We wondered when to change the rear struts of a VAZ, you can change them at home yourself. My answer is that you can change the racks yourself at home, but how do you know when to change the racks?
Signs of a faulty rear strut: when driving on the road, the rear of the car sways, and when the rear wheel hits a hole, an impact occurs in the strut.
A sign of a good rear strut, the rear of the car does not sway on the road; when the rear wheel hits a hole, the wheel falls into it without impact, softly.
Based on these signs, we decided that the rear struts need to be replaced. Rear struts are now mostly produced as non-separable ones, so it is better to buy new ones in advance rather than try to pump up old ones, as they may turn out to be non-removable.
Now we need to decide on the choice of rear struts. The rear struts are divided into gas and oil.
Which racks are better to install?
To make your choice, analyze what is most important to you in a car and which roads you drive on most often. Gas struts perfectly hold the car on a good road at high speed, but as soon as you go off-road or on a gravel road, the car turns into a rattle. Since gas struts provide little resistance to compression, small and frequent bumps will be poorly absorbed and will be released into the body of the car. Oil struts are good for those who often drive off-road (in Russia, half the country is off-road), they hold the car a little worse at high speed, but they behave smoothly off-road, since they have no compression resistance, they only resist decompression, thereby , better than gas ones, absorb small and frequent bumps.
To replace the rear struts at home, it is advisable to have spring ties; if there are no ties, you can change them without them, but it will be a little more difficult.
The photo below shows how to lift the car and remove the wheel; be sure to secure the jack with hemp or bricks.
Photo. The car is on a jack, with a safety stump.
Unscrew the strut bolt, it is shown in the photo below. But this bolt does not always come out easily; sometimes the bolt is on the customer’s strut bushing. A jammed bolt can simply be cut off with a grinder or a hacksaw. You can try to knock it out, first try to turn it with a key; if it turns, it’s fine, pull it out in a circular motion. But don’t try to hit the thread, you can break the thread, thereby widening the end of the bolt, then it will definitely rest against the strut bushing and jam. Try to knock out the bolt like this, take a thin chisel or a powerful screwdriver, drive it between the head of the bolt and the post mount, if the bolt comes out, hammer it in again, drive the chisel in again, swing it with such blows. It is advisable to have WD-40 and spray it into the bolt. If it suffers for so long, the bolt will come out, and if it doesn’t work out, the bolt sits as if welded, then cut it off without sparing it.
Photo. The wheel has been removed, you can see the bolt that needs to be unscrewed to remove the strut.
After the bottom bolt is removed, you need to unscrew the nut of the strut rod; if the car has a panel like in the photo below, it must be removed to get to the rod.
Photo. View of the trunk with a shelf that must be removed to get to the strut rod.
Usually the nut unscrews easily, but just in case, spray it with WD-40 and let it sit for about ten minutes. Insert the spanner wrench as shown in the photo below, and use the eight wrench to keep the rod from turning. By unscrewing the rod nut, the stand will come down.
Photo. Shows how to tighten the strut nut.
The photo below shows how to tighten the spring, now insert the strut rod into the car, tighten the nut, tighten the lower bolt of the strut, remove the spring ties, the strut has been replaced.
New strut with compressed springs, ready to install on the car.
To easily insert the lower part of the rack into the mount, the beam can be pulled back using a crowbar, as shown in the photo.
Photo. Shows how to insert a crowbar to press out the rear beam.
When replacing a strut without a spring tie, screw the strut into the lower mount, then lift the beam with a jack, directing the rod into the hole, but be careful, when guiding the strut, the rod should not rest against anything, as it will be pressed in, try to get the rod into the hole exactly.
It takes two people to change the racks, it’s very difficult for one person.
Photo. This is how a jack is placed to compress the rear strut spring without ties.
There is no difference in the stances; they are not divided into left and right.
It’s very easy to determine, click on the car near that wheel, if the car rises smoothly, it’s a good stance, and if it rocks several times, then it’s a bad stance. Either when you get into a hole there is a sharp knock in the strut - this is a bad strut, or on the highway the car rocks like on a swing, the shock absorbers are also bad.
Replacing the rear pillar of a VAZ. Video.
Gorobinsky S.V.
Replacing the rear struts of a VAZ-2114 is quite simple; it requires a minimal set of tools. Repairs can be done on your own in just a few hours. The main thing in this matter is to choose the right new elements and follow the instructions when installing.
If the struts break, the entire rear suspension will not function properly. Damping of vibrations during movement on an uneven surface will not occur, so it is necessary to replace the racks and their elements. Moreover, it is necessary to change the shock absorbers in pairs.
You need to know which rear struts to install on the VAZ-2114. After all, each manufacturer has its own characteristics, and most importantly, the cost of the elements is quite high. Telescopic struts are installed on the rear suspension.
It is, of course, advisable to purchase elements produced by those factories that are official suppliers of AvtoVAZ. Such parts are inexpensive, have a long service life, and most importantly, they are less likely to be counterfeited. But you can choose other, better ones:
If the rear struts of the VAZ-2114 have not been replaced since the production of the car, then most likely they have already become unusable. Several signs that indicate that the rear struts need to be replaced:
These are the main signs that indicate that there is a breakdown in the car’s suspension. After a thorough diagnosis, a replacement must be made.
The service life of the rear shock absorbers depends on the conditions in which the car is used, how the driver is used to driving, and most importantly, on the quality of spare parts. Judging by the practice of car operation, the resource of the rear struts is much greater than that of the front ones.
But this does not mean that they cannot become unusable. When operating a vehicle, it is necessary to promptly eliminate malfunctions, carefully monitor the condition of components, and diagnose breakdowns.
If the struts are broken, you won't be able to fix them, but with proper care, you can maximize the service life of new components. Careful driving, avoiding potholes and potholes, of which, unfortunately, there are many on our roads, can increase the life of the rear struts. Careful driving will not help if the selection of rear struts was made incorrectly, or you purchased a cheap fake.
Please note that some types of shock absorbers can be repaired using repair kits. They include valves, nuts, and seals. Be sure to change the oil inside the shock absorber. This can increase the efficiency of the device.
Only after you have decided which racks you will install, you can start replacing. Before you begin repairs, you need to complete the following steps:
Be sure to remove the rear wheels completely. The suspension must be in an unloaded state, otherwise repairs will be very difficult. Supports must not be installed under the rear beam. This will cause the strut spring to be compressed.
Further steps are the same when removing the left and right struts. For dismantling you will need:
If necessary, check its length under load, as well as the condition of the metal. If there are even the slightest cracks, be sure to purchase new springs and install them. To strengthen the body, you can install a VAZ-2114 rear strut strut in the luggage compartment. It will reduce roll when cornering and improve vehicle stability.
New shock absorbers are installed in the reverse order. First, a spring, cushions, and anther are installed on them. Try not to use old-style boots made of hard plastic. They break down very quickly. All bolts and nuts must be installed with new ones. If you purchase a rear strut assembly for a VAZ-2114, then the bolts and nuts will not be included in the kit, so you need to buy them separately. The nuts must have plastic bushings that will allow the threaded connection to be fixed as securely as possible.
Any car enthusiast knows that replacing the rear struts of a car is a consequence of constantly driving on a road surface with holes and ruts. Work on installing the rear pillar of the VAZ 2110 must be carried out professionally, using the necessary equipment.
The tens struts, as well as those of other passenger cars, are designed to dampen vibrations that are transmitted from the suspension to the bodywork when driving on roads with poor surface conditions. On roads of poor quality, the load on these suspension design elements doubles. The rear supports of the VAZ 2110 pillars are subjected to extreme pressure, which actually take on the main loads.
Correct operation of these rear suspension components allows you to maintain comfort when driving a vehicle in compliance with the requirements for safe driving in a car.
The rear struts are also designed to optimize the wear rate of this vehicle's undercarriage. Together with shock absorbers, they minimize the vertical movements of the vehicle when driving. After all, at the moment the wheels leave the track, they are switched off from the braking process; the functions of the mechanisms and physical laws of motion do not act on them. All this significantly affects the safety of vehicle control.
It is also difficult to provide comfort to road users without good shock-absorbing qualities of the suspension. Every unevenness on the road, sharp braking without the compensatory effect of the rear pillar is fully transmitted to the cabin, creating the preconditions for emergency situations.
It so happens that a loaded “ten” touches the fender liners with the reverse wheels. To increase ground clearance and solve this problem, motorists install so-called. spacers for the rear struts of the VAZ 2110, which are placed between the lower plane of the shock absorbers and the brackets of the rear yoke (beam).
With an increase in rear clearance, the following vehicle characteristics change:
If the first two positions are subject to self-adjustment, then the angular distance must be set at a specialized enterprise.
When the rear pillar of a VAZ 2110 knocks after a run of 30,000 km, it is extremely difficult to name offhand what is the reason for this. There may be several reasons:
If you hear a grinding noise coming from the levers, they must be replaced. One method for detecting extraneous sounds is to empty the luggage compartment of cargo. Having decided to replace this part, you should know that the cost of a rear pillar for a “ten” is acceptable for Russian car enthusiasts.
Considering the design of the rear pillar, it can be noted that this unit is a dependent-action unit with springs and shock absorbers-telescopes of a double-sided design. The tens aft rack is mounted on a driven supporting structure, which consists of a set of levers, brackets with seats (eyes), silent blocks, connecting elements and other auxiliary equipment.
To replace the rear pillar of a VAZ 2110, it is necessary to perform a number of technological steps, as well as obtain metalworking tools and a special key for dismantling the pillars.
To remove the rear pillar of a VAZ 2110, you must:
At this stage, the removal of the rear pillar of the VAZ 2110 is completed, upon completion of the change of necessary elements, incl. and such as the rear pillar boot, we proceed to the operation of assembling the part.
At such a technological stage as assembling the rear strut, it is necessary to mount a compression stroke buffer mechanism, a spacer sleeve, protection with an outer cover, a shock absorber pad, a spring and a support washer.
Operating procedure:
The whole procedure will take no more than a few hours, but after it is completed, any driver will feel how his car will become noticeably more obedient on the road.
Many drivers mistakenly draw a parallel between concepts such as a shock absorber strut and the shock absorber itself. Some of them believe that this is an ordinary spring, or call all the elements of this system assembled together a strut. To understand that this is an erroneous opinion, it is worth studying in more detail the question of what racks are and what features of their design are present.
A shock absorber strut is a component that is required to connect components such as the body and wheels of a vehicle. This support is connected to a spring and a damper, which, by the way, is the main component of the shock absorber.
To understand how the front shock absorber struts of a vehicle function, the MX should be divided into two main structural elements - a spring and a shock absorber. They are the ones who put the whole mechanism into action.
The main element of this part is designed to level out a variety of defects in modern road surfaces. It is also necessary to reduce vibration activity, which is reflected on the body during movement. When moving along a heavily broken road, it is thanks to the spring that the driver only feels the smooth rocking of the car. the spring absorbs the most powerful shocks, that is, completely dampens them.
The metal from which the spring is made must have optimal elasticity. Typically, the steel used is one that is optimally suited for a specific vehicle brand, its weight and general specialization.
The spring is installed with one side in a special cup of the rack, and the other part passes through a rubber spacer, which, in turn, rests against the body.
This is the stand itself, which, when compared with the same spring, is a more complex part in its design. Here are the most basic design features:
The main task of a shock absorber is to dampen vibrations that come from the spring. The depreciation procedure implies a serious increase in the level of pressure generated by the internal part of the part. Its reduction is carried out due to special valves, which are located directly on the piston. Depending on the general position, the elements automatically close and open so as to effectively regulate the applied loads.
Any type of elastic metal from which the spring is made, when exposed to one or another mechanical factor, forms automatic residual vibrations, which cause serious discomfort to passengers and the driver. It is to dampen such shaking and vibrations that the shock absorber was developed and is widely used. It can completely transform sharp shocks into almost imperceptible soft vibrations.
Shock absorber struts play a major role in the structure of the entire vehicle suspension. Due to the relatively small size and ease of maintenance, the manufacturer produces structures at minimal cost.
Due to their small dimensions, the racks take up minimal free space. Due to this, you can easily place additional levers and other structural elements that can make the trip as comfortable as possible.
At the same time as increasing the level of comfort, the front shock absorber strut is designed to perform the following functions:
The price of the struts is an order of magnitude higher compared to the shock absorbers themselves. The reason is a more complex design, as well as the fact that high quality materials are used in production.
All car struts operate using a special working fluid. Based on the substance used in the cylinder device, front shock absorber struts can be divided into three main types:
The front and rear pillars are different from each other, so you need to be careful during the purchasing process.
The front ones are slightly higher in length and have a smaller diameter. There are no steering knuckles in the rear shock absorber designs. Additionally, rear struts are much more difficult to replace than front struts.
The total operating time of front shock absorbers, as well as the frequency of their replacement, directly depends on three main factors:
For this reason, on some machines parts have to be changed every 6 months, while on others the designs last for 7 years.
Such a difference in service life is based on improper operation of vehicles, as well as poorly selected main structures and springs. Neglect of these rules can lead to the fact that the load will not be distributed evenly, which will automatically negatively affect the service life of the entire shock-absorbing system of the car.
If the right or left rack fails, this can lead to an emergency situation. It is for this reason that it is so important to carefully monitor your vehicle. Timely repair work will avoid a large number of problems.
The following signs and characteristic symptoms indicate a breakdown of the front struts:
Such phenomena usually occur due to the poor quality of the main elements of the racks, due to improper installation, as well as due to the natural process of wear and aging of the built-in elements.
It is impossible to say which racks you need to buy. It all depends on material wealth and the vehicle itself. In any case, there is no need to save on these elements. It is worth buying designs that have a large number of positive reviews and are produced by trusted manufacturers.
If the bearing, upper support and the entire strut as a complete assembly have already served their useful life, there is only one way out - replacing the front shock absorbers. This operation on the front of the car can be done with your own hands.
If the left or right strut is worn out, both will need to be replaced at the same time.
When making a replacement, you must rely on a special repair manual. Despite the fact that there are certain differences in the design of different car brands, the algorithm of action is similar in all cases. The sequence of manipulations here is as follows:
If you follow these instructions, you can quickly replace the front struts with new ones, ensuring comfortable movement of the car and ensuring a high level of safety. The support will become strong, the suspension will stop swaying and negatively affect the overall operation of the vehicle.
Every driver must understand that the suspension and the entire shock-absorbing system as a whole directly affects the overall behavior of the vehicle on the road. A-pillars are one of the most basic elements of the entire assembly, which effectively stabilizes the car and requires replacement from time to time. To avoid unpredictable behavior of the car on the track, you need to monitor the serviceability of the struts and the degree of their wear.
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Sooner or later, every car enthusiast has to face the problem of replacing rear struts. Because driving a car with faulty shock absorbers does not bring driving pleasure. As a rule, when shock absorbers fail, an extraneous sound is constantly heard in the rear of the car, especially when the car is moving in reverse. Unfortunately, not many people decide to replace the rear struts themselves; many turn to specialized services, but we will try to understand in more detail and understand what and in what sequence needs to be done to replace the rear struts with your own hands.
Let's figure it out - what are the causes of the unpleasant noise that comes from the rear of the car.
You can carry out such diagnostics without removing the shock absorber from the car, but to check the shock absorbers in more detail, the shock absorber must be removed.
Let's take a closer look at the process of removing the rear shock absorbers.
So, having carried out the initial diagnostics, we did not identify any problems with the shock absorbers, but we also did not solve the problem with unpleasant noises and knocks, so let’s remove the shock absorber.
For this we need:
We remove all decorative panels and protection in the trunk of the car to provide access to the upper shock absorber mount.
Once access is secured, unscrew the three nuts that secure the shock absorber support cup to the car body.
For better access, it is better to remove the wheel, naturally jacking up the car.
Now unscrew the lower bolt(s) that secures the shock absorber to the car beam.
Pull the shock absorber and spring out.
Now we need to remove the spring so that we can check and inspect our shock absorber in more detail. To do this we will need spring ties like those in the photo
We compress the spring with zip ties to release the shock absorber support cup from the load. Now, using a 19mm wrench and a hexagon, unscrew the nut (seen in the photo)
After we have removed the shock absorber, we can check it on a flat surface. To do this, we need a bolt that can be inserted into the holes of the lower shock absorber and arm mounting. We try to compress and unclench the shock absorber; if shocks are felt when compressing or the shock absorber simply falls down without effort - such a shock absorber is not suitable. Also, when stretching the shock absorber, it should “go” smoothly with a relatively small force; if it rises up easily, such a shock absorber is faulty. It is also worth paying attention to the shock absorber rod, if it has obvious signs of wear, holes, rust, or is completely bent - such a shock absorber should also not be installed on a car. If, when you try to compress or expand the shock absorber, it does not work, it is simply jammed, but a jammed shock absorber would be noticeable when it was installed on the car. The car would not succumb to rocking despite attempts to rock it.
In this video you can see which struts are unsuitable, and also understand what force is needed to check the shock absorber
Having discovered a faulty shock absorber, we ask ourselves what kind of shock absorber to buy now so that it will last a long time.
At the moment, there are a very large number of shock absorber manufacturers on the market and it is very difficult to give preference to any brand, let’s just look at which shock absorbers are better and which are worse, gas-oil or oil.
I would like to note right away that gas-oil shock absorbers are thirty percent more expensive than oil shock absorbers, unlike oil shock absorbers, which use only oil; gas shock absorbers are also pumped with gas under pressure. Gas-oil shock absorbers hold the road better, i.e. provide your car with better downforce of the wheels to the road, while your car behaves more confidently on the road, this is especially noticeable when taking sharp turns or sharp maneuvers on the road. If you prefer to feel confident behind the wheel of your car and love a comfortable ride, then the choice is obvious; you need gas-oil shock absorbers.
In general, the characteristics of oil shock absorbers are not very different from gas shock absorbers and may well be suitable for motorists who have a relaxed driving style and are not so picky about ride quality. If you use your car to get from home to work and go to the country on weekends, oil shock absorbers are quite suitable for you, and you will save at least thirty percent on the cost of shock absorbers compared to gas ones.
Once you have decided which shock absorbers you need and have purchased, do not forget to bleed the shock absorbers before installation as shown in the video below
After the shock absorber is assembled, we install it in the reverse order as described above.
