DIY viburnum rail repair

In detail: do-it-yourself repair of the viburnum rail from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

The correctness of the steering system of any car is an important safety requirement on the road. Repair of the steering rack on Kalina must be done if any suspicious sounds appear. As practice shows, many motorists are calm about the fact that when the steering wheel is turned, a knock or creak occurs, and this may indicate that the steering rack is knocking. Repair of the steering rack on Kalina is best done at a service station, but you can do it yourself.

Image - DIY viburnum rail repair

Steering gear: 1 - boot; 2, 20 - bolts; 3 - washer; 4 - stuffing box; 5 - crankcase cover; 6, 17 - sealing rings; 7 - separator; 8 - drive gear with bearing; 9 - steering rack; 10 - left protective cap; 11 - thrust support; 12 - bracket; 13 - plug; 14 - stop nut; 15 - stop spring; 16 - retaining ring; 18 - rail stop; 19 - stop insert; 21 - lock plate; 22 - cover plate; 23 - clamp; 24 - protective cover; 25 - right protective cap; 26 - steering gear housing

The steering system of the Lada Kalina includes an electric power amplifier and a steering column that is adjustable in height and tilt. The steering gear is a steering rack with a variable gear ratio. The rack engages with the engine crankcase through a gear with oblique teeth, the pitch of which differs along the length of the rack. The figure shows the design of the Kalina steering rack.

The steering rack on Kalina is pressed against the gear by a spring. Friction is reduced with a plastic liner. The compression of the spring is changed by an adjusting nut (the factory-set gap between the rack and the shaft is 0.1 mm). The second end of the rail rests against the plastic sleeve. Gap adjustment helps to eliminate knocking.

Video (click to play).

The steering system shaft is mounted in bearings (one in the column bracket, the other in the power steering housing). The column bracket attaches to the pedal bracket (front) and to the body bracket. The column bracket with the pipe is connected in the form of a hinge of two plates, which allows you to change the position of the rudder, and the range of movement is limited by the slots in the plates.

To fix the position of the pipe, there is a lever connected to an adjusting sleeve. It is screwed into a tie bolt located in the plate slots. When you turn the lever, the bushing rotates, loosening the plate fixation, which allows you to change the position of the steering wheel. The springs between the plates and the bracket pull the pipe upward as the fastener is loosened.

The steering system of the Lada Kalina has two tie rods and swing arms. The rod consists of an external and an internal tip and an adjusting threaded sleeve, which, when rotated, changes the length of the rod. The required adjustment of the rods is fixed with bolts. The rod is connected to the pivot arm via an external ball-type end piece.

Kalina's electric amplifier reduces the effort applied to the steering wheel. It is assembled on the basis of an electric motor with a gearbox located under the steering wheel cover. The amplifier is controlled by an electronic unit that receives signals from sensors for vehicle speed, shaft rotation and steering torque.

The principle of operation of the amplifier is based on the fact that in the stationary state of the car, the moment on the steering shaft is set to the greatest, and when driving, it decreases with increasing speed. The power steering indicator is installed on the dashboard.