Which front shock absorbers are better?

SAAZ, Demfi, Asomi, RUSAM, SS-20, Plaza: which shock absorbers to choose?

SS-20, Asomi, Demfi, SAAZ, Plaza, RUSAM... Owners of AvtoVAZ products often have questions about which shock absorbers to choose?
The reviews are completely contradictory. Some, for example, have Demfi, while others leak and start knocking every 5-10 thousand. I will share my thoughts on what I think about the listed shock absorber manufacturers and how to choose worthy ones. This is solely my opinion and is not the ultimate truth. Maybe I'm wrong. Comment and share your thoughts. So, let's go. Without any information about shock absorber manufacturers, without seeing production, they can only be assessed using open, publicly available data. This will be an indirect assessment, but it won’t work out any other way. What kind of open data is this? Public financial reporting. What matters is not the difference between income and expenses, but the turnover itself. SS-20. They are also LLC NPP Sistema Technologies. Let's see. zachestnyibiznes.ru/compa…OO-NPP-SISTEMA-TEHNOLOGIY Registered in Samara. Rating - average. The amount of authorized capital is 50,000 rubles. The average number of employees for 2018 is 8 people. The amount of income for 2022 is RUB 7,099,000. The amount of expenses is RUB 6,746,000. Can an organization with 8 employees and such financial indicators create some kind of breakthrough shock absorbers? I think not. This is a micro enterprise. I also have a not very successful experience of using SS-20 Gold supports on a Prior. I had to change them 2 times under warranty. The same negative experience regarding the SS-20 Gold progressive springs, which sank into the trash in a very short time. In general, aggressive advertising, beautiful color booklets, but in reality - nothing.

Demfi. Let's see. LLC "Demfi" zachestnyibiznes.ru/compa...5305_6321171714_OOO-DEMFI Registered in Tolyatti. The rating is high. The size of the authorized capital is 2,000,000 rubles. The average number of employees as of 01/01/19 is 45. The amount of income for 2022 is RUB 116,152,000. The amount of expenses is RUB 112,385,000. I can’t say anything about the quality of their products, because I’ve never used them. But judging by the reporting, this organization feels much better than the Technology System. And 45 people on staff is already some kind of production.

Asomi. Let's see. Asomi Auto Suspension LLC. zachestnyibiznes.ru/compa…25_OOO-ASOMI-AVTOPODVESKA Registered in Tolyatti. The rating is low. The amount of authorized capital is 10,000 rubles. The average number of employees as of 01/01/19 is 27 people. The amount of income for 2022 is RUB 19,125,000. The amount of expenses is RUB 22,182,000. I can’t say anything about the quality of their products, because I’ve never used them. Judging by the reports, they look better than the SS-20, but worse than the Demfi.

There are 2 organizations with similar names, the same registered address and the same leader. JSC "SAAZ" zachestnyibiznes.ru/compa…776788_6219000027_AO-SAAZ Rating - high. Registered in the Ryazan region. The amount of the authorized capital is RUB 417,575,598. The main activity is the rental and management of own or leased real estate. There are 304 employees on staff. Income for 2022—RUB 501,709,000. Expense - RUB 516,233,000.

SAAZ Komplekt LLC. zachestnyibiznes.ru/compa…9007537_OOO-SAAZ-KOMPLEKT Rating - high. Registered in the Ryazan region. The amount of authorized capital is 100,000 rubles. The main activity is the production of other components and accessories for vehicles. There are 1,360 employees on staff. Income for 2022 - RUB 3,135,679,000. Expense - RUB 3,106,149,000. Judging by the statistics, this is the only full-fledged production with billions of dollars in annual turnover.

PLAZA. Let's see. zachestnyibiznes.ru/compa…4682_7810434320_OOO-PLAZA Plaza LLC. The rating is low. Registered in St. Petersburg. The amount of authorized capital is 10,000 rubles. There were 4 employees on staff as of 01/01/18. Income for 2022—RUB 5,905,000. Expense - 5,905,000. Micro-enterprise. I have never used their products, but the reporting does not inspire absolutely any confidence. They look even worse than SS-20.

RUSAM (Russian shock absorbers). Patriotism is in the name itself. This is good. Let's see. zachestnyibiznes.ru/compa…4572_7811321745_OOO-RUSAM RUSAM LLC. Rating - average. Registered in St. Petersburg. The amount of authorized capital is 10,000 rubles. As of January 1, 2019, there were 40 employees on staff. Income for 2022—RUB 370,837,00. Expense - RUB 328,165,000. Surprisingly not bad. The number of employees on staff is at the level of Demfi, and the annual turnover is one of the largest after SAAZ.

There are also Finwhale (presumably China, which looks like Germany) and the Dutch Hola type (I assume also China). But they are not residents of the Russian Federation and there are no statistics on them. Well, let's sum it up. If reliability comes first for you and you are ready to forgive the shock absorbers for extraneous sounds that may occur when driving on a very uneven road, then I recommend staying with the factory Skopin shock absorbers. They sometimes tap, but at the same time they work, work, work. I have 109 thousand miles on them and they still perform their function. They don't leak or even sweat. The mileage on the previous Priora is currently more than 250 thousand (the car is in plain sight). During this run I only changed the rear shock absorbers. The front still has the standard Skopin struts. If you want to take a risk and try to choose something more comfortable, then in my opinion, you need to choose between RUSAM and Demfi shock absorbers. If you are a very risky person and like to tickle your nerves, then you can look towards Asomi, SS-20 or Plaza. I can’t say anything about Finwhale and Hola. This is the rating we got.

1. SAAZ. 2. RUSAM 3. Demfi. 4. Asomi. 5. SS-20. 6. Plaza.

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Front suspension device

Myths are already beginning to form about the handling of the LADA Vesta SW Cross, the suspension of which has not only design, but also standard features. Before a detailed examination of the front suspension design, we will highlight radically new solutions that allowed Vesta to stand on a par with the brainchild of Korean and even German concerns.

There are no objective reasons to abandon the MacPherson-type independent suspension, but several steps forward have turned the new product into a competitive car that can withstand the onslaught of not only Russian roads, but also numerous test drive enthusiasts.

For the first time, a subframe appeared on a Russian car . Some components migrated from the body to the auxiliary platform. The time has come to talk about increasing the level of comfort associated with vibration damping.
The new shape of the anti-roll bar contributes to a more responsive distribution of forces along the axle.
The stabilizer is attached by means of struts with hinged ends . Compared to the struts that were installed on all models of the ninth and tenth families, this design saved the car from excessive roll, especially when cornering.
The L-type lower wishbone is attached to the subframe at two points. Let us recall that previously a lever fixed at one point avoided longitudinal displacement by stretching. As a result, excessive play was formed. When braking, characteristic “pecks” of the nose were observed.

The diagram depicting the front suspension structure clearly shows all the main components.

Spar , or rather, the part of it to which the subframe is attached. Many owners note a rigid connection as a disadvantage. Silent blocks have been used on many foreign cars for a long time.
Subframe . It is hollow but durable. The cavity makes the assembly minimal in weight, although the thickness of the metal is impressive. The subframe experiences enormous loads while driving.
L-shaped front suspension arm. In the diagram you can distinguish the places where the lever is attached using silent blocks.
Rounded fist . It does not play a fundamental role in improving the basic parameters of the suspension, but the designers note that Vesta was equipped with new steering knuckles.
Telescopic stand with support and support bearing. It cannot but affect the performance, but it is still a design feature rather than a standard innovation.
Stabilizer and anti-roll bars.

This is interesting: Online store of auto parts for VAZ

Features of Vesta car shock absorbers

The front shock absorbers have the appearance of classic MacPherson struts and have the following characteristics:

Catalog number	8450006745 (left)
Shock absorber type	Gas
Bottom mount	Eyelet + rubber-metal joint
Top mount	Stock
Rod diameter	20 mm
Case diameter	48.5 mm

A special feature of the rear shock absorbers is their separate location from the springs. These are double-sided gas shock absorbers, which differ from other VAZ models in their size.

Catalog number	2180-2915402
Shock absorber type	Gas
Axle (installation side)	Rear, right, left
Bottom mount	Eyelet + rubber-metal hinge
Top mount	Stock
Rod thread parameters	M10x1.25
Connection length 2	602±3 mm
Connection length 1	375±3 mm
Rod diameter	12.5 mm
Casing diameter	47 mm
Rod stroke	237 mm

How do you know if a shock absorber has failed?

The first sign of a damaged rack will be discomfort when hitting an obstacle.

The lack of proper shock absorption is very noticeable in the cabin. The following signs will help you suspect a malfunction:

If you have such problems, you need to contact a service station, where they will carry out diagnostics and find out the causes of the problem. If you have a suitable location and the necessary equipment, you can inspect and identify the problem yourself.

Trim or install other springs

To cut this at all is some kind of game!

Firstly, there is no 25 cm in a loaded car, which is necessary for comfortable work. Secondly, the work of the suspension will be, on the contrary, torn, and the spring will become a little softer, it simply won’t have enough coils to hold the body normally. The center of gravity of the body will be mixed, which has an extremely negative effect on handling. If you cut off more turns, you will hit the bottom on the road, because again there is not enough spring (let’s say power) to hold the body. YES, the spring can simply fly out of its place.

Install other springs. Hypothetically, this is possible, but they are selected together with shock absorbers (more on this below). But if you make it more powerful, the car will become stiffer, but we need comfort. And if you install it softer than what you had, then the body simply won’t hold up, there will always be breakdowns.

Cost of shock absorbers for Lada Vesta

Many drivers are interested in the question, what shock absorbers are installed on Vesta from the factory? According to information from official sources, Lada Vesta cars of all modifications are equipped with Russian-made parts. They are manufactured by the Russian company SAAZ (Skopinsky Automotive Aggregate Plant), specially commissioned by AvtoVAZ. These racks are adapted for difficult road conditions and have proven themselves in practice.

If replacement is necessary, the driver can purchase original spare parts that are commercially available. You can also use analogues, which are also widely available on the shelves of auto stores. The cost of shock absorbers from different manufacturers is presented in the following table:

Cost (front/rear)

ASOMI (Russia, Tolyatti)

Manufacturer	vendor code
Manufacturer	Demfi (Russia, Skopino)	SFC8012	SRC8012
SS20 (Russia)	OEM 8450006744 and 8450006745	OEM 8450006786	6490 RUR/2 pcs.
Finwhale (Germany)	13081GR	25057 GU	2000 rub/piece
Trialli (Russia, Türkiye)	AG1365	AG 01515	2800 rub/piece
Pilenga (Italy)	SH-P2712G	2300 rub/piece
Stellox Germany (produced in Macedonia, Turkey, Poland)	4214-0108-SX	42140106SX	2300 rub/piece *Prices are valid as of August 2022

Knocks, crunching in the rear suspension

In the rear suspension, knocking is eliminated according to AvtoVAZ's instructions. It is necessary to remove the rear shock absorber strut and place a washer under the upper support (No. 5).

It is worth noting that after such modification, a gap appears between the support and the body, into which dirt can get in. To eliminate this, it is recommended to install a gasket according to the following dimensions:

Other sources of extraneous noise from the rear:

handbrake cable (fasten to ties);
trunk lid dampers (lubricate with silicone grease, loosen);
trunk lock (lubricate the lock, eliminate play);
in the area of the rear support, pull the bump stop down along the strut rod (pull it out of the support sleeve), spray silicone spray into the support sleeve and put the bump stop in place.
rear seat back locks (lubricate, apply electrical tape).
things or tools in the trunk.

How to diagnose the Vesta suspension yourself. If the rear knock only appears when braking, then this is a different case.

Let us remind you that another drawback of this sedan is associated with the creaking of the glass seals. Other instructions for tuning and modifying the new Lada can be found in this category.

Reviews and recommendations from Lada Vesta owners

Positive

NegativeWith a mileage of 38 thousand, strange sounds began to arise from the front suspension. It turned out that the racks were rattling and had already exhausted their service life. I decided to replace the original shock absorbers with the manufacturer Acomi. After I ordered on the official website, the manager immediately called back and clarified the details. The parcel arrived in Tula in 4 days, the details are as in the picture, packed in boxes. I’ve been driving on the new shock absorbers for a month now, and so far I can’t say anything bad - they cope with unevenness and obstacles perfectly. After replacing the original front struts with Acomi ones, the car began to handle worse. With the Saazov struts, it seemed to be more confused; I always knew how the car would behave in a given situation. Now, when cornering, the car sways a little and in a strong crosswind, strange vibrations are felt. The original shock absorbers were still better.

On the plus side, I note that the new struts are a little quieter and give a smoother ride.

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How to choose the right analogue

Replacing a shock absorber begins with its selection and purchase. To choose the right part, you should take into account the quality of the road surface. For rough roads, experienced drivers recommend installing soft shock absorbers. The plush suspension compensates for road unevenness and improves ride comfort. The downside is loss of stability at high speeds. If the road is good, you can install extremely tight racks. This will help increase the machine's operating speeds and minimize roll in turns, reducing sideways pulls.

Answers

Lada.Online

Lada (“Lada”) is a brand of cars produced by JSC AVTOVAZ. Previously, it was used only for export cars, and for the domestic market, cars were produced under the Zhiguli brand. In 2004, the management of AVTOVAZ announced the transition to the Latin alphabet for the official spelling of the names of all cars produced by the plant: Lada - instead of "VAZ" and "Lada".

Lada.Online is the largest Russian-language automotive resource with a daily audience of thousands, which is dedicated primarily to cars of this brand, the domestic automotive industry and the automotive world in general.

This site is not the official LADA website.

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Suspension life and reliability

It is too early to talk about the reliability of the new suspension. How to analyze the situation with sedans. The manufacturer promises trouble-free operation for five years, which equates to 100,000 km. The most adequate results are shown by tests carried out on the initiative of leading car clubs. The bottom line is the intensive (sometimes even merciless) use of the car at testing sites.

The picture turned out to be not so optimistic. Already at 25,000 km the shock absorbers began to leak. It is noteworthy that Reno’s sores were passed on to Vesta, as if by inheritance. The silent blocks of the rear beam can be considered a consumable material that will have to be replaced after a quarter of the declared resource. We can only hope that over time it will be possible to purchase components from HUTCHINSON or Lemförder.

Installing KYB front shock absorber cartridges on Vesta SW Cross

Hello everyone! To date, the vehicle's mileage is 111,000 km. I decided to write a story about my epic with the front Amorians. The car was purchased in May 2022 and was successfully operated until September 2022, listening to the orchestra of the SAAZ front struts and fighting with the front stub bushings (installed from Avensis and Niva and Shnivy and anointing with all possible lubricants, it was enough for some time, but it’s still not That). The mileage by September 2022 was 59,000 km. During the next trip from Astana to St. Petersburg to visit friends, we purchased a Demfi in a circle at the Belarusian stand and upon arrival home a new sample stub was ordered.

Everything was installed successfully. The stabilizer is all fire and doesn't cause any problems. It's more fun with the front Amoriki. They left until last winter (December 2022) without problems up to a mileage of 96,000 km, I drove them to Omsk, and to Balkhash, and on fishing trips... and died on the same day while driving along the Karaganda-Almaty highway 1000 km one way , which is under reconstruction, by dismantling the old road by bombing from an airplane.

It doesn’t matter, for the experiment we bought Acomi racks and installed them. From the very beginning, on small bumps you can hear the rattling of the shock absorber valves. For the Nauryz holiday I go to Almaty again, both struts die before arriving at their destination) By the way, the winter set is 205/55/16, the struts didn’t catch any strong impacts, the speeds weren’t cosmic, just average, not a pensioner’s ride. The Demfi kit was given a second chance by upgrading, because... I had to ride something.

As a result, what we have:

Through simple measurements, it was decided to order one Bilstein shock absorber cartridge from 2110 (emex 900 rubles). There was a small fiasco here, because... The diameter of the bilt cartridge is 44 mm, however, the Acomi body has a narrowing at the bottom to 43 mm, which I did not notice when measuring. Internet smoking continued. KYB cartridges selected 365096

, which were available in the FIT service. I went with the disassembled boot, tried it on, everything was fine, and took it away.

The cartridge diameter is 42.9, narrowed at the bottom to 41. Cartridge length is 341. Rod diameter is 22, thread diameter is 14. The stroke is identical to the original one. All that remains is to fix the cartridge in the boot. Because The length of the cartridge is shorter than the shock absorber boot; the turner made nickels for the lower stop.

The upper nut from the KYB kit is fitted as a centering upper bushing, because has a cone corresponding to the top of the cartridge. Everything is installed in the boot, oil is poured between the boot and the cartridge, according to the traditions of the old days, to improve heat transfer and prevent corrosion inside the case. Tightened with Asomi top nut.

Then there were two ways to go: 1. Bored the shock absorber rod for the nut to diameter 12 and cut the thread. 2. Drill out the support to 14 mm. I went the second way. I drilled the support to 14. There is no turning back) When tightening the upper nuts of the shock absorber supports, Toyota bushings were used, because were at hand. Length 20 mm.

After which it was assembled and installed on the machine.

I quickly checked the geometry of the wheels, I used to be a geometrician, the stand is at hand, no problems.

Now the owners of the Plaza kits will fly into the vanga) I don’t have anything bad against Plaza, maybe someday I’ll install it. But at this stage, the performance of the front suspension is completely satisfactory. The cartridges work predictably in a Kayab way, they are moderately hard, compared to the demfi, the road joints are worked out more softly, there is no swaying, and they do not produce any extraneous knocks or farts like those from the Acomi and, especially, the Saaz. Plus size summer tires are currently 215/50/17

Next I’m thinking of looking for KYB rear shock absorbers. I know that there are rear kayabas available for sale for a sedan. I'm interested in the difference in the length of the rear rods of the sedan and the cross. Maybe someone has put it, please respond) Thanks for your attention, don’t kick too hard)

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How to increase the service life of racks

Experienced drivers have developed their own procedure for extending the life of car suspension parts.

Completely eliminate high-speed driving on bumpy roads. The main factor that causes shock absorbers to fail is the presence of shocks to the suspension. This is especially painful at high speeds.
Maintains correct tire pressure. Car tires also participate in shock absorption, as do damper inserts. It is optimal to monitor the indicators inside the wheels every 500 - 700 kilometers. The bottom line is that the built-in puncture sensors may not work or display data incorrectly.
Timely prevention and diagnostic procedures. Actions will help prevent serious problems with the chassis of the car. When play forms inside hinges or joints, uncontrolled destruction of parts occurs.
No overload. The machine is not designed to transport heavy loads. If you consistently overload the suspension, you can quickly kill it.
Installation of high-quality consumables. Some users are trying to save money by purchasing original parts or high-quality analogues, preferring cheap components. It should be understood that a penny saving on parts can result in an expensive, comprehensive suspension repair.