Each car owner of Lada Kalina, sooner or later, will face the problem of failure and repair of the steering rack. Of course, experts and auto mechanics recommend changing this element, but not everyone can afford to buy this element, so repair is a way out.
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The video material will tell you how to repair the steering rack, give basic recommendations and assembly features.
Steering rack repair kit
Before proceeding with the repair of an element, it is necessary to accurately determine that it is the steering rack that has failed on the car. For this, there are indirect and direct signs that will indicate the detail. Of course, it is best to carry out diagnostics at a specialized car service, but you can try with your own hands, for example, tighten the steering rack, but here you need to proceed carefully.
So, let's consider the main signs of a malfunction of the steering rack:
When you turn the steering wheel, a knock appears under the hood.
Longitudinal rudder play.
Increased steering effort.
Oil spots under the machine.
Steering wheel sticking when cornering.
All these signs are direct in the event of a malfunction of the steering rack, which will be the first bells that the element needs to be diagnosed and repaired.
General view of the steering
There are not many reasons for the failure of the steering rack, but you need to know them. Timely maintenance, as well as diagnostics of the unit can extend the life of the element.
Consider the main causes of steering rack malfunctions:
Deterioration of the elements that make up the rail.
Accident damage when a wheel is struck.
Other reasons that led to the fact that the rake began to leak.
All these reasons become the reason for repairing the steering assembly.
In order to repair the steering rack, you need to know its design and the elements that make up it. Consider the node design diagram:
Steering rack diagram
Steering rack details: 1 - rack bushing ring; 2 - support sleeve of the rail; 3 - steering gear housing; 4 - roller bearing; 5 - drive gear; 6 - ball bearing; 7 - retaining ring; 8 - protective washer; 9 - a sealing ring; 10 - bearing nut; 11 - lock washer; 12 - anther; 13 - rail; 14 - protective cap; 15 - rail stop; 16 - sealing ring; 17 - retaining ring; 18 - stop nut; 19 - clamp; 20 - protective cover; 21 - inner tip of the steering rod; 22 - connecting plate; 23 - lock plate; 24 - bolt for fastening the rod to the rail; A - a mark on the boot; B - mark on the crankcase
For restoration work related to the steering rack, a repair kit is required. Usually, they cannot be found in specialized stores, and motorists, as a rule, go to the car market, where they can purchase a set of spare parts. For the price it is much cheaper than buying a new rail.
The steering rack repair kit can be purchased individually or as an assembly.
Repair kit for Ricardo steering rack
2110-3403090-11 is the catalog number of the complete steering gear repair kit for Lada Kalina. Separately, bushings and plastic inserts can be purchased, but it is not recommended, since the quality of the products may be different, and, accordingly, the wear on the left and right sides may differ.
When all the materials for repairing the steering rack have been collected and purchased, you can proceed directly to the repair operations.
Before starting, the entire steering rack must be cleaned. This can be done manually, but it is best to use a steam mechanism under pressure, which will qualitatively remove dirt and dust from all elements without damaging the parts.
Now, we proceed to the sequential operations for repairing the steering rack:
We substitute the brake shoes under the rear wheels and remove the handbrake.
Putting the shoes under the wheels
Removing the coupling fixing bolt
We take out the cotter pins with pliers
Removing the tie rod ends with a hammer and crowbar
Disconnecting the EUR connector from the on-board network
Removing the steering rack mounts
Dismantle the steering rack through the wheel arch
We cut off the clamps of the anther using nippers
Dismantle the rack housing cover
We diagnose the condition of all products. The plastic and rubber parts will have to be replaced and a new boot and bearings are recommended.
Before assembly, it is necessary to clean all the parts, lubricate the rack and pinion shaft with lithol or other similar grease.
We start assembling:
Installing new bearings
We bring the marks on the crankcase and rail so that the steering wheel is level
We put on a new boot on the rail
Many car manufacturers do not recommend repairing the steering rack, but at the same time they produce repair kits. So, in the repair manual for AvtoVAZ, it is clearly stated that the failure of the VAZ 1117-1119 steering rack must be replaced with a new one.
Also, motorists and car steering repair technicians recommend, after repairing the steering rack, after 1000-1500 km of run, tighten the threaded connections that could loosen due to vibration.
Motorists recommend that maintenance of this unit should be carried out every 10,000 km. It includes a visual inspection for leaks, checking the condition of the anthers, and tightening the connections.
As experience shows, repairing the Lada Kalina steering rack with an electric power steering can really be done with your own hands. Of course, this procedure will take a day, maybe two. The main thing is not to rush and choose all the quality and correct parts. It is recommended to install new bearings, because even if there is no play, it is not known after how long it may appear.
Remove the steering rod support.
We unscrew the nut, striking the beard (right-hand thread).
Use a screwdriver to squeeze the two retainers of the sleeve located inside the pipe.
Remove the two rubber O-rings from the bushing.
Steering rack bushing (arrows indicate bushing retainers) .
If it is necessary to replace the nut, open it with pliers to remove the circlip.
We take out the rubber plug from the adjusting nut of the rail stop.
Unscrew the stop nut with a special “24” wrench with an external octagonal head.
We take out the stop spring.
... remove the O-ring.
By hitting the crankcase on a wooden block, we knock out the rail stop.
A rubber sealing ring is installed in the stop groove.
Remove the rubber ring from the crankcase that seals the hole for the steering gear on the bulkhead.
Remove the boot from the gear shaft.
Unscrew the two screws with a hexagon "6".
Remove the cage with thrust bearing rollers.
Remove the cover O-ring.
We take out the rack from the crankcase.
We press out the pinion shaft by clamping the shaft in a vice with soft metal jaws and pressing the crankcase upwards with a mounting blade.
We take out the gear shaft with the bearing from the crankcase.
... remove the bushing retaining ring.
We take out the pinion shaft sleeve assembly with a base plate.
If it is necessary to replace the needle bearing with a d = 4 mm drill, drill two diametrically located holes in the crankcase so that they go to the end of the needle bearing outer ring.
Through the drilled holes, we knock out the outer ring of the bearing from the crankcase with a rod of the appropriate diameter.
Using a puller, we press the ball bearing of the pinion shaft with the inner ring of the roller thrust bearing.
Using a puller, we press the inner ring of the needle bearing from the shaft.
Use a screwdriver to pry on and remove the gear shaft oil seal from the crankcase cover.
... with a scraper, remove the extruded metal in four places and take out the ring.
Then we put the crankcase on the bearing.
... and press on the crankcase with light hammer blows through a wooden block.
We press the gear shaft oil seal into the cover through the mandrel or the head flush with the end face of the cover.
A properly working steering mechanism is one of the main conditions for ensuring the safety of movement of any car. If the owner of Lada Kalina discovers suspicious signs of failure of any of the component components of this unit, then he urgently needs to take effective measures to find and eliminate the malfunction that has appeared. The main characteristic symptom of a malfunction is knocking. It is clearly audible when driving through irregularities or when turning the steering wheel in motion. When the owner determines that the steering rack requires repair of the steering rack, then he has two ways: to go to the station to the masters or to dare to repair the steering rack on his own. You can make a replacement with your own hands, of course, it is not easy and troublesome, but, nevertheless, you can do it. Moreover, if you have a repair kit on hand.
The structure of the steering unit Lada Kalina includes:
an amplifier with an electric drive;
a rudder column that can be adjusted for reach and tilt;
steering rack with electric power steering with a mechanism for changing the gear ratio;
rods with tips, as well as swing-type levers.
In the crankcase of the mechanism, there is a unit with a mechanical engagement, where the main active element is a helical gear, in which the pitch of the teeth changes depending on the length of the rack.
The figure shows the design of the rack and pinion unit Lada Kalina.
Clamping in a pair of "rack-pinion" is carried out by means of a spring, and the present plastic insert is designed to reduce the friction force. The compression level of the spring element is adjusted with a nut. The factory clearance between the steering shaft and the rack is 0.1 mm in the LADA Kalina model.
If a knock appears inside the node, then it can be eliminated by adjusting the gap with your own hands. The steering shaft is centered using two bearings, one located in the column bracket and the other inside the power amplifier housing. The bracket is included in the connection both with the pedal attachment point, or rather with its front part, and with the body. Structurally, the bracket, together with the pipe, forms a hinge joint from a pair of plates. This unit provides a change in the position of the rudder, where the width of the range of movement is limited by the slots in the indicated plates.
The specific position of the pipe is fixed by a lever that is connected to a special bushing that performs an adjustment mission. It is screwed onto a tightening bolt located just in the slots of the plates. When the lever is turned, the bushing rotates synchronously.At this moment, the fixation of the plate loosens, and the steering wheel begins to succumb to a change in its position. The springs in the middle of the bracket and the plates, while loosening the fastening, pull the pipe upward.
Again, the Lada Kalina steering assembly has two rods and pivot levers. The thrust design includes two tips, one of which is external and the other is internal. The process of adjusting the length of the rod is carried out by rotating the threaded sleeve present here. After completing the adjustment manipulation, the position of the tips should be fixed with specially designed bolts. The outer rod end is connected by means of a ball joint to the swing arm bracket.
The power steering, which operates on an electric drive, changes its degree of amplification depending on the speed of the movement. When the car is stopped, the amplifier delivers maximum torque, and the steering wheel turns very easily. With a set of speed, the effort on the steering wheel of the Lada Kalina increases, which is facilitated by a decrease in the torque generated by this unit. The mechanism is based on an electric motor that transmits rotation by means of a gearbox "hidden" under the column casing. The amplifier is controlled by an electronic unit, which is supplied with pulses from speed sensors, recognizes the amount of effort when the steering column shaft is rotated, and also reads the number of revolutions of the motor shaft. The dashboard has a special indicator that allows you to monitor the operation of the amplifier.
The most common cause of knocking is increased wear on the ball joint of the handpiece. This malfunction requires the prompt replacement of the specified element, since further movement may become unsafe, and everything can be done by hand using a special repair kit.
The presence of malfunctions in the mechanism considered here, in addition to knocking, can also respond to a recoil in the steering wheel, which is noticeable to the driver.
It is also possible to bite the LADA Kalina steering wheel in extreme positions. Here, adjusting and repairing the steering rack are endowed with extreme necessity. If, after these measures, the expected result is not observed, then the only way is to replace the steering rack assembly.
Structural solutions present in the rail do not allow adjusting and tightening the spring without dismantling the mechanism. But replacement is possible with your own hands using a repair kit.
To remove the rail, you will need to perform the following sequence of actions.
We raise the front of the LADA Kalina car using available specialized tools.
We operate in the LADA Kalina salon and unscrew the bolt with which the steering column is held in the adjusted position.
Remove both front wheels.
We unscrew the nuts of the pivot arms and take out the tips.
Under the hood, you will need to remove the battery paired with the platform.
We take out the heat reflector.
We unscrew the fasteners that hold the electric power steering rack on the body. Now we calmly remove the knot outside.
To disassemble the mechanism, you will need to acquire the following tool kit.
A special key that allows you to adjust the rails of the "VAZ" design.
A dial indicator, with the help of which the gap size will be adjusted.
Pliers, screwdrivers and key sets.
Hammer, mallet and tie rod end puller.
With a chisel, caliper and paint brush.
The spring requires adjustment due to its natural tendency to stretch over time. Tightening should be done after disconnecting the steering shaft.The action does not imply the need to remove the entire mechanism from the vehicle.
Repair of the steering rack consists in correctly setting the size of the gap observed between the shaft gear and the rack itself.
To do this, the rack and pinion will need to be set to a central position and secured against spontaneous displacements.
We remove the rubber plug.
We put the indicator probe inside the opened hole and make it touch the stop (close).
We make turns of the pinion shaft, with the help of which the stop is pushed out. We measure the length of its movement with the indicator, which should be within 0.05 mm.
Observing the excess of the measured value in excess of the designated limit, we resort to elimination by rotating the adjusting nut. After completing the procedure, we check whether the steering rack with an electric power steering in the crankcase rotates easily by rotating the steering wheel all the way in both directions.
Note that you should turn the adjusting nut with a special wrench. Do not try to tighten this nut with great effort, as this can cause difficulty in turning the steering wheel, especially in extreme positions. It is advisable to make the adjustment in stages. First, we turn the key by 20-25 degrees and check the knot for the absence of knocking during the stroke of the rail. If the knock has not disappeared, then add a rotation angle of about 10-15 degrees and again resort to control. It happens that the tightening does not lead to the expected result. This hints at repairs, and it may only be necessary to replace the steering rack.
It is better to adjust this unit in Lada Kalina after the electric power steering rack has been dismantled. However, there is a method that allows you to carry out this action without resorting to the removal of the specified mechanism.
We install the car over the pit to provide access to the amplifier frontal mount.
We tighten the clamping nut. If we do this from below, then we rotate in the direction of the arrow for an hour, and if we act from above, then, of course, vice versa.
For preventive purposes, we check the integrity of the oil seal. Note that a strong and frequent eversion of the steering wheel leads to premature wear of this sealing element.
The repair procedure, like replacing the steering rack, begins with disassembling the assembly. To perform a set of actions, we purchase a repair kit.
To disassemble the rail, unscrew the adjusting nut, and then remove the thrust sleeve. If at the moment we are experiencing difficulties, then we use a mallet, with which we inflict light blows on the rack and pinion housing.
We dismantle the side caps together with the boot. Pre-cut off the plastic fasteners.
The boot must be replaced with a new product.
We also use a mallet to remove the shaft from the rack housing.
Inside the freed crankcase, we find a plastic sleeve, which we remove, armed with a screwdriver. We also replace this component with a new analogue (present in the repair kit).
We clean the internal cavity of the rack housing from old grease. We wash and dry.
Putting on new grease. Lubricate the gear pair with special care.
We carry out an inspection of all other components of the rack and pinion mechanism and, if there is a suspicion of wear, we change them.
1. Disconnect the battery.
2. Disable the airbags. Loosen the clamps and move them to the side.
3. Disconnect the two-wire horn connector.
4. We pass to the rudder shaft and in the area where the arrow is present, we outline the location (until the moment of removal).
5. We loosen the steering wheel nut, but do not completely unscrew it.
6. We take the steering wheel and swing it to the sides, move it close to the specified nut.
7. Now we align the wheels and place the steering wheel in a strictly straight position.
8. We take out the pin and then insert it into the switch block located directly under the steering wheel. At this point, the steering wheel rim should be firmly locked.
9. After removing the wires, we proceed to remove the steering wheel itself.
10. We check the integrity of all elements.
11. The assembly is carried out according to the reverse algorithm.
Video (click to play).
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