Installing lowering springs on Lada Vesta - how to choose?

Lowering a car is a pastime for young people, which is becoming increasingly popular under the influence of Western culture. Low Granta is an object of attention, but the “lowering” procedure itself is no joke, and simple exclamations of “Wow!” It is painstaking and precise work. Now let's get acquainted with the main ways to reduce the vehicle's ground clearance.

As always in sales, let's start with the most expensive method, and then move on to real and affordable methods.

First method

– major. Install air suspension. Due to its high cost, we will not focus on it. Around 35-50 thousand rubles.

Second on the list

– submajor. Install a suspension kit with adjustable ground clearance. Such methods are not very popular among the people. The shock absorber stiffness will automatically appear, and you can change the ground clearance yourself. This is convenient because in winter you can raise the car, and in summer you can lower it, but the price is very high. Although weaker than from pneuma.

Third method

- reasonable. The most popular method of lowering a car is to install a kit with a lowered suspension. The composition includes springs and shock absorbers. You remove the completely original kit, install a new one and get a lowered car, as it should be.

Fourth method

– rubber. Replace tires with low profile ones. A quick and effective way to lower your car, subject to compatibility of tires and wheels. Find out in advance what is suitable for your car.

Fifth method

- bold.
Install lower springs without changing the shock absorber itself to a more suitable one. The result will be a lot of problems, but a lot of money saved. The sixth method
is extreme. Just cut the springs. Cheap and cheerful. Further operation of the machine will later remind you of your wild “circumcision”.

In the picture: lowering the Lada by 9 cm:

In the following photos the car was lowered by all 12 cm:

Do not forget that the installation of alloy wheels on the Grant must be done BEFORE you begin the lowering procedure.

Not so long ago, a new car appeared in the production of the Russian automobile industry, called the Lada Granta. What can be said about the engineering ideas and architecture of this car?

Lada Granta was initially created with the goal of gaining the status of “People's Car”. A nice, comfortable, but discreet budget car quickly coped with its task: in just a few years of existence, the car instantly sold out to all levels of society.

Lada Granta is loved both among mature people and among the younger generation. Well, one caveat: the owners quickly got bored with the classic, simple architecture of Granta. There is little uniqueness; the rather boring design, coupled with the “incubator” conveyor belt of the entire Russian automobile industry, leaves no choice but to resort to.

In this article, we will talk about lowering a car, considering all possible options. This look is in fashion everywhere today. After all, any car owner will appreciate: the planted Granta looks much more advantageous than her sister with the stock suspension!

How can you underestimate the Lada Granta?

The issue of lowering the car is not a problem today. As they say, demand creates supply. The market provides several options on how to lower the Grant without much effort. All that remains is to decide on the most suitable option, weigh the pros and cons, and, of course, evaluate your own budget.

Undoubtedly, the planted Granta looks amazing, but in some situations, the cost of this procedure can be close to the cost of the car itself. Let's look at all the options in more detail.

1. Let's start the list with the most expensive method of undervaluing a car. Many connoisseurs guessed that we would be talking about air suspension.

This type of suspension is very expensive, so it is rarely installed on budget cars, due to its unprofitability. With rare exceptions - exhibition copies. This is exactly the case when the entire car usually greatly exceeds its own value.

In ordinary life, air suspension is basic in expensive business class cars and powerful SUVs. Based on adequate considerations, air suspension on the Lada Granta is not recommended for installation, although, of course, this is a matter of discretion.

2. Suspension with adjustable lowering height. It is worth noting that in terms of comfort, this type of understatement is not much inferior to the first. However, also in terms of cost. In this case, the clearance height is set manually, and this is a huge plus, given the quality of roads in Russia, Russian winters and other nuances.

Among the disadvantages, car owners note: hard shock absorbers (not everyone considers this an advantage) and, of course, an inflated price.

No one argues that planted Grants look bold, fashionable and individual, and fortunately, there are more budget-friendly ways to lower a car. Read on.

3. Lowered, or as it is also called, sports suspension. In the case of our budget car, this understatement option can be considered the most competent and reasonable.

The planted Lada Granta not only looks great and behaves obediently on the road, but also guarantees a completely affordable price for the lowered suspension on it.

For everything to be as good as we say, you need to purchase a kit consisting of shock absorbers and springs (sometimes these components are sold separately). Of course, you can buy springs alone and save a significant part of your budget on shock absorbers, but in this case you will have to sacrifice comfort.

4. Well, the cheapest method. Suitable for those who dream of a planted Lada Granta at night, but do not have money for a suspension. We cut a turn, two (for an amateur) on the springs and you’re done!

Moreover, if you carry out this procedure competently and carefully, then there is every chance of not feeling discomfort from this amateur activity for a long time, but just enjoying the low ground clearance of your car!

Perhaps these are all the ways you can underestimate the Lada Granta. In conclusion, I would still like to analyze what you get by lowering your car on its belly?

Verdict

With the right approach, the lowered Lada Vesta will be an excellent car if there are good roads. However, there is no need for underestimation, since the Lada Vesta already shows quite decent performance characteristics.

Lowering a car is a tuning activity that is mostly done by young people. Omitting Grant means attracting more attention, but how right it is!

to do is another question. Today we will talk about the main methods of lowering a car.

Air suspension

Let's start with the most expensive way to lower or raise a car - air suspension. This method is unlikely to interest the masses, so we suggest just watching the video.

Let us recall that in the previous article we looked at ensuring that the gearbox serves for a long time and reliably.

Suspension kit with adjustable ground clearance.

Such sets are also not very popular. It is worth noting the stiffness of the shock absorbers, which is adjusted automatically, and if necessary, it is possible to change the ground clearance yourself, without removing anything. On the one hand, it’s convenient: in winter you can make the car taller, in summer – lower, but on the other hand, the price is high.

Lowering suspension kit

The most popular way to lower a car (the smart method) is a lowered suspension kit. It includes shock absorbers and springs. You dismantle the old kit, install a new one, and you get a competently lowered car.

Lada Granta lowered by 12 centimeters

Lada Granta lowered by 9 centimeters

Lowered springs

If you install lowered springs without replacing shock absorbers with suitable ones, then you get many disadvantages, and only one advantage - budget. It’s even easier to lower the grant - cut the springs. Such tuning saves time and money, but further operation of the car will still come back to haunt you.

In the basic configuration, the ground clearance of the Lada Granta Sedan and Lada Granta Liftback is 160 mm. The clearance height is quite enough to overcome all road obstacles.

Low Granta Liftback

Tuning enthusiasts often practice the so-called understatement of Grants. To do this, non-standard suspension elements are installed, and the vehicle's ground clearance is reduced by 30 - 70% of the base one.

The advantages and disadvantages of tuning and how to carry it out will be discussed below.

Problems with lowered cars

One of the two main problems in Russia is roads. It is they, or rather their quality, that harms not only the lowered suspension, but even the stock one.

Loss of comfort when driving in a car.

Sometimes you can’t look without tears at super-lowered cars that are trying to pass a speed bump or go around another pothole on the road.

If you have an illiterate approach to lowering the car's ground clearance (cutting the coils on the springs yourself, etc.), the suspension will not last long. And its incorrect operation only harms its entire presence, both the car and its owner.

I hope this article helped you learn about all the ways to lower the Lada Granta, decide on the most suitable one of all, and also understand whether it is necessary at all.

Good luck to you!

You may also be interested

The optimal understatement is considered to be up to -50. Only up to -50 the spring on a standard strut will not force the body. You must understand that this type of suspension is more suitable for on-road driving rather than off-road driving. You will have to drive over any bumps with greater caution.

Also, along with lowering, it makes sense to install low-profile tires, for example hankook tires.

Lowering options

1. Buy a ready-made suspension kit. It includes: springs, struts, etc. This is the simplest, most convenient and expensive option, replacing almost the entire suspension at once. It will cost from 12,000+ rubles. This is the safest option, especially if you get quality parts and install everything correctly. If you choose this option, then do not forget about the wheel alignment.

2. The best option is to replace only springs with a smaller turn stroke. This will lower your car and add rigidity, without any harmful consequences for the car. You can also just buy a regular spring, but stiffer and lower. The range of prices is huge, but from about 3k rubles.

3. There is an option to move the spring cup down. But here you are playing the lottery, since it is very dangerous to do it yourself. - You may weld poorly - The stand is not guaranteed to be able to withstand high temperatures during welding. But don’t be discouraged, such racks are sold ready-made.

4. Cutting springs. Most people simply cut the coils off the spring. And this should not be done under any circumstances! In this case, the stroke of the rod decreases and when it gets into a hole, the strut does not have enough free play and it hits the body. Also, a sawn spring can become warped and it will also hit the body and spoil the suspension. Has proven itself to be excellent.

5. Helical suspension. The same as a regular suspension, only with the ability to adjust the height. Very convenient and reliable. Companies: GT Pro and Defi. Price: 20k rubles.

6. Air suspension. Air suspension is a device installed on a car, which is designed to compensate for excess load on the car's standard suspension. Usually they are air bags that are installed between the axle and the frame. With its help you can reduce the load on the springs and increase the vehicle's ground clearance. Sitting in the cabin, by pressing a couple of buttons, you can raise or lower your car. It is very expensive and not very reliable; iron springs are one thing, and cylinders another. I would advise you to buy a strut with a lower cup and a stiffer spring with the drop you need. Or if you have the opportunity to buy a screw suspension, then buy it, you won’t regret it.

And in conclusion, watch a very informative video about undervaluing real cars.

Today we will tell you how to lower the suspension of the Lada Kalina 2 and all the intricacies of this difficult matter. From the standard, rather ridiculous, suspension, we will make an original lowered suspension, which will undoubtedly attract the attention of passers-by and other car enthusiasts.

There are several inexpensive options - air suspension and adjustable suspension. But this is quite expensive and we will approach the understatement thoroughly and do everything to the highest standard.

What exactly needs to be done?

The stock suspension of the Lada Kalina 2 is quite good. The springs aren't too soft and the shock absorbers do their job well. But still, the car does not behave very well when cornering; at high speed the body rolls a little. We decided to change the standard springs and purchased ones that were already lowered and stiffer than stock ones.

The understatement will be -50 rear and -50 front.
The shock absorbers were also replaced with new ones. Standard hatchback dimensions
The purchased springs fit the car perfectly. The struts and levers were also changed. We recommend that you use an overpass or suspend the car - this will significantly simplify the entire procedure for replacing springs and shock absorbers. First you need to loosen the central rod - to do this, unscrew the three fastening nuts. Next, unscrew the steering tip (but first you need to disconnect the brake hose) and disconnect the strut, having first unscrewed the three support nuts. We tighten the spring using zip ties and unscrew the support. Now we change the spring and assemble everything by analogy.

Everything is much simpler with shock absorbers at the rear. In the rear part of the cabin, you need to unscrew the strut rod. We get there through the trunk. From below, you need to unscrew the shock absorber fastening to the rear beam, remove the entire strut along with the spring. Now we replace the rack and install everything back.

Final stage

Of course, ultimately you need to go to a service station and check the car for wheel alignment. After all, when working with the suspension, you could easily break the camber angles. So this is a very important stage!

We have done work to lower the Lada Kalina 2 and the handling has become much better.

From the outside, the car also began to look much more beautiful.

• Kalina 2 after 100 thousand km. mileage Is it worth...

“Oh God, what a machine, I want to cut a spring!”, “The higher the mountains, the lower the Priors” - familiar lines? The fashion for lowered cars came to us either from the West or from the Caucasus, you can’t remember now, but the popularity of this movement was amazing, and there are followers to this day.

And indeed, there is something about these brutal vases that almost lie on their bellies on the asphalt. There are also opponents, what would we do without them? Many people do not like this fashion and they openly say so. But, as they say, all markers have different tastes and colors! For example, AvtoVAZ engineers don’t like “mundane” cars at all, they have their own feature. Perhaps they take into account the peculiarities of Russian roads, or, more accurately, their absence, or maybe they create their new models not for asphalt, but more for country and dirt roads? Unclear! One thing is clear, the gap in the arches is large, the new Vestas look like off-road sedans and, frankly, quite ridiculous. If you compare the gap between the wing and the wheel on Vesta and the same parameter on an average foreign car, you will notice that Vesta has it much larger. Some consider this a great achievement and a clear advantage, while others, on the contrary, do not understand why this is needed and for what purpose the engineers increased this parameter so much.

Today I want to talk about understating the Lada Vesta, why they do it and whether it makes sense. About the pros and cons of this procedure, as well as about options for implementing this type of suspension tuning.

Many Vesta owners agreed that the ground clearance of the Lada Vesta is too high, which is why the car, in principle, with a good design, looks ridiculous and meager. Many simply got used to it, while others corrected this, as it seems to me, flaw. This is not about an abnormal lowering of the car on its belly, but about a slight decrease in ground clearance and gaps in the arches.

There are two options: cut the springs yourself, or buy ready-made shortened Technoressor springs -50 mm or -30 mm. Of course, the first option will be cheaper, but you will have to tinker, the second will be much simpler, but this is a full-fledged replacement of springs, which means waste accordingly.

Among other things, these two methods also have different effects. No, both options, in principle, give the same result, but as Vestovody, who tried both options, note, there are still differences. The original springs, in which 1-2 or 3 coils were cut off, are stiffer and more elastic, so the handling becomes better and the car behaves better in corners. As for the factory products Tehnoressor -50 or -30, many argue that they are softer, the car becomes lower, but the driving performance is slightly worse compared to its original trimmed counterparts. But at the same time, both options are better than stock long springs.

Where can I buy?

You can buy lowering springs for Lada Vesta via the Internet by ordering them in one of the stores. However, it is worth considering that there are several options on sale:

1. -30 mm;
2. -50 mm;
3. -70 mm.

As for production, the leader in the Russian market in this regard is the Techno Ressor company.

The most popular sites with prices are presented in the table.

In addition, for lowering springs it is highly recommended to purchase shock absorbers from Techno Springs. Moreover, they can be either similar to the original ones, but with increased rigidity, or shortened, especially for -50 mm springs.

Price and parameters are indicated in the table.

However, some people prefer not to install new shock absorbers on the lowered springs on the Lada Vesta, but simply partially cut off the bump stop on the standard ones. This option can also be implemented.

Regarding the installation of elements, it is carried out in the same way as in the case of routine replacement of springs and shock absorbers.

I will list the advantages of lowering the Lada Vesta

• More attractive and modern appearance. The car takes on a more dignified appearance and looks exactly the way it should look. The gap becomes the same as on foreign cars.
• The suspension becomes stiffer, which improves handling. The steering becomes sharper, rolls disappear, and you can take turns at much higher speeds.
• Pecks disappear during braking and stopping.
• At high speeds the car has better handling and stability.
• By reducing the altitude, the resistance is reduced, which ultimately results in fuel savings of approximately 0.5 l./100 km.
• After you lower the Lada Vesta, the expensive, beautiful wheels look simply gorgeous, compared to how these same wheels would have looked before the lowering.
• Many owners who lowered their Vestas note that knocks and squeaks when driving over uneven surfaces have disappeared. This can be explained by the fact that the suspension travel has become less and, in general, its operation has changed. Most have disappeared from the chassis.

Goals

As a rule, installing lowered springs on the Lada Vesta, as well as on other models, aims to make the car more stylish and aggressive. Some also strive to reduce car roll and wave buildup, but in general this is of secondary importance.

As for appearance, everything is subjective. Some people are impressed by the look of this Vesta, they find it more profitable. Others, on the contrary, consider the standard option to be optimal. Therefore, this is a matter of taste.

What are the disadvantages of understating Vesta?

• Well, naturally, now you will have to drive over bumps more carefully and slowly. There is a risk of the bottom or front bumper hitting bumps and bumps on the road.
• You will also have to be more careful when parking. Opening the doors should also be included in this point; after lowering the VAZ, most likely you will hit the curb with the bottom of the doors.
• Outside the city and on rough terrain, on such a lowered Vesta, you have a very high chance of damaging your car. The road to some places will simply be closed to you. On unclean roads, your bumper will be more susceptible to damage and act as a snow shovel.
• In winter, most likely, snow will collect and stick in narrower arches, which will one way or another cause you some inconvenience.

My opinion…

But, be that as it may, in my opinion, all these advantages are insignificant compared to the above disadvantages. In addition, in order to reassure those who are planning to lower the Lada Vesta, but are worried about ground clearance and ground clearance, I want to add a few words from myself. Reducing the ground clearance on Vesta is not an excess or some kind of ridiculous tuning, and it is not a tribute to fashion. Lowering Vesta is, indeed, a necessary measure that can significantly improve a number of indicators of this car, as well as make its appearance more rapid and attractive. This event should be considered simply a correction of one of AvtoVAZ’s many “jambs”. In general, this is a mistake that needs to be corrected so that the car becomes the way it was originally intended.

Knocks, crunching in the rear suspension

In the rear suspension, knocking is eliminated according to AvtoVAZ's instructions. It is necessary to remove the rear shock absorber strut and place a washer under the upper support (No. 5).

It is worth noting that after such modification, a gap appears between the support and the body, into which dirt can get in. To eliminate this, it is recommended to install a gasket according to the following dimensions:

Other sources of extraneous noise from the rear:

• handbrake cable (fasten to ties);
• trunk lid dampers (lubricate with silicone grease, loosen);
• trunk lock (lubricate the lock, eliminate play);
• in the area of ​​the rear support, pull the bump stop down along the strut rod (pull it out of the support sleeve), spray silicone spray into the support sleeve and put the bump stop in place.
• rear seat back locks (lubricate, apply electrical tape).
• things or tools in the trunk.

How to diagnose the Vesta suspension yourself. If the rear knock only appears when braking, then this is a different case.

Let us remind you that another drawback of this sedan is associated with the creaking of the glass seals. Other instructions for tuning and modifying the new Lada can be found in this category.

Implementation of cutting springs or installing Technospring?

Here everyone will choose their own, the main thing is that the work is done efficiently and correctly. There are a lot of options, some put Technoressor -30 in the back, and -30 in front, others - the same. Some people like the option of cutting springs, and they also cut at their own discretion, some 2 or 3 turns, here it is important not to overdo it.

Some argue that replacement doesn’t even require a lift or pit, all you need to do is hang the wheels as much as possible. The rack assemblies are removed, after which the springs are dismantled. Marking and trimming is carried out. If you are going to lower Vesta by installing ready-made shortened springs, all you need to do is remove the old ones and install new springs.

An important nuance. During this event, it is necessary to trim the rubber bumpers of the shock absorbers. You should trim depending on how much you shorten the springs.

Afterwards the assembly and checking of the work results is carried out. The car should stand level without distortions, the gaps in the arches should be the same. If there are discrepancies, it means the work was carried out with violations. Repeated disassembly and carrying out calculations and measurements will correct this.

Installation

It is extremely simple. As practice shows, it is not even necessary to remove the wheel - you can work by simply jacking up the car. After you place Vesta on the jack, you need to unscrew the 2 bolts that secure the stand. There are no nuts on the interior side, which greatly simplifies the task and makes it possible to work independently.

When the bolts are unscrewed, all that remains is to install the spacer and screw them back.

It is worth noting that some people separately purchase bolts longer than the standard ones in order to be sure of the quality of the fixation, but this is not necessary. Also, some owners treat the components with Movil or other lubricant.

The process of self-installation of spacers is clearly demonstrated in the video

As you can see, installing spacers under the supports of the rear shock absorbers of the Lada Vesta is quite simple, and it is by no means necessary to buy them, although the price of such products is low and their purchase will not hit the budget. But with spacers, the cabin becomes quieter, especially when driving over bumps.