneous sounds, suspension malfunctions manifest themselves as follows:

• Rocking or jumping of the body when driving over uneven surfaces.
• Pulling the car to the side.
• Increased braking distance.
• Deterioration in controllability.
• Accelerated or uneven tire wear.

Tuning

There are ready-made suspension modification kits available in stores. Three types of tuning are popular:

• Lifting - increasing ground clearance by installing spacers under the springs and installing shock absorbers with increased travel.
• Reinforcement - replacement of reaction rods and other parts with more durable ones.
• Installation of air suspension, which allows you to adjust the ground clearance and stiffness in accordance with the road condition

The last option is the most complex and expensive. But it allows you to quickly adjust the behavior in accordance with operating conditions.

Read news about the new Niva

• The modernized Lada Niva Legend (4x4) 2021 was shown on the Internet
• Lada 4×4 Bronto - sales stopped, new details » Lada.Online - all the most interesting and useful about LADA cars
• Description of the instrument panel Lada 4×4 (VAZ 2121, 2131) » Lada.Online - all the most interesting and useful about LADA cars
• Chevrolet Niva gasoline consumption per 100 km
• Buy LADA (VAZ) 2131 (4×4) 2022 in Rostov-on-Don, low price for Lada 2131 (4×4) 2022 on the Avto.ru website
• Fuses Niva 21214 injector «
• The new large Lada 4×4 Niva “Bigster” 2021-2022 based on the Dacia Bigster was shown for the first time. The SUV has changed beyond recognition
• New Niva Chevrolet Lux 2022 - review of GLC equipment

When is modernization needed?

The higher and more high-torque the car, the easier and more comfortable it is to overcome a variety of obstacles in conditions of bad roads or no roads at all. The Chevrolet Niva is already endowed with off-road qualities from the factory. But there are always places where it is better not to go without additional modernization.

In addition to improving off-road performance, every car owner strives to give his iron horse a unique appearance. Often there are very extraordinary specimens with off-road tuning. Among the disadvantages of the off-road modernization of the Niva, the high cost of such work is noted. In some cases, the price of modifications can be equal to the car itself. In addition, some elements, for example, kangurins, require permission from the traffic police for installation.