Tuning the Niva for hunting and fishing: recommendations and tips

• May 9, 2020
• Cars
• Anna Selezneva

The Niva car belongs to the jeep category. And these vehicles are characterized by high cross-country ability. The main condition for such an indicator is the quality of the wheels, the treads of which have to hold and pull, and sometimes push the iron horse. Therefore, it is logical to start tuning the Niva for hunting with improving the wheels.

Benefits of wheel tuning

This is the first thing anyone who plans to use their car for hunting should think about. The Niva will best cope with its tasks if you install SUV wheels on it. And they are always large in size. Due to the sufficient tread width, it becomes possible to optimize the contact patch. This is an important condition when the road is a rather unreliable ground.

And thanks to the increased (compared to the standard) diameter, it becomes possible to install large lugs on the tire - those “teeth” that have to dig into the road.

When using a Niva for hunting, it is important to understand that a car whose bottom is raised above the ground gets better cross-country ability. This means that installing good tires will require lifting the body. After all, it is quite logical that the larger the wheels, the greater the effort required to rotate them.

Suspension modification

It is recommended to install larger wheels (235/75 R15) to improve cross-country ability and traction on the ground. You should also improve the shock-absorbing qualities of the machine by installing additional elements. This will reduce shaking during difficult off-road sections.

List of recommended changes:

• increase in ground clearance up to 4.5 cm;
• it is necessary to strengthen the lateral thrust;
• the rear suspension design is made of a three-link, A-shaped;
• installation of rear springs and modern polyurethane spacers;
• installation of dual-type shock absorbers on the rear and front suspensions;
• A front wheel rotation limiter is required.

Additionally, you can strengthen the bracket of the basic (main) shock absorber.

Lifting

You can tune a car for different purposes. If you plan to drive a Niva for hunting, it is important to find a balance between indicators such as wheel size, lift height and engine power capabilities. Therefore, lifting can be called a mandatory stage of such tuning.

The Niva tuning project for hunting should be planned taking into account the following circumstance: there are limits to the lifting. If the center of gravity is raised too high, the risk increases that the car will tip over after the most harmless sagging of one of the sides. This can happen, for example, during slipping.

The stereotypes associated with the tuning process are that over the past years it has been customary to increase the ground clearance by 5-6 cm. This is the whole alteration.

Thanks to such a modest body lift, it becomes possible to transform the standard 220 mm gap to a good 280 (meaning the gap from the bottom to the road). But if there is a desire to convert the wheel rims by installing rubber with a diameter of 30 inches on them, such a decision may necessitate the need to remodel the wheel arches.

Body reinforcement

Modification of the body part is necessary to additionally protect the main elements from external influences. An anti-corrosion layer is first applied to the bottom and the condition of the paint is checked. Then you need to start body work.

Car design tuning:

• Strengthening the side members. This is a must for the five-door model. A metal sheet 3 mm thick is welded onto their surface.
• Installation of power footrests. For their manufacture, round pipes are used. They act as an outer frame and protect the car from damage to the side parts.
• Manufacturing of reinforced front and side bumpers. On the first one, a winch and a device for cutting small marks are installed.
• After preliminary cutting of the wheel arches, rubber protection is installed. This increases the vehicle's ground clearance.
• It is also recommended to mount an additional protective cover on the engine.

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This is the optimal list of tuning work related to the car body.

Engine tuning for hunting and fishing

Converting the Niva for hunting and fishing may also involve reworking the engine. Steering the larger wheels will require more effort. Consequently, it will be necessary to increase both dynamic and power indicators.

Simply put, to increase the wheel diameter by 1%, you need to increase the engine power by 1.5% to provide horsepower reserve. After all, driving in off-road conditions does not require power as much as the torque of the engine. Ideally, the Niva will be equipped with a V-shaped diesel engine, which will have the largest possible crankshaft arm.

But such work is beyond the means of most car enthusiasts. It's expensive and difficult. It will be much more profitable to install a “low-level” camshaft part in the engine timing belt.

Installation of functional elements

Installation of large wheels

Tuning the Niva 2121 for off-road use is impossible to imagine without installing large tires. Tires of size 235/75R15, for example, are suitable for this purpose. Also, installing wide tires entails purchasing wide wheels.

It is worth noting that the impressive wheel diameter implies a fairly large torque. Failure to maintain this balance can lead to a lack of traction, which consequently leads to engine failure and sudden shock and jerk loads on the transmission.

In order to increase torque, it is necessary to install main pairs on the wheels with a gear ratio of 4.7 instead of the factory 3.9. This compensates for the installation of large wheels, and also reduces losses in maximum speed and dynamics. At the same time as the wheels, it is necessary to equip the front reinforced springs in order to reduce the dynamic load, as well as further increase ground clearance.

Installing larger wheels also means the need to enlarge the wheel arches. When cutting out the arches, it would not be amiss to install soft wing extensions, which will serve as reliable protection for the wings, because they are difficult to damage.

Installing an expedition rack

Installing large wheels means that a full-size spare wheel no longer fits in the special place under the hood provided by the developers for it. As for the option of installing a spare wheel in the rear door area, this usually impairs visibility. Therefore, the most optimal option is to install an expeditionary trunk on the Niva.

Such a trunk can serve not only for storing a spare tire, but is also suitable for transporting things, as well as many different devices necessary for an SUV - jacks, sand trucks, shovels. Also, additional lighting headlights are often installed on such a trunk, both front and rear.

The optimal and proven expedition trunk for Lada Niva cars is a welded installation made of steel pipes, the dimensions of which are 1500x1200x15 mm. On the sides, this design is equipped with a metal grille, which is attached to the body drain using six support elements.

For ease of access to the expedition trunk, a special ladder is usually installed in the rear of the Niva.

Power body kit to protect against damage

Off-roading involves passing through various types of natural obstacles. To pass them without damaging the car, it is necessary to protect the Niva 2121 with various power elements. So, let's look at some of them:

• To overcome water obstacles, it would be a good idea to completely seal the Niva’s air filter and bring the air intake to the roof. In order to be able to turn off the fan from the cabin when crossing water obstacles, you can replace the standard device with a paired electric one. Well, and, of course, it is necessary to carry out additional waterproofing of the ignition system.
• Bumpers are used to protect the body of the Niva 2121. The front and rear bumpers are usually attached under the rack and pinion jack ("hijack") and the winch mounting area.
• To prevent damage to the radiator and headlights, kengurin is installed.
• To protect the side of the SUV, power sills are attached, which can also serve as a support for a jack if it is necessary to lift the car from the side.
• You can also install bump stops on the Niva - we stretch the cables from the expeditionary trunk to the kengurin on both sides. Such bumpers protect the windshield from damage when rubbing against tree branches, for example.
• It is also necessary to take care of protecting the bottom of the Niva. As a rule, underbody protection is a profiled sheet of metal that protects vulnerable elements from damage - steering rods, engine crankcases and gearboxes.
• Finally, an important element of the Niva’s off-road tuning is the winch.

However, in order for the winch not just to give the Niva an off-road style, but to have a functional value off-road, it is necessary to choose only high-quality products. In this case, the winch must be attached both in the front part of the Niva and in the rear part.

Well, the purpose of the winch, as you know, is the ability to attach a cable to it to pull the car in case you get stuck off-road.

Tuning electronics "Niva-Chevrolet"

For hunting, the Niva-Chevrolet can be tuned by installing additional types of electrical equipment. The use of powerful lighting fixtures, winches, and devices that will be connected to the on-board network requires the consumption of more energy. Consequently, increased electrical generation will be required. Therefore, a powerful generator and a capacious battery are the top priorities for tuning.

When choosing a battery for a Niva-Chevrolet, it is recommended to choose models that have a fairly high starting current. Thanks to the high amperage, you can ensure confidence in the productive rotation of the crankshaft and the quality of the spark on the spark plug.

Important Notes

In addition, it is important to take into account that after such a transformation the Niva must be driven especially carefully. And such a warning concerns not only the need to maintain balance, but also to take care of the spline joints in the drive. Sudden movements of the gas pedal are strictly unacceptable, especially off-road. This may result in the resistance threshold for transmission parts being exceeded.

Carrying out chip tuning of the installed motor

We can talk quite a lot about engine tuning, since there are simply a huge number of ways to increase power. Note that the vehicle’s cross-country ability largely depends on the thrust of the installed engine. The easiest way to increase power is to perform chip tuning.

Considering the chip tuning of the Chevrolet Niva, we note the following points:

• With proper programming of the installed motor, it shows fairly good performance.
• It is worth considering that the car in question was equipped with control units that simply do not tolerate third-party interference. An example is Bosch 7.9.0, M7.9.7 and M7.9.7+. Changes made to the software of these on-board computers may result in deterioration in vehicle performance.

Sidebar: Important: As practice shows, provided the engine is in good condition and chip tuning is carried out correctly, it is possible to increase the power rating by about 15%. In this case, the work will only take about an hour, the costs are minimal.

Experts' comments

Glory. I increased the ground clearance and installed soft tires, which made it possible to drive on snow. I’ll say right away that I bought the Niva exclusively for serious off-road travel. Therefore, all the modernization carried out later did not allow the car to be used on non-ordinary roads. Otherwise, you can make a car with colossal cross-country ability, it all depends on your capital and desires.

Zhenya. There are not many good cars of domestic origin; at first I looked at the Niva VAZ, but then I decided to try the Chevrolet. At first I was disappointed. All innovations in practice turned out to be only decorative improvements. It’s good that I got it cheap, since there was a lot of work to increase cross-country ability.

Victor. I installed a new suspension, large diameter wheels with a massive tread. In general, when it comes to the suspension, you can do things differently. But without a powerful engine, all these improvements are somehow not noticeable. Therefore, if you already make the Niva, you will have to redo almost everything.

Traditional Niva improvements

If you want your old Niva to be able to show its tail off-road to more technologically advanced and modern foreign jeeps, it needs to be modernized a little. The suspension should be even higher so that it can easily move over fallen trees and not sit on its belly in the mud. Special tuning springs and shock absorbers, as well as larger radius wheels on high-profile tires, will help lift the car up. To install such wheels, you will most likely have to cut the arches and fender liners.

To protect the body from unwanted contacts with stones and trees, you will need reinforced bumpers, sills and the so-called “kenguryatnik”. Powerful sills will not only cover the sides of the body, but will also help jack up a car stuck in the mud. You can’t do without a winch - the most important device when pulling a car out of some swamp. To overcome deep fords, it will be useful to acquire a snorkel and carefully waterproof the wiring.

Tuning VAZ 2121 cars also provides for improved traction characteristics - large wheels with a thick tread are harder for the engine to rotate. To reduce the load, you can replace the main transmission pair with a shorter one, for example, from a VAZ 2102. Modifications to the cylinder head and exhaust system 4-2-1 will help add power to the engine.

Grind the cylinder head to increase the compression ratio, bore the intake ports and install an “evil” camshaft with a split gear. If the engine is fuel injected, you can also add improved ECU firmware, a 54mm throttle body and a modified receiver.

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And here, in order not to get tedious with repetitions, we will indicate the main components of the kit: long-stroke shock absorbers, a set of enlarged levers and a powerful front subframe, which ensures that the front axle “goes down”. A set of fasteners and extended stepladders for the rear springs are a given. And for certain reasons, springs as such are absent in the American tuning kit, which is why the “Ironman” appeared.

Under this protection there is something else interesting: an additional stainless steel tank with a capacity of 110 (!) liters, made by the hands of our craftsmen. Separately, we emphasize that we didn’t try to “tinker” with another fuel neck: a transfer pump was attached to the frame and both tanks are filled into the standard hole in the wing.

We installed an additional fuel tank instead of a spare wheel under the cargo compartment of the pickup truck, and the enlarged spare wheel now “lives” on the gate of the RIF rear power bumper. In it, instead of a license plate that has moved to the tailgate, there are the “lips” of the Come Up 9000 winch. We made a special platform for it.

The ARB front bumper has the same winch, and you probably also noticed the additional IPF light. At this point, the modifications have been completed for now; in such a “combat body kit” you can already travel very far.

Having risen by 15 centimeters (which is 6 inches), you can safely drive along gullies and ruts; all sorts of bumps and logs are no longer scary. But for greater confidence in the safety of all the “lower” components, the bottom was covered with a solid aluminum “ski” made in-house by the 4x4 technical center.

All that remains to be mentioned is the Prology head unit that appeared in the cabin, the large display of which transmits images from the rear view camera.

Exterior and interior

After the suspension, you can move on to external tuning of the Niva 4x4. To increase the security of the body and its functionality, we first select a 4x4 power body kit. This body kit includes reinforced bumpers that can withstand heavy shock loads, a guardrail, protective sills, arch extensions, and underbody protection. It would not be superfluous to install a winch and snorkel. To increase functionality, we install an expeditionary rack on the roof.

Tuning the Niva body also includes painting it in protective colors. The coloring of a Niva 4x4 can be very different, but the army style is best suited for a car intended for off-road use. Although this is not necessary, when tuning a white Niva, in order to avoid the need to re-register the car due to a changed color, it is better to leave the “original” paint.

Niva tuning

While working on the body, you can also tune the optics of the Niva 4x4 - install additional lighting equipment, as well as modify the standard one.

Next, tuning of the Niva 4x4 interior is done. Here all the work comes down to replacing the upholstery, covering the seats, installing additional equipment - another interior heater, all kinds of sensors and controllers. And then all that remains is to decorate the front panel with overlays and dashboard lighting.

Car for hunters and fishermen

If it’s a pity for an imported jeep to drown in a swamp and scratch against bushes, this does not mean that you need to switch to an ATV or become a hiker, fisherman, hunter, and so on. Niva is an excellent option - inexpensive, passable, and, if desired, also comfortable and even cute. That is why Niva can be found in the forest more often than other cars.

Spare parts for VAZ are cheaper than for any other cars. This fact partially justifies the lack of reliability of domestic cars. But if you look after Niva, then the likelihood of failure at the most inopportune moment is negligible. Even if some kind of breakdown occurs, most likely it can be fixed right on the spot.

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External transformation of Chevy Niva

As a rule, Chevrolet Niva needs proper technical improvements. By studying basic skills, you can improve the comfort of the driver and passengers and increase cross-country ability in difficult climatic conditions.

Tuning the Chevy Niva can be done in three options, which are classified into the following types:

• technical specifications;
• appearance of the vehicle;
• combined approach.

Visual tuning of Chevrolet Niva is the most successful option for quickly achieving effective results. If we consider a dramatic change, this is due to a change in color. To do this you will have to spend a lot of money and effort.

Another alternative method is to use high-quality film. Thanks to professional pasting, you can increase the service life of the body. This material perfectly protects the surface from any damage such as scratches.

To improve the external condition of the car you will need such spare parts as:

• bumper;
• cover for the lamp;
• spoiler;
• side mirrors;
• radiator grilles and so on.

Film selection

The procedure plays the most important role in transforming a car. It is recommended to approach this issue with special responsibility. Experts do not recommend buying products from a Chinese manufacturer. The quality of such a film is only sufficient for interior decoration.

Before purchasing material for a car, consider the following recommendations:

• It is better to buy Japanese-made film - it has the effect of unpolished steel or polished metal. The younger generation prefers carbon film.
• French-made products are also popular. Experts especially highlight the film that has a pearl effect. As an alternative, you can choose imitation leather, plastic or metal. It all depends on the client’s taste preferences.
• The German manufacturer produces products aimed at the premium level. Among the wide range you can choose both different color options and unusual textures.

Work order

Many Chevrolet Niva car owners, when purchasing a new film, do not know how to properly glue it. Before you begin, you should initially practice on a small, flat area. In addition, the room must be well cleaned and ventilated so that there is no dust anywhere.

Experts recommend purchasing a primer. This is an adhesive that will help glue hard-to-reach sharp areas. Tuning a Chevy Niva with your own hands is easy and simple.

The step-by-step instructions for performing the actions are as follows:

Completely clean the selected element; the pattern is created in a mirror image. Correctly select the area between the middle and edge of the part. Vinyl must be fixed with extreme caution. Initially, you will need to eliminate all kinds of bubbles

A soft spatula is used for this. The primer will allow you to fix the film in hard-to-reach areas. By using a hair dryer, it is easy to give the material elasticity. Accordingly, the film will take the shape of the surface. In addition, you should pay attention so that the material does not overheat.