Repair of VAZ 2109 pillars: how to do it yourself?

Replacement of front struts VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099

The front struts of VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars and their modifications will have to be removed and replaced or their parts in case of the following malfunctions: leakage of shock-absorbing fluid, breakdown and knocking when driving, breakage and settling of springs, replacement of anthers and upper supports with support bearings , mechanical damage to parts, front suspension tuning.
We replace shock absorbers and (or) or springs of the front struts on VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars in pairs (on both sides). If the stand assembly is replaced, then we also change two at once.

Required tools and accessories

— Socket wrench or socket on “13”

— Spanners for “17” and “19”

— Device for unscrewing the front strut shock absorber rod nut

Tool for loosening the front strut shock absorber rod nut

— Soft metal drift

— Blowtorch or gas torch

Preparatory work

— Jack up and remove one of the front wheels of the car

— We clean the elements of the front suspension of the car from dirt

— We disengage the brake hose from the bracket on the rack

Replacing front struts on VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars

— Disconnect the tie rod end from the strut housing lever

Either we remove it with a special puller, or we disconnect the connection the “folk” way (using a pry bar and a hammer). Read more: “Replacing tie rod ends on VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 vehicles.”

We disconnect the tie rod end using a pry bar and a hammer, creating tension in the connection and hitting the end of the boss

— Loosen the tension of the strut shock absorber rod nut

In case you plan to disassemble the rack.

Loosen the shock absorber rod nut using a special tool

— Unscrew the three nuts securing the upper strut support to the body

Use a socket wrench or socket set to “13”.

— Unscrew the nuts securing the strut housing to the steering knuckle and remove the bolts

It is necessary to mark the position of the adjusting bolt (the upper bolt with the eccentric) with paint or a chisel, so that when installing the rack, it can be returned to its original position. In this case, the camber angle of the front wheels of the car practically does not change.

Unscrew the bolts securing the strut to the steering knuckle of the front suspension

There may be problems at the stage of removing the bolts, as they often become soured in the holes in the steering knuckle. If it was not possible to turn the bolts with a wrench, then first tap them with a hammer, then try to knock them out through a drift. In the most severe case, we heat the steering knuckle at the place where the bolts are attached using a gas torch or a blowtorch and try to unscrew them. Read more: “How to unscrew the bolts of the front struts of VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars.”

— Remove the front strut assembly from the car

Pull it out of the wheel arch to the right or left of the hub. Please note that the front pillar is quite heavy.

— If necessary, we disassemble the front pillar and replace failed parts

We replace the second rack in the same way. The tightening torque of the rod nut is 66-81 N.m, the bolts securing the strut to the steering knuckle are 78-96 N.m.

After replacing the front struts of a VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 car, it is necessary to check and adjust the angles of the front wheels.

Notes and additions

— The front strut of VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars consists of a shock absorber body (“cup”), a shock absorber cartridge, a spring and an upper support with a bearing. Non-separable front struts are also available, without a cartridge, with a built-in shock absorber.

— Another option for replacing the front struts on VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 vehicles, which does not disrupt the wheel camber angle, is to remove the strut along with the steering knuckle. To do this, you do not need to unscrew the bolts securing the strut to the steering knuckle, but rather unscrew the front wheel hub nut, disconnect the tie rod end from the steering knuckle, unscrew the two bolts securing the ball joint and remove the strut.

Required Tools

This is interesting: What to do if the car falls into a hole?

You can remove faulty racks and install new ones in their place yourself. To do this you will need the following set of tools and accessories:

• Socket head for 17 and 19.
• Mount.
• Socket wrench.
• Jack.
• Pliers.
• Ratchet handle.
• Collar.
• Wrenches for 17 and 19.
• Penetrating lubricant.
• A key to keep the shock absorber rod from accidentally turning.

  
  A special wrench prevents the nut from turning while unscrewing

Replacing the front strut of a VAZ 2109

If you conduct a small test, taking five front-wheel drive vehicles produced by VAZ at random and simply rocking the cars, then it will not be so easy to find a car without knocking or noticeable play. Four machines show either large backlashes or backlashes with a knock. All this speaks to the low quality of the manufactured parts, but it is the strut that is the weak point in the front suspension, which is the main source of the car’s rumble transmitted into the cabin. Even if the knocking starts to show itself only due to unevenness, soon the rack will really rattle, and it is better to get ahead of the repairs and do preventive maintenance in advance.

Preparing for repairs

Before replacing the front strut shock absorber of the VAZ-2109 begins, preparations must be made. The most important thing is to securely position the car so that it does not roll away. It is enough to raise one side of the car above the ground, the one on which the repair is being carried out. If you plan to replace the entire rack, then no additional manipulations are necessary. But in the event that repairs take place, it is advisable to mark the position of the strut relative to the front wheel hub. For this purpose, you can use a marker, a can of paint, a metal scriber, or even a nail. It is not advisable to use chalk, since it can simply be erased during repairs.

Signs of malfunction of VAZ 2109 racks

The following signs indicate the need to replace VAZ 2109 struts:

1. The first and inevitable sign indicating the need to replace the strut is a leaking shock absorber . On VAZ 2109 cars they do not sag, but shock absorber struts leak already at 40,000 km.
2. The second symptom indicating the need for replacement is noises and squeaks in the suspension , especially when driving over rough terrain.
3. Sometimes the beating of faulty struts is transmitted to the steering wheel, which can also indicate a malfunction.
4. As a consequence of the previous symptom, the car may partially pull to the side or skid to the sides .
5. When the car turns, the skidding trajectory increases, and the braking distance also increases .

To eliminate such malfunctions, it is necessary to identify damage to parts, causes of knocking and defects in the rack as soon as possible.

Tips for replacing the front strut of a VAZ 2108, VAZ 2109

two ways to replace a rack , but there is no fundamental difference in the replacement process. One method involves removing the strut assembly without unscrewing the adjusting bolts. As a result, the volume of work performed will increase due to the removal of additional mechanisms. The second method is shown in the photo above, it is faster and allows you to work with parts that need to be directly replaced. However, this option also has a drawback - immediately after replacement, the wheels must be aligned.

When repairing the strut, it is necessary to check for cracks, signs of wear and deformation of the transverse arms, braces, and inspect the stabilizer bars. The deformation of these parts, and above all the braces and body parts, disrupts the wheel alignment angles, which makes it impossible to adjust them.

It is also necessary to check the rubber-metal hinges and cushions; if ruptures, cracks, or one-sided convexity of the rubber are detected, these parts must be replaced.

For work we will need:

• box and socket wrenches “9”, “13”, “17”, “19”, “22”;
• hammer and pliers;
• mount;
• spring ties;
• jack;
• penetrating lubricant WD-40;
• new oil shock absorber.

The cost of the VAZ 21082905002 shock absorber is 2000 rubles. Its analogs: KYB 365057 - 1600 rubles, AL-KO 408720 - 650 rubles, NORD YADA 2108 2905002 - 1200 rubles.

Relevance of prices in Moscow and the region for summer 2022.

Remove the top support plug.

For quick and reliable assembly, we mark with a marker the relative positions of the parts.

Using a 13mm wrench, unscrew the three nuts securing the upper support to the body.

Using a 19mm wrench, unscrew the steering tip nut.

Using a crowbar and a hammer, knock out the steering tip.

Using a ratchet with a 19mm head, unscrew the lower adjusting bolt.

Replacing the front pillar on a VAZ 2108, VAZ 2109, VAZ 21099

Welcome! The front strut - compared to the rear strut, it is much more difficult to remove from the car, but if you know how to do it, then the replacement will not take you too much time, both the front and rear struts need to be changed from time to time as they fail, but you can also change the spring on the struts separately, for example from the shock absorber, this is done so that you can save a little money, but although this type of exercise does not always lead to the desired result, in this instruction you will first learn how to remove the strut from the car and how to disassemble it after that to replace individual parts.

Note! To replace the front strut, you will need to stock up on: Every possible set of keys, which will definitely include wrenches and socket wrenches, in addition, you will need a jack to lift the car, and you won’t be able to do without a special key, which is not very common in car shops a large price, with the help of this key you unscrew the upper nut that secures the shock absorber rod, for clarity, this key is shown in the photo below, as you can see it consists of two heads (For more information on how to use this key to unscrew the rod fastening nut, you will find out at while reading the article), one of which is large (indicated by a blue arrow), and the other is small! (Also, stock up on a marker; you definitely need it and pliers; in addition, you will also need a puller for ball joints, which you can ask a friend for a while or rent from a car service center, but if you have the money, you can buy this puller later when repairing the suspension it will come in handy)

Where is the A-pillar located? It can only be fully seen if you remove it from the car; if your car is too sagged or lowered, then it will be much harder for you to see the rack because it will be covered by the wheel arch, but still, if you use a jack to slightly raise the car and remove the wheel from it , then it can be seen without any problems, look in more detail at the photo below, in which the wheel has been removed and the stand itself is indicated by an arrow:

When should you replace your front strut? It changes when traces of oil are found on it, when various kinds of cracks are found on the strut spring, and if you begin to feel shocks when starting to move and when stopping, then this also indicates a malfunction of any strut on the car (There are only four struts), By the way, the racks can be very easily checked whether they are working properly or not; for this you will need to go to special auto repair shops that are specially equipped for this. equipment and pass the test, they will tell you which strut needs to be changed in the car.

Note! In addition, not all people can go to such car services, perhaps someone in the city does not have them at all, in which case you will need to carry out a not entirely reliable but still effective option, to do this, go to any edge of the car (For example, right edge of the wing) on ​​which you think that the rack is faulty and then rock the car, you need to rock it this way, first press down, then up, then down again, then up again it will go, in general, rock the car with your hands and when it is in at the very bottom, sharply remove your hands from it and if the car moves first up and then down and stops, then everything is fine with the rack, so check the remaining racks by rocking each corner of the car with your hand by its wing!

Leveling up

You can first remove the old strut, but before installing the new one, you must bleed it.

Only twin-tube shock absorbers require bleeding. Single-pipe systems do not need such measures.

There is no need to pump single-pipe struts due to the fact that the container with high-pressure gas is reliably isolated by a piston.

If you avoid the bleeding procedure, or do this work incorrectly, the twin-pipe shock absorber may fail due to air or gas entering the inner sleeve, depending on the type of strut, through the valve. This happens when the unit is not transported in an upright position.

Now let's see how to pump the racks with your own hands.

Rack type

Stages of pumping

Rear oil struts

Front gas-oil struts

Check the stroke of the rod after bleeding. If there are no dips, no bubbling sounds, everything is fine. If such phenomena occur, it is necessary to repeat the pumping procedure several more times.

Please note that gas-oil struts, unlike oil struts, are pumped only in the position with the rod up. The shock absorber must remain in this position until installation begins.

How to replace the front pillar on a VAZ 2108-VAZ 21099?

Removal: 1) At the very beginning of the operation, drive your car into the inspection hole and then remove the crankcase protection from the lower front part, or it is also called the engine mudguard, by unscrewing all the bolts that secure it, for more details on how to remove the mudguard, read in the article entitled: “Replacing the engine mudguard on a car.”

2) Then get out from under the bottom of the car and go to the interior and open the hood, when the hood opens, lift it and remove the protective cap of the rack you need (Indicated by the red arrow) which prevents dirt from getting on it, you can remove this cap quite simply, To do this, grab it with your hand and, applying force, remove it from the glass of the car.

3) After removing the cap, the following picture will open in front of you (see photo below), namely you will see the rod of the strut shock absorber sticking out (Indicate by the red arrow) and deep in this hole this rod is secured with a nut, you can even see it in the photo if you look closely, You will only need to loosen this nut using a special puller wrench.

Note! To loosen, take the small part of the removable key in your hands and put it on the rod, install the large one on top of the small part and thus you will get something like what is shown in the photo!

4) So how to loosen the stem nut using a special wrench, you ask? Let's explain! After installing the puller, you will need to put a spanner on the larger part of the puller (It is located below), and on the small part of the puller (It is located above) you will also need to put a wrench on it and then hold the rod itself with it so that it does not turn, but with the bottom Using the spanner wrench indicated by the arrow, at this time you unscrew the nut itself that secures the shock absorber rod on top.

5) After all the operations completed, proceed to the operation of lifting the car and removing the corresponding wheel from it; you can read more about how to do this in the article: “Correctly replacing a wheel on a car.”

Replacing the front struts of a VAZ 2109 yourself

Front struts VAZ 2109

It is a well-known fact that national roads not only have bumps, but are actually completely covered with them. However, even normally, on a well-paved area, various types of unevenness can be encountered, which are leveled out by car racks. Replacing the front struts of a VAZ 2109 is a completely ordinary task that can be performed by the average car enthusiast. The main thing is to understand the mechanism of their functioning so that you can objectively draw a conclusion about the presence or absence of a malfunction. Replacing the front struts of a VAZ 2109 with your own hands is given in the instructions below.

Repair kit: main components

If you decide to repair the installed shock absorber strut, then you will need to purchase a special repair kit. It includes all the most necessary components of the shock absorber itself: oil seals, gaskets. In any case, you will need to purchase additional items such as boots, bolts, nuts, and support bearings. If you plan to install new racks, then you should consider one feature. Springs tend to lose elasticity. If the springs on your car have sagged very much, it is advisable to install new ones.

As a result, the cost of repairs increases. If you are replacing the front struts of a VAZ-2109 with your own hands, you need to make sure that all other suspension elements are in good condition. If the tie rod ends become unusable or the ball joints begin to knock, it is advisable to change them immediately. It is mandatory to replace the front strut support of the VAZ-2109. After the repair, it is necessary to carry out the procedure for adjusting the toe and camber angles of the front wheels. Without this, you risk being left with bald tires.

General information about car struts

Replacing struts on a VAZ 2109 yourself

From a practical point of view, the VAZ rack performs the function of a mechanical stabilizer, being a kind of rational connecting link between the body and the track. Many motorists often confuse a car strut with a shock absorber. In this regard, the most logical solution would be to consider the functions and structure of the shock absorber and strut.

VAZ 2109 do-it-yourself replacement of front struts

Main functions of the rack

• ensuring stabilization of the car body during movement;
• accumulation of kinetic energy during vehicle movement;
• ensuring the correct orientation of the vases body in space;
• ensure not only the comfort of the vehicle, but also its safety.

Main functions of the shock absorber:

• assistance in stabilizing stands;
• increasing the degree of smoothness of the car during movement;
• dynamic adaptation of the car to rapidly changing track conditions, etc.

Note. From a practical point of view, a shock absorber is a dynamic spring with liquid that stabilizes the functioning of the strut, and that, in turn, directly stabilizes the car body itself.

Replacing front struts on a VAZ 2109

Over time, the racks lose the proper degree of functionality and must be replaced immediately. It is quite possible to carry out the replacement yourself, which allows you to save a very significant amount of financial resources by refusing the services of a car service in this matter.

Purpose of shock absorbers

The main function of shock absorbers is to keep the vehicle on the road no matter the condition of the road surface. Due to the struts, control is not lost when hitting bumps, which ensures a comfortable ride. Also, the front and rear struts do not allow the car to roll too much when entering a sharp turn.

Both the rear and front shock absorber struts of the VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 consist of two elements - the shock absorber itself and the softening spring. The shock absorber is a cylindrical pipe with smooth inner walls, filled with working fluid. While the car is moving, the spring prevents the shock absorber from falling too low.

Front suspension elements: 1 — protective cap; 2 — compression stroke limiter of the support; 3 — upper support of the rack; 4 — upper support bearing; 5 — upper spring cup; 6 — front suspension spring; 7 — adjusting bolt; 8 - eccentric washer; 9 — protective casing; 10 - compression progress buffer

The main causes of malfunction of the front struts

• premature failure of racks due to mechanical damage;

Replacing the front strut liners of a VAZ 2109

• long service life;
• manufacturing defect;
• poor quality of the road surface, etc.

Objective signs of a faulty front strut

• easily noticeable creaking of the suspension while overcoming road irregularities;
• knocking when the car stops or starts moving;
• the presence of shock-absorbing liquid, which can be seen even with the naked eye;
• The stand itself is constantly wet and dirty and cleaning it does not help.

Note. Objectively, you need to be aware that temporary repairs to the front struts will not have any significant effect; their complete replacement is necessary.

You can replace the strut apron either at a car service center or in your own garage.

How the front suspension works

The front suspension of the VAZ-2109 car consists of several levers, a shock absorber strut, a support bearing and other elements. All these elements are interconnected, the failure of one leads to the loss of comfort and safety. The shock absorber strut is connected via a movable hinge to the steering rack. The lower part of the rack is rigidly fixed to the front wheel hub. The hub is attached from below to the suspension arm using a ball joint.

The shock absorber rod is installed in the support bearing. With the help of this element, the rack rotates around its axis. In some cases, to restore functionality, it is necessary to replace the front strut liner of the VAZ-2109. At the same time, all important elements are also replaced and fresh oil is added. But it is a very controversial question what is better to do - repair the shock absorber struts or install new ones.

The correct practical algorithm for replacing the front struts of a car yourself

List of tools and devices that will be needed during the replacement:

• retractable rod with dense supports made of wood or metal;
• it goes without saying, a jack, where would we be without it in our time;
• emphasis for supporting the car body itself;
• strong and dense vice;
• cotter pins and only new ones;
• one or more pullers;
• specialized designs that would allow the springs to be properly compressed;
• unscrewing wrench for the damping system rod;
• standard set of screw keys;
• chisel with hammer;
• if possible, it is advisable to have a wheel wrench that would allow you to quickly remove car wheels;
• naturally corresponding workplace.

The algorithm itself for performing the replacement yourself:

• It is first and foremost necessary to leave the car itself on some hard surface;

Replacement of front struts, springs, supports and bearings

Front shock absorber struts can last quite well for more than 100,000 km, but not every owner can boast of such a result. For many VAZ 2109-2108, the front suspension modules have to be changed almost twice as often, that is, every 50 thousand km. Using my own example, I can say that I drove about 80,000 km on factory struts, and only after that one of them leaked.

Below I will describe the procedure for replacing all module parts, from support bearings to springs and supports. To perform this repair you will need the following tools and accessories:

1. Socket head for 19 and 13
2. Extension
3. Ratchet handle
4. Vorotok
5. Special key for holding the strut rod from turning
6. joint puller
7. spring ties
8. open-end wrench or socket wrench 19
9. breakdown if necessary
10. hammer

So, first you need to open the hood of the VAZ 2109-2108 car, and after removing the protective cap from the top of the support, slightly loosen the central nut of the front drain. To do this, you need a special key, which can be purchased at any auto store. Or you can use improvised means.

The fact is that the central rod must be kept from turning while loosening the nut. Since in my case there was a 6mm hex hole at the end of the rod, I solved this problem without a key. To do this, I used a spark plug head, which can also be turned with a regular open-end wrench. In short, see the visual example in the picture:

Next, unscrew the front wheel mounting bolts and jack up the car. After this, it is necessary to disconnect the steering tip from the steering knuckle of the strut. Read more about this in the article on Replacing tie rod ends. As a result, we get the following picture:

After this, unscrew the two nuts securing the front strut, as shown in the photo below:

Then you can knock out the bolts to free the lower part of the rack. It is possible that they will be removed without much effort, but nevertheless, just in case, it is worth keeping in mind:

Now you can move the lever to the side, thereby releasing the rack from below:

Now you can start working on the top part of the mount. From under the hood, you need to unscrew the three nuts securing the support to the body glass. This action is clearly shown in the photo below:

When you unscrew the last nut, hold the stand from below so that it does not fall. And now you can easily remove the front strut assembly with the spring, support and bearing outward:

Next, we will need special spring ties to remove the support with the bearing and the front drain spring of the VAZ 2109-2108. We put them on the coils of the spring on both sides and try to evenly tighten them to the required level.

When the upper nut of the support fastening begins to rotate without force, that is, the pressure on it from the spring disappears, then you can finish with the tie and unscrew the nut, again, holding the central rod from turning:

Now you can remove the top cup from the support:

Then remove the support itself:

Well, all that remains is to remove the lower cup:

We take out the front strut spring up and now the entire front suspension module is disassembled into parts:

Next, you can begin assembling a new module if you decide to carry out a complete revision of the suspension. By the way, the old protective cover can be removed from the rack if it is normal and not torn, so that you can install it again later:

If you decide to replace the supports, it is better to immediately change them along with the bearings. Installing the new parts is done in reverse order, and again, use zip ties to install the springs and supports. As for the price, I can say for the complete set: I recently had to install new assembled modules on the front drive. All together it cost 13,000 rubles (SS20). Also, do not forget that after replacement it is necessary to go to a service station and get a wheel alignment done.