NIVA Suspension Maintenance | suspension NIVA-VAZ-2121-21213-21214-2131

When to change the upper arm silent blocks

The service life of the upper silent blocks of the front suspension on the Niva is quite high.
However, signs of wear may appear already after a mileage of 70-80 thousand km, or even earlier if the car is operated on a dirt road. The first sign of a worn silent block is a creaking and knocking sound when driving over uneven surfaces. In the most advanced cases, a worn silent block will affect the car's handling and ability to keep a straight line; increased uneven tire wear and yaw along the road in a straight line are possible. The easiest way to determine the condition of the silent block is visually - there should be no cracks or chips on the surface of the rubber, and there should be no delamination or play.

Basic faults

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.

Front suspension Niva 2121, VAZ 2131, Lada 4x4

Front suspension elements

1 – brake disc;2 – wheel hub;3 – stud;4 – lower ball joint;5 – cap;6 – outer drive joint housing;7 – adjusting nut;8 – tapered bushing;9 – hub bearings;10 – oil seals; 11 – dirt deflector ring; 12 – rubber cushion of the stabilizer bar;

13 – stabilizer bar mounting clip; 14 – steering knuckle; 15 – body; 16 – extension; 17 – protective cover for the ball pin; 18 – upper ball joint; 19 – shock absorber rod mounting pads; 20 – upper arm; 21 – cross member; 22 – adjusting washers; 23 – axis of the upper arm;

Also interesting: Chevrolet Niva front suspension diagram

24 – rubber-metal hinge (silent block) of the upper arm; 25 – rebound buffer; 26 – bracket for the rebound buffer; 27 – upper spring support cup; 28 – upper insulating spring gasket; 29 – spring; 30 – bolt securing the extension to the cross member ;31 – washers of the lower arm;

32 – lower arm axis;33 – rubber-metal hinge of the lower arm;34 – lower arm;35 – lower insulating spring gasket;36 – lower spring support cup;37 – compression stroke buffer;38 – shock absorber;39 – bracket for attaching the stabilizer bar to the body ;40 – stabilizer bar.

Signs that the rods require replacement

Typically, a problem with torque rods manifests itself in the form of vibrations when starting off or changing gears. If these symptoms occur, it is necessary to carry out an external inspection of the rods for malfunctions. To do this, the car is placed on a pit or viewing platform and the welding points and the condition of the rubber bands are examined. It is also necessary to check the backlash of the reaction rods. If there are problems, replacement is required.

As a rule, the entire set is changed completely, since the load on them is distributed evenly and if there are problems with one, it may soon be necessary to replace the other rod.

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.

Also interesting: Front suspension design of VAZ-21213 Lada Niva, VAZ-21214 Niva

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.

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.

Important: the law regards some tuning options as re-equipping a car. In such cases, you need to go through the certification procedure and make changes to the technical passport.

Compatibility of springs from Niva and Shnivy

The time comes when the springs on a Chevrolet Niva need to be replaced. First you need to figure out which suspension elements are best to install so that they provide the expected properties.

The springs on the Chevrolet Niva from the regular Niva VAZ-2123 are not suitable. The reason for this is the differences in length. Let's consider the main technical parameters of these elements.

Also interesting: Pros and cons of independent suspension and frame construction || Niva dependent suspension

From the comparison table it is clear that the free length of the parts in question does not correspond, which is the reason for the impossibility of installation, since the springs from the Niva are shorter.

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