DIY uaz loaf repair

Any motorist can repair the front axle of the UAZ Bukhanka and UAZ 469 with his own hands. This work is not difficult. Structurally, both of these models are similar. This is especially true for the suspension. The frame structure means easy dismantling of the front axle and high vehicle reliability. There are some differences in leaf spring and spring suspension. But these features do not greatly affect the complexity of the work.

Almost no special tools are needed for repairs. All work is carried out with a minimum set of tools available to each driver.

Do-it-yourself repair of the front axle of UAZ Loaf and UAZ 469 uncomplicated. Most often, during operation, it is necessary to carry out various preventive work. As a rule, they do not require removal and disassembly of the bridge. The list of care actions includes:

• The pivots are checked for gaps;
• Threaded connections must be tightened periodically;
• Convergence is checked;
• The requirements of the parts lubrication tables are met.

It is imperative to visually inspect the main components. Particular attention is paid to the serviceability of the fastening bolts. All locking elements must also be securely reinforced. Check the angle of maximum rotation of the wheels. It should not exceed 28 degrees. If the indicators differ from those indicated, you need to make an adjustment. Also, always check that the king pins are properly tightened and functioning. Untimely elimination of minor faults can lead to the need for overhaul of the front axle.

Repair of this unit begins with the dismantling of the bridge. On a loaf and a "goat", these works are performed identically. There are only minor differences. When performing repair actions, you need to be extremely careful. Removing the bridge consists of a series of simple steps:

• You should start by ensuring that the vehicle is stationary. For this, anti-rollback brake pads are installed;
• Further on the "goat" the brake pipes are disconnected from the hoses. On the Loaf, the tubes have transition pipes. In this case, the hoses are disconnected from the nozzles;
• Remove the nuts securing the lower shock absorber cups. This element is the same on both machines.
• Next, unscrew the bolts connecting the drive gear flange and the front universal joint. Before that, you need to fill in the WD-40 threaded connection;
• Remove the thrust from the bipod. The nut on the ball pin is twisted;
• Unscrew the nuts that secure the spring ladders. Disassemble them with overlays;
• They will jack up the frame in front of the car, roll out the bridge.

Some UAZ 469 vehicles are equipped with springs. In this case, the penultimate item will look a little different. The penultimate action removes the anti-roll bar by disconnecting it from the longitudinal suspension arms. Levers and traverse rods are unscrewed from the bracket.

Repair... After disassembly, all parts are washed in gasoline and lubricated. Defective ones are replaced with new ones. The assembly takes place exactly the opposite, while it is necessary to clarify some of the nuances of the process.

When replacing the pivot bushings specifically in the ball bearing, after pressing, they must be tightened to 25 mm. Put some grease inside. Do-it-yourself repair of the front axle of UAZ Loaf and UAZ 469 is not so difficult, but accuracy is needed. For example, when installing a ball seal, the ring for it must be impregnated with hot oil. After assembly, the functionality of the bridge is checked using a stand.

UAZ 452 "loaf" is a fairly reliable Soviet four-wheel drive SUV. The main breakdowns of this car are associated with leaks of lubricating fluids from the engine, gearbox (gearbox), front and rear axles, constant velocity joints (CV joints) and hubs. The main reason for the formation of such leaks is that the material from which the original seals and gaskets of the above units are made is partially corroded under the influence of modern lubricating fluids. Due to poor lubrication, moving metal parts are subject to heavy wear and must be replaced periodically. It is necessary to carry out preventive maintenance of the UAZ 452 at least once a year, change leaking oil seals and gaskets, and adjust the clutch.

The problem is that finding a factory manual for these SUVs is quite difficult. Therefore, we bring to your attention an instruction that will allow you to repair a car yourself.

As you know, the repair of a car engine begins with its dismantling. And only then disassembly, replacement of damaged parts and assembly is carried out. Overhaul of a power unit is not an easy task, so it is not worth doing it yourself, without the help of experienced craftsmen. But you can change the oil seals yourself.

The factory repair manual for the UAZ 452 car states: to remove the power unit, you need to lift it up from the engine compartment. With this method of dismantling, you need 2 strong pipes (longer than the width of the cab) and the help of 2 people.

That's it, the power unit is removed.

It is easy to check whether an engine overhaul is necessary: ​​you need to put your hand to the open oil filler neck of a running engine. If the palm pushes out, then disassembly is required.

Quite often, in UAZ 452 cars, the free travel of the clutch pedal is not adjusted. This leads to increased wear of the driven disk and the need to replace it early. Adjusting the clutch of a UAZ 452 car is quite simple.

Clutch drive design.

1. Clutch pedal.
2. Brake pedal.
3. Springs.
4. Oiler.
5. Thrust bearing.
6. Clutch.
7. Clutch spring.
8. Lever arm.
9. Adjusting bolt.
10. Fork.
11. Pusher.
12. Fork spring.
13. Traction.
14. Grease nipple.

Clutch Pedal Adjustment

The factory manual for the repair of UAZ wagon-type vehicles sets the following unit parameters:

• the gap between the pressure bearing and the screw heads of the levers - 2.5 mm;
• pedal free travel - 28-35 mm;
• full pedal travel - 145-155 mm.

Clutch adjustment is carried out as follows.

1. We measure the free and full travel of the clutch pedal with a ruler.
2. Remove the pedal springs and clutch fork.
3. We loosen the pusher nut.
4. Unscrew or twist the thrust end of the pusher until the recommended parameters are reached.
5. We tighten the pusher nut.
6. We put the springs back on.

After that, we check the combined and full pedal travel. If they correspond to the recommended parameters, we start the engine and check the operation of the clutch while driving. If it does not drive or skid, the clutch adjustment is complete. If something bothers you, we repeat the procedure until the desired result is obtained.

You can adjust the travel of the clutch pedal by changing the length of the lower links.

In order to facilitate access to the engine from the car interior, it is necessary to carry out a small modernization of the UAZ "loaf" body on our own.

In the wall separating the cab from the passenger compartment, there is a closed niche in which the rear of the engine is located. In this niche, you need to carefully cut a hole and install a homemade hatch on it. Such tuning of the UAZ "loaf" body with your own hands will save you from having to dismantle the cylinder head every time you need to adjust the valves or replace their pushers.

We continue, together with Magazin 4x4, to improve the UAZ-2206 vehicle.

Immediately after buying a car, in view of the fact that the standard springs did not inspire confidence at all, the RIF springs were installed, fortunately, they began to make them on the UAZ Bukhanka.

But here's the bad luck, after six months it became clear that the springs rusts mercilessly.
Then the front springs were removed and, according to the method of Andrey Ermakov [Makhno] (blessed memory of him), the front end was sorted out.

Unfortunately we didn’t take any photos, we thought we’ll tidy up the rear part and do it. As usual, everything dragged on. and only before the new 2018 year they decided that it was time to bring the back to life.

By the way, I must say that for these two years the front end has not subsided, which cannot be said about the rear end 🙁
In addition to the aesthetic inconvenience, there are also purely technical reasons to remedy the situation: firstly, so that when the wheels are fully loaded they do not strike the wheel arches, and secondly, when the rear sags, the front axle is unloaded, the front springs stop working correctly.

Disassembled the springs. Hmm, solid rust.

It is clear that according to the regulations, each TO-2 must be cleaned and the springs must be lubricated.
But very few people do this - it's a very dirty job. And besides, the run of our experimental Loaf is ridiculous, it serves more as a testing ground for experiments than plowing endless spaces.

Let's make a small historical and technical digression.
Previously, on all UAZ cars of the carriage layout, the springs were the same, interchangeable and installed in rubber cushions.

1-front spring bracket; 2-frame; 3-spring; 4-pad; 5-buffer; 6-lining buffer; 7-shock absorber; 8-shock absorber bracket; 9-rear spring bracket; 10-rubber pad; 11-bracket cover; 12-finger shock absorber; 13 rubber grommets; 14-lining; 15-tie bolt; 16-step ladder; 17-clamps

Now on UAZ buses, or as indicated in our STS UAZ-220695-04 "Spets.passazhirskiy", both front and rear springs are installed with fastening on fingers and earrings.

Such springs are referred to as multi-sheet trapezoidal springs.
Their main advantage is simplicity, low cost, and due to a large “package” of sheets, they can perceive not only forces acting in different directions (vertical, lateral and longitudinal), but also moments when starting off and braking.

Of the minuses: the friction between the sheets changing over time and a decrease in durability (subsidence) due to wear and the appearance of stress centers.
This is fought with the use of small-leaf springs and the use of plastic spacers, or, you can properly lubricate the existing ones.

1 - front bracket; 2 - frame; 3 - buffer; 4 - pad; 5 - shock absorber bracket; 6 - shock absorber; 7 - rear bracket; 8 - rubber bushings; 9 - the outer cheek of the earring; 10 - the inner cheek of the earring; 11 - stepladder; 12 - lining; 13 - spring; 14 - washer; 15 - spring bushing; 16 - spring axis

By the way, friction between sheets, which depends mainly on the number of rubbing surfaces, is undesirable damping factor.

We will fight with him.

Another digression:
- Do you know why the root leaf is made with a bend that covers the fastening of the root leaf?
This is done in case the root leaf suddenly bursts (and this happens). Then the bend will not allow the spring to immediately jump out of the mount when braking and turn the car into an uncontrollable projectile.

Dismantled the spring - all the individual elements in loose rust.

Although the plastic on the ears will still serve.

We take a grinder with a brush, and where with a grinding stone, put on goggles, a respirator and methodically remove rust.

The springs are heavy. For convenience, we fixed them on a metal table using self-fixing forceps (you can use clamps) and so we worked with them.

Due to the fact that the springs turned out to be softer than we thought (even with a minimum load, they sagged), we decided to replace the third sheet with a more elastic one.

This sheet was taken from the springs of the GAZ-66
The canvas is practically the same width (only 5 mm wider), but thicker and more elastic, and also has a trapezoidal shape.
They were cut in place and placed under the root.
Initially, the idea to replace, and not add a sheet was based on the fact that the package would turn out to be too large and not fit into the ladders of the springs, but after tightening it, it became clear that there would be enough space for all 13 sheets. (By the way, on the UAZ-452, at the back, there were exactly 13 sheets.)

We collect the springs in a vice, pre-lubricating each surface with graphite grease.

The new leaf is slightly wider. In order not to hammer the ladders of the springs with a hammer, they were removed in the right places by a couple of millimeters.

Collected the whole package.
It is more convenient to tighten the central bolt, and then, using adjustable pliers, tighten the edges and put on the bushings and bolts of the clamps.

A heavy spring is easier to put on together. Moreover, it is more convenient to work with the help of two jacks. So it is safer, and the one closest to the hub always interferes with putting on the lining of the ladders.

We put the spring in place.
We tightened the fastening of the springs, tightened the ladders of the springs.
By the way, it is advisable to protect the thread on the ladders of the springs - to smear it with auto-plasticine or anticorrosive. So there will be a chance to turn off the ladders after some time.

The package of springs was again greased with graphite grease and wrapped in a strong cloth, fixed on top with wire.

This simple design does not allow water to wash out the lubricant, and less sand and dirt gets in.
The front end has been working this way for two years now and the grease has not disappeared.

The car has risen noticeably compared to what it was before the alteration.
The innovation did not affect the rigidity of the intersection of pits and bumps; rather, on the contrary, it became softer. But now the car can be loaded normally, at least up to the passport 800 kg.
But thoughts creep in: Why not add another leaf from the GAZ-66? (But here you need to know when to stop!)

UAZ 3741 - This is an all-wheel drive domestic utility vehicle, which in Soviet times was produced under the UAZ 452 index and for its characteristic body shape is called "Loaf". In the factory configuration, the car has an all-metal body, as well as a leaf spring suspension and two drive axles with non-locking differentials that transmit power to all four wheels.

Front-wheel drive is plug-in, rear-wheel drive is permanent. The bridges are unified with the 31512 model. The Loaf's carrying capacity is 850 kg. The ground clearance is 22 cm. Repair of the front axle 3741 is extremely rare, since its design is quite reliable. Basically, the repair is reduced to replacing the wheel bearings, as well as the oil in the differential, pivots and ball bearings. However, sometimes it is still necessary to remove the bridge. You have to do this yourself, since UAZ service centers do not work everywhere.

Since the UAZ 3741 has a frame structure, the front axle can be removed quite easily. To do this, you need to stock up on a powerful jack, stops that can withstand 1.5 tons of the front of the car, and WD-40 - liquid for unscrewing the nuts.

The procedure is as follows:

1. First, you need to install stops under the rear wheels of the car.
2. After that, disconnect the left and right brake pipes from the hoses that go to the front wheel drums.
3. Then you need to unscrew the nuts securing the brake hoses and remove the hoses themselves.
4. Next, unscrew the nuts securing the lower ends of the shock absorbers.
5. Remove the bolts connecting the pinion flange c. front cardan.
6. Then you should unpin the cotter pin, unscrew the nut of the ball pin of the bipod.
7. Disconnect the link from the bipod.
8. Unscrew the nuts that secure the ladders of the front springs, and remove the ladders with pads and linings.
9. At the end, you need to lift the front of the car by the frame and pull the bridge out from under the car.

When the old bridge has been removed, you can proceed to the installation of the new part by performing the reverse procedure.If necessary, the removed unit is disassembled, its troubleshooting is carried out, damaged parts are replaced, and then the bridge is returned to its place.

Most often, the cause of inadequate behavior of the car on the road is a violation of the axial clearance of the pivots. It is very simple to check its violation - you just need to raise the front end with a jack and shake the wheel up and down. When axial play is detected, the pivot clearance needs to be adjusted.

Adjustment steps:

1. We lift in front of the car, after placing the car on the handbrake.
2. We dismantle the wheel.
3. We unscrew the ball bolts securing the oil seal.
4. We check the axial play by swinging the structure up and down.
5. We unscrew a few bolts of the upper lining of the king pin and remove the lining.
6. We take out the thinnest gasket, put the pad back.
7. We carry out the same actions with the lower pad of the king pin.
8. We tighten the bolts and check the result. When the backlash is eliminated, we screw the wheel and the oil seal back - and we go. If there is still play, adjust it again by removing the thicker spacers.

Any motorist can repair the front axle of the UAZ Bukhanka and UAZ 469 with his own hands. This work is not difficult. Structurally, both of these models are similar. This is especially true for the suspension. The frame structure means easy dismantling of the front axle and high vehicle reliability. There are some differences in leaf spring and spring suspension. But these features do not greatly affect the complexity of the work.

Almost no special tools are needed for repairs. All work is carried out with a minimum set of tools available to each driver.

Do-it-yourself repair of the front axle of UAZ Loaf and UAZ 469 uncomplicated. Most often, during operation, it is necessary to carry out various preventive work. As a rule, they do not require removal and disassembly of the bridge. The list of care actions includes:

• The pivots are checked for gaps;
• Threaded connections must be tightened periodically;
• Convergence is checked;
• The requirements of the parts lubrication tables are met.

It is imperative to visually inspect the main components. Particular attention is paid to the serviceability of the fastening bolts. All locking elements must also be securely reinforced. Check the angle of maximum rotation of the wheels. It should not exceed 28 degrees. If the indicators differ from those indicated, you need to make an adjustment. Also, always check that the king pins are properly tightened and functioning. Untimely elimination of minor faults can lead to the need for overhaul of the front axle.

Repair of this unit begins with the dismantling of the bridge. On a loaf and a "goat", these works are performed identically. There are only minor differences. When performing repair actions, you need to be extremely careful. Removing the bridge consists of a series of simple steps:

• You should start by ensuring that the vehicle is stationary. For this, anti-rollback brake pads are installed;
• Further on the "goat" the brake pipes are disconnected from the hoses. On the Loaf, the tubes have transition pipes. In this case, the hoses are disconnected from the nozzles;
• Remove the nuts securing the lower shock absorber cups. This element is the same on both machines.
• Next, unscrew the bolts connecting the drive gear flange and the front universal joint. Before that, you need to fill in the WD-40 threaded connection;
• Remove the thrust from the bipod. The nut on the ball pin is twisted;
• Unscrew the nuts that secure the spring ladders. Disassemble them with overlays;
• They will jack up the frame in front of the car, roll out the bridge.

Some UAZ 469 vehicles are equipped with springs. In this case, the penultimate item will look a little different. The penultimate action removes the anti-roll bar by disconnecting it from the longitudinal suspension arms. Levers and traverse rods are unscrewed from the bracket.

Repair... After disassembly, all parts are washed in gasoline and lubricated. Defective ones are replaced with new ones. The assembly takes place exactly the opposite, while it is necessary to clarify some of the nuances of the process.

When replacing the pivot bushings specifically in the ball bearing, after pressing, they must be tightened to 25 mm. Put some grease inside. Do-it-yourself repair of the front axle of UAZ Loaf and UAZ 469 is not so difficult, but accuracy is needed. For example, when installing a ball seal, the ring for it must be impregnated with hot oil. After assembly, the functionality of the bridge is checked using a stand.

Loaf owners, starting to tune this car, first of all ask themselves the question: "How to raise a UAZ loaf?" We will try to answer this question in this article. So, first of all, we will consider the ways of the UAZ elevator. This could be:

• UAZ body lift
• Loaf suspension lift

Both options have advantages and disadvantages. So, the loaf body lift is easier to implement, and also stands out with a greater degree of safety. This is explained by the fact that this method of elevator only slightly shifts the center of gravity of the car, which contributes to ensuring the stable behavior of the Loaf on turns and other difficult sections of the track.

If we talk about the suspension lift, then there is some danger due to the increase in the center of gravity. But at the same time, this method significantly changes the cross-country performance for the better.

As we can see, there are several ways to raise the Loaf. Therefore, it is possible to determine which lift kit UAZ Loaf will be needed only by deciding on the choice of the lift method. If you plan on doing the lift yourself, you can buy the lift kit from the store. Such kits differ in the composition of the parts and elements included in them.

So, a Bukhanka lift kit can contain:

• spacers "spring - frame";
• spring-to-frame spacers
• bolts;
• nuts, etc.

As you know, the passability of the car directly depends on the wheels. Considering that the wheels of the UAZ are shod with rather hard and not too large rubber, before proceeding directly to the elevator, it is necessary to mention the wheels. In addition, the tread pattern on the Loaf's tires leaves much to be desired. All this suggests that it will not be superfluous to install suitable imported wheels on the legendary car.

As an option, when choosing new wheels for the UAZ "Loaf" car, you can use BF Goodrich 33 × 10.5 R15 tires, and, accordingly, discs with a diameter of 15 centimeters. With regard to the choice of disks for them, it depends on the wishes of the owner. These can be light-alloy or light-alloy wheels. Or you can leave the usual regular discs.

However, it is not worth stopping at this stage, because such tuning makes it difficult to control, since at sharp turns the front wheels cling to the edges of the steering rods, and when the effect of crossing the axles appears, the wheels are located directly on the sides of the arches. This causes the tires to rub against the fender. Therefore, the UAZ Loaf body lift becomes an indispensable stage of tuning after the installation of the wheels.

As strange as it may seem, the UAZ Loaf's frame is attached to the body with ten furniture bolts, six of which are located in the area of ​​the passenger seats, two behind the front wheel arches, and two more at the feet of the driver and passenger. At the bottom, the bolts are secured with second nuts.

Before proceeding with the dismantling of the bolts, it is necessary to disconnect the battery, disconnect the earth from the engine - behind the bonnet compartment and raise the car on a lift.

Further, in order, we carry out the following actions:

• Disconnect the wires from the starter;
• Disconnect the radiator mounts from below or from above;
• We detach the rods of the drive of the transmission lever and the rod of the brake booster;
• Drain all the coolant and remove the hoses that are connected to the UAZ Loaf stoves;
• Disconnect the brake pedal rod to the vacuum booster;
• Disconnect the tubing leading to the tank control valve.

The last point may not seem so important, but non-observance of it can lead to the plate deflection under the mount, as a result of which it will have to be aligned.

Next, we proceed directly to unscrewing the nuts. Start with the six rear body bolts, then slightly loosen the front bolt nuts.

When lifting the UAZ Loaf with your own hands, be careful and careful, since the fasteners on such a car are usually rusty and outdated. If the bolt turns in the body, then it cannot be held. This creates additional difficulties in welding a nut or bolt to it.

To do everything correctly, it is necessary to hold one nut with a wrench, while unscrewing the lock nut with the head, and after that the main nut.

Next, you should lower the car on the wheels, since there will be no more work to be done under it. We also detach the steering column and detach the boot on the floor. And you can start lifting the body above the frame. The rise must be started from the back of the Loaf. The lifting height should eventually be about 10 centimeters.

It will be a good idea to insure by placing a wide wooden block between the frame and the body.

We unscrew the standard bolts and increase the holes for them up to 12 mm by drilling. Next, you need to do some work with the spacers. An inexpensive and suitable option as spacers are ordinary hockey pucks. The next steps will be to insert the spacers, bolts and tighten the nuts gradually, starting at the rear, continuing in the middle and ending at the front.

As a result, the body will rise by 6.5 centimeters. It remains only to fix everything and you can put large wheels.

Now let's consider the next way to carry out the UAZ Loaf lift - a suspension lift. As already mentioned, this method has both pros and cons. There are two main advantages of the suspension lift on the UAZ:

• improving the performance of the Loaf's passability, provided that the wheels remain in place, and the other part rises up;
• the ability to install large wheels that did not fit into the arches of the UAZ before the suspension lift.

Well, the main disadvantage of this method is the inevitable increase in the angles of the universal joints. In this case, cardans are included in the work for wear.

There are several options for a suspension lift. Let's take a look at some of them.

The simplest and most affordable option is to install longer spring earrings. Carrying out a suspension lift in a similar way, do not get too carried away with this, so as not to install too long. Spring shackles that are too long can adversely affect suspension performance and affect handling. To avoid problems in handling, it is recommended to pull the earrings with a tie in the center.

Without disturbing the design of the springs, it is possible to slightly raise the Loaf's suspension by installing a spacer between the axle and the spring. At the same time, there is no need to wait for a large elevator; here it is also recommended not to get carried away with the process.

Of course, when installing such a spacer, it is necessary to decide on its fixation in the installation place, and also calculate that the length of the step-ladders of the springs is sufficient. It is also possible to restore old springs, or purchase new ones. There are also special items for such tuning on sale, but they are usually very expensive.

Springing the springs is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. This process is useful not only for the suspension lift, but also for the purpose of making the hard UAZ suspension soft enough. However, despite the fact that there is an improvement in the quality of the suspension from this method, they are very insignificant.

If you decide to give it a try, you first need to cut, grind, or buy spacers, rubber, conveyor belt and metal.And most importantly, when lifting the UAZ's suspension, longer-stroke shock absorbers will be required, since the rebound from the former will begin earlier.

In conclusion, I would like to note that the main thing is to know when to stop in everything. When you start tuning the UAZ 452 with your own hands, remember about your safety. After all, you will not have a guarantee with your own hand execution of the Loaf elevator.