Do-it-yourself Niva 2121 elevator: drawings, dimensions

Suspension lifting Niva VAZ 2121 21213 21214 2131

We will tell you how to properly perform tuning modifications in this material.
Do-it-yourself elevator - drawings, diagrams, sizes, types of kits. Lifting varies in the degree of intervention in the standard structure. For some, it is enough to raise the SUV by a few centimeters, and for others by as much as 20.

Extreme tuning – maximizing cross-country ability for traveling on severe off-road conditions.

Regular jack
Hijack jack
Spring puller
Balloon wrench
Ratchet socket set
Set of open-end wrenches
Mount
Wooden deck (stump)

It is advisable to perform such work with a partner. First of all, it's safer. Secondly, some lifting work is performed with four hands. Let's take the front suspension as an example.

Raise the front end. You can safely cling to the standard bumper, only the jack is installed under the pipe securing it. By removing the wheel, we get full access to the lever and spring. The front suspension 21214 is made using a double wishbone design, which simplifies the task.

The lever travel is limited by the shock absorber. Unscrew its fastening and move it to the side. Next you need to free the suspension from the anti-roll bar. The mounting bolts may become stuck due to corrosion, so we will use a penetrating liquid (such as WD-40). The stabilizer silent block clamp can be pryed off with a pry bar.

Then disconnect the hub from the lower arm. To do this, you need to jack up the suspension and fix the steering knuckle of the wheel. You can tie it with wire. Then unscrew the 3 mounting bolts and release the ball joint.

We fix the spring with ties and lower the jack. We remove the old elastic element. In some cases, it is enough to simply lower the lever with your foot, and the spring will come out without the use of ties.

Remove the upper support rings from the old springs. With their help, the elastic element is centered in the cups.

They come together easily with a hammer and screwdriver. We install the rings on new, longer springs. We put the elastic elements in their regular places and jack up the lower arm until it is completely aligned with the lower cup. At the same time, an assistant centers the shock absorber eye and moves the steering knuckle to the mounting location of the lower ball joint. We tighten the ball “triangle” and attach the shock absorber mounting axis.

By manipulating the jack, we “catch” the mounting holes for the stabilizer bar clamp. With its bolts it should get into the normal place without distortion. After such modernization, the clearance increases by 30-50 mm. This is enough to install wheels of larger diameter, and the bottom will still rise above the ground.

The rear axle of the Niva can be lifted by installing spacer supports of increased height. When using a size of up to 50 mm (according to changes in front end height), no modifications to the rear axle are required. By lifting the rear axle, maintenance can be carried out on the axle and brake system.

The handbrake cable may need to be replaced. It is lengthened by a couple of centimeters. Otherwise, the Niva lift will lead to increased wear of the brake pads in the rear drums. Disconnect the lower shock absorber mounts and lower them until the springs stretch.

We take out the elastic elements and knock off the support rings from them. We clean the upper cup and carry out anticorrosive treatment. We install new supports of increased size and seat the springs using a jack. We fasten the shock absorbers, assemble the axle, and mount the wheels.

Such a lift will not arouse suspicion among traffic police inspectors, and the cross-country ability of your NIVA 2121 will improve. No drawings, much less homemade parts, are required. You buy new springs and about the rates, the rest is a matter of technology. Labor costs for an elevator of one NIVA are two people/one day off.

To understand the process, let’s look at the geometry of the suspension on NIVA SUVs (front axle). The drawings clearly demonstrate the position of the elements relative to each other.

If you organize an elevator only by increasing the length of the spring, its bending radius decreases, and lateral loads appear on the mountings of the levers.

To compensate for this side effect, spacers are used: under the spring cup and ball joint.

The spacer is installed between the cup and the spring. There are no unsprung masses, the radius of curvature of the elastic element is even smaller than in the previous version. The disadvantage is that the attachment of the additional element is not so reliable.

In all cases, the elevator changes the position of the axle shaft. The load on the tripods (gimbals) increases. When lowering the suspension, the travel of the upper arm to the bump stop decreases. To restore the geometry, a spacer is installed under the upper ball joint. Factory kits are designed taking into account all the design nuances of the front axle and rear axle.

The set includes:

Drawings for correct installation
Spacers
Extended shock absorbers
New trailing arms for the axle
Extended Panhard Rod
New bowls and springs

Some kits for Niva 2121 offer extended brake hoses. When lowering the wheels, the standard brake system may be too short.

Replacement process: To install the lift kit, a garage with a pit and a standard set of repair tools are enough. Those who independently service LADA 21214 know what we are talking about.

Preparation of the front axle is described in the Niva budget elevator section. Only when installing the kit is the steering knuckle removed completely. If you manage to fix it without removing the CV joint, good.

Usually it is completely separated from the suspension.

Next, dismantle the lower spring cup and install three ring spacers under it. There are no more modifications to this lever. An enlarged support ring is installed on top of the elastic element. To compensate for the divergence of the levers, we mount a spacer under the upper ball mount. Since all the parts are from the same set, the sizes are synchronized.

This element is the most responsible. If the geometry “floats”, the front suspension travel will be disrupted. To fine-tune the height, the monolithic upper ball spacer can be replaced with stacked washers. By selecting the quantity, you adjust the parameters of the front axle, just like on a rally car. If the kit includes new shock absorbers, they should be installed.

The eyelets for the levers remain standard, the extended parts from the kit have standard fastenings. Depending on the size of the front axle lift, you may be limited to raised cups, or add spacers for the springs. It is better to choose a customizable Panhard rod. You can adjust its length when changing the clearance height.

Regardless of whether you have chosen a budget or professional elevator, after final assembly it is necessary to conduct test runs. If there are flaws in the installation, or the dimensions are incorrect, it is better to check it away from public roads.

For lovers of hunting, fishing and country travel, as well as those eager to try themselves and their own “Niva” in driving a vehicle in difficult-to-pass places, we have the opportunity to offer an increase in ground clearance, which increases the cross-country ability of your car.

Niva tuning – suspension lifting.

At the moment, there are at least 6 types of suspension lifting for Niva and Sh/Niva, each is interesting in its own right and is negotiated during the preparation of the car for “off-road” at the request of the visitor, taking into account the distinctive features of the operation of his car and the sizes of wheels and tires he uses wants to put it on his car.

We often use a kit from the Russian club 'Korovka' as a base. This lift kit was made at the factory and was tested at competitions in Russia. The ground clearance increases by 5 centimeters, which actually makes it possible to install R15 235/75 or R16 235/70 tires (on the right wheels). In addition, this will provide a rise of another 4 centimeters.

Also interesting: Niva tuning: 145 photos of ideas on how to improve the VAZ 2121 with your own hands

In total, the increase in ground clearance will be 9-10 cm! In this version, “NIVA”, without loss of comfortable qualities, has the ability to be used both on paved highways and off-road, being in no way inferior to foreign-made SUVs.

Consequently, at the lower point of the RZM the clearance is 25 cm, and at the cut of the threshold - 44.5 cm.

Front suspension lift.

The lift is performed by installing targeted washers under the lower spring pad (they create a sufficient angle for the front spring). Under the upper arm (between it and the ball) another spacer washer is placed (i.e., we unload the arm).

The levers of the steering knuckles are swapped and the tips of the control rods already go from top to bottom (since subsequently the work done before, when the rod is fully turned, they will rest against the stabilizer, although at the request of the visitor it is possible to leave it as it was by changing the fastening of the stabilizer).

During lifting work, it is often necessary to change shock absorbers, springs, and resins on request. spacers, internal CV joint boots on tuning suspensions modified for this type of lift and create adjustments. spring bumpers.

Lifting the Niva suspension at the rear.

The lift is carried out by installing new rear spring cups, which are bolted on top of the standard ones, and brackets for moving the mounting points of the rear shock absorbers up 5 centimeters (bolted).

The short upper rods of the rear axle are lengthened or made adjustable (for easy rotation of the shank, so as not to bite the crosspiece), the reaction rods of the rear axle are either reinforced with an angle or installed double; at the request of the visitor, a rear axle stabilizer “Tehnomaster” (Tolyatti) is added, although it will be needed adjust to the elevator machine, digest.

How is the installation carried out?

To lift the front suspension of a Niva Chevrolet, you need to do the following:

Raise the car with a jack and remove the wheel. We take the second jack, install it under the bottom of the ball and lift it until the spring is compressed. When the spring is compressed, it must be tightened with a special device
We loosen the bracket at the shock absorber and remove the two ball joints along with the stabilizer
We remove the spring. We move the hub to the side and install it on the holder
We change the outer wheel bolts to longer ones, to do this we bend the bump stop by 4 millimeters
We install washer spacers between the cup and the lever
Install the spring, cups and spacers. Center them relative to each other and jack up the lever
The stabilizer and ball return to their place, screw the shock absorber
The hub returns to its place and then we install the wheel back

And also interesting: what to choose UAZ or Niva

At this point, the installation of the lift kit on the front suspension of the Niva is completed; in the same way we perform all the actions on the other side.

In this case, you will need a welding machine. When everything is ready, perform the following steps:

Cups are placed under the springs
We install a set of rear shock absorbers and attach the bracket by welding, as a result the rear axle will move slightly forward. To prevent this, it is advisable to lengthen all rods
The lower cup is cut off and moved 3 centimeters. This must be done carefully, as the crosspiece may be damaged.
We take the cups and weld them to a new place
We lengthen the rocker arm of the brake system, as a result of which it should lengthen by 3 centimeters
We weld fingers under the shock absorbers

The work can be considered completed.

After all the lifting work, you will need to install the main pairs, which will have completely different gear ratios, and if you had alloy wheels, they will need to be replaced with regular stampings. It is also advisable to purchase and install a self-locking differential on rear-wheel drive.

The domestic SUV VAZ Niva is an excellent analogue to modern imported SUVs and even some all-wheel drive jeeps. This machine was initially distinguished by its light weight, high ground clearance and high maintainability. However, for more confident off-road driving, some car owners make their own suspension lift. “Niva” then rises another ten centimeters and is able to overcome a lot of obstacles.

Now we move on to the second stage of our lifting work - modernization of the rear suspension. Here you need to prepare a semi-automatic welding machine, and drive the car into the inspection pit. The first step here is to install a few more cups under the springs. These parts are installed on top of the standard ones using bolts.

If you use this method of modernization, the suspension (Niva VAZ-2121 and Chevrolet Niva) will, of course, become more reliable and suitable for off-road driving. However, at the same time, you will have to forget about alloy wheels - only stamped ones can be installed on such a car. It is worth paying attention to the fact that increasing the diameter of the wheels will lead to greater torque - then you will have to change the gear ratios of the main pairs. In addition, after such an upgrade you will need to install a limited-slip differential on the rear axle, and this is again an additional expense.

Strengthening drives on Niva with your own hands

A vehicle suspension, or suspension system, is the parts, components and mechanisms that are an integral link between the car body and the road.

For SUVs, a very important point is the efficiency of the vehicle in severe off-road conditions, and conventional standard suspension units cannot always cope with the tasks.

To improve the Niva's cross-country ability, it is important to strengthen the main suspension mechanisms. Based on the objectives, to improve the efficiency of the SUV, it is necessary to install spacers between the suspension elements, which will significantly affect the vehicle’s ground clearance, upgrade the springs and shock absorbers, and strengthen the front and rear axles of the vehicle.

Work on modernizing drives must begin with strengthening the rear axle of the vehicle. You can change the configuration of the Niva's rear axle on your own or buy a finished product that has increased strength, which is very important in off-road conditions.

Most extreme sports enthusiasts strengthen the bridge with their own hands. To strengthen it, the bridge is removed from the car and, using a grinder, all elements are cut off from it, except for the breather and the lower linkage fastenings. It is necessary to purchase a rectangular profile 50*50 or 60*60 to strengthen the bridge. Using a grinder, you need to cut out one wall of the profile, then it is adjusted in place so that the profile fits as tightly as possible to the product.

Experts recommend welding the bridge in assembled form with axle shafts, gearbox and filled with oil. This is done so that the bridge does not move during welding work. It is necessary to cook with short seams at a distance of about ten centimeters. Then the missed spots are brewed in two passes. After strengthening the bridge with the help of profile pipes, an angle for attaching shock absorbers and cups for springs is welded to the beam. It is also possible, instead of the standard fasteners for the lower links, to weld ears from a corner of steel about four millimeters thick with a continuous welding area.

Particular attention must be paid to the rear axle rods, which most often break at the connection points under significant loads. To do this, a strip of metal of about three millimeters is spot welded along the entire length, and high-quality polyurethane products are installed instead of conventional silent blocks.

We've sorted out the rear axle, now let's look at how to strengthen the front suspension on the Niva. It is necessary to begin strengthening the suspension by installing special spacers, which helps raise the lower spring areas. To ensure that their angle of inclination does not change, the installation of spacers must be carried out directly on the platforms themselves, and not under the springs.

As an upgrade option, you can install a new reinforced beam with modernized lever bushings at the bottom, which blocks the bending of the axles.

Types of lifting

There are two ways to lift a car.

Body lift. In this case, the car body is raised above the wheel axles using stands for it, modification of the hose, etc. This option is not suitable for the Niva 2121, since its design does not include a frame. As an option, you can trim the wheel arches, which will allow you to place wheels of a larger radius in them. In this case, it additionally becomes possible to cut off the edges of the arches damaged by rust. At the same time, the clearance increases within 4-5 cm.
Suspension lift. It is more attractive for increasing the cross-country ability of a car. We “raise” the entire car without cutting the arches, using spacers and washers for the shock absorbers, and installing larger springs on them. In this case, the clearance can be increased by 5-8 cm.

Sometimes both the first and second methods are combined. This makes tuning more expensive, but allows you to raise the body by a significant amount.

The simplest, safest and most cost-effective lift of the Niva 2121 is the installation of rubber spacers over the suspension springs.

To increase the ground clearance by 1.5 cm, it is enough to install K-139 tires, the size of which is an inch larger than the factory one. Don't chase heights. With a high lift, you can “break” the spar or axle shafts. The risk of the vehicle rolling over also increases.

Lift kit for Niva: which one to buy and how to install it yourself

Hello, dear friends! Today I propose to talk to you about the elevator kit for the Niva. This could be a Chevrolet Niva, that is, series 2123, or the more “our” Niva Urban, 2131 or 4x4, and representatives of the 2121 series, that is, 21213, 21214. It all depends on what kind of car you have at your disposal.

Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and a number of other countries are the greatest admirers of Niva cars. They are affordable and provide many benefits.

Some people prefer to do everything themselves. I can’t say that modifying the front and rear suspension of a Niv car will be an easy job in a minute. No, you will have to spend a lot of effort, time and patience on this.

You can find out how much such a service costs at a service station. The price for a professional lift is steep, so not every owner of a not-so-expensive crossover like the Niva is willing to spend that kind of money, having the opportunity to do everything themselves. And if you put a power bumper and an expeditionary trunk on top, it will turn out great. At least now on a round-the-world trip on Niva.

Lift options

How and where you will make a lift for your crossover, decide for yourself. I will try to tell you about all the nuances of this procedure so that you understand what to expect and what to prepare for.

I will say right away that a body lift lifts the entire body by using stands, modifying the hose and other parts. In theory, such tuning is very simple, but in the case of the Niva it is not used. And why all? Yes, because the Niva 2121 and other representatives of the series do not have a frame. If there was a frame, then there would be no questions.

From this we conclude that for our Niva the optimal solution would be suspension lifting. It provides the following benefits:

increases crossover cross-country ability;
lifts the entire machine;
allows you to install larger wheels without having to trim the arches;
provides the car with a more attractive appearance;
makes the Niva an ideal car for fishing, hunting and driving on the most difficult sections of roads and off-roads.

If you raise the car by about 45 mm, achieve a lift of 50 mm, or even take the height to a bold 60 mm, you can easily insert wheels with a diameter of up to 29 inches into the factory arches. Do not forget that installing large wheels affects fuel consumption.

Many people mistakenly believe that it is easier to cut out the arches, insert 33-inch tires there and thereby raise the car. In practice, with such solutions the machine rises slightly.

Most importantly, this does not greatly affect the geometric cross-country ability. I would recommend installing 31-inch wheels and lifting at the same time. This combination will provide the best result.

And also interesting: VAZ 21213 | Replacing the flexible coupling | Niva

Just choose your car wheels wisely and don’t forget about the seasonal rules for storing tires.

I'll make one remark. When lifting the car, the service life of the internal CV joint and the factory boot is reduced. To fix the problem, try replacing the internal boots on the CV joint with external ones, and also lower the FRM (front axle gearbox) by 10 mm. This way it will be possible to reduce the angle of operation of the CV joint.

I don’t argue that in Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow or cities like Yekaterinburg and St. Petersburg there are many companies ready to do any amount of work on your car and suspension in particular for your money.

If you decide to do everything yourself, I have nothing against it. I only advise you to use only factory-made, high-quality kits for the Niva elevator.

Kits from Izh Techno have earned good reviews; you can also find excellent options in the store on Sedova Street in St. Petersburg. This store is called Niva 4x4. The T 34 lift kit also showed excellent performance. Each of them is excellent for the Niva, which is why it is widely used by car owners when modifying the front and rear suspension.

There is an option to assemble the kit yourself. But this will require accurate drawings and even more time and effort. I don’t see the point in this, since it is better to take a ready-made set after looking at a review of different sets.

To work you will need to take:

front and always rear new springs;
spacers made of rubber for springs with a metal cup;
spacers for the Nivov ball joint (upper);
shock absorbers;
brackets for rear shock absorber springs;
cup washers;
set of tools;
jack;
durable boards;
ties for working with springs.

Sizes are selected individually, based on what kind of car you have and what results you are aiming for. You can buy something without any problems. Although some elements will have to be ordered or done yourself. That's why buying a ready-made lift kit seems preferable to me.

Elevator assembly

The installation procedure is divided into installing a front and, accordingly, rear car suspension lift.

There is nothing particularly complicated here. Especially for those who have already had to work with the suspension, change something, repair and dismantle it.

Let's look at the processes separately.

Front suspension

Let's start with the front of the Niva. Then I’ll tell you separately how work is done on the rear suspension of the crossover.

It all starts with removing the wheels and releasing the silent blocks. The activities are elementary, so we won’t pay much attention to them;
Securely secure your Niva. To do this, place a jack under the ball joint. The machine rises until the spring is fully compressed;
Next, the ties are installed on the fastenings and the fastening elements that you will see on the Niva’s shock absorbers are dismantled;
Now we remove, that is, we unscrew the ball joints and remove the stabilizer. Be careful here, as there is a risk of damaging the brake hoses, which are located very closely. You will see bolts near the wheel. Remove them and set them aside. They will no longer be useful as longer counterparts will be used instead;
Prepare spacers for springs in advance and keep them on hand. Carefully install them in place so that everything is smooth and accurate;
The bumper is carefully bent by 2-4 mm and the two outer bolts are replaced with elongated ones;
A washer spacer should be installed between the cup and the lever;
Now the spacers with the spring and your cups are installed. Don't forget to center them. The lever is carefully jacked up;
We got to the lower and upper car ball joint. A stabilizer is installed on them and then the shock absorber is delicately returned to its place;
Replace the hub and install the wheel.

That's it, the work is completed.

Rear suspension

Here you will have to buy yourself or borrow a welding machine from a friend, because you can’t do without welding. Get a semi-automatic one.

The procedure for lifting the rear suspension of a Niva will look something like this:

The cups are carefully placed under the Nivov springs so as not to be damaged;
The rear shock absorbers included in the kit are installed on the car. Additionally, I advise you to secure the bracket by welding;
When you install the element, your rear axle will move forward slightly. To avoid such a change, all rods must be lengthened;
The lower cup is cut off and shifted by about 20-30 mm. When moving, pay attention to the crosspieces, which are easily damaged;
The cups are welded firmly into new places using a welding machine;
The rocker arm of your brake system is extended. As a result, the extension should add 30 mm;
Pins are welded under the shock absorbers using semi-automatic welding. Just not yours, but car ones.

Be sure to visit the service station after this. Not to show off the work, but to perform a wheel alignment.

Remember that lifting will require further installation of main pairs with a different gear ratio. And forget about alloy wheel sets. Now only stamped discs will be your property.

If you really want to perfect the car, then spend a little more money on a new limited-slip differential.

All responsibility for lifting lies entirely with you, even if you ordered the service from a car service center. Remember that the consequences may be very unpredictable. Although practice shows how satisfied car owners are with the elevator and that such reconstruction brings benefits and driving pleasure.

Increasing the ground clearance of the VAZ 2121 (lifting) allows you to increase the vehicle's off-road capability. Thanks to simple manipulations, the ground clearance increases significantly by changing the suspension height (the Niva lift kit will help you here, which makes the work very easy to do even with your own hands without the help of a service center) and installing slightly larger diameter wheels.

Special pads are installed above the upper springs (in some cases, the kit involves installing guide washers under the lower pad), which entails:

An extension should also be added under the swing arm in order to compensate for the increased pressure exerted on it and set it to its normal geometric position (included in the kit);
It will also be necessary to overcome the problem of the outer traction links hitting the stabilizer during deep turns. This problem can be solved in several ways: either by replacing the mount for the stabilizer, or by replacing the left and right swing arms. In the latter case, the stroke algorithm of the traction tip is reversed, from top to bottom.

Increased ground clearance

As for replacing shock absorbers, the lift kit for the Niva, in addition to spacers for springs, contains extensions for them and reinforced mounting brackets. It is also worth noting that there are ready-made reinforced shock absorbers, initially designed for lifting your iron horse. If the work on the front part of the Niva 2121 suspension is completed, it’s time to move on to its rear part.

Increasing the rear suspension clearance by installing additional spacers above the springs (5 cm) entails a number of modifications such as:

it will be necessary to change the position of the body relative to the suspension in the transverse plane, for which the Panhard rod must also be adjustable (have a cut with an adjustable coupling) or mounted on a special extension from the lifting kit;
it is advisable to lengthen the short rods (this will eliminate problems with biting the cross);
jet thrust can also be enhanced. Here you can go in several ways: either increase the strength of the stock one by additionally welding a corner, or you can buy ready-made, double ones (the standard Nivov lift kit does not require such modifications, but these manipulations will significantly increase the reliability of the suspension).

Also interesting: Niva Chevrolet steering tips

What will you need for the job?

In order to slightly increase the ground clearance, it is advisable to use a factory lift - a kit for Niva-2121, sold both in company stores and in car markets. Using the included instructions, you can carry out the desired tuning in just 1 day. However, there is one significant drawback: the suspension lift is produced exactly as much as the manufacturer considers necessary.

At the same time, if there is an urgent need to tailor the car to specific needs or the specifics of the road, you can make a lift kit for the Niva on your own.

You just need to prepare the following set of tools:

rear and front springs (the best parts on a Chevrolet Niva are 31.5 cm long and 1.57 cm thick, but these parameters can easily be changed according to the owner’s requirements);
rubber spacers for springs with special metal cups;
shock absorbers;
spacers for the upper ball joint (not sold in stores, so they can only be made to order);
brackets for rear shock absorbers;
washers for the Niva-21214 cup of an enlarged type with an internal diameter of 1 cm and an external diameter of 3 cm;
jack;
boards;
spring ties.

When choosing spacers for springs for rear shock absorbers, you don’t have to go too deep into the search and make them yourself from an ordinary metal corner. The internal diameter of the product is 13.2 mm, the external diameter is 32 mm.

In addition, during the work you must refer to the diagram (Fig. 1).

Also interesting: Spark plugs for Niva Chevrolet: which ones are better to choose for replacement

And, if all the subtleties of the technical stuffing of 2131, as well as 2121, are agreed upon and ordered, you can immediately get to work. Just a few hours of painstaking work, and the Niva tuning will be completed.

And a few more important points

When upgrading the suspension, it is also important to install stronger springs on the vehicle. You can buy special reinforced rigid products, however, their price may not be very low. Most often, springs from Volga are purchased for Niva. Before installation, one and a half turns of the spring are cut using a grinder. Thus, the car's suspension will be more protected for a long period.
Reinforced axle shafts are also a necessary purchase when strengthening the suspension. However, relief-type axle shafts will only fit disc brakes. If your vehicle is equipped with rear drum brakes, then you will have to replace them with disc brakes. Moreover, disc brakes have significant advantages over their predecessors.
When strengthening the front and rear drives of a car, choose only domestic parts that are durable, have a long service life, and are characterized by low wear.

Clearance value

Ground clearance, or otherwise Niva 4X4 ground clearance, is relevant not only off-road, but also in the city. The higher the Niva 2121’s ground clearance, the higher the seating position and the better the visibility. The driver of an SUV receives earlier and more information about the road situation. This means it can react to it in a timely manner. If the ground clearance is higher on a Niva 4X4, then there is a greater chance of avoiding an emergency.

The large glass area and good visibility of the Chevrolet Niva helps to spot holes in the asphalt. Speed bumps and other obstacles. Most obstacles can be overcome by walking without slowing down. Long-travel suspension is famous for its energy intensity. After all, it is designed for off-road driving.

Let's sum it up

Using the Niva in an aggressive environment often leads to rupture of the vehicle's chassis components. To use an all-wheel drive SUV in severe off-road conditions, reinforcement of the vehicle drives is required. To carry out the necessary work, you can turn to specialists for help, however, not everyone can afford it.

To improve your car yourself, it is important to have repair skills and the necessary tools, as well as an equipped garage. Keep in mind that changes to the design features of the car can also have a negative result. Start work only if you are completely confident in your abilities.

Video 2

Independent manual modification of the suspension is making changes to the design of the car. When using Niva on public roads, you may be checked by a traffic police officer. This is followed by penalties - up to and including deprivation of registration.

It is advisable to formalize all completed work in the “NAMI-PTIA-FUND”. Once you receive the certificate of conformity, you will save yourself from troubles during further operation.

Suspension lifting Niva VAZ 2121 21213 21214 2131

When a person buys a Chevrolet Niva, he rarely thinks about an extreme trip. Most often, a car is bought for a picnic with the whole family. That is, the car moves from one point to another.

Although the Chevrolet Niva is an SUV, it is noticeably inferior to its European and Asian competitors in cross-country ability in hard-to-reach places. It is because of this problem that fans of hunting, fishing and simply extreme driving choose to lift their car instead of watching videos while sitting at home.

Lifting is a type of tuning that increases the vehicle's ground clearance. They often do it with their own hands, in garages.

Chevrolet Niva

Proper modification will turn the Niva into a fairly solid car that will show excellent results off-road and in difficult terrain. We mentioned the word “lifting”, but did not say what it is.

Lifting is a set of changes made to the design of the car. They allow you to install larger diameter wheels on your car. Most often, cars with all-wheel drive are chosen to create such projects.

An all-wheel drive jeep is much more suitable for this task than a simple passenger car.

What does lifting give?

There is a rumor among inexperienced drivers that lifting increases ground clearance. Remember, this is not true. It should be understood that the ground clearance will be increased by large diameter wheels, and lifting will mainly allow them to be installed on the car.

In other words, this is a modernization of ground clearance and a significant increase in cross-country ability. This kind of car tuning can be done with your own hands without much difficulty.

To do this, you need to find time, a garage stocked with everything you need, and allocate a budget for the purchase of spare parts.

Ultimately, the ground clearance increases, and the car can easily overcome bumps and all kinds of holes. The first step is to install and upgrade the suspension lift and install larger wheels. Let's consider the advantages of Niva with lifting:

More “hard” appearance of the car;
Improving the cross-country ability parameter;
Possibility of installing wheels with mud tires and larger wheels;
Increased clearance;
Increased protection of important mechanisms from physical damage and wear.

Subtleties of lifting

In this type of car suspension tuning, such as lifting, you always need to maintain common sense and be able to stop in time. It is important to know that during modification, the bend angle of the drives changes, which automatically leads to a reduction in their service life.

In most cases, such car tuning is done to order, since everything depends on the wishes of each car owner; an individual suspension modernization project is drawn up for each car. The center of gravity also shifts and, as a result, the overall behavior of the car on the road changes. It is believed that the maximum wheel size should not exceed 235/75 r15.

It is necessary to increase the ground clearance only with minimal load on the chassis, otherwise serious problems may arise.

Tuning the suspension of such a car is very popular among hunters and fishermen. The cross-country ability of this vehicle has already proven itself at a high level, and the suspension upgrades made increase them even more. This makes it even more popular and functional.

Modified all-terrain vehicle

You should only use a lift for a Chevrolet Niva if you spend time off-road, because a lifted car reduces the life of the suspension, transmission and the life of chassis parts.

If you know that you will spend time hunting and fishing, then it is worth carrying out such an upgrade. Remember that choosing wheels for your car is an important aspect of tuning. Lifting is also suitable for people who love wild nature and are not afraid of difficulties while riding.

But be prepared that parts will wear out faster during such extreme driving.

The outer CV joints are too little susceptible to this, it will be worse for them if the wheel becomes larger in offset, width and weight, and then they can “crunch”. Although even then the hub bearing has a hard time, especially if it had play before.

Although we have avoided this problem, since we install steering knuckles with 2 ball bearings (from the rear axle shaft), they do not need to be adjusted; they are tightened all the way, although it is much better with a torque wrench. The unit comes out maintenance-free, the hub is unloaded, rolling is easier and the dynamics of the car are much better. Steering knuckles are naturally of domestic production and with a guarantee.

When installing wide wheels after a lift, you will need to keep in mind the ball ones (when the weak ones “fly”), the pendulum will also be able to fly, and the installation of the latest gas shock absorbers results in a stiffening of the upper bracket of the lane. shock absorber (otherwise it tears, especially when the front end is heavier), the mounting of the rear shock absorbers can also be strengthened. It is preferable when lifting, replace the suspension with p/urethane instead of rubber.

Economical Niva suspension lift of 1.5-2 centimeters. In such a situation, we resort to replacing the rubber spacers for the springs with tuning ones (of greater thickness), installing washers, spacers for the upper ball joints and adjusting the spring bumpers (at the visitor’s request). In this implementation, the Niva gets wheels (correct) in size R15 215/75.

Read news about the new Niva

Do-it-yourself Niva 2121 elevator: drawings, dimensions
Suspension lift in the field yourself
The modernized Lada Niva Legend (4x4) 2021 was shown on the Internet
Lada 4×4 Bronto - sales stopped, new details » Lada.Online - all the most interesting and useful about LADA cars
Description of the instrument panel Lada 4×4 (VAZ 2121, 2131) » Lada.Online - all the most interesting and useful about LADA cars
Chevrolet Niva gasoline consumption per 100 km
Buy LADA (VAZ) 2131 (4×4) 2022 in Rostov-on-Don, low price for Lada 2131 (4×4) 2022 on the Avto.ru website
Fuses Niva 21214 injector «

Advantages

The main advantages of lifting are:

Increased ground clearance
It becomes possible to install larger tires
Improves its permeability and appearance
The mechanism becomes more secure

The key element in modifying the Niva is the installation of a lift kit.

In addition to the advantages, there are also disadvantages, these include:

Due to the fact that the bend angle of the drives changes, their service life decreases
The center of gravity of the car shifts, this leads to a change in response when cornering
The load on the chassis and transmission increases, which leads to rapid wear of all elements. Therefore, before converting your car, you should take into account all these disadvantages.

Installing a lift kit has an ambiguous effect on the driving performance of the car. The advantages of this type of tuning include:

Increased ground clearance.
Improved machine design.
Possibility of installing larger wheels and mud tires with large lugs.
Improving cross-country ability on rough terrain.
Reduces the likelihood of damage to the engine crankcase, exhaust pipe or transmission.

However, the suspension lift not only has a positive effect on the characteristics of the Chevrolet Niva.

A change in the factory design manifests itself in the form of the following disadvantages:

The breaking angle of CV joints increases. This reduces the service life of the drives.
The center of gravity rises. The car's behavior when cornering worsens and the likelihood of capsizing increases.
The load on the transmission and chassis is growing. As a result, parts wear out faster.

If you lift the front suspension, the result is an increase in the distance to the surface in front. However, this will be enough to prevent squats on the beam, since the front takes up more than 60% of the total weight of the car.

In addition, the vehicle's airtight permeability improves. This occurs as a result of an increase in departure and entry angles and a decrease in the radius of transverse and longitudinal maneuverability. But lifting in this way significantly reduces the performance of CV joints and factory boots.

Refinement of the gas distribution mechanism

After replacing the jets and accelerator pump, you can proceed to the second stage of tuning the VAZ-2121 engine. It includes modification of the gas distribution mechanism (GRM), namely, an increase in the diameter of the valves with their subsequent sealing. Such tuning of the Niva 2121 engine will increase the power of the power plant by almost ten percent.

It makes sense to replace the pusher (with a new one with a diameter of at least 1 mm) during the modification of the Niva engine. Work is being done to increase the pusher wells of the intake and exhaust channels. The result of such modification will be especially good for the Niva 4x4.

Subsequent work concerns the replacement of injectors and the control unit itself. Tuning the VAZ-2121 engine will be incomplete unless the standard crankshaft is replaced with an advanced modification, which will significantly increase the power of the power plant. This is due to the increase in piston stroke. It is also recommended to replace the piston rings with new ones. When replacing the crankshaft, boring should be done, as this will provide an additional opportunity to make the engine more powerful. However, be prepared for the fact that fuel consumption will also increase.

Such tuning repairs are capable of:

increase smoothness;
reduce wear of parts;
increase power.

Rear lift

Lifting the rear axle of the Niva using cups is more reliable and easier to perform. They are secured with bolts over the factory ones. In addition, brackets are added - they will raise the mounting points for the rear shock absorbers by 5 centimeters.

The upper rods will already be too short for the structure. They are built up or converted into manageable ones;
Rear axle thrust rods also need improvement. Most often they are simply reinforced with a corner, but sometimes they are changed to double ones. Enthusiasts can strengthen the system with a Tolyatti stabilizing device, but this is a different level of work: digestion will be required;
The transverse rod is modified to a split rod, with adjustment;
You may need to replace the brake hose with a longer one. And without a doubt, you will need to pump the brakes and adjust the spool valve at the rear.

To install wider wheels, you need to check the ball joints and the pendulum: weak or worn ones will be covered almost immediately. If you choose exactly this method of raising the Niva 2121 with your own hands, you will end up with a clearance of 25 cm at the bottom of the RZM and 44.5 at the empty cut. At the same time, it will be equally comfortable to drive it both on normal roads and off-road, which makes such a lift doubly attractive.

Ready-made kits

A complete set of industrial parts for lifting the Niva 2121 (and other models of different years of production) can be purchased at auto stores. They include spacers for shock absorbers, longer and stiffer springs for them, improved, adjustable rods and rods, brackets for attaching hoses, etc. You do not need to purchase any additional parts for such car tuning. If you don't want to use a ready-made kit, you can make the necessary parts yourself. True, this will significantly increase the time spent on finalizing the Niva design.

The improved suspension can be seen in the following photos.

We figured out how to lift the Niva 2121 with our own hands. The determining factor when lifting a vehicle is the required size (and tire profile) of the wheels to be installed. It is based on their size that you need to adjust the cutting of the arches or the suspension strokes. If you first lifted the Niva, then choosing wheels will be much more difficult.