Installation of ball joints on Niva 21213

How to check ball joints

To obtain the maximum amount of information about the condition of the lower ball joint, the same conditions should be created as when the car is moving. That is why simply putting the car on a lift and pumping the wheels will not bring concrete results.

The test is carried out as follows: the car is installed with the lower arm on a suitable support, after which the wheel play in the vertical plane is checked, i.e. by swinging at the top and bottom points. Additionally, it is recommended to insert a mounting bracket between the lever and the trunnion and swing it.

Symptoms of Bad Ball Joints

There are several symptoms of hinge failure on Niva 21213 and 2123:

Creaking around the wheels when turning the steering wheel. It occurs, more often, when the wheel turns in place, when the driver begins to maneuver in the yard or parking lot.
Knocking noise when driving over bumps. It's a dull thud. It can occur when a wheel falls into a large hole or even small joints in the asphalt.

It is not recommended to drive with such symptoms for a long time. Appropriate repairs should be carried out as soon as possible.

Replacing the lower support

To remove the Niva 2121 ball joint, jack up the car and remove the wheel, clean all elements from dirt using a metal brush or compressed air, unscrew the adjustable

hub nut (with the cap installed, use a chisel).

Using a 22 mm spanner, unscrew the nut securing the assembly to the steering knuckle (KC).

Place a stop at the lower point of the suspension arm (screw jack, bottle jack, block of wood).

Release the ball mount from the lower arm using two 13 mm wrenches.

Move the PC away from the lever.

Using a puller, press out the ball joint pin.

If you don’t have a special device at hand, insert a block into the space between the upper suspension arm and the rebound buffer bracket, after compressing the spring using a block or jack and tightening the support pin nut. Then hit the PC eyelet with concentrated blows until you get the result.

Before installing new supports, do not forget to fill it with ShRB-4 lubricant.

Top brands

For domestic equipment

Number one among manufacturers of ball joints for Russian cars is the Kedr company, which focuses on the production of solid forged parts. The declared service life reaches 75 thousand kilometers, depending on the specific model. Customer reviews show that such figures are quite justified. Only a few motorists claim that they changed the Kedr ball joints after 30–45 thousand kilometers. There are also reviews about a service life approaching 100 thousand kilometers.

If you need to find out which ball joints are better for a Chevrolet Niva

For fans of extreme driving, ball joints from the Trek production association are offered. The “Champion” model is made from the most durable materials and has a unique design that prevents damage to the part under the highest impact loads. Thanks to this, the manufacturer specifies a service life of the support of 60 thousand kilometers, regardless of operating conditions. Consumers claim that the high price of such components is completely justified - they really do not create any problems during operation. However, the problem with counterfeits is also relevant for ball joints from this manufacturer.

For foreign cars

The rating of ball joints for foreign cars included the most famous world manufacturers - in this case, dealing with unknown brands is dangerous, since the consequences of a breakdown may require repairs costing more than one thousand dollars. The best option for European cars are Febi ball joints, which are manufactured exclusively using solid forged technology.

Video 2 process

Source

Reg.: 12/21/2004 Threads / Messages: 3 / 674 From: Moscow, VAO Age: 35 Car: VAZ 21214 01 distributed injection

Name: Alexey Reg.: 03/05/2005 Threads / Messages: 93 / 4534 From: Moscow, Northern Administrative Okrug Age: 41 Car: Shniva 2016 90 tkm

Antokha

Under the lower ball. First, jack up the car and remove the wheel! Either you put bricks under the lower ball joint (the closer to the hub, the better.), or a second jack. You lower the car onto the bricks (the spring compresses). And finally, rock the car down so that the spring settles at least a couple of millimeters more.

And go ahead with the song (or whatever vocabulary you have).

And it should be placed closer to the hub so that the load on the spring is greater. (From the category “give me a lever and I will move the earth” (c))

Then you unscrew (but not completely) the lower ball nut (attachment to the steering knuckle). You raise the car, take out the bricks (the second jack) and tap the place where the ball cone fits. The fit should come unstuck with a characteristic sound (it will hit the half-unscrewed nut under the action of a spring).

Then you put it on the bricks again (the second jack) and then it’s a matter of technique: unscrew the bottom nut all the way, unscrew the three nuts securing the ball to the upper arm, and remove the ball.

I don’t think it’s worth describing the assembly.

Reg.: 12/06/2004 Threads / Messages: 627 / 51712

Reg.: 12/21/2004 Threads / Messages: 3 / 674 From: Moscow, VAO Age: 35 Car: VAZ 21214 01 distributed injection

Reg.: 12/06/2004 Threads / Messages: 627 / 51712

Name: Alexey Reg.: 03/05/2005 Threads / Messages: 93 / 4534 From: Moscow, Northern Administrative Okrug Age: 41 Car: Shniva 2016 90 tkm

Reg.: 12/21/2004 Threads / Messages: 3 / 674 From: Moscow, VAO Age: 35 Car: VAZ 21214 01 distributed injection

Added after 2 hours 48 minutes 38 seconds:

The operation was successful, it seems no one/nothing was hurt, tomorrow it will go to pieces.

Reg.: 12/06/2004 Threads / Messages: 627 / 51712

Who can argue that lubrication is needed! I was talking specifically about TRACK-Champion, which still come WITH LUBRICANT under a hermetically sealed boot

Added after 1 minute 58 seconds:

oh, somehow it turned out crookedly, in general, the previous message was a response to ZanudE

Reg.: 12/08/2004 Messages: 2238 From: Nizhny Novgorod Age: 52 Car: UAZ Patriot 2013 diesel 51432

canek.spb

Well, how are they not related? Change the bushings and unscrew the ball joint, at least the top one.

Alex A. Bel.

Stock up on two 8mm bolts, 100mm long, or better yet 120mm, with solid thread. You will use them to pull the ball into place. You can, of course, tighten the springs with ties, but, IMHO, bolts are still advisable.

Reg.: 12/09/2004 Threads / Messages: 9 / 976 From: St. Petersburg Kolomyagi Age: 50 Car: 214 May 11, A6 Avant 12 and Kalina 2008

Reg.: 12/08/2004 Messages: 2238 From: Nizhny Novgorod Age: 52 Car: UAZ Patriot 2013 diesel 51432

Reg.: 12/09/2004 Threads / Messages: 9 / 976 From: St. Petersburg Kolomyagi Age: 50 Car: 214 May 11, A6 Avant 12 and Kalina 2008

Reg.: 12/06/2004 Threads / Messages: 627 / 51712

Reg.: 01/18/2005 Threads / Messages: 2 / 891 From: Saransk Age: 42 Car: VAZ 21214; Shniva; UAZ 31514: LuAZ 969

What kind of ties? What are you doing? What bolts?

Now I’ll tell you how I change ball joints without a puller and without any long bolts.

We're filming. (the wheel is removed, the car is jacked up). Do not jack under the levers! 1. Unscrew the lower ball joint nut 3 turns. 2. Lightly hit the lever with a sledgehammer or 0.5 kg hammer in the place where the support is inserted. Under the action of the spring, the support pops out of the conical hole 3. We do the same with the upper support.

Let's put it on. 1. We install the lower support without any problems. 2. Upper support. We place the brake hose brackets under the threads, disconnecting them. We tighten the nut. 3. Place a jack (rolling or UAZ) under the lower arm and jack it up. Until we see that the car is being lifted with the jack. In this case, the upper support almost overtakes the upper arm. Usually here I ask someone to stand on the bumper and screw on the support. If there is no assistant, I take a piece of water pipe 20 mm long and 0.5 m long, put it on the protruding bolt for fastening the axis of the upper arm, rest it on the lever and slightly press down. Fitting the support is not a problem.

Reg.: 02/03/2005 Threads / Messages: 85 / 2821 From: Adler Age: 46 Car: was. 2121 1.7carb. Born 1986 now: Toyota Lucida 2.2 TD EFI 4wd full time X-limited, 2131 1.8 carb, LPG, EUR, born 2004

2 thanks all, comrades! I'm not touching it yet. I'll do everything at once, both silent and ball joints.

Source

Checking the product.

Before replacing ball joints on a Chevrolet Niva, you need to inspect their appearance for damage. Typically, such an assessment is carried out by specialists at a service station. But this cannot always guarantee a good result; in addition, this method is quite expensive. When inspecting yourself, you must first of all pay attention to the main signs of malfunctions:

Large gap gap
Damage to the surface of the boot

If only the boot is out of order, and the wear is not so strong that there is a backlash, then you can only get by by replacing it. If the problem is more serious, then the owner is faced with the question of choosing a high-quality and inexpensive part. The most common options on the market are products from Kedr, Phobos and Trek. Usually the cost of the sets is the same and does not exceed 3,000 rubles.

How to change ball joints on Niva 21213

We hang and remove the front wheel.

Unscrew the front wheel bearing adjusting nut

Using a 22mm spanner, unscrew the nut securing the ball joint to the steering knuckle.

We install the stop under the lower arm.

Using a 13mm wrench, unscrew the nut of the bolt securing the ball joint to the lower arm, holding the bolt from turning with a wrench of the same size.

Unscrew the nuts of two more bolts.

...and move the steering knuckle with the ball joint away from the lower arm.

Use a puller to press the ball joint pin out of the steering knuckle hole.

You can also use a puller like this.

We move the steering knuckle to the side and remove the shank of the outer drive joint housing from the hub.

Remove the ball joint.

If there is no puller, unscrew (not completely) the nut securing the ball joint to the steering knuckle (photo 1). We compress the spring with a stop installed under the lower arm. We insert the mounting blade with its edge between the end of the lower arm eye and the support pressure plate.

Having unscrewed the nut of the support pin and the adjusting nut of the front hub bearings, move the steering knuckle to the side and remove the stop. We unscrew the nuts of the bolts securing the ball joint to the lower arm (see photo 2) and remove the ball joint.

Removing the pressure plate and protective cover of the ball pin When installing a new cover of the ball pin, put ShRB-4 lubricant in it. We assemble and install the ball joint in the reverse order.

Video

Video tutorial on replacing the ball joint on a VAZ 2121 (Niva).

To replace the upper ball joint you will need the following tools:

You will also need a lift to make it convenient to work.

For details and nuances of the work, watch the video lesson.

Unlike the classic VAZ family, the Niva 2121 rarely ends up with a twisted wheel on the side of the road. It's all about the slightly different operation of the suspension, which does not receive a critical load in certain operating modes. Although the ball joints themselves are used in a similar design.

Symptoms of a problem

The ball joint on the Niva consists almost entirely of metal. But if the integrity of the rubber boot is damaged, water can get inside along with dust. This is possible even with small cracks. As a result, extraneous noises and squeaks appear while driving. These are one of the first signs of rapid wear of the ball joint, by which you can determine the need for replacement.

New ball joints on a Chevrolet Niva are installed quite simply; the procedure can be done in any garage using standard equipment. The only problem may be the need for a special tool - a removable key for ball joints.

The puller may differ in appearance, but the principle of its operation is the same in all cases. The work is done in a certain order:

The car is raised using a jack or a special car lift.
Front wheel removed
Using a 22mm wrench, unscrew the ball pin fastening nut.
A stop is installed under the lower arm, then using a 13mm wrench, unscrew the nuts from the part body.
The bolts are removed from the mounting holes, then the steering knuckle along with the lever support is moved to the side.
After this you will need a special puller. It is installed on the ball, then with the help of it the pin is pressed out of the steering knuckle.
After this, the fist is moved to the side, and the hinge is removed from the hub.

If a puller is not available, then it is not necessary to postpone the repair; you can completely make do with improvised means. This will require a pry bar and a little patience to knock the finger out of its seat.

After performing these steps, the ball joint is replaced with a new one. Then you need to perform all the steps in reverse order to install the parts in place and reassemble the car. It is important to remember that replacing the balls must be done simultaneously on both sides. They have the same resource, and if one of them fails, then the other will most likely also have a damaged boot and show strong signs of wear.

What ball joints are in the field?

Three generations. They differ from each other in the geometry of the body:

Until 2009, a “kopek” knot was used. At the same time, there were identical parts on top and bottom. Art. – 2101-290419; 2009-2016 the element was unified with the model created jointly with GM. Art. – 2123-2904192. Suitable for 1st generation. 2016 – present, the data allows us to obtain the original wheel running distance. Interchangeability with other generations is excluded. Art. – 21214-2904082.

How to check ball joints

Design

First of all, you need to know the differences between upper and lower ball joints. The first are cast-in-place structures that work in compression - they are subjected to light loads, which results in a long service life. Lower ball joints are most often created on the basis of sintered metal bearings, which allows them to withstand shock and tension. Most experts strongly do not recommend saving on lower ball joints, since they often fail with very serious consequences.

Replacing the lower support

To remove the Niva 2121 ball joint, jack up the car and remove the wheel, clean all elements from dirt using a metal brush or compressed air, unscrew the adjustable

hub nut (with the cap installed, use a chisel).

Using a 22 mm spanner, unscrew the nut securing the assembly to the steering knuckle (KC).

Place a stop at the lower point of the suspension arm (screw jack, bottle jack, block of wood).

Release the ball mount from the lower arm using two 13 mm wrenches.

Move the PC away from the lever.

Using a puller, press out the ball joint pin.

Before installing new supports, do not forget to fill it with ShRB-4 lubricant.

Check it seven times...

Unfortunately, Russian sellers are not always honest with their customers - there are cases of selling outright defects or fakes in original boxes. Therefore, when purchasing, you need to not only look at the beautiful packaging with a familiar logo, but also check how well the ball joints work.

Take them out of the box and try to spin them - they should rotate with noticeable force, but not lock up or slip in certain areas. If the seller claims that you will receive solid forged parts, pay attention to their body. It should not contain welds or a sloppily rolled flange - otherwise you are looking at cheap ball joints with low strength and short service life.

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