Design aspects in such an element as suspension not only have a significant impact on driving comfort, but also determine the handling characteristics of the LADA Granta. The main suspension criteria that determine the owner’s choice are reliability and maintenance costs.
The LADA Granta model, popular today, belongs to the new generation of cars. When designing, the designers paid special attention to the chassis; in fact, the suspension itself was well designed.
Front suspension "Lada Grants"
It has an independent suspension with wishbones and a stabilizer bar. Damping of vibrations is carried out by hydraulic shock absorbers. The main structural element is the stand. It includes a swivel bearing, shock absorber and spring. The latter uses coils of variable diameter. The spring itself is made of a metal rod with a circular cross-section. It can have variable and constant hardness.
The front suspension of the Lada Granta is designed so that the lower part of the strut rests on the steering knuckle. When the wheels turn, the spring and shock absorber rotate with it. The stand itself remains motionless. Thus, the engineers achieved an increase in the service life of the elastic element while maintaining the inlet hole in the shock absorber body.
The pillar support has also been improved. Suspension creaking on the Lada Granta appears much less frequently than on Kalinas and Priors. To reduce roll, the design includes a stabilizer bar. It is made of spring steel. The stabilizer is installed with its ends to the lower suspension arms. Its middle part is fixed to the body.
Some Tips for Replacing the Front Shock Absorber Upper Mount
- When disassembling, the hub nut should be loosened before you remove the wheel; if the car is already suspended on a jack, it will not be easy to move it.
- If you do not have a ball joint and tie rod remover, the steering tip can be knocked out by hitting the joint joint with a heavy hammer, the blows must be sharp and precise. Even if the tip seriously “boils” in the connection, after several attempts it will still come off.
- To make it more convenient to disassemble the shock absorber strut after removal, you can immediately (while the shock absorber is still on the car) loosen the shock absorber rod nut.
- To make the nuts and bolts easier to turn off during the next repair, it is recommended to treat the fasteners and threads with graphite lubricant during assembly.
- When removing the shock absorber assembly with the hub and steering knuckle, it is a good idea to check the condition of all suspension parts on this side of the wheel. Such diagnostics will save your money and time, because it is often discovered that along with a defective support bearing, for example, a shock absorber is also faulty, or the outer CV joint has a large amount of play.
- You need to compress the spring with ties gradually, squeezing the coils little by little on one side and the other. The spring is compressed until the upper support begins to rotate freely; too much compression of the coils is not required, and in general it is unsafe.
In general, replacing the support bearings on the front struts is quite simple; to make a replacement, you don’t have to go to a car service center; you can do the work yourself.
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Rear suspension
Unlike the front, it has undergone virtually no changes. Here, just like on the first Soviet G8s, a semi-independent beam is used. It is attached to the body on hinges (fortunately, there are no “crabs” in the design). A helical spring with constant stiffness is used as an elastic element. To dampen vibrations and prevent swinging, two shock absorbers are used.
The elements come from the factory are oil type. The spring is fixed together with the shock absorber. This greatly simplifies maintenance work, but has a negative impact on handling. Often the rear axle skids when cornering. But despite the archaic design, the owners speak positively about this suspension and highlight a number of advantages:
- High reliability. The design does not have additional levers, which, in addition, can bend when falling into a large hole.
- Energy intensity. The Lada Granta absorbs all bumps perfectly, especially if oil shock absorbers are installed at the rear.
- Cheap maintenance. Due to its simple design, this pendant can be rebuilt even with your own hands. And the cost of new rubber-metal elements is unlikely to empty the pockets of even the most stingy car owner.
The main difference between the “Grant” suspension is the wheel alignment angles.
They have a positive camber of about 0.1°). On Priora, for example, this figure is -1 degree. Next, we will consider the main malfunctions of the chassis on the Lada Grant.
Self-diagnosis method
For self-diagnosis, you will need the help of another person.
Having chosen a flat surface, put the car on the handbrake and remove the protective covers from the glasses.
Have an assistant rock the car to set the shock absorbers in motion, and observe the behavior of the bearing yourself. The malfunction of the unit can be judged by:
- by the presence of backlash;
- when knocking or other sounds appear in the bearing area.
Make similar observations when your partner rotates the steering wheel, and then repeat the manipulations with the second pillar.
Replacing a strut bearing requires special tools and some plumbing skills. The best option would be to entrust the work to specialists, but if you are used to doing everything yourself, then you can do it yourself, but this is a topic for another article.
In any passenger car, regardless of design, the suspension must provide a smooth ride, good handling, each element of the chassis plays its role, and there are no unnecessary spare parts. The support bearing is a part of the front suspension, without which it is impossible to imagine a front-wheel drive car; if it were not there, the steering wheel would turn very tightly, with a terrible squeak, and it would be impossible to drive the car.
Shock absorber
This element is a damping device. The shock absorber serves to reduce the range of vibrations of the car body. In other words, the element prevents spontaneous rocking. The work of the shock absorber is based on hydraulic resistance. Inside it there is a liquid of a certain viscosity. It moves through a special valve. Thus, the device absorbs sharp impacts while preserving vulnerable suspension parts. Therefore, the shock absorber is one of the most important components in the chassis. On our roads, this element lasts about 60-80 thousand kilometers. But this period may be shorter, even with careful driving. It is enough just to damage the protective boot, and all the dirt will accumulate in the rod seal.
The rear shock absorbers suffer the most wear because they have much longer stroke. When driving quickly through potholes, the hydraulic fluid may simply boil. This is one of the reasons why a shock absorber fails. But most often it leaks - the valve loses its tightness due to a strong breakdown or impact. As a result, the outer side of the cylinder becomes coated with an oily liquid. How to determine that this element has failed? It’s very simple - you will hear a characteristic knock in the suspension of the Lada Granta. Moreover, it is clearly visible in the cabin. From the outside, you can hardly hear a broken shock absorber. This knock is so strong that even good music cannot interrupt it. You will hear a broken shock absorber immediately.
Also note that the damping element changes in pairs. That is, in the event of a breakdown of the rear left shock absorber, the rear right shock absorber also changes. As for the front struts, they are more durable. Often they are replaced already assembled with a spring, since they fail no earlier than after 150-200 thousand kilometers.
Silent blocks
By 100 thousand, the silent blocks of the cross member and lower arms fail. Signs of a malfunction are a dull knock from the front suspension of the Lada Granta. Motorists recommend replacing these elements with polyurethane ones.
They are characterized by higher strength and good service life. At the factory, rubber silent blocks are installed that do not withstand the impacts of our roads. To replace, we need to press out the old element. First, the bead is cut off from it, and then knocked out using a mandrel or chisel. Pressing is done using a vice. It is important to maintain alignment and not mix up the installation side. For easier pressing, it is recommended to use lubricant.
The silent blocks of the anti-roll bar also fail. These bushings are also replaced with polyurethane ones.
Cause of malfunction
The main cause of element malfunction is a violation of the boot seal. Once it starts to crack, dirt and dust will get inside. They act on the ball like an abrasive. As a result, play appears and the support begins to break on its own. Is it possible to repair it? The Lada Granta suspension is designed in such a way that the ball joints cannot be restored and must be replaced entirely with new ones.
These elements are replaced as a set. The price of two balls is about 700 rubles. The service station will charge about 600 for installation. Although you can replace them yourself. All you need: a jack, a pit, a set of sockets and a special sprocket wrench. But please note that the bolts in this place may become sour. When replacing, there is a high risk of licking off the edges of the sprocket. Unscrew all bolts very carefully - do not press too hard. The service life of original ball joints is about 40 thousand kilometers.
Wheel bearing
This element serves for uniform rotation of the car wheels. There are 4 such bearings on the Grant. On average, their resource is 100 thousand kilometers. What are the signs of a problem? The main symptom is a characteristic hum when moving. It may get worse as the car turns. The hum can occur on either side of the car, depending on which bearing has fallen apart. The entire assembly is replaced with a new one, and it doesn’t matter whether the Lada Granta’s rear suspension or the front one. It is pressed out using a puller with special paws. Pressing takes place in a vice. It is important to maintain alignment when pressing. If a bearing is installed crookedly, it will be subjected to high loads and may fall apart after just a thousand kilometers.
The main enemy of a bearing is moisture. Therefore, during installation it is so important to ensure the element is sealed. Some manufacturers cover it with a special cap (it is put on the fastening nut), which will prevent salt, water and other reagents from getting inside. But as soon as dust penetrates the bearing, the latter begins to operate outside of its temperature range. As a result, the lubricant is washed away, and the dirt acts as an abrasive. Untimely replacement of this element can provoke a sudden wheel wedge, which is fraught with consequences.
How to choose struts for Lada Granta
Before selecting the necessary parts, you need to know the article numbers. You can find them out from the following table:
| Front right | Front left | Rear | |
| Oily | 2190-2905402-00 | 2190-2905403-00 | 2190-2915402-00 |
| Gas-oil | 2190-2905402-51 | 2190-2905403-51 | 2190-2915402-51 |
The main difference between gas-oil and oil struts on Grant:
- Oil shock absorbers are more rigid. Used when good controllability is required. Such struts reduce roll in corners and better keep the car on the road. Show excellent performance on smooth asphalt. Useless off-road.
- Gas-filled - suitable for comfortable driving on uneven surfaces. They absorb road irregularities perfectly, but deteriorate handling when driving at low speeds. They are not able to dampen serious rolls and sway.
You need to select shock absorbers for Grant based on your own needs. If you need to get maximum controllability at high speed, then oil struts are preferable. And for a comfortable, leisurely ride, gas ones are best suited.
Among the good manufacturing companies are the following:
- KYB;
- Monroe;
- Bilsteim;
- Koni;
- Boge.
It is worth noting that these parts are much more expensive, but also better than the original ones. To select the correct shock absorber stiffness, you need to check with the manufacturer individually for each part.
The fact is that the same manufacturer can produce racks for the same car with different degrees of rigidity.
