Optimal suspension for Lada Kalina: suspended

WHAT ARE WE DOING

A year and a half ago, one of the first commercial Kalina of the second generation appeared in the editorial office. The VAZ-21927 index means, among other things, a new 1.6-liter 106-horsepower engine with an adjustable intake tract length. The car weighs a little more than a ton, many of the tuning company’s solutions were worked out on co-platform Ladas - and we decided to prepare the car for participation in amateur racing.

The RHHCC (Russian Hot Hatch Club Championship) is the country's most popular multi-stage competition, where drivers race around professional circuits in pursuit of the best lap times. There is no contact fighting: whoever covered the track faster wins (Time Attack format). Of the eight classes, our Kalina falls into City-Light with a power ceiling of 150 hp.

TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM

The SS20 brand, under which the Samara NPP Sistema Technologies produces chassis elements, is known to everyone who is interested in the development of VAZ cars. Supports, shock absorbers, springs, stabilizers, joints, steering mechanisms - Samarans have been developing and producing all this for a decade and a half. But, having learned the conditions of our test, the guys became worried: their products of the most uncompromising “Sport” series promise the opportunity to “enjoy the excitement of sports, feel the adrenaline rush from the emotions received and the pleasure of dynamism, sharp control, a more complete sense of the road...”, and in our test It's not the feeling that's going to matter, it's the lap time!

With our help, the company’s engineers obtained a real Kalina ring strut of the “National” class, took the characteristics at their own stand and assembled an original shock absorber based on racing motives. Based on our experience, they selected a spring for him and brought this set to the Smolensk Ring. Yes, not alone, but together with serial products from the “Sport” line.

Unfortunately, the Samara engineers got it wrong with the springs. In ring cars, the rigidity is higher, and the balance of the rigidity of the front and rear parts is different. As a result, the gain on the experimental racks turned out to be disproportionate - only about a second per lap. Even with the serial “Sport” kit we managed to show better results: minus one and a half seconds. But this achievement is not impressive either. This means you need to play with the springs and, perhaps, reduce the ground clearance even more. The Samarans promised to modify the kit to suit our tasks, so we will repeat the experiment in the spring.

Tuning the Kalina engine

The working volume of the Kalina eight-valve engine is 1600 cm³. With it, it regularly produces the power stated in the instructions. But he categorically does not want to accelerate above 5 thousand rpm without modification. Here's what it consists of:

A direct-flow exhaust system is installed on the car. The direct-flow exhaust allows the engine to “breathe” more freely. This increases the number of revolutions by 10–15%.

Chip tuning is in progress. This procedure allows you to increase the speed characteristics of the engine by 8–10%, increase its throttle response and improve other parameters (which ones specifically depend on the firmware selected by the driver).

Zero resistance filters are being installed. The purpose of a zero resistance filter is to increase the amount of air entering the motor. As a result, the volume of the mixture burned in the chambers sharply increases. The cost of such a filter starts from 2 thousand rubles.

Installing zero resistance filters allows the Kalina engine to breathe more freely

The inlet receiver is installed. The intake receiver is installed in order to reduce the vacuum in the combustion chambers during the intake strokes, when the engine reaches high speeds. The price of the device is from 7 thousand rubles. Installing a receiver can increase the power of the Kalina engine by 10%. And fans of extreme tuning install large-capacity sports receivers on their cars. To install them, they have to bore the throttle body to 53mm. The installation of a sports receiver is always combined with the “sports” firmware of the car. If it is not there, you can forget about stable operation of the engine.

The crankshaft is being replaced. To supply more fuel mixture to the combustion chambers, the Kalina is equipped with a special camshaft, the cams of which have a slightly different shape and are capable of raising the valves a little higher than usual. This measure increases engine power by 25% and significantly increases its torque. But there is a minus: fuel consumption also increases significantly.

Refinement of valves. Lightweight T-valves are installed in the cylinder head and the valve seats are bored accordingly. The price of this operation reaches 12 thousand rubles (for 8-valve engines) and 32 thousand rubles (for 16-valve engines).

Cylinder boring. The goal is to increase engine capacity to 1.7 liters. Performed only by a qualified turner. The price of such a service is from 12 thousand rubles. After boring, the power of the 8-valve engine increases to 132 hp. s, and 16-valve - up to 170 liters. With.

Boring the Kalina cylinder head allows you to increase engine capacity by 8%

Turbocharged engine. To do this, a turbocharger is installed on the Kalina. Garrett compressors are held in high esteem by car enthusiasts. But this pleasure is not cheap; the cost of such turbines starts from 60 thousand rubles.

000–108

Since Sistema Technologies produces suspension components, we decided to try something out on our Kalina. We installed stabilizer bars, original upper mounts and camber plates on the rear axle, increasing the angle to two and a half degrees. There was a mistake with the spacers that widened the track - they did not fit tightly to the hub, and we settled on Proma spacers. This set of measures changed the behavior of the car at the level of nuances and allowed us to remove a couple more tenths of a second from the lap, but again there was no breakthrough.

Suspension

There are currently a large number of solutions for improving suspension on the market. To implement them, there is no need to modify the body, but by installing them, you can significantly increase the suspension stiffness and adjustment range. The introduction of adjustable struts will significantly improve the car's handling. Adjustment can be either mechanical or pneumatic. The latter option is more expensive due to the high cost of additional equipment that is necessary for its operation. But it is more practical due to the fact that you can change the car’s ground clearance without leaving the cabin. The most inexpensive option for improving the suspension would be to replace rubber silent blocks with polyurethane ones. This will simultaneously improve the stiffness of the suspension and extend the life of the silent blocks.

RUSSIAN SHOCK ABSORBERS

Developments in St. Petersburg are led by Vladimir Olenikov, who previously headed the engineering department of the famous Plaza. Products appear in stores under the Damp brand, and among these shock absorbers there are interesting specimens. How do you like, for example, struts lowered by 50 mm while maintaining suspension travel? Or shock absorbers with rebound stiffness adjustment? We received both sets for testing.

Here the effect is clearer. The struts with adjustable rebound force really change the character of the Kalina both on regular roads (if the asphalt is uneven, it’s better to “unwind” them) and on the track. Lap times are comparable to those shown on the best SS20 kit, but the ride quality remains at an acceptable level.

Car modifications

Tuning the Lada Kalina sedan is represented by a wide range of possible activities:

• Replacing standard discs with products of a larger diameter, a different material, and a different pattern. Quite a popular and very budget way of tuning this car. Standard small-diameter wheels are replaced with more expensive and high-quality wheels of larger sizes (15 or 16 inches); But the information from this article will help you understand how the bolt pattern of VAZ wheel rims is done.
• Installation of plastic body kits around the perimeter of the car. The installation of body kits of all types of tuning emphasizes changes in appearance to a greater extent and can transform the car beyond recognition. A set of body kits will cost the owner in the range from 8,000 to 25,000 rubles;
• Covering glass with tinting film. This type of tuning is widespread, even the manufacturer began to offer this option in limited quantities. There are many brands and models of tint film available to consumers to choose from. All films can be divided into two types – classic black or blue and athermal with the “chameleon” subtype. For effective installation, it is better to contact a specialized service; But how to install removable static tint, and how easy it is to do, is described in great detail in this article.
• Installation of covers in the interior. Car seat covers as a type of tuning are becoming increasingly popular, which is why there is a wide variety of styles and finishing materials on the market. All covers can be divided into several categories: - leather, fabric covers, warm fur covers, leatherette products; But what universal T-shirt covers for car seats are the most popular, and how to choose them, the information from this article will help you understand.
• Installation of additional lighting in the cabin using diodes. This tuning method began to be used relatively recently, but has gained great popularity due to the low cost of materials and the resulting effect. This procedure will not require large expenses and will cost 500 - 700 rubles; But how to choose the right 12 volt LED light bulbs for a car can be found in this article.
• Reupholstery of individual interior elements with materials. This tuning method is considered relatively labor-intensive and expensive, but when the front panel and door panels are reupholstered, the interior gets a completely new look. Reupholstering the interior, depending on the material and area of ​​work, will cost from 3,000 to 20,000 rubles; But what materials are the most popular for reupholstering a car interior, and what parameters to choose according to them, are described in great detail in this article.

The photo shows the tuning of the Lada Kalina sedan:

Installation of pedal covers. This procedure is a small tuning that gives additional driving comfort. A set of overlays costs 300 rubles and does not require additional tools for installation.

Video tuning of Lada Kalina sedan:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=5ZH-g1pKvqo

Installation of car covers

Installing covers as a type of tuning is one of the simplest procedures and at the same time greatly affects the appearance of the car's interior. The cost range for covers starts from 1,500 rubles to 10,000 rubles per set.

The whole process does not require additional skills and abilities and occurs in several stages:

• First you need to remove the front seats and the rear sofa.
• These interior elements are fastened with bolts and screws and unscrewed using a regular screwdriver of a certain size;
• Then it is necessary, depending on the type of covers (fabric ones are simply pulled over the body of the seat, seats made of eco-leather are put on and fastened with a regular lock, seats made of genuine leather are made individually for each seat and can either be worn or sewn onto the body of the seats);
• Then, after putting on the seat covers, they must be installed in reverse order according to the same scheme.

000–109

And the second set, with a more significant reduction in ground clearance, allowed not only to improve the result by two seconds compared to the serial struts, but also endowed the car with new qualities. Handling has become a little less interesting: if the Kalina with the standard suspension willingly turns when releasing the gas, then with the St. Petersburg shock absorbers the steering has become slightly understeer. But the potential of tires on this suspension is realized better: the low ground clearance made it possible to set a different camber angle of the front wheels (-2º), and when cornering the inner wheel hardly slips! Reactions have also become more accurate: while previously you had to set the trajectory in advance, with Damp struts the car follows the wheel almost instantly. Not a bad budget option.

Head optics: how to improve them?

In many ways, the exterior style is determined by the installed head optics and rear lights. The design options available at the factory cannot be called attractive, since they are still manufactured using old technologies and are of low quality.

The features of such tuning include the following points:

1. You can upgrade the existing structure or purchase a new one. Some tuning salons provide the opportunity to buy new optics and lights that are ideal for the car.
2. There are quite a large number of ways to modernize an already installed structure. An example is recommendations related to replacing a standard light source with a diode one.

Why are diode light sources so popular today? There are quite a few reasons:

• Low cost. Diode light sources are among the cheapest, which allows you to save on tuning and further maintenance.
• Attractive view. Diode strips have long been used in tuning many cars.
• Low power consumption. Due to this, the load on the installed generator is reduced and the amount of fuel consumed is reduced, and when the engine is off, the battery is less discharged.
• High reliability. The service life of high-quality diodes is quite long, since they are not negatively affected by high humidity and other influences.
• Compact sizes. Due to this, a larger number of light sources are placed in a small area.
• Long service life.

If you pay attention to new cars from almost all manufacturers, head optics and rear lights are made using diode technology. In addition, the following types of tuning of optics and flashlights are carried out:

1. Protective glass is tinted.
2. The surface of the protective glass is polished.
3. Install various eyelashes and extensions.

When performing tuning, you should remember that headlights and taillights perform an important function and are not a decorative part of the body. That is why all changes must be thoughtful.

AST SUSPENSION

The Dutch company AST Suspension has been designing and producing suspension components and kits for 35 years; The range has different lines - for ordinary roads and for sports. In Russia, the sale of its products is carried out by the company, which is headed by former rally driver Alexey Kovalchuk. It’s nice that the Dutch are upgrading their kits taking into account operating experience in our conditions.

It was possible to choose the extreme 5200 model - with remote reservoirs and various adjustments, but, firstly, such a design is not allowed by the RHHCC regulations, and secondly, the price of such a kit is a third of the cost of Kalina. Non-professional athletes have no use for this.