Good support bearings for Lada Kalina

The front strut support bearing appears as a component of the upper support of the shock-absorbing strut in the chassis of the Lada Kalina. It is necessary to ensure a movable connection between the rack and the body, which allows it to rotate when the steering mechanism is operated. The peculiarity of this product is that it takes increased loads, which affects the resource.

Support bearing design

The front strut support bearing itself is enclosed in a rubber separator of a specific diameter. The inner race is directly connected to the shock absorber rod. The working element of the product is metal balls arranged in one row around the circumference. The part is protected on the top and bottom sides by thick rubber gaskets.

Front suspension springs

Factory springs do not cause as many complaints from car owners as Kalina's front struts, however, modification of the standard equipment in this case can also help improve the car's handling and optimize the performance of the suspension. To achieve this, in some cases it is possible to install shortened versions of springs, which allow achieving tangible results. According to the developers, the maximum level of understatement for Kalina is -30 mm, which is quite enough.

Along with the springs themselves, the buyer receives a 4-year warranty and detailed instructions for carrying out independent installation work.

Support bearing faults

The main sign indicating that a bearing has become unusable is a characteristic knocking sound. It is expressed in the form of dull knocks coming from under the hood of the LADA Kalina, or more precisely, from the location of the pillars.

This soundtrack “tells” the driver about:

presence of damage (rupture) or deformation (wrinkling) of the rubber gasket;
failure of the working element of the support (bearing).

The reasons for bearing failure are as follows:

complete resource exhaustion;
penetration of dirt or moisture into the working area;
exposure to extreme loads;
mechanical destructive effects from a faulty shock absorber.

When to change bearings in Kalina?

On average, the service life of supports (bearings) in a Lada Kalina is 50-100 thousand km, if you know which is better when purchasing them. Its value greatly depends on the operating conditions of the car. Based on this mileage, the owner is recommended to replace the supports (on both sides) without waiting for signs of malfunction to appear.

You cannot neglect replacing worn supports or bearings, as this is guaranteed to cause damage to shock absorbers or other components of the LADA Kalina chassis. How is replacement done without removing the rack?

Price of support bearings

The cost of a bearing “starts” from 300 rubles. The assembled support is more expensive: from 1.2 to 3.0 thousand rubles. Saving is not recommended: you should choose either original products or imported analogues from famous brands (FENOX, TRACK, ASOMI, SS-20). Which is better, everyone determines for himself.

The replacement is not difficult, but if the owner is inclined to service his Lada Kalina purely at the station, then the technician will ask about 500 rubles for the service. Approximately this amount will have to be “sacrificed” for subsequent adjustment of the wheel angles.

Replacing support bearings on Lada Kalina

jack and wheel wrench;
pliers and open-end wrenches (“9”; “13”, “17”, “19” and “22”).
a puller that allows you to disconnect the steering tips;
a set of spring ties (2 pcs.).

Bearing replacement procedure

We install the Lada Kalina on a level area and brake it with the handbrake and the engaged gear in the box.
We loosen the wheel tightening torque and jack up the body.
We remove the wheel.
Unscrew the nut of the steering unit tip.
Unscrew it (key to “19”).
Using a puller, remove the ball pin from the socket in the swing arm of the strut. If there is no puller, the finger can be knocked out.
Disconnect the stand from the steering axle. Use a key set to “19” to turn 2 nuts. If the bolt heads need to be supported, then use the key set to “17”.
Using a “13” wrench (preferably a socket), unscrew the fasteners (3 nuts) of the support to the body cup.
We remove the support together with the shock-absorbing strut.
We compress the spring with zip ties until the upper part is released.
Unscrew the central nut of the support using a “22” wrench. Use the key set to “9” to hold the rod.
After removing the support, we resort to disassembling it. We remove the front strut support bearing and change it.
We put the unit back together and proceed to a similar procedure on the other side of the car.

Advantages and disadvantages of a car

Installation of telescopic shock absorbers

The first generation Kalina debuted back in 2004, although there have been talks about its release since the late 90s. This project was supposed to begin a new chapter in the history of AvtoVAZ as an enterprise that keeps pace with the times, modern automobile fashion and advances in the field of vehicle design. Lada Kalina was developed by a powerful team that actively adopted Western experience. The advice of Japanese and Chinese concerns was taken into account.

The first generation, although it was a decisive step forward in the field of construction and design, did not rise to the required level in terms of technology. The developers were bombarded with reproaches regarding the unreliability of power units, frequent breakdowns, weak suspension, etc.

The second generation went on sale in 2007. It became brighter, somewhat stronger, but again it was not ideal. The suspension, like last time, did not meet the requirements of Russian roads, which buyers were quick to report. The model range was represented by a four-door sedan, hatchback and station wagon. A little later, a sports version appeared. By the way, it turned out to be the best of all modifications.

The second generation Lada Kalina is available in three trim levels: basic, “standard” and “luxury”. The latter opens up wide possibilities for the driver, accelerating a little faster and at higher speeds.

Let's sum it up

Having completed the repair procedure, we go to the service station to adjust the wheel alignment. We “listen” to new supports (bearings) on the road, initially choosing those that best suit your car, making sure that there are no extraneous sounds.

12. Telescopic stand GRANT (or equivalent).

The sleeve directly under the nut.

When attaching the support to the body, it is necessary to correctly orient it relative to the direction of movement of the car, guided by the arrows on the rubber element.

The support bearing is installed on the car strut and serves to provide a movable connection between the shock absorber and the car body. The support bearing is located at the point where the shock absorber strut is attached to the body. During movement, the support is subjected to heavy loads, and its service life depends on operating conditions.

Hi, it's not a bushing, it's just a thick washer. Of course I used it, it wouldn’t be possible without it. In stores building materials, 5 rubles per piece. It is only necessary if you have a rack 1118, not 2190. And since the grant support is slightly lower in height relative to the Kalinovskaya, there are not enough threads on the rod to completely tighten the nut

Cool. One of these days I’ll also do this kind of alteration...everything has already been bought. I’ve heard that after such an alteration many people put mustaches from VAZ 2110 and tips on the steering rack...haven’t heard of that?

So on Kalina 2 they have been installed from the factory since 2110, the Kalinovsky mustache showed itself badly, I bought myself a rail with the tenth mustache. But the 2110 rack does not fit, the fastenings are different, either viburnum or 2112. Structurally, the changes between them are small, the comb and worm are different, everything else is the same. The difference is in the price tag. I set myself with 2112 and have already reeled off 100,000, the main thing is to disassemble and lubricate it all before installation. Otherwise, at the factory they skimp on the lubricant, and then after 30,000 it starts knocking. By the way, for the chassis, for these 100,000, I only replaced the stabilizer struts and the support bearings at the 80th thousand, and so everything is alive. So I don’t believe those who say that the Grant chassis does not fit on Kalinov struts, everything is good. The only thing is, if you are a fan of landing, then look for Grant struts, because when you install the Grant kit on the Kalinov strut, the ground clearance increases. I like it better this way.

Damn, this is bad... 3000 km ago I bought viburnum struts for 6000 rubles... I wouldn’t want to invest that much more

I would have made it even lower, on the contrary... I don’t like the high one... I got my brother’s grant and his old supports for free. They’re whole...—I’ll install 12mm and then we’ll see

If you hang the car on a lift, you won’t be able to turn the steering wheel (the steering ends touch the window). When the car is on wheels it’s normal. I found the parameters of the racks (only the housings for now) - 1119 and 2190 are different. Today I’ll redo it back, I’ll take a picture of everything and post it so as not to make a fuss.

To all readers and dreamers, like me, about such a modification, I want to tell you what I encountered after reading such posts... When I bought all this and installed it, it turned out that this design is dangerous to ride on! Granta's support is several centimeters lower than Kalina's support, and accordingly the entire rack and everything that hangs on it drops these centimeters down in the lowest position (the car is jacked up or the wheel falls into the hole while driving). The steering rod also lowers, and in its lowest position it almost rests on the window of the apron in which it walks. And on the steering tip, the bolt for fixing it is located below the tip itself and when turning the steering wheel it clings to this window cut out in the body (there are no rubber seals)!

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In addition, when the stand goes down, the lever greatly changes its angle of inclination and clamps the boot of the outer grenade, which will saw through itself within two days maximum!

CONCLUSION: Kalina and Granta have the same body, but different struts. To install supports from Granta, you also need to install racks from Granta (they have different strokes and rod lengths).

PS I spent 2000 rubles. and spent the whole day fiddling around until 12 at night. I removed the rack three times and thought about how to modify and solve the problem... NO FUCK! And I was only fiddling with one side (there wasn’t enough time for the second side ) Tomorrow I will remove the Grantovskaya support and return the Kalinovskaya one. You can imagine how much pleasure all this gave me  I’ll post photos later...

I've been using these supports for over a year, I've driven 60,000 miles, no problems. I gave it to my father before, no problems either. Nothing gets stuck, nothing gets blocked. Analyze all the posts dedicated to this modification and you won’t find such problems. The stand remains at the same level as on the drain, only the rod goes down two centimeters, and the upward stroke of the stand increases, but not critically; if it gets into a hole, the rod still does not open completely, in the lower position due to the installation of a bumper from the vases 2110, the rod does not reach the stop. So I don’t know what kind of problems you have there, everything is fine for me, my father has been riding on such a system for two years, on his viburnum there was an experiment. Which didn’t fail, unfortunately, during the first rework there were not big problems, there is a link in the post, but not as dramatic as yours.

I'll get better, castor is not 1.5 degrees but 1 g 50 min)))

Thanks for the info. I switched to granto supports and did everything on the list. It's time to change the factory struts. The mileage is 140,000, the left strut exploded in the cold during the next jump on a policeman))) the oil just came out like a fountain. I installed DEMFI comfort grant struts, my own barrel springs, Sevi-expert supports 12 mm offset, new bearings from Vologda. I arrived an hour ago from having the wheel alignment adjusted. Until I noticed a miracle))) castor is now 1.5 degrees, I don’t know how it was. Those who want to switch, first of all, ask for the availability of the cheapest part, namely 4 washers, for some reason there is a shortage.

And if the spring is barrel-shaped, are these Prior glasses needed?

Of course, in any case, the glass is placed in the Priorovsky type, only the cushion on the spring has its own for each type of spring. Under a cone-shaped pillow with a protrusion, under a barrel-shaped flat

Damn, I already bought a ssss20 pillow, it has a step and barrel springs, won’t it fit?

I described it in detail, it won’t work. The support bearing will become misaligned, as in the 9th photo.

12. Telescopic stand GRANT (or equivalent).

The sleeve directly under the nut.

When attaching the support to the body, it is necessary to correctly orient it relative to the direction of movement of the car, guided by the arrows on the rubber element.

What is the service life of support bearings on Kalina and how to check them

Depending on the operating conditions, the service life of the support bearings varies. On average, their service life ranges from 50 to 100 thousand kilometers. As a rule, a bearing malfunction can be recognized by characteristic suspension knocks and squeaks, especially on small irregularities.

How to check a support bearing

The easiest way to check the performance of a support bearing is with the help of an assistant. You need to remove the plastic cover from the strut cup, there you will see the bearing mounting nut. You need to put your hand on the support and ask an assistant to rock the car. As soon as the car starts to rock, you will immediately feel the bearing working.

If you hear a knocking or squeaking sound in the support, it is most likely faulty and needs to be replaced.

Supports SS20 Gold

Replacing the suspension also means replacing the supports, since their joint use is undesirable, although this is not critical. The SS20 Gold support, supplied with bearings, is the best that this manufacturer can provide. The higher cost is fully compensated by the positive effect of their use: reduction of extraneous noise and vibrations produced by the suspension system.

This modification of the support still has many advantages, a full list of which can be obtained from the official source or on car owner forums. However, I would like to mention the lightness and smoothness of the steering, which becomes available after installing the SS20 Gold support. Its design features increase the caster angle parameter by 1 degree, which helps improve vehicle handling. Kalina will no longer deviate from a straight path on the road; the driver’s efforts to constantly adjust the course direction will be minimized.

What supports to put on Kalina

The choice depends on you and your budget. Today, manufacturers offer us a large selection of support bearings from 300 rubles to 3000 rubles. Which ones to install is up to you to decide. You can purchase factory supports, or you can choose an option from another manufacturer. The most popular supports are:

Rack support FENOX price from 500 rub.
Rack support Balakovo price from 350 rub.
Rack support TRACK price from 800 rub.
Rack support BZAK price from 600 rub.
ASOMI supports, Tolyatti price from 3000 set
Supports SS-20 Togliatti price from 3500 rubles set

Some car enthusiasts, for the so-called suspension tuning, install ASOMI or SS20 supports.

How to replace support brackets on Kalina yourself

To replace the bearing, in addition to a standard set of keys, you will need special pullers to remove the support and spring tensioner.

Unscrew the support and remove the stand

So, in order to unscrew the support we need a special key. With its help, we can easily unscrew the fastening nut as shown in the photo below.

We put a special wrench on the support nut; for ease of unscrewing, we will need a larger lever (a regular one with a diameter will do). We begin to unscrew the support as shown in the photo.

If you don’t have a special wrench at hand, then take a regular 22mm socket wrench and put it on the nut, use a 9mm wrench to hold the rod from turning and unscrew the fastening nut. After we have unscrewed the nut, we proceed to remove the shock absorber strut.

Disconnect the brake hoses that are attached to the strut. Next, unscrew the two bolts securing the strut to the steering knuckle. To easily unscrew them, we recommend spraying them with penetrating lubricant or WD40 and letting them sit for a couple of minutes. After this, you can easily unscrew the bolts without fear of stripping the threads.

Next, unscrew the nut securing the steering end to the strut. This can be done either using a special puller as shown in the photo, or knocking the tip out of the rack with a hammer. Now all that remains is to unscrew the 3 upper bolts securing the strut with the support to the body and pull out the strut.

Removing the old and installing a new support bearing

After we have removed the strut, we take two spring ties, put them on the spring and begin to tighten them until we can unscrew the nut. After unscrewing the top fastening nut, you can easily remove the support along with the bearing, cup and rubber band. If the anther is intact, you can leave it alone.

We take a new support bearing, put it on the stand and assemble the stand in the reverse order. Instead of factory rubber bands, you can install sound insulators from SS20, which are said to prevent squeaking. After we have assembled the rack with the new support, we remove the spring ties and install the rack in place.

Source

Selection of manufacturer

Below I will describe in more detail the agony of choice, since before purchasing I had to read probably more than 1000 posts on this topic on various forums and blogs, including lkforum and DRIVE2.

SAAZ is a passed stage, to which you never want to return again. Of course, I understand that you need to save on the components that go on the assembly line, but not to the same extent? Take the same suspension, only on a VAZ 2110-2112, and I have never heard such symptoms there, including on my “twelfth”, which I drove for more than 3 years. I simply don’t understand why they couldn’t make a similar design on Kalina.
Kayaba (KYB) is originally a Japanese brand that has a good position in this industry. But there is one important BUT - you will never get Japanese quality, since the lion's share of the goods that go to the domestic market from this manufacturer are produced in China. I'm not saying that the Chinese do their job poorly, but with a flow like theirs, the defect rate can be quite high. And the reviews online are quite mixed, so this confused me.
ASOMI is our manufacturer that develops suspension parts for VAZ and GAZ cars. They make some pretty good components, but there is one significant drawback that put me off buying their parts. The fact is that this manufacturer provides a 12-month warranty, but only on the condition that you install the parts at a specialized service station. I don’t need this, I’ll do everything myself, and if something is wrong with the suspension, who will I complain to then?
SS20 is a domestic manufacturer of suspension and steering parts. I think that 99% of all Kalina owners have heard about this company and a considerable part have experience in using components of this brand! Even here on the blog there are many positive reviews from many owners. As for personal experience, I rode on the SS20 suspension on some of my friends’ Kalinas, and compared to my car, this is heaven and earth! No knocks on the rebound, moderately stiff and at the same time excellent road holding, even with quite strong maneuvers at a decent speed (Comfort-Optima). In general, I was hooked on this particular suspension, especially since no manufacturer provides such a huge guarantee. For struts it is 2 years, for springs and supports 4 years. And the most important point is that you can install it yourself without fear of warranty problems! And one more thing - even if you don’t have a receipt or warranty card in your hands, the guarantee is still valid according to the number that is stamped on the parts!