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.
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.
After pumping oil, the rack needs to be pumped, as usual.
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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.
It's time to think about the coming winter. In my case, this is the replacement of struts and wheels. Based on the results of the previous winter, one thing was clear that something had to be done with the stands, because they were making a drum knock, which put a lot of pressure on the nervous system. According to the initial examination, they were dry, the most interesting thing was waiting after the analysis.
Disassembled. The amorts were not at all alive. Although they did not flow, there was clearly not enough gas there. The stock itself did not climb out and moved in jerks. There are only two options: either a new original, or repair of existing hardware.Actually, the first option turned out to be very non-budgetary, which could be expected. Then I decided to experiment and try to repair the existing ones.
So we have here such non-collapsible shock absorbers.
We saw them and take out all the giblets from there.
The next question is, what to shove there ?! This suspension is assembled for winter operation, so more comfort is needed in order to better work out uneven roads and live for more than one season. I decided to try KYB Exel-G.
Body 330mm, front cartridge stem 200mm, rear cartridge 225mm.
In order to fix these cartridges in the cases of non-collapsible racks, we sharpen the attachments at the turners, which are subsequently scalded on the cases. Then it is screwed on top with a nut that comes with a cartridge, and of course the whole repair.
As a passive protection against corrosion, all paint-exposed areas were painted over with black spray paint.
We pump the cartridges before assembling. We put them in the housings, fill them with oil, tighten them with a nut and assemble them.
The stem on the rear cartridges had to be modified with a file, since in the upper support there is a hole in the form of a circle without one segment, and the stem in the upper part of a circular cross-section ...
While the flight is normal, it is much more comfortable and quieter than on tapping teins.
Springs on Tein HA 80kg front and 70kg back. Will be sold or replaced with Tein Basic Wagon springs with 40kg front and 30kg rear.
On native racks it always seemed that the backside was slightly lower than the front, at least on the arches it was noticeable. All 4 springs were bought with new original ones. In general, I decided to raise the rear by 10mm, so that it would at least be on the same level with the front, but in fact it turned out to be a little higher than the front, but not critical. Raised with spring inserts
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Before making a choice, I searched the Internet, but I could not find a definite answer “what is good”. Feedback from those who did it were positive. As a result, I decided to put an experiment on my own skin.
Background. Mileage 134t of them in Russia 74. Rear racks are changeable for kayabs - they left one winter more or less, but last winter in December they were struck. Summer left for the punched. The front ones still saw the Japanese roads, it also struck last winter.
As a result, the repair of 4 racks (2400 apiece), replacement of supports, front dust collectors, silent blocks of front levers, rubber bands on the stub.
All the details are put on Oringal except for the racks. Made in one untwisted office. In the morning I arrived in the evening and took it.
Breshut that they poured a slurry that works in cold weather (subjectively, at -10, the suspension was immediately in operation, we are waiting for -30). Gave 6 months warranty. The calculation was that right now 6 months just until May and then summer. A fitting appeared on the rack, I wonder what the pressure is there?
I will try to bring up statistics and draw conclusions: is it worth it?
Almost every motorist can repair shock absorber struts, if he is not afraid of dirty work under the car. This will also save you a good amount of money. After all, as soon as dull bumps begin to appear in the suspension of the car when driving through pits and potholes, then it’s time to come to grips with repairing shock absorbers.
Each automaker uses its own design developments to damp vibrations when the vehicle is moving. But shock absorbers are present in almost all modern passenger cars.
The lifespan of a shock absorber is determined by the driving style of the vehicle and the quality of the roads. For example, many 10-year-old cars from Europe with a mileage of more than 200 thousand km come to us on "native" shock absorbers. And in our road conditions, a rare suspension part survives up to 100 thousand kilometers.
At the end of this article, you will find a visual video tutorial on repairing the shock absorber strut of a VAZ 2110 car.
Below we will talk about what are the main malfunctions of shock absorbers, and how you can fix them with your own hands, if you have certain skills, tools and the desire to do this.
The main malfunctions of shock absorber struts are:
Free movement of the rod in the cylinder,
The presence of knocking when compressing or stretching,
Oil drips.
Finding all these problems is quite simple, even without removing the shock absorbers from the car.
To determine the performance of the shock absorbers, it is necessary to press hard several times with the whole body weight on the wing or bumper of the car directly above each shock absorber in turn. If, after the car stops rocking, further vertical vibrations occur, then the shock absorber is faulty. Usually, a working node stops swinging immediately after the impact on it stops.
In a similar way, knocks in the shock absorber strut are detected. To do this, rest your hand with the palm of your hand at the top attachment point of the rack and swing it up and down with sharp rhythmic presses. Impacts will be clearly felt upon contact.
To find leaks in the shock absorbers, it is enough to look between the wheel and the arch of the car. Turning the wheel to one side will help to improve visibility. It is even more convenient for these purposes to use a viewing pit, overpass or lift.
For more information on methods for checking the health of car shock absorbers, read our article on how to check shock absorbers on a car.
Repair of shock absorber struts begins with their dismantling. Removing the shock absorbers is usually not a problem. Unless the fasteners force the motorist to swear loudly and resort to drastic measures ("grinder" or gas "cutter").
But more often than not, it is enough to clean the nuts and bolts from sand and dirt, and then treat them with WD-40 fluid. After 20-30 minutes, you can start dismantling.
Here are a few things to consider when removing shock absorbers for later repair or replacement:
Often, the part of the car where the shock absorber is removed has to be hung with a jack. It is imperative to install stops under the sill or bottom so that the car does not accidentally move during repairs.
For better access to the lower mountings of the shock absorber, the corresponding wheel must be removed.
The upper attachment points of the struts in most cars are usually located under the hood and in the trunk.
In front-wheel drive vehicles, removing the strut requires more work. The complexity of the work depends on the type of shock absorber.
Collapsible shock absorber structures are distinguished by more complex rack dismantling. To remove such a unit, you will have to unscrew the hub nut and remove the rack together with the hub.
Non-collapsible shock absorbers have a simpler strut design. At the lowest point, the shock absorber is inserted into the cup, where it is attached with one or two bolts.
The top attachment for both types of struts is usually located under the hood (front shock absorbers) and in the trunk (rear). Here you will need to tighten only two nuts.
The shock absorber struts in front-wheel drive vehicles are usually removed with the springs.
To determine the cause of a front wheel drive vehicle's shock absorber strut malfunction, it will most likely have to be completely disassembled. For details on disassembling, assembling and repairing a shock absorber, see the video tutorial at the end of this article.
Ties will be an indispensable tool for disassembling the shock absorber. This spring compressor is a powerful stud with a left-hand thread at one end and a right-hand thread at the other. There is a turnkey hexagon at the end of the stud. Grips (with left and right threads, respectively) are screwed onto the ends of the hairpin, which will reliably cling to the coils of the shock absorber spring when it is compressed.
Two such clamping devices are required to compress the spring. They are installed on opposite sides of the spring. Pulling is done by alternating rotation of the pins.
When the spring is compressed enough that it becomes free to "walk" in the rack, you can unscrew the top nut, remove the support bearing with a rubber bumper, and carefully remove the spring.
After careful inspection, it may turn out that the cause of the knock lies in a worn rubber bump stop. A tight rotation with a creak is observed when the support bearing fails.
The collapsible shock absorber is unscrewed from the body using a special key. Some motorists do this job successfully with a hammer and a suitable steel bar.
After replacing defective parts, the shock absorber strut should be reassembled in reverse order.
When the top nut is securely tightened, the spring must be slowly released to a working condition. It is important that the first turns fall into their slots, which prevent it from shifting.
After that, it remains to install the shock absorber strut in place, screw the wheel and lower the car.
Damper struts should be repaired without haste and in compliance with safety regulations. Especially carefully and carefully it is necessary to compress and unclench the springs. Then the repair will take place without damage to the car and human injury. And the car after the repair of the shock absorber struts will go smoothly and quietly.
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Replacing the front shock absorbers and fuel pump with fuel filter (mesh)
Before the vacation went through the front struts. The following were delivered: Bilstein VNE 4820 and 4821 shock absorbers, Febest TSI 190UP anthers and bumpers of some German manufacturer (borrowed from Hans) The process itself turned out to be much simpler and easier than replacing the rear shock absorbers.
Well, and for the company I changed the gas pump and the mesh in the gas tank.
Replacing the rear shock absorbers
Guys, don't argue
Initially, we take everything out of the trunk and remove the curtain and shelf (perhaps there is a shorter way, but I went this way
Next, we fold the seats and backs and turn off the key for 12 side “wings”
we get such a landscape 😀
The Japs, in my opinion, were too smart with the process of replacing the rear struts, but that's my opinion. Unscrew the screw and “unfasten” the upper cap (cap), in which the shutter is fixed
and we get some access to the top of the cup and the stem of the amo.It is possible to tighten the stem (head 19) in this position, but unscrewing the cup (key, head 12) is quite problematic 🙁
therefore, I proceeded to completely remove the skin. The process is completely tireless, you will need: a Phillips screwdriver and maybe a knife in order to pick up a couple of caps 🙂
Here all the trim is removed and we got access directly to the glass of amo
For a while, having suspended work at the top, I went to twist the nuts at the bottom
with heads 10 and 12, unscrewed the pipelines from the rack
then unscrewing the cup mount at the top we get the rack at our complete disposal
but the spacer itself, on Zhdan, they ask for it from 10,000 / pc
The stand is in our hands and we just have to change amo. With ties (I used Zhigulevskme, but they are a little too small), we squeeze the spring, then turn off the stem nut with a 19 head. Everything, the stand is disassembled, we collect everything in the reverse order
Since I carried out this procedure a second time (the first time on Sunday), it took about 3 hours. After the completed work, the machine began to look like this
and the best part is that with a complete set (the whole family is in the car), the car does not catch a speed bump
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Well, why the same from the Russians?
our, by the way, the diameters of the cartridge cases are large
Bratsk - the country of the 40s Kamri-vist
in the summer I drove it back and forth on a set of the last tuning with a load, everything is alive, for a circle of about 10-11 cube, rear rigid, coupled with springs from grace allows you to load a bunch of junk
a relative minus - some loss of comfort on a shallow bump, but somehow 5 days behind the wheel does not tire
put the front ones with tuning opelevskie, earned a little extra money with a roller cutter support only, the rear - tuning ravovskie
if the budget suits me, I can send such things without any problems
you can embed it softer, but for me this is quite a good option turned out
about liquids: in Siberia, low-freezing slurries need to be poured for winter - Statoil produces - there is hydraulics with solidification temperatures of about -56 C))
Great Nadiavod
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Has anyone bothered to repair the racks?
In the fall, I put new original racks, the winter passed the racks began to flow.
What part of the car do you think suffers the most on our roads? Of course, this is the chassis. The wear of its elements is happening faster than we would like. And one of the most common problems is the failure of shock-absorbing struts. Sometimes the matter can be corrected with timely repairs, and sometimes a complete replacement of the shock absorber strut is required. We will deal with both the first case and the second. But first you need to decide what this element is
Due to the fact that the shock absorber struts are the most "delicate" element of this system, we will pay full attention to them. Front (sometimes rear) shock absorber struts are made according to the principle of a double-acting shock absorber operating on hydraulics. The rear shock absorber strut is most often manufactured according to the standard two-tube design. It is not worth delving into the structure of these elements, but you still need to know the main differences between them.
So, the main difference in the shock struts is that the front struts primarily affect the handling of the car, while the rear ones serve to increase comfort. The idea is clear - the front struts should be in working order, but you shouldn't forget about the rear ones either, because the good condition of the suspension means trouble-free and comfortable movement of the car.
Diagnostics of suspension struts
But how do you check the condition? The vehicle owner can carry out diagnostics, while the process itself is not difficult.The more modern the vehicle is, the easier it is to inspect and evaluate. But there are general signs that apply to all cars: If you notice fluid leaks in the suspension area or hear a constant knocking while driving, then with a probability of 95% the struts need to be repaired. Moreover, the repair of the racks can be done by hand.
So, we have identified a malfunction - repair is required. Of course, you can go directly to a car service where you will be replaced or repaired, but you need to say right away - it is quite expensive. Another option is to do the work yourself. If your car has collapsible struts, then there should be no problems with the repair. Unfortunately, in modern foreign cars, there are most often solid racks, but in domestic and old cars, the racks are collapsible. Why is that? In Europe, repair is a replacement for quite a long time. And it is right.
In the cold season, it is worth warming up the shock absorbers in the same way as the tires: after a night of inactivity, the car needs to be driven for about five minutes at low speed. This is done so that the oil warms up quietly. If gas is added immediately, the frozen oil can break the poppet valves.
Non-dismountable shock-absorbing struts
If you are the owner of a car where non-collapsible racks are installed, then you will not be able to cope with your own hands - special equipment is required to maintain them, so there is only one way out - to go to a car service. Almost every workshop offers maintenance services for non-collapsible racks. Here lit is better to choose a proven and recommended car service, because the repair of such racks is the introduction of structural changes. There is a chance that they will fail again after repair, even if it is carried out by experienced mechanics, so replacement will be more profitable and more reliable.
Before you start repairing racks, you should decide on the tools:
Do-it-yourself repair and replacement of racks is a change in the main part of the rack - the cartridge, so you need to purchase it. When buying, you need to name the model of your car.
You will need a rack wrench for front-wheel drive cars (you will need it for springs and ties) and a classic one.
Goats must be placed under the car, it is strictly forbidden to work with a jack, because this threatens the safety of the person carrying out the repairs.
Shock Absorber Repair Tools
So, you will be able to independently assess what type of struts is installed in your shock absorber. To do this, a simple inspection is enough for you. If there are fasteners, various nuts, bolts, then the rack can be disassembled. If it is a one-piece product, then the solution to the problem on its own is canceled. Well, now let's move on to the step-by-step instructions:
Remember: repair of shock absorber struts can only be paired.
Get your tools ready, you won't need a lot of them. Also bring a bowl of water and rags, as we will need to wipe the oil drips.
Now you need to put the car on a jack.
On the classics, dismantling the rack is quite easy, but with front-wheel drive cars you will have to tinker: the spring must be evenly compressed with ties on both sides. The compressed spring will then need to be rearranged to a new rack, but before that, a visual defect should be carried out.
Work begins with the rack: we carry out dismantling, then we drain all the oil. After that, you need to take out the "filling" in the scrap and put a new cartridge in its place.
The main process is completed, now you can assemble the system in the reverse order: the spring, then the support bearing and the stand itself on the machine.
After the completion of the repair, it is imperative to carry out a similar collapse. It would be better to contact the service station with this operation.
The rear pillar is repaired in the same way. Do not forget that you need to carry out repairs exclusively in pairs.
Repair of shock absorbers
Of course, repairing shock absorbers will be much cheaper than replacing them, but sometimes you have to do that too.Again, you can diagnose and see if they can still last after being repaired. If you are not sure of your discernment, then the diagnosis can be carried out at a car service. If you change shock absorbers, then this process should also be carried out only in pairs. To replace, you will need the same tools: a rack wrench for the classic and spring-loaded ties for front-wheel drive vehicles.
Do not test the strength of your shock absorbers on a bad road - this can keep them in good condition for a long time. High speed also negatively affects them, so if you drive, then on a high-quality road surface. Lifting the suspension also harms the entire shock absorber system: the rod begins to function in the area of movement, and this entails a quick failure.
If replacing the shock absorber strut can be done by hand, then replacing the entire shock absorber is most often done in a car service, because this is an overly responsible event. Finally, we would like to give a few recommendations on the care of new shock absorbers. The first step is to carry out anti-corrosion treatment of the bottom of the car. This will help you cope with adverse weather conditions.
Means for treating cars from corrosion
Again, this is necessary for our realities, since bad weather lasts about six months, and you rarely see gutters on our roads. Therefore, when you move through solid puddles, it is simply necessary that the underbody of the car is protected from corrosion. In addition, we recommend that when repairing shock absorbers, pay attention to the rear axle gearbox, as well as to other elements of the car's suspension.
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Today, when most of the passenger car park is occupied by foreign-made cars, the market for spare parts has also developed widely. Not the last place in it is occupied by shock absorbers for cars - one of the most important components of the suspension.
Shock absorbers are "lucky" most of all suspension parts - they are designed not only to dampen all vibrations in the chain: road - suspension - body, but also play an important role in the process of adhesion of the wheels to the road, in the braking and stability of the car. Although, according to the erroneous opinion of many novice motorists, the main task of shock absorbers is presented as creating comfortable driving conditions in a car.
First of all, with the diagnosis of shock absorbers and understanding the essence of their work. Don't panic when all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, you find out: the rear shock absorber creaks, the front shock absorber leaks. But recently, everything was in order with MOT. On the contrary, it's good that you paid attention to the atypical behavior of your car. The principle of diagnostics "a good knock will show itself" has never let the driver down.
The second stage of the damper epic is directly repairing the shock absorber. Repair options have already been considered, but it will not be superfluous to remind them. The first desire of a novice driver is to go to a service station, where, as he thinks, they will quickly and efficiently repair shock absorbers.
And the first action of an experienced driver is to get into the Operation Manual and decide what type of shock absorber he has. In fact, according to the rules of today's automotive industry, almost 90% of cars are equipped with non-separable shock absorbers, which means that the repair of these shock absorbers is not provided. But, this is where they have good roads and shock absorbers last up to 5 years or more.
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So, an experienced driver proceeds to consider the option - do-it-yourself shock absorber repair. And it's good if it doesn't have a pumped shock absorber. This is a type of shock absorber with a change in gas pressure, which allows you to change the performance in the event of a heavy load on the vehicle.
The fact is that often pumped shock absorbers are presented as an additional option. And they do their job perfectly until the moment of failure.And this is where an unpleasant streak begins for the car owner. Repair of shock absorbers with pumping consists in muffling the hydraulic fluid pipes and installing the rear struts as an assembly, ordinary, without frills.
The cost of a new pumped shock absorber runs into the hundreds of dollars. Whether the repair of gas shock absorbers. In principle, the repair of gas shock absorbers is not much different from the repair of hydraulic mechanisms. It is possible to do it yourself if you have certain special equipment.
As for the restoration of shock absorbers. I don’t want to question the skill of auto mechanics, but there is such a thing as “the voice of the people”. You can hear it on a variety of automotive forums where people share their impressions and experiences. The restoration of shock absorbers is viewed exclusively from a negative point of view.
A defective shock absorber is not a spare part that should be saved on, and the savings are doubtful, because the guarantee of the mileage of the restored shock absorber is minimal.
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Given the importance of the tasks performed by shock absorbers in a car, it is strongly recommended to repair shock absorbers only repairable and only using original components. Repair or restoration of non-separable shock absorbers is a dubious way out.
Moreover, it is categorically not recommended by the manufacturer. And do not forget - in the event of an insured event, insurers use any interference with the original construct as a reason for refusing to pay.
Replacing a faulty shock absorber with a new pleasure is not cheap, but you have a guarantee for at least 3-4 years in the mode of correct operation of the car.
Video (click to play).
Good luck to you lovers of your car.
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