The answer to this question will be incorrect, since the Niva has a permanent all-wheel drive . Many people confuse the function of the transfer case lever, believing that it turns the front axle on/off, while its function is to lock/unlock the center differential.
Therefore, the function of enabling/disabling all-wheel drive on a Niva can only be implemented by interfering with the vehicle’s design. More details about this in the article.
The Niva driver does not have the ability to disable the drive to the front or rear wheels, as is implemented in modern all-wheel drive vehicles of other brands, but he must know how to use the transfer case.
Transfer case purpose
The key purpose of the unit is to distribute the moment of force of the internal combustion engine to the wheel axles. Simply put, the multiplier directs the required force to each axis during movement. This is expressed as follows:
- Niva 2121 transfer case simplifies movement on off-road and unstable soils;
- blocks the center differential;
- disabling one of the vehicle's axles;
- increasing the torque of the driving pair of wheels;
- installation of power take-off for additional equipment.
When to use and how to disable blocking
It is preferable to enable forced blocking in various modifications of the Niva in the following situations:
- The blocking must be turned on in advance if you have to overcome a difficult route.
- On sharp climbs uphill or when driving downhill.
- While crossing terrain with a top layer of sand.
- When you have to drive on snow drifts or an icy road.
Wheel locking is not necessary when driving quietly on a flat road within the city. Grip on asphalt surfaces will be decent, and traction will be distributed evenly by default.
Elements of transfer case 2121
The multiplier is installed only on VAZ models with 2 drive axles. Located behind the gearbox. A driveshaft is mounted on the transfer case itself. Basic elements for the Niva transfer case, which are present in all models of Soviet-made demultiplicators:
- frame;
- intermediate and drive shafts;
- set of bearings and gears;
- satellites;
- drive shafts of the front and rear axles;
- oil seals, flanges, couplings;
- differential;
- control and control levers.
The connection between the unit and the Niva gearbox is rigid, which is carried out through a coupling and a shaft. The transfer case of the VAZ 21214 or Chevy Niva model differs from the classic one only in the presence of a speed sensor drive.
Tips for owners
To make driving your car comfortable, read some important points:
- The usual, standard arrangement of the front and rear handles is forward and backward, respectively. Movement in this mode can and should be carried out in areas characterized by even and smooth surfaces.
- Locking the differential by switching the front handle to the rear position is best on roads characterized by increased slipperiness. This measure will give Niva stability. It is worth understanding that after overcoming the problem area, the handle will need to be returned to its original position.
- As noted earlier, downshift should be activated before a potential obstacle, but not while the car is already stuck.
- It is worth understanding that activating the lock when the vehicle is stationary is sometimes impossible, even if the clutch is depressed. This may be caused by the clutch teeth hitting the gear teeth. In this case, you can try to activate the lock by starting to drive slowly and make a slight turn. If problems arise with disabling the lock, it is recommended to perform the same procedure with the clutch depressed and the steering wheel slightly rocked.
How to use a distributor in the field
The transfer case on a Chevy Niva in its normal operating position is a differential lock, the first center lever must be unlocked and is in the extreme forward position, the overdrive is in the extreme rear position.
What kind of drive does the Niva have? The transmission distributes all-wheel drive to all four wheels in all Niva models.
How to turn on all-wheel drive in a field
In the normal operating position, the transfer case controls are removed from you; in this position, all-wheel drive operates. The front handle is away from you, the back handle is opposite to you. Forward locking is low-high.
You need to engage a low gear while the car is stationary, because if you move you can break teeth or screw something up, you shouldn’t do this. When overcoming difficult sections, you need to depress the clutch and turn the gearshift lever downwards. The Niva gearbox lever works smoothly. The Niva gearbox itself should not make noise. Everything should turn on effortlessly, without jamming.
Checking the lock
You need to remove any of the wheels and engage the lock, engage the gear and move off. If the car does not move, the lock does not work. There may be breakdowns. The lock can be activated both while the vehicle is stationary and while moving. When stationary, it may or may not turn on, depending on how the teeth are positioned on the differential. They may be slightly misaligned. If it doesn’t turn on, you need to drive the car a couple of meters forward or backward.
We turn on a lower gear, start the car, put it in first and off we go. When we are driving, we release the gas pedal a little and pull the locking handle towards ourselves, the indicator light comes on. Under load, if you drive under tension, it will not turn off. With a slight over-throttle, the downshift is switched on and also quietly switched off.
When accelerating from a neutral position, do not engage a lower gear, because it will start to crunch until it stops completely. We stopped, lowered the car if necessary, and drove on. To turn on the increased when moving the handle down and all the way.
Differential locking
This mechanism is a kind of distributor of traction forces coming from the engine to the wheels.
An important feature is that the latter have the ability to rotate at different speeds. The importance of having a differential mechanism is due to the fact that during turning maneuvers, the wheel located inside makes fewer revolutions when compared with the number of turns of the outer one.
When the car moves on a flat road and in a straight line with differentials, the traction force is divided equally between all 4 wheels. If there is insufficient adhesion of the wheels to the surface or slipping occurs, the differentials will redistribute the load on the slipping and sliding wheel so that the first receives more force, and the second, accordingly, less.
We have already mentioned UAZ. Despite many similarities, it should be understood that the VAZ’s all-wheel drive is made in the “pat-time” style. This means that when connected, the axes are firmly connected to each other, and rotation occurs at the same speeds. This device imposes some restrictions on the use of all-wheel drive - it can only be used in cases where road conditions allow slipping. In cases with hard asphalt roads and highways, it is recommended to switch the car to single-drive mode.
Sometimes you can come across a misconception about why a small handle is needed next to the shift lever on a Niva. Some car owners believe that it is needed to connect front-wheel drive. However, the front-wheel drive of this car is permanently connected. As is the rear one. Cars of the Niva family have permanent all-wheel drive. The handle actually serves to switch the operating modes of the differential of the transfer mechanism.
In the “forward” position, the differential operates as usual, but if you move it back, the differential is locked, and the forces from the motor are applied to the differentials of the axles, which makes the drive more rigid. It is worth noting that there are also special types of locks for front and rear axles.
In theory, when used in conditions where the car is stuck, it will be able to overcome the obstacle if there is sufficient traction on at least one wheel. In this case, it is better to lock the differential before overcoming an obstacle, but never after entering an area that is difficult to overcome. This application of locking will avoid wear and damage to the transmission.
Main problems with the range multiplier
The main function of the range multiplier has the properties of a gearbox divider; it turns them on or off the gear speed.
Most transfer case breakdowns are purely mechanical in nature (for example, a cut shaft between the gearbox and the transfer case). This is provoked by inattention to fuel and lubricant levels, wear of rubber bands, incorrect location (alignment) of the unit, and the condition of adjacent components. The first indicator of problems with the transfer case is characteristic noise and vibration in the body.
Vibration when driving on Niva
The first reason is that at a speed of more than 70 km per hour, it’s all about the cardan shaft; only the original one must be installed. Next, replace the crosspiece on the cardan shaft, after which you must drag the shaft to a stand and balance it, otherwise the vibration will resume.
Important: The shaft itself on the Niva lasts two years, then it must be replaced. It’s better to order from the manufacturer; it’s not difficult to do online.
The second reason for vibration is the intermediate shaft, it must also be original, otherwise it will quickly fail. We take only the original AvtoVAZ one from the factory, otherwise vibration and breakdowns cannot be avoided.
The third reason for vibration is the breakdown of the gearbox flange bearings. To eliminate the problem, place additional support on the gearbox.
How to overcome noise when maneuvering in a transfer case
You can buy new handles for the levers. We change it ourselves, prying up the support with a screwdriver, take out the lever axis and get rid of the old handles. We remove the old lever springs and install new ones. Insert the lever axis and secure it with a corkscrew nut. Now, when driving with the new handles, there is no characteristic noise in the cabin. The handles can be easily changed without leaving the salon.
Stiff switching of the lock lever
This issue can be easily solved in the following way: when driving, just turn the steering wheel slightly and the lock will immediately turn on without any problems.
There are also: jamming of the pneumatic cylinder, sticking in the neutral position, or the rod is sitting tightly. Burnt gear and shift fork.
Transfer case for Niva, signs of breakdowns:
- problematic engagement of the front axle;
- overheating of the range multiplier;
- leakage or excessive consumption of oil during operation of the transfer case;
- self-switching of the front axle.
Repairing the transfer case in Niva 21213 with your own hands is quite possible in case of minor breakdowns. The owner of a Chevy Niva will only need the basic skills of a car mechanic. It is more difficult to correctly install and center the Niva transfer case. Here it is still recommended to contact a car service. A diagram of the unit itself is presented in the vehicle documentation.
Gear Modes
Let's take a closer look at how to use the transfer case on a Chevrolet Niva. It serves to switch to a lower gear and also blocks the center differential; this can be done at the same time. In order to engage a lower gear, you need to shift the lever to the right and up; to lock the lever, you need to pull it to the left all the way. The handle has the following designation:
- Low(L) - decrease;
- N-neutral;
- High(H) - normal, increased.
Low gear is engaged at a speed of no more than 5 kilometers per hour, or after a complete stop. In order to overcome a steep climb, or when driving where there is soft ground, so that the vehicle speed is minimal and at the same time stable, a lower gear must be engaged in advance. For example, if you are driving on a flat road in second or third gear, and a bad section of road appears in front of you, you need to stop and shift to a lower gear.
It is not recommended to turn on the center differential at high speed, since the car may skid strongly at the moment of switching. It is advisable to block where there is a slippery surface and the wheels begin to slip.
These include:
- Switching the transfer case should only be done when the car is not moving.
- You can also engage the differential while the vehicle is moving.
- You can switch to a lower gear while the car is moving.
- To ensure long-term and uninterrupted operation of the differential, it is necessary to periodically turn it on, especially in winter. This should be done once every 7 days.
Among domestic car enthusiasts, the Chevrolet Niva is a fairly popular SUV that appeals not only to fans of extreme driving, but also to fans of measured driving outside the city. Many people know that one of the features of a car of this brand is the presence of a transfer case in it.
Using this unit, you can enable downshifting, locking, or two functions at the same time, depending on the conditions. The question of how the Niva Chevrolet transfer case should be used correctly is of interest to many happy owners of such a vehicle and those who only intend to purchase it.
It should be immediately noted that you can engage both the lock and the transmission at the same time using the Chevrolet lever that changes gears. So, the lever shifts to the right, and then immediately up to engage a lower gear. To switch back to higher, the lever should simply be moved back.
Using a Niva Chevrolet transfer case, in addition to the above, neutral gear is also engaged, while the car will remain reliably in one place. The lock can be engaged at any time - in normal gear, in low gear - just switch the Chevrolet lever to the left.
This mechanism can operate in five modes:
- Neutral is on.
- The differential is unlocked when the "lowering" is turned off. In this case, the torque is distributed in a ratio of one to two.
- The differential is locked when overdrive is engaged. Here, torque distribution is carried out automatically, depending on the quality of wheel grip on the road.
- Downshift is engaged and the differential lock is disabled. The transfer of forces occurs in the same ratio as in the first case.
- The differential is locked and the gearbox is engaged. In this case, all axles are rigidly locked together, including the axle shafts. Torque is produced unevenly, depending on the type of road surface (dirt, sand, etc.). In this mode of operation, the best cross-country ability of the vehicle is achieved. But driving with a constantly engaged downshift and with locks will not work. This increases the load on the transfer case bearings. The Chevrolet Niva will soon require serious intervention in the transmission. Fuel consumption also increases significantly, which greatly eats up the tires.
Dismantling the Niva 2121 range multiplier
It is necessary to remove the unit not only in cases of its breakdown. Sometimes it is dismantled to gain access to other nodes. To remove the box, you will need the usual set of tools. The sequence of how to remove the transfer case on a Niva 2121 is as follows:
- Raise the car on a lift or drive it onto an overpass (inspection hole).
- In the cabin, remove the decorative tunnel between the front seats, unscrew the fasteners, lift the cover and disconnect the wires of the differential unit lamp.
- Disconnect the speedometer drive cable from the transfer case.
- Disconnect the rear and front universal joints.
- Disconnect the soft clutch from the gearbox flange (unscrew the first set of mounting bolts, turn the clutch and unscrew the remaining ones).
- Compress the coupling with a clamp and remove the bolts.
- Place the adjustable support under the transfer case and unscrew the fasteners.
- Lower the transfer case onto the support.
Eliminate vibration with additional fasteners
Installing the third support of the transfer case on VAZ 21213/21214 vehicles allows you to reduce the level of vibration of the transfer case; with this support it is easier to center the transfer case. The part can be purchased at auto stores or made yourself. The finished product comes with three long studs (for model 2121); to install the third support on this machine, you will need to unscrew the short studs from the transfer case housing and install new studs from the kit. We carry out repairs as follows:
Useful video
As you can see, there is nothing supernatural in dismantling the unit. The only requirement is access to the underside of the car. This simplicity is ensured by the design of the VAZ Niva and its adaptability to operation in harsh conditions.
The Niva family of cars differs from VAZ passenger cars in permanent all-wheel drive - they have two drive axles. In total, the VAZ SUV has three differentials in its transmission - one for each axle and another center differential.
The Niva transfer case is designed to distribute traction forces between axles, and operates on the principle of a 2-speed gearbox.
Possible problems
Quite often, car owners do not know how to use the transfer case on a Niva, and may encounter the fact that the center lock does not turn off, and they have to drive along the highway in this mode, which negatively affects the car. In order to switch the transmission to normal mode, you need to switch to reverse gear and accelerate a little, and while reversing, try to dislodge the lock. If this doesn't work, you can try to do the same thing, only while moving forward.
To avoid transmission problems, Niva car owners must adhere to the following rules:
- Try not to change gears while slipping;
- If the lock switches with difficulty, there is no need to apply excessive force;
- When a difficult-to-pass section has been overcome, it is necessary to unlock it again, since on a flat road in this mode at high speeds the car’s controllability deteriorates, and the service life of the entire transmission decreases.
Here are the basic rules by following which you can significantly extend the life of the gearbox on a Chevrolet Niva.
