DIY viburnum struts repair

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

On our roads, the chassis of a car is quickly killed

Leaving the car dealership in a beautiful Lada Kalina just released from the assembly line, I don't want to think about future possible breakdowns. As long as the car is new and its mileage is low, there can be no question of wear of any parts.

But, having driven a domestic car no more than 5 thousand km, problem areas are revealed by themselves. Each owner of Lada Kalina knows the weak points of his car. VAZ cars have quite a few of them. But the really Achilles' heel is the shock absorbers on the Kalina.

The shock absorber system is designed to improve the comfort of the driver and passengers. Serviceable shock absorbers and soft suspension make driving more comfortable. Pits and bumps on the roads are practically not felt on new foreign cars. And when traveling on our cars, new and not so, sometimes it seems that the shock absorbers are completely absent.

The automobile plant chose the shock absorbers for Kalina the same as for the VAZ 2110. But the users of the "dozen" did not have a problem with the shock absorbers and their struts so early. On Lada Kalina, after just 3-4 thousand kilometers, front and rear shock absorbers begin to emit bad sounds. And this is subject to road trips of far from the worst quality.

Already after 3-4 thousand km on Kalina the racks drop

And when driving off-road or just on most Russian streets, you can face such a disaster after only 1.5 thousand kilometers. Hence, several new problems arise at once, such as spending on repairs and technical inspections. Why do the same shock absorbers serve completely differently in Kalina and the top ten? The VAZ will not answer this question, but the reason is a banal flaw and haste.

Video (click to play).

When it comes to buying new rear or front shock absorbers, it is difficult to navigate and make the right choice from the huge range. It can be based on the country of origin of the parts.

Imported shock absorbers. Well-known European firms manufacture front and rear shock absorbers not only for the supply of spare parts to the market for used Lada Kalina cars, but also for the production of new lines of cars. Basically, these are hydraulic shock absorbers with gas pressure. Some foreign companies produce several types of shock absorbers at once. Many Russian car factories use imported products.
Shock absorbers made in Russia. The advantage of our shock absorbers is that they are produced as complete parts or separately. Among the Russian brands, the most popular manufacturer is SAAZ. Lada Kalina is sometimes produced with the details of this brand.

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Shock absorbers are of several types:

hydraulic;
front with double-acting valve;
with gas back pressure up to 10 atmospheres.

Hydraulic struts are reliable and practical

The advantages of ordinary hydraulic shock absorbers are that, due to their design, they do not have to come into contact with gases, therefore, for this reason, the parts are not threatened with breakdown. In addition, they will cost less than a round sum, since the technology for their production is simple and inexpensive.

It's not so simple with gas-filled shock absorbers. They are available in one and two tubes. The latter are distinguished by low-pressure gas back-up. The pressure, as a rule, does not exceed 8-10 atmospheres. When the shock absorber is working, the inert gas presses on the shock absorber fluid with its entire mass and thereby displaces it from the working cylinder.As a result, the liquid foaming threshold is shifted.

Single-tube shock absorbers have a pressure in the cylinder cavity of almost 25 atmospheres. For the price, this option is the most expensive, but also the most durable when driving fast. For those who prefer high speed and extreme driving style, monotube gas shock absorbers are the best option. The warranty for them is valid for no more than 1.5 years, provided that the replacement of the rear shock absorbers or front shock absorbers is made at a dealer car service.

Problems that the owner of the Lada Kalina car may face after installing new shock absorbers.

Gas strut device

After assembling the steering rack and installing new front or rear shock absorbers, all installed parts must be thoroughly lubricated. With careful refinement of the Kalina's shock absorption system, you can create a completely hardy and soft suspension. The improved car will behave as well as the new one when overcoming obstacles. Unevenness on the asphalt surface will become less felt, and the shock absorbers will begin to work without unnecessary knocks and squeaks.

If there are problems with the shock absorbers, you cannot pull with the repair. Worn parts directly affect the functioning of the ABS and ESP systems. The life of the driver and passengers depends on the serviceability of all car systems.

Despite the fact that car dealerships provide the owner of Lada Kalina with 3 years of warranty service, a very modest number of drivers were lucky to use this service absolutely free of charge. In the conditions of this service, the consumer will encounter such a number of reservations and "buts" that it will be much easier and cheaper to do the repair himself or contact a private car service.

During the repair and further operation of the newly installed shock absorbers and shock absorber struts, the car owner faces a new problem. Unworn parts start to fail even faster than old native parts. Some, hoping to no longer face a similar disadvantage, seek to purchase imported parts. Foreign companies produce a wide range of spare parts for shock absorbers and their components. Naturally, they are of better quality than native Ladovs, and this creates great competition for our AvtoVAZ. It would seem that the problem has been solved - you just need to replace worn-out domestic spare parts with imported, more hardy and durable ones.

Lada Kalina is produced from the VAZ plant with shock absorbers that are not suitable for repair. This is due to the fact that they are not separable. That is, you will have to replace the shock absorber complete with a spring pad and bracket. The production of such assembled parts is expensive and unprofitable even for foreign companies.

No need to give up and sell Lada Kalina. There is only one way out of this situation: to make non-collapsible shock absorbers collapsible. This task can be completed independently, but it is better to turn to a professional, since such work is quite difficult and requires certain skills and experience from the master.

You will need to remove both front and rear shock absorbers from the car. Now they will become collapsible, which already solves half of the problem. The second, no less important task is to make these shock absorbers maintainable.

lathe;
spot welding.

The upper part of the rack body must be sawed off on a lathe. Next, you need to weld a glass with a nut on this place. There is one important rule: when working on the machine and with welding, you must not damage the integrity of the parts and observe all axes. In an asymmetrical housing, the shock absorbers wear out even faster.

You can equip the car with a set of "tens". This includes the telescopic front struts, SS-20 top struts, and rear shock springs. As a result, the shock absorbers will behave no worse than on the VAZ 2110. This option is much simpler than the repair and revision of the Kalinovski family parts, but it costs an order of magnitude more expensive.

When replacing shock absorbers, everything is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. One replacement part can lead to the replacement of many other parts. The service life of the Lada Kalina's shock absorption system is much less than the possible age of the car itself. Shock absorbers have to be changed from 4 to 6 times during the operation of the machine.

In conditions of an ideal road surface, shock absorbers on Kalina will last no more than 80 thousand mileage. This means that an approximately 5 year old car will need to be replaced. But domestic cars drive on the roads of far from the best quality. VAZ estimates the service life of its shock absorbers at 35-40 thousand km, but in practice they need repair or complete replacement after 15 thousand kilometers.

The front shock absorber struts will cost the consumer approximately 2000-3000 rubles. Rear shock absorbers on the Lada Kalina car will cost 1000 rubles. cheaper. It is also necessary to take into account the cost of their installation and the need to replace other parts of the machine during the installation process.The front suspension system on Lada Kalina cars is quite unpretentious in operation, but sometimes it as a whole and the front shock absorbers in particular needs to be replaced.The video shows the process of replacing the front struts on Kalina:

New rack assembled and installed

We carry out all exactly the same work on the other side of the car, since the process of work is already familiar, everything will go much faster.

The first signs that it is time to change the front struts will be their so-called "gaps" on a rough road, the characteristic noise they will emit and, of course, the presence of oil smudges on the body.

Leaks on the rack indicate the need to replace it.

Please make this information binding! After you have completed the installation of new front struts on the Lada Kalina, you you should immediately visit the vehicle inspection station to carry out work on the wheel alignment, since during the work all the angles set earlier were violated. Failure to do so can cause not only rapid and uneven wear of tires and mechanisms, but also lead to a road accident.

Shock absorbers are a kind of consumable for your car. Moreover, the cost of maintaining the suspension in working order is inversely proportional to the quality of the roads. Car owners are constantly looking for ways to save money on the repair and maintenance of their car. We will tell you about self-repair and restoration of the characteristics of the shock absorber struts.

Typical malfunctions of this node are known to everyone:

Depressurization of the stem packing. Leads to oil leakage from the rack.It can leak at any time. The characteristics change up to a complete loss of performance.
Too free movement of the stem in the pipe. In fact, the strut turns from a shock absorber into a guide for the suspension spring. The malfunction is related to the internal valves.
Compression or rebound play. Associated with the development in the rod or cylinder. The consequences are similar to broken valves. The shock absorber does not perform its function in a car, it knocks, rattles and makes other unpleasant sounds, why driving in such a car becomes uncomfortable and dangerous.
External damage - dents on the body, cracks in the eyelet. Affects the chassis as a whole and can lead to more serious damage.

If any malfunction is detected, it is necessary to remove the rack and release it from the spring. Dismantling is carried out in the garage, without the use of special tools.

Sometimes the owners of foreign cars, noticing that their racks have leaked, turn to the service station for diagnostics, where they will carry out a check at the stand.

In fact, this is not such an easy task. Before carrying out work, you should carefully study the material and observe safety precautions. First of all, you need to determine whether you have a collapsible shock absorber or not. The monolithic body is not repairable, opening with a grinder and brewing is unacceptable.

If there is a nut or a retaining ring in the place where the stem enters the pipe, such a shock absorber strut can be serviced and repaired.

This is what a repairable rack looks like.

Compressor for supplying compressed air or pump for servicing bicycle shock absorbers.
Special connection for compressed air injection.

Attention! Safety must be taken care of. Work involves high pressure, so eye and hand protection is essential.

The shock absorber is firmly fixed in a vice, the position is vertical. It is necessary to thoroughly clean the part and blow out the piston rod entry point with compressed air. It is disassembled - removing the protective cap of the stem.

For convenience, the work is carried out in a vice

Use a pressure gauge for control. The method is suitable for gas and gas-oil racks

You can watch the process in the video.

There are different opinions: how to fill a car shock absorber. Nitrogen, carbon dioxide or just compressed air? In a garage, there are few options. Compressed air will not degrade performance much, especially since this is a repair and not a factory made rack.

The rack must be completely disassembled and cleaned of dirt and old oil. Check the O-rings and the condition of the inner pipe wall.

Remove streaks and other contamination from all rack mechanismsNo special equipment is required to work with oil racks

Remember to wear gloves, work is dusty

Turning work is usually cheaper than the cost of a new shock absorber

Tip: The entire process of disassembling the shock absorber should be photographed. This will avoid assembly problems.

It is important to ensure that the assembly is clean, the ingress of dirt or solid metal particles will quickly damage the remanufactured shock absorber.

Get rid of streaks, dirt and dust during the parsing process

All parts must be carefully defect

The oil seal is recommended for replacement

After pumping oil, the rack needs to be pumped, as usual.

If you have basic information about how your shock absorbers work, you can save money on replacing them. Most of the rack models are repairable and the parts are either reasonably priced or made in-house.We remove and repair the shock absorber strut when the upper support, bearing, spring and telescopic strut itself are worn out.The telescopic stand cannot be repaired - it must be replaced.For removal and installation, you need keys for 13, 17, 19, head for 19.The work is best done on a hoist, but can be done on level ground using a jack and a fall arrest stand.It is advisable to replace the wallpaper of the rack, even if only one is faulty.Apply the parking brake to the vehicle and place chocks under the rear wheels. Loosen the front wheel bolts. Raise the front part of the car with a jack and remove the wheel.Disconnect the tie rod end from the strut pivot arm. For this: Image - DIY repair of viburnum struts

1. - turn the steering wheel all the way to the side opposite to the detachable tip;

- unbend and remove the cotter pin

2. - using a 19 spanner spanner, we do not completely unscrew the nut securing the ball pin.

3. Insert the mounting paddle between the pivoting arm and the tip, squeeze the tip away from the lever and,

striking the end of the pivot arm with a hammer, press the ball pin out of the arm. You can perform this operation using a puller.

4. Finally, unscrew the ball pin fastening nut

5. We remove the ball pin from the hole of the pivot arm.

6. If you are removing the stand for disassembly, loosen the shock absorber rod nut with a special tool or a 22 mm box wrench, holding the rod with a 9 mm open end wrench.

7. Using a 13 mm spanner wrench, loosen the tightening of the three nuts securing the upper strut support to the car body.

8. To minimize the violation of the camber angle of the front wheels, use a punch or paint to apply marks on the bolt of the upper mounting of the steering knuckle and on the strut bracket.

9. Using a 17-mm socket wrench, unscrew the nuts of the bolts of the upper and lower fastening p

knuckle to the strut, keeping the bolts from turning with a 17 mm spanner wrench.

0. Remove the washers from the bolts (the eccentric washer of the upper bolt) and take out the bolts.

So the rack began to flow. Found a man who fixes the racks. Today I put my car on stumps and took it for repairs.

Lada Kalina Hatchback 2010, petrol engine 1.6 l., 98 l. sec., front-wheel drive, manual transmission - DIY repair

why fix it if you can just buy new ones, the prices don't bite like foreign cars)

on collapsible racks, the cartridges change and that's it, they are several times cheaper, a thousand rubles a cartridge, and I bought a SAAZ 2800 one

What kind of patron for a thousand? I took a kayaba about 2 thousand

cartridge, on the collapsible racks you unscrew the lid, throw out the old cartridge that is leaking, insert the new one. I went to buy saaz racks on Saturday, I thought well 4100 - 4200 for two I'll give it back, I almost cried in the store when they said 6 thousand 2 racks and two bumpers

I know what a cartridge is, I'm talking about its price, it's certainly a little cheaper than a rack, but it's not worth a thousand. And so, in the mind does not fit, for SAAZ 6 thousand to give? I would have given it to me for free, I would have thought to put them or not, but for my own money, fuck it is not necessary)))

Aaa, I didn’t come across such. The only more convenient cartridge is the descent / camber after replacement, you can not do it

and it's easier to change, whatever you say, you don't need to get the sour bolts out of the hub

You need to fill the grease there initially, otherwise it's a kapets

Well, my racks, apparently from the moment of buying the car, were not removed and the collapse was unlikely to be done, but in 7 years there was a horror there.

Anyway. The first time I spontaneously changed in the service, they did not lubricate, after 2 years they barely knocked me out with a sledgehammer. Then I oiled them abundantly and stuffed them with new bolts. And the collapse on our roads, I do 2 or even 3 times a year. Goes away from a strong pit

well, I was not drawn either to the right or to the left, the rubber did not eat up, I didn’t bother

It does not always pull, if control comfort is lost in the first place, for example, on the highway you start to steer a little more and not just hold the steering wheel straight, the side wind is felt more, the steering wheel does not readily go to zero from the turn, etc.

hmmmm. like there is no deficit ... we do not live in a scoop

In Perm, in a circle, pump all the racks of 3 tr. costs.

The bump stops after the oil will still fall apart, they need to be changed

In the photo, other bumpers and anthers are separately in the photo.

The racks need to be changed) and not play repairs for half the price of new ones, or maybe more)

For the first time in the Russian market, Lada Kalina appeared in November 2004. It was this car that marked the beginning of a new era in the development of the Volga auto concern. This car was produced until 2013, and its total circulation reached 600 thousand units. The vehicle is new in everything from the platform to the ergonomics of the cabin. The front suspension of this car is independent, of the MacPherson type, which is considered a significant advance of the Lada company.

Cover (1), ball joint (2), circlip (3), wheel bearing nut (4), protective cap (5), hub (6), wheel bearing (7), steering knuckle (8), brake disc front wheel (9), brake shield (10), nut (11), eccentric bolt (12), swing arm (13), front suspension spring (14), shock absorber rod (15), upper spring cup (16), shock absorber strut upper support (17), shock absorber rod nut (18), shock absorber strut upper support bearing (19), spring gasket (20), compression travel buffer (21), protective cover (22), telescopic strut (23), drive front wheel shaft (24), anti-roll bar mounting bracket (25), front suspension brace (26), anti-roll bar (27), anti-roll bar (28), front suspension arm (29).

Malfunctions in the front suspension are indicated by knocking and squeaking, which increase with increasing speed.

There are four main reasons for front suspension squeaks and knocks:

The quality of the road surface. Yes, even the newest and most ideal suspension can knock and squeak on bad roads, even if this has not been the case before. To test this theory, drive a few hundred meters on a well-paved road. If there is no knock, then the suspension is in order. Otherwise, see the second reason.
If the knock is accompanied by vibration in the steering wheel, then its cause is a malfunction of the steering rack or thinning of the brake discs.
The third reason is the springs that have lost their tone, because of which the car body actually beats against the suspension.
An emaciated silent block designed to dampen knocks and vibrations when driving.

Replacing the silent blocks in the Kalina's front suspension is needed after 15-17 thousand km, since in most cases they lose their functions precisely after passing this mileage. Therefore, if knocks in the suspension appeared precisely during this period of kilometers, then the problem is in faulty silent blocks.

To replace silent blocks, you need the following tools:

Jack.
Set of wrenches.
Screwdriver.
Grease for silent blocks.
WD-40.
Chisel.
Hammer.

To replace the silent blocks with new ones, you need to drive the car onto a lift or a viewing hole.

First dismantle the wishbone:

Remove the wheel and spray all wishbone connections with WD-40.
When the grease has penetrated into hard-to-reach places, start unscrewing the bolts.
Remove the ball joint bolt, but first remove the cotter pin from the bolt.
Next, unscrew the fastening bolt of the longitudinal brace hinge and remove it.
Then remove the bolt and nut securing the stabilizer post.
The next step is the wishbone bolt. After dismantling the bolt and nut, you can remove the lever.

Next, we move on to the rubber-metal hinge of the longitudinal stretch:

Having previously held the lever in a vise, knock out the silent blocks in turn using a thin flat screwdriver or chisel.
If, during removal, its metal base remains in the lever, you will also have to knock it out and clean the seat from dirt.
The installation of new silent blocks is carried out by pressing them into the lever using a vise, with full fixation, striking the body with a hammer every 5-8 mm.

Pillow and stabilizer post:

Removing the stabilizer post is very easy.It is enough to unscrew the fastening bolt from the wishbone, the other end is simply freed from the stabilizer by simple swinging.
To release the pillow, take the key on "13" and unscrew the two mounting bolts of the bracket, then release it.
When released, it can be removed by cutting with a knife at its thinnest point, or removed from the stabilizer by lubricating it with WD-40 or soapy water.

Control arm bracket:

The largest arm bush is located at the very base.
The easiest way to remove it is arson. When the rubber burns out on it, remove it and clean the seat. Of course, it can be squeezed out through a vice, but it will take time.
Lubricate new silent blocks with WD-40 or soapy water and install in place using a head on "30" and a vice, pressing it in.

If the steering rack is malfunctioning, you should not deal with this problem on your own, it is better to immediately bring the car to the service station, in order to avoid more serious problems in the future.

In our article we will talk about the problems of the Lada "Kalina" car, which appear literally after several thousand kilometers. Moreover, problems appear for no apparent reason, and this suggests that the manufacturer simply did not meet the required deadlines for fine-tuning this car model.In our article we will tell you about the shock absorbers of the Lada "Kalina" car. There are quite a few cases when, after several thousand kilometers of run on fairly good roads, the car owner begins to hear a knock on the front and rear shock absorbers. Note that with such a defect, you will never pass the inspection.What should a car owner do in such a situation? Contact the seller's service to exchange a car under warranty? However, it should be said right away that replacing a car under warranty is a very difficult task. For years, the representatives of the selling companies have been perfecting the methods of protection against the claims of car owners. True, some motorists manage to achieve a positive result, and the automaker replaces faulty shock absorbers. However, the problem often reappears after several thousand kilometers and then the owner of the car asks the classic question: "What to do?"So, the first and most correct recipe is to replace a “native” product of dubious quality with an imported analogue. Most of the world-famous companies produce parts for Russian cars, so purchasing a repair kit for shock absorbers for Lada Kalina will not be a big problem. It seems that all that remains is to install a repair kit in the body of standard racks and the issue is resolved. But no! AvtoVAZ, in the heat of the fight against the "left" manufacturers ", equipped its cars with non-separable shock absorbers. As you understand, no one will make a rack with a spring platform and a lower bracket - it is difficult and expensive. Large manufacturers do not “subscribe to” this.It seems to be a vicious circle, but we will offer our own recipe for a way out of this situation. We addressed this problem to a Samara enterprise specializing in the repair of shock absorbers. Motorists know this company for their products (SS-20 Upright Strut Mounts). Next, we describe the procedure for improving the suspension of the car Lada "Kalina".All four shock absorbers are removed from the vehicle. Using a lathe, we cut off the upper body part of the rack - in this place the glass and nut will be welded. This operation is not entirely simple - during welding, the alignment of the parts must not be disturbed. If the body is curved, the shock absorber will not last long. Therefore, to perform this operation, special equipment is used ("on your knees" you definitely cannot perform such work).The next step is to disassemble the steering rack. Here a defect immediately catches the eye - the “Belleville” spring, which presses the shaft against the rail, has already sunk.The effort decreased and an unpleasant knocking appeared, tormenting the drivers. With such a spring, it makes no sense to tighten the adjusting nut. The knock may ease slightly, but the steering wheel will stick and be reluctant to return to neutral. The "killed" spring must be replaced with a new one, and not with a factory one, but with one that is made according to science. We advise you to consult with specialists in this matter. By the way, this spring can be easily replaced from the passenger compartment, it is enough just to disconnect the steering shaft. However, the rail will still have to be removed, since the native parts do not achieve optimal engagement: Kalin owners often complain about backlash or tight rotation of the steering wheel. When assembling this unit, you need to thoroughly lubricate all the parts.We return to the front pillars of the car. Let's start by disassembling the compression valve. Its spring sagged unacceptably, and this despite the fact that the car has a low mileage. The valve disc weakly presses the disc against the body - the shock absorber does not work properly, as a result of which a knock appears. It is imperative to replace the spring with another, conditioned one.Well, the main change is a new shock absorber piston. The factory standard version has a split O-ring that constantly moves between the piston ribs during shock operation. As a result of such movements, the edges of the ring quickly wear out, a gap appears and the shock absorber begins to tap. A fluoroplastic sleeve is rigidly fixed in the modified piston.So, after all the changes and improvements, the Lada "Kalina" car began to move much better: the suspension effortlessly copes with small irregularities, and large holes no longer shake the body so much, at high speeds the car became more obedient, good trajectory stability appeared (constant steering). There is only one question left: why should Kalin owners finish their car? After all, this should be done by the designer, assemblers and testers of the AvtoVAZ plant.