Do-it-yourself repair of the rear pillars of the prior

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

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.

Video (click to play).

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. Example of a blower connection
Retaining ring puller.
Spanner wrenches of the corresponding diameter, depending on the design of the rack.
Workbench and powerful vise.

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
Then a device for gas injection is put on the rod. We pump gas to the required pressure. Care should be taken during this operation. The pressure build-up procedure can be repeated several times until the desired adjustment is achieved. Use a pressure gauge for control. The method is suitable for gas and gas-oil racks
After that, the stem oil seal is lubricated and a protective cap is put on the body.

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 mechanisms
Then the assembled rod in the pipe is placed in a container with oil (you can find out the type of fluid from the characteristics of your shock absorber). Oil is drawn in with a smooth movement. The procedure is repeated several times until the air bubbles disappear. You need to hold the part vertically. No special equipment is required to work with oil racks
If the stand is non-separable, you can install a bleed nipple at the bottom. To do this, it is enough to drill a hole, fill the rack with oil through it and tighten the screw on the sealant or weld it. In this way, the owners of domestic cars with solid mileage restore the performance of the shock absorbers.

The next malfunction is damage to the stem, oil seals, valves inside the rack. There are a number of spare parts on the market for repairing collapsible shock absorbers. In addition, an experienced motorist never throws away old spare parts, but tries to repair them. In addition, you can always extract workable parts from them.

So, we disassemble the shock absorber.

Image - Do-it-yourself repair of the rear pillars of the prior

Remember to wear gloves, work is dusty

We remove and defect the rod with the piston, valves and O-rings. Parts that have become unusable must be replaced. Elastic bands can be selected from universal ones on the market. Metal parts are ordered from a turner (if you could not find a suitable size).

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

We assemble the unit, carefully following the sequence of installing the parts.

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

Especially carefully it is necessary to defect the valves, since their correct operation sets the characteristics of the shock absorber. The softness setting can be done by changing the number of washers in the stem mechanism. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with the manufacturer's technical documentation. There are no universal solutions.

All details must be carefully defect

After that, we install the rod into the cylinder. It is recommended to replace the oil seal, but if it is in perfect condition, it is enough to clean it and put in new grease.

The oil seal is recommended for replacement

After that, new oil is poured into the shock absorber, up to the very top of the pipe. When installing the stem, excess will flow out. Do not be afraid of excessive consumption of oil, the main thing is to prevent air from entering the pipe cavity.

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

After installing the stem, gently move it to release bubbles through the valve. The shock absorber is then assembled and installed on the vehicle.

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.Not only the comfort of the driver and passengers of the car depends on the serviceability of the suspension elements, but also their safety, as well as the performance of the chassis parts. The basis of the rear suspension VAZ-2170 "Priora" and its modifications are shock absorber struts. The upper parts of the struts are attached to the car body (rear "glasses"), the lower ones - to the brackets of the rear suspension beam.

The device and principle of operation of the rear shock absorbers of the Lada Priora is practically no different from other cars. From the factory, the machine is equipped with SAAZ shock absorbers, which have a two-pipe hydraulic (oil) design.

It provides for the damping of shock loads due to the resistance of the oil to the piston inside the cylinder. In fact, this design resembles an ordinary pump, only oil acts as air here.

At the front of the Priora there are also oil struts that work on the same principle. They differ from the rear ones only in the size and design of the case. In addition, the A-pillars have brackets for attaching the tie rod ends.

Oil shock absorbers are quite reliable and durable, and in addition, provide maximum comfort, as they are considered the softest. However, they also have their disadvantages. The fact is that oil is very susceptible to the influence of temperatures, both high and low. When heated, it becomes too liquid, which leads to the fact that the shock absorber is "softened" even more.

When exposed to low temperatures, the oil solidifies, making the struts as stiff as possible. Naturally, this cannot but affect their condition, and it often happens that after a hot summer or cold winter, the shock absorbers begin to "sweat". This is the first sign of their failure.

Factory SAAZ rear struts usually withstand 70-80 thousand kilometers, after which, according to the plant's recommendations, they need to be replaced. But it doesn't make sense to change shock absorbers if they do their job well, unless you want to change the characteristics of the suspension.

It is not difficult to determine the health of the racks yourself. As already mentioned, the first sign of their malfunction is a visible oil leak. In addition, faulty shock absorbers give themselves away with a characteristic thud in the rear arches. This is also evidence of their depressurization and oil leakage.

You can verify the malfunction of the racks in a simple way. Try swinging the left or right rear of the car. If it swung once and rigidly froze, then everything is in order with the shock absorber from which you swung the body. If the car continues to swing, the shock absorber is faulty, and the body is raised and lowered due to the spring.

Having decided to replace the rear struts, you will have to choose from today's abundance of original spare parts and their counterparts on sale. You can, of course, not bother, and buy stock oil shock absorbers from the SAAZ plant, exactly the same ones that are put on the "Priora" on the conveyor.

Part numbers:

Their prices range from 1200 to 1400 rubles (per rack).

If you want to change the characteristics of the suspension, namely to make it softer or harder, you can purchase alternative struts. The most popular among Prior owners are shock absorbers from Sistema Tekhnologii - SS20.

They are distinguished by high reliability, and in addition, by a variety of designs that allow you to change the stiffness of the suspension. There are four modifications of SS20 on sale for Prior: "Comfort", "Standard", "Highway" and "Sport", differing in rigidity in ascending order. The cost of a pair of such racks is about 3700 rubles.

As for foreign counterparts, the best shock absorbers are products of the Japanese company "Kayaba". They also differ in rigidity and dimensions, which also allows you to adjust the ride height. You can buy such racks at a price of 2,700 rubles apiece.

Important: it is recommended to replace shock absorbers in pairs, i.e. if you change, then change on both sides of one axis!

To replace the rear struts yourself, it is not necessary to contact a service station. This process is completely doable at home, and will not take more than an hour.

From tools and means you will need:

jack;
"Shoe" or ordinary brick to block one of the wheels;
wrenches at "6", at "19", at "22";
rust remover type WD-40;
small mount.

As you can see, replacing the rear struts on the Prior is not particularly difficult.The main thing is to make the right choice and purchase shock absorbers that will last more than one year, as well as diagnose them in a timely manner and prevent critical malfunctions. Image - Do-it-yourself repair of the rear pillars of the prior

Today the Lada Priora car is one of the most popular models in Russia. This simple, laconic and at the same time elegant, dynamic car has gained wide respect due to its practicality, endurance, and unpretentious operation. The car that appeared on the market at the end of the nineties more than once underwent serious reforms, which concerned both the appearance and its technical component, and more and more.

At the beginning of the two thousandth, the next stage of restyling took place, which significantly modernized the Priora car. Much has changed: the power units have become more powerful, the transmission has received a new embodiment, the masters have worked on the braking system. And of course, the rear pillars on the Priora were modified, a detail that, from the first years of the existence of the Lada Priora, caused a lot of criticism from car owners.

The stanchions are a mechanism whose job it is to filter out shocks that hit the vehicle when driving on a bad road. If the racks are of inadequate quality and not well-designed, then movement becomes a sheer nightmare. That is why driving an expensive foreign car and a budget domestic car, which is sensitive to every bump, is so strikingly different.

The struts have a complex design, but the basis is a hollow piston system. The piston system is equipped with multiple parts that attach the struts to the car body, and inside it is filled with either gas-oil liquid or oil. The principle of operation of the racks is that the piston, coming into motion, as it were, breaks up the blows falling on it, reducing their force.

The front and rear struts, depending on the manufacturer, can last for a different amount of time, so the standard rear saaz struts installed on the Lada Kalina and Lada Priora can last 75,000 - 85,000 km, after which they need to be replaced. If you put new ones on a Lada or Priora, of better quality, then they will already serve 120,000 - 125,000 km, which is already an achievement.

Read also: DIY repair vaz 21074

On the Priora, as on other cars, problems with the struts are expressed in oil leakage, insufficient adhesion of tires to the road surface, and deterioration in maneuverability. Another sign of C-pillar problems is an unexpected, dramatic increase in stopping distance. According to professionals, if you need to replace one rear pillar, then it is more intelligent to change both at once, since otherwise there may be a discrepancy between parts, which will lead to a significant deterioration in the operation of the entire system and a decrease in the dynamics, maneuverability and controllability of the car.At the moment, several types of racks are installed on the Priora:

Oil. Their action is based on the strength of the hydraulic oil. As a rule, such devices are two-pipe, although sometimes one-pipe are also found, they are less efficient and difficult to operate. Oil racks are easy to install, wear-resistant and durable. The only drawback of this device is that it does not cool well, which ultimately leads to deformation. But with proper care of the machine, deformation may not come soon. But oil parts are cheaper than gas-oil ones.

Gas-oil is in many ways similar to oil, but here we have a completely different type of liquid, which means a different principle of operation. Here, a part called a gas back-up regulates the oxygen pressure, replacing it with nitrogen, which sets the entire system in motion. Such racks are more often presented in a one-pipe version, in contrast to single-pipe oil, gas-oil are good in everything. The most significant advantage of the system is good heat dissipation.Minus - less wear resistance than oil racks, as well as high sensitivity to external factors of different properties.

Back to the table of contentsLada Priora rear suspension details: 1 - rubber-metal hinge; 2 - bracket for fastening the suspension arm; 3 - shock absorber casing; 4 - compression stroke buffer; 5 - casing cover; 6 - support washer; 7 - shock absorber cushions; 8 - spacer sleeve; 9 - shock absorber; 10 - insulating gasket; 11 - rear suspension spring; 12 - lever connector; 13 - rear suspension beam arm; 14 - shock absorber mounting bracket; 15 - flange; 16 - lever sleeveThe first generation of Priora, which debuted in the nineties, caused a lot of critical assessments regarding the struts and suspension. The car could not please with a good chassis, it swayed, maneuverability was not at the best level.At the beginning of the two thousandth, a restyling stage took place, which carried out the car in a reformatory way. Now the racks have become more reliable, and the power section is more powerful. But still, professionals propose to improve the restyled version by replacing the racks, since then its course is significantly improved. Although over time, replacement of parts is necessary in any case.Replacing the struts on the Priore is based on one factor: in what conditions the car will be used. Each rack has its own design differences, pros and cons, technical features, and if one type is good in one situation, then in another it is unlikely to be effective. So this should be taken into account without fail.Before coming to a decision to replace parts, you should be 100% sure of this. You can check the working condition of the racks in a very simple, old-fashioned way. We'll have to shake the corner of the car a little. Now count the number of free hops. If one - then the system is normal. If there is more than one, then an urgent replacement of the racks is required, since the old ones no longer cope with the task assigned to them.When replacing old parts, you should also take into account that oil racks, despite their affordable price, are less effective, especially in frosty weather. Gas-oil shock absorbers are somewhat more complicated and more expensive, but they will please you with good work. It is only worth noting that imported spare parts are much better than domestic ones. Therefore, professionals, as a rule, put Kayaba racks on the Priora.

So let's get down to business, first we unscrew the nut securing the rear pillar to the body. For this, it is advisable to use a special 22X13 key (head in the head) for replacing, removing and installing rear pillars of cars.

Next, we put reliable stops under the car, “rip off” the wheel bolts (but do not unscrew), then raise the car on a jack, while the emphasis is placed on the side opposite to the lifting.

After lifting the car with a jack, a safety net is placed under the body in the form of a reliable stop. Having lifted the car body, we give up the previously “torn off” bolts, then we remove the wheel. We carry out this process of the operation in order to proceed with replacing the rear shock absorber of the car Priora vaz 2170.

Having removed the rear wheel, unscrew the bolt securing the lower part of the rear upright to the beam and take it out. To do this, you have to work a little with a hammer. Then the replacement stand with spring is removed from the machine. First of all, you need to defect all the elements of the shock absorber and simply replace all the parts that have become unusable.

In this case, we will replace the new torn anthers of the "corrugation", we will also replace the bushings of the upper shock absorber of the rear "donut", and leave the old bump stop, which can still serve, since it is practically not worn out for replacement.

Rear suspension shock absorber casing, repair kit design number: vaz 2108-2915681

Before installing the casing of the "corrugation", a shaped baffle metal washer is installed on top of it, and a baffle of the rear pillar is immediately placed in the "corrugation". The “corrugation” boot is put on the stem, and a lower rubber “donut” with an iron sleeve is placed on top.

Rear shock absorber rubber cushions for the spring vaz 2110, 2111, 2112, 2170, repair kit design number: 2110-2912652

The adhered upper rubber cushion of the shock absorber spring is removed from the body and is also defective. In our case, the rubber cushion is still "alive", so it remains for the further operation of the VAZ Priora car.

(!) As you can see in the video, on the stand itself, the platform for the lower part of the spring is rubberized.

Next, we orient the spring along the cut of the coil on the lower cup of the shock absorber in order to correctly install the upper spring cushion along the cut of the coil and put the rubber cushion on the spring.

Then we install the spring with the upper cushion installed on the shock absorber, and it is ready to be installed on the Priora vaz car. New shock absorbers for replacement purchased by the owner of the car Priora VAZ have the designation "CC20". The shock absorber is wound with the upper part into the body niche, with the condition that the rod falls into the hole of the upper attachment in the car body and a nut can be attached to the rod. In this case, its lower part is inserted into the fastening bracket and fixed with a fastening bolt, after which a nut is screwed onto it (self-locking nut).

Then the lower connection of the rack to the beam itself is crimped with keys. We move on to the upper mount, after lowering the body a little to compress the spring with the weight of the car body. Install the upper rubber "donut", washer and screw on the stem nut.

Next, we hold the stem from turning with one key, and with the second we tighten the fastening nut with the prescribed force using a special. key. The top of the strut support is assembled and you can put the wheel in place and lower the body from the jack.

We go to the other side, where we do the same operations for lifting and securing the car body for the safety of the work.

Next, remove the second rear wheel ...

Then we act according to the already worked out scheme. We unscrew the nut of the upper mounting of the rear shock absorber, use a special key for this to replace the rear shock absorbers (as mentioned above, in the form of two heads inserted one into one). After we unscrew the last threads on the nut simply by hand, remove the nut, washer, rear shock absorber bushing, rubber "donut".

Cushions for fastening the upper end of the shock absorber, repair kit design number: VAZ 2110-2915450 (4 pcs. Under noier-1, see photo). Rear suspension arm mounting hinge design number: VAZ 2108-2914054-10 (2 pcs. Under number-2, see photo)

Go down and unscrew the bottom bolt and take it out of the mounting bracket. The fasteners are released and the shock absorber can be removed from the wheel housing, which is what we are doing.