Radical tuning of the VAZ 2107: capabilities, technologies, feasibility

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Tags:Classic 2101/2103/2106/2107 Suspension tuning

Owners of classic “Sevens” often try to smooth out some of the car’s operational shortcomings with their own hands, improving the technical characteristics in various ways. One of the working units that owners strive to upgrade first is often the suspension. The car has a slight problem, so not everyone is happy with it.

The disadvantage is the excessive softness of the connecting mechanisms of the body and chassis, especially at the rear. To increase rigidity, car enthusiasts tune the VAZ 2107 suspension, replacing the original parts at the rear with more powerful ones.

However, by increasing the stiffness only on the rear axle, it turns out that an imbalance occurs. Therefore, it is necessary to make adjustments to the front suspension, as well as the vehicle control system. Let's find out what is usually done to increase the rigidity of the "seven" so that the car's handling does not suffer.

Options for tuning the VAZ-2107 suspension with your own hands

The first element that people want to upgrade in a car is the suspension.
The car has problems, so not everyone likes it. Using the example of a VAZ-2107 car, let's look at suspension tuning and how to do it yourself. The disadvantage of the suspension of this car model is the softness of the connecting parts of the chassis and body, especially at the rear. To make it tougher, car enthusiasts do their own tuning, replacing factory parts with more powerful elements.

You will also have to make adjustments to the front suspension, since by increasing the rigidity of only the rear axle, an imbalance appears. Let's look at what work needs to be done so that the car's handling is not affected.

Rear suspension upgrade

To do this, change the following spare parts:

• springs;
• silent blocks;
• shock absorbers;
• rubber bumpers.

Rear suspension of VAZ-2107

It is considered a classic to replace factory springs with those intended for the VAZ-2102(04) or VAZ Niva. These parts fit well into the circuitry here, but are also stiffer and more powerful. However, if the Niva’s springs are the same size as those of the VAZ-2107, then these spare parts from the VAZ-2102(04) lift the rear of the car, which is undesirable. In this case, in order to reduce the ground clearance, you have to remove one or two turns yourself.

The front suspension of this model takes on the largest part of the mechanical load when driving. Therefore, owners of the VAZ-2107 model pay a lot of attention to it when repairing and tuning the car.

“Trade in” or changing the car “key to key”

The “Trade in” service involves the sale of a used car, the proceeds from which go towards paying for a new model. In this way, the owner only has to pay a fixed amount in order to transfer to a new vehicle.

Key-to-key car exchange differs from the previous service in that the owner exchanges his car for a suitable used model, subject to an appropriate surcharge.

These two relatively new ways of buying cars eliminate the risk of fraud that is common when a car is sold second-hand on the market. Transactions are formalized by leading auto companies in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation.

A popular type of tuning is installing a sports suspension.

To provide better handling and stability at high speed, the following changes are made to the suspension:

• gas-oil shock absorbers are installed;
• springs are lowered;
• the stroke of the shock absorber rod is limited;
• a suspension is installed with the ability to adjust ground clearance (with remote cameras or screws);
• triangular levers are mounted that change the castor - the angle of longitudinal inclination of the axis along which the wheel rotates. The larger it is, the better the car's handling.

This completes the modernization of the car's suspension.

Let's sum it up

Regardless of which option you choose, you need to understand that a soft suspension imposes certain obligations on the driver. You will have to pay for comfort and coziness with smooth driving; sharp maneuvers with such a suspension are NOT ACCEPTABLE. A sharp start or braking can cause a “dive” and the car will hit the asphalt with its front or rear. When driving through an uneven section of the road, although the soft suspension will “swallow” potholes and bumps, you will get quite motion sick, such a ride is not very pleasant, so before you change your “stool” to “waves”, think twice. The soft suspension does not like harsh manners, and cornering at high speeds is taboo! Excessive body roll can cause a fatal accident.

That's all for me. Draw conclusions and make your decision, I hope it will be correct! Write in the comments which pendant you think is better. If you liked the article, share the link to it with your loved ones, I would be grateful! Bye.

Tuning the suspension of the VAZ 2107

Despite the availability of foreign-made cars for domestic motorists, the fleet of vehicles produced by the Russian Automotive Industry is quite large. And various models of Zhiguli are especially popular among our compatriots. That is why the problem of tuning in general, and suspension tuning in particular, does not lose its relevance.

Features of the suspension structure

Suspension elements can be divided into: basic and additional. The main features are divided into steel products, gas and pneumatic elements, rubber, and plastic products. Their task is to hold the body in a specific position and ensure elastic interaction of the vehicle with the road.

Tuning the front suspension of the VAZ 2107

Restyling of the “Seven” suspension, however, like the tuning of the “VAZ 2106” suspension, usually pursues one main goal - to make an analogue of the sports suspension. And the main means of achieving it is to replace the main suspension elements with modern options. First of all, these are shock absorbers and springs. Tuning masters recommend parts produced on the Eibach and Koni conveyors for this purpose.

The main advantage of spare parts from these brands is a high level of quality coupled with an affordable price. In addition, the installation of these elements does not imply alteration of standard seats.

The next element that is frequently replaced during the modernization process is rubber products, or silent blocks. For example, tuning the VAZ 2106 suspension is rarely complete without installing silent blocks made of polyurethane.

How to glue stained glass film to glass

The gluing process is quite simple and does not require special skills or knowledge. It is performed in the following order:

1. Marking and cutting of material. The canvas is cut with scissors or a knife along the glass area with an allowance of 2 cm on each side.
2. Preparing the plane. Before applying the material, the surface is freed from dust and wiped with a degreasing solution.
3. Gluing the film covering. The edge of the canvas (about 5 cm) is released from the protective layer of paper and applied to the glass with the adhesive side. Decorative stained glass self-adhesive film can be applied to windows on one or each side of the glass. In the second option, it is possible to form not only two different compositional patterns, but also strengthen the strength of the glass.
4. Removing air from under the material. To know how to stick stained glass film on glass without bubbles, you need to follow the necessary steps: from the middle to the edges, the coating must be carefully smoothed with a soft cloth or rubber spatula. When atmospheric balls form, the fabric in these places can be pierced with a thin needle or heated with a hairdryer and then gently smoothed.

Its surface is wiped with a flannel cloth soaked in a soap solution or other detergent.

Tuning of VAZ 2109 suspensions

Modernization of the suspension systems of domestic "eights" and "nines", as well as tuning of the VAZ 2110 suspension, basically does not have any fundamental differences from the changes described above. The restyling procedure includes:

• Installation of front air shock absorbers.
• Replacing the anti-roll bar.
• Changing the front wheel alignment angles:

— the longitudinal inclination angle increases; — “camber” is set to a negative value.

• Installation of spacers between the “cups” of the upper supports on the front pillars.

The result of such tuning is a significant increase in the degree of rigidity of the car suspension, which eliminates the occurrence of large roll angles when turning, “yaw” and increases the controllability of the vehicle.

Decor

Caps for alloy wheels play an important role - they close the holes on the wheel design elements and give the car an original appearance. They are part of the tuning of any car that is not equipped with hubcaps. An improved car wheel will look stylish and sophisticated

Beautiful and practical wheel caps are what add originality to a vehicle and attract attention. Equipping the car with spectacular caps with a logo will allow you to appreciate not only the manufacturer, but also the owner of the “iron horse”

Self-tuning of VAZ 2114 suspension

Upgrading the suspension is, first of all, necessary for car owners who prefer a dynamic driving style, including frequent maneuvering.

a) Replacing shock absorbers. The best choice for replacing standard shock absorbers will be gas-hydraulic devices. They will provide almost perfect response to uneven road surfaces. The only negative point that arises during their operation is heating of the cylinder walls when driving at high speeds.

b) Modernization of springs. These elements provide a smooth ride and excellent handling of the car. A prerequisite when choosing springs is the presence of a reduction coefficient on the packaging and the identity of the brand of new and standard elements.

c) Replacement of bushings. Bushings and silent blocks made of polyurethane, together with the installation of a stabilizer bar, will provide a high level of resistance to deforming loads.

Suspension device VAZ 2107

The Seven, like its predecessors, has a double wishbone suspension with independent wishbones. The upper arms are attached to the mudguard strut, the lower arms are attached to the cross member holding the front side members.

For free rotation of the levers on the axle, silent blocks (rubber-metal bushings) are used, thanks to which the lever remains mobile, but does not “play” on the axle and does not knock.

The wheel hub is mounted on ball joints, which allow it to rotate freely along a vertical axis.

A smooth ride when driving over uneven surfaces is ensured by springs and shock absorbers that dampen vibrations.

Possible malfunctions of the VAZ 2107 suspension

Suspension faults can be divided into groups:

• drying out and wear of rubber parts: boots, bushings;
• wear of liners and seals, which causes failure of ball joints, anti-roll bar cushions, silent blocks;
• metal fatigue, leading to breakage of shock absorbers, springs and even levers.

Checking and repairing the front suspension is a fairly simple operation. They are carried out on an inspection pit or a lift.

Possibilities of tuning the front suspension of the VAZ 2107

The design of the VAZ 2107, especially the suspension, is not far removed from the outdated FIAT 124. That is why suspension tuning is so popular - owners are trying to improve its characteristics. The purposes for which the front suspension of the VAZ 2107 is tuned are as follows:

• improving the smoothness of the ride;
• improved handling;
• increased stability at high speeds;
• increasing the reliability and durability of components and parts.

One of the simple and effective ways is to install high-quality components from foreign manufacturers. This is especially true of shock absorbers, a wide selection of which allows you to solve many problems and customize the “seven” for yourself, making its ride either softer and smoother, or stiffer but stable at high speeds.

Below we will consider the most popular types of tuning.

Installation of sports suspension

To improve stability and handling at high speed, the following changes can be made to the suspension:

Selection of shock absorbers for VAZ

Today, three types of automobile shock absorbers are produced in the world:

• oil - suspension vibrations are smoothed out due to oil compression by the piston in the inner chamber of the shock absorber;
• gas - depreciation occurs by compressing gas;
• gas-oil - a variant in which oil and gas are present, separated by a piston.

What shock absorbers are best installed on the VAZ 2107 and other Lada models in order to increase operational reliability and obtain the expected quality of their work? Experts have compiled a rating of the best shock absorbers available on the Russian car market for Russian cars.

The TOP of the most reliable and popular includes products from the following brands:

1. KYB – high-quality Japanese shock absorbers of various types: front and rear, oil and gas, single- and double-tube, with the ability to manually adjust stiffness and ground clearance.
2. Bilstein. A high degree of damping is achieved by increasing the piston area. The advantage of monotube gas-oil shock absorbers is their compactness and sufficient rigidity. The downside is the high cost of the devices.
3. Monroe. Gas and oil shock absorbers with a special piston design that allows you to adjust the level of body stabilization.

The rating of the most popular imported shock absorbers also includes products from Sachs, Koni, TRW, Boge, Tokico, Mando, Delphi, LUCAS.

The leader among Russian manufacturers of shock absorbers for domestic cars is SAAZ LLC (Skopinsky Avtoaggregatny (Samara), which produces shock absorbers under the SS20 brand.

How to properly tune and strengthen the suspension of VAZ cars

You should not think that the installation of additional elements of the car’s design is carried out exclusively by tuning enthusiasts.

Many car owners often do this in order to give their domestic car, for example a VAZ car, better driving characteristics.

Today we will talk about the main types of modifications to the suspension of VAZ 2107, 2109, 2110, 2106, 2112, 2101,2105 cars made by drivers, and we will also evaluate the feasibility of their installation.

Here are the basic principles of the correct approach to tuning the suspension of VAZ cars and other domestic cars, as well as ways to strengthen it.

And although the procedure for installing individual additional suspension parts is the same for many VAZ cars, you still need to understand that their installation on the VAZ 2101 and 2112 will be different.

Rework to strengthen the chassis

It is also important to treat the studs that are located on the lower arm from corrosive wear. Before tightening the nuts, they must be pre-lubricated. Plastic can be fused onto the tips of the studs. To do this, you can take any plastic thing, cut off a piece, lean it against the tip of a hairpin and melt it.

Additionally, the stabilizer brackets can be strengthened. To do this, it is recommended to weld special steel corners onto them. Then carry out anti-corrosion treatment.

High-quality tuning for the VAZ-2107 chassis makes the car more reliable and easy to use.

The desire for tuning begins with discomfort, when everything is as it should be, but something is still wrong. And the rest of the actions depend on the driver himself - some are completely satisfied with instrument clusters with original scale designs, while others will want to modernize almost every element of the vehicle.

Due to the great demand for tuning of certain elements, stores were simply overflowing with a variety of accessories, auto repair shops had to recruit specialists in tuning of varying complexity, and thematic publications appeared on the shelves of kiosks.

Our article will not be replete with giant pictures, since the focus is on information, not images.

Front strut

The most popular element, widely used by many owners of Russian cars, is the front cross brace.

Its installation is carried out in the area of ​​the upper shock absorber supports, by securing it between the strut cups.

The main purpose of this part is to increase the angular rigidity of the body and improve the handling quality of the vehicle.

In addition, the presence of a spacer helps eliminate the “floating” geometry of the suspension arms, which occurs as a result of strong impacts on road potholes or uneven surfaces.

The main reason why many car enthusiasts, in particular owners of VAZ cars, make such modifications is due to insufficient body rigidity, which contributes to deterioration of handling, a feeling of “sluggish” steering and excessive roll that occurs when performing maneuvers.

This is detected only when driving at high speeds, mainly associated with trips on country roads.

Auxiliary powertrain support

The purpose of supplementing the standard motor mounts with another auxiliary module is to minimize the amplitude vibrations of the engine during sudden braking, acceleration and overcoming road hills or potholes.

Its presence eliminates the so-called “pecking” - inertial phenomena that occur during vehicle operation.

The presence of an auxiliary support also prevents spontaneous disengagement of the transmission gears.

This significantly reduces the risk of unpleasant incidents that directly affect safety.

Typically, it is difficult to install this component yourself.

A certain skill is required, which the average car enthusiast does not always have.

Separately, we will say that some engine models require the installation of a fourth support only after moving the ignition unit.

This, on the one hand, is an additional difficulty, but, on the other hand, it significantly improves the operating conditions of the electronic module, moving it away from the road, thereby reducing the amount of dirt that gets on it.

An additional support for the power unit is often installed during tuning of the suspension of VAZ 2109, 2110 cars.

Rear beam stabilizer bar

The element's purpose is to reduce the lateral roll of the car, improve the interaction of the wheels with the road surface when cornering, as well as distribute the load between the rear shock absorbers when one of the wheels drives over uneven surfaces.

The fact is that when you hit deep potholes, extremely strong suspension occurs, often causing the rear shock absorber strut rod to be pulled out.

When working in compression, the shock absorber, on the contrary, is overly susceptible to breakdown, which seriously affects its durability.

This does not happen with amplification. The resulting force is distributed between both wheels with an approximate ratio of 3 to 2, which has a positive effect on the quality of control and the reliability of the suspension elements.

The stabilization bar is installed directly on the rear beam of front-wheel drive models of domestic VAZ and other cars.

Installing a beam reinforcement should not cause any problems for most drivers. To do this, you need to use a trestle or inspection hole, and then fasten the rod to the beam according to the instructions.

The only difficulty that may arise is the need to drill eight holes in the beam housing.

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Reinforced front stabilizer

The front stabilizer of increased rigidity is a means designed to significantly improve the quality of vehicle handling.

Its main difference from the standard part is the harder rubber bushings located at the attachment points.

The nuance of using such an element is that it improves the ride on smooth asphalt areas, but if you have to drive along a bumpy country road, vibrations in the steering wheel will become a real punishment.

Even the slightest impact will be completely transmitted to the steering wheel, which will significantly complicate the driver’s life.

A reinforced stabilizer is quite expensive, and we consider the need for its installation doubtful.

Perhaps only sports car models participating in road competitions need it. The average car enthusiast does not need this modification, especially when tuning the VAZ suspension.