We increase the ground clearance of the Niva VAZ-2121 21213 21214 2131 (suspension lift)

Suspension lifting Niva VAZ 2121 21213 21214 2131

We will tell you how to properly perform tuning modifications in this material.
Do-it-yourself elevator - drawings, diagrams, sizes, types of kits. Lifting varies in the degree of intervention in the standard structure. For some, it is enough to raise the SUV by a few centimeters, and for others by as much as 20.

Extreme tuning – maximizing cross-country ability for traveling on severe off-road conditions.

• Regular jack
• Hijack jack
• Spring puller
• Balloon wrench
• Ratchet socket set
• Set of open-end wrenches
• Mount
• Wooden deck (stump)

It is advisable to perform such work with a partner. First of all, it's safer. Secondly, some lifting work is performed with four hands. Let's take the front suspension as an example.

Raise the front end. You can safely cling to the standard bumper, only the jack is installed under the pipe securing it. By removing the wheel, we get full access to the lever and spring. The front suspension 21214 is made using a double wishbone design, which simplifies the task.

The lever travel is limited by the shock absorber. Unscrew its fastening and move it to the side. Next you need to free the suspension from the anti-roll bar. The mounting bolts may become stuck due to corrosion, so we will use a penetrating liquid (such as WD-40). The stabilizer silent block clamp can be pryed off with a pry bar.

Then disconnect the hub from the lower arm. To do this, you need to jack up the suspension and fix the steering knuckle of the wheel. You can tie it with wire. Then unscrew the 3 mounting bolts and release the ball joint.

We fix the spring with ties and lower the jack. We remove the old elastic element. In some cases, it is enough to simply lower the lever with your foot, and the spring will come out without the use of ties.

Remove the upper support rings from the old springs. With their help, the elastic element is centered in the cups.

They come together easily with a hammer and screwdriver. We install the rings on new, longer springs. We put the elastic elements in their regular places and jack up the lower arm until it is completely aligned with the lower cup. At the same time, an assistant centers the shock absorber eye and moves the steering knuckle to the mounting location of the lower ball joint. We tighten the ball “triangle” and attach the shock absorber mounting axis.

By manipulating the jack, we “catch” the mounting holes for the stabilizer bar clamp. With its bolts it should get into the normal place without distortion. After such modernization, the clearance increases by 30-50 mm. This is enough to install wheels of larger diameter, and the bottom will still rise above the ground.

The rear axle of the Niva can be lifted by installing spacer supports of increased height. When using a size of up to 50 mm (according to changes in front end height), no modifications to the rear axle are required. By lifting the rear axle, maintenance can be carried out on the axle and brake system.

The handbrake cable may need to be replaced. It is lengthened by a couple of centimeters. Otherwise, the Niva lift will lead to increased wear of the brake pads in the rear drums. Disconnect the lower shock absorber mounts and lower them until the springs stretch.

We take out the elastic elements and knock off the support rings from them. We clean the upper cup and carry out anticorrosive treatment. We install new supports of increased size and seat the springs using a jack. We fasten the shock absorbers, assemble the axle, and mount the wheels.

Such a lift will not arouse suspicion among traffic police inspectors, and the cross-country ability of your NIVA 2121 will improve. No drawings, much less homemade parts, are required. You buy new springs and about the rates, the rest is a matter of technology. Labor costs for an elevator of one NIVA are two people/one day off.

To understand the process, let’s look at the geometry of the suspension on NIVA SUVs (front axle). The drawings clearly demonstrate the position of the elements relative to each other.

If you organize an elevator only by increasing the length of the spring, its bending radius decreases, and lateral loads appear on the mountings of the levers.

To compensate for this side effect, spacers are used: under the spring cup and ball joint.

The spacer is installed between the cup and the spring. There are no unsprung masses, the radius of curvature of the elastic element is even smaller than in the previous version. The disadvantage is that the attachment of the additional element is not so reliable.

In all cases, the elevator changes the position of the axle shaft. The load on the tripods (gimbals) increases. When lowering the suspension, the travel of the upper arm to the bump stop decreases. To restore the geometry, a spacer is installed under the upper ball joint. Factory kits are designed taking into account all the design nuances of the front axle and rear axle.

The set includes:

• Drawings for correct installation
• Spacers
• Extended shock absorbers
• New trailing arms for the axle
• Extended Panhard Rod
• New bowls and springs

Some kits for Niva 2121 offer extended brake hoses. When lowering the wheels, the standard brake system may be too short.

Replacement process: To install the lift kit, a garage with a pit and a standard set of repair tools are enough. Those who independently service LADA 21214 know what we are talking about.

Preparation of the front axle is described in the Niva budget elevator section. Only when installing the kit is the steering knuckle removed completely. If you manage to fix it without removing the CV joint, good.

Usually it is completely separated from the suspension.

Next, dismantle the lower spring cup and install three ring spacers under it. There are no more modifications to this lever. An enlarged support ring is installed on top of the elastic element. To compensate for the divergence of the levers, we mount a spacer under the upper ball mount. Since all the parts are from the same set, the sizes are synchronized.

This element is the most responsible. If the geometry “floats”, the front suspension travel will be disrupted. To fine-tune the height, the monolithic upper ball spacer can be replaced with stacked washers. By selecting the quantity, you adjust the parameters of the front axle, just like on a rally car. If the kit includes new shock absorbers, they should be installed.

The eyelets for the levers remain standard, the extended parts from the kit have standard fastenings. Depending on the size of the front axle lift, you may be limited to raised cups, or add spacers for the springs. It is better to choose a customizable Panhard rod. You can adjust its length when changing the clearance height.

Regardless of whether you have chosen a budget or professional elevator, after final assembly it is necessary to conduct test runs. If there are flaws in the installation, or the dimensions are incorrect, it is better to check it away from public roads.

For lovers of hunting, fishing and country travel, as well as those eager to try themselves and their own “Niva” in driving a vehicle in difficult-to-pass places, we have the opportunity to offer an increase in ground clearance, which increases the cross-country ability of your car.

Niva tuning – suspension lifting.

At the moment, there are at least 6 types of suspension lifting for Niva and Sh/Niva, each is interesting in its own right and is negotiated during the preparation of the car for “off-road” at the request of the visitor, taking into account the distinctive features of the operation of his car and the sizes of wheels and tires he uses wants to put it on his car.

We often use a kit from the Russian club 'Korovka' as a base. This lift kit was made at the factory and was tested at competitions in Russia. The ground clearance increases by 5 centimeters, which actually makes it possible to install R15 235/75 or R16 235/70 tires (on the right wheels). In addition, this will provide a rise of another 4 centimeters.

And also interesting: The design of the instrument cluster (instrument panel) and the location of light bulbs and sensors on the instruments of Niva Chevrolet - Niva Chevrolet (VAZ 2123, Chevy)

In total, the increase in ground clearance will be 9-10 cm! In this version, “NIVA”, without loss of comfortable qualities, has the ability to be used both on paved highways and off-road, being in no way inferior to foreign-made SUVs.

Consequently, at the lower point of the RZM the clearance is 25 cm, and at the cut of the threshold - 44.5 cm.

Front suspension lift.

The lift is performed by installing targeted washers under the lower spring pad (they create a sufficient angle for the front spring). Under the upper arm (between it and the ball) another spacer washer is placed (i.e., we unload the arm).

The levers of the steering knuckles are swapped and the tips of the control rods already go from top to bottom (since subsequently the work done before, when the rod is fully turned, they will rest against the stabilizer, although at the request of the visitor it is possible to leave it as it was by changing the fastening of the stabilizer).

During lifting work, it is often necessary to change shock absorbers, springs, and resins on request. spacers, internal CV joint boots on tuning suspensions modified for this type of lift and create adjustments. spring bumpers.

Lifting the Niva suspension at the rear.

The lift is carried out by installing new rear spring cups, which are bolted on top of the standard ones, and brackets for moving the mounting points of the rear shock absorbers up 5 centimeters (bolted).

The short upper rods of the rear axle are lengthened or made adjustable (for easy rotation of the shank, so as not to bite the crosspiece), the reaction rods of the rear axle are either reinforced with an angle or installed double; at the request of the visitor, a rear axle stabilizer “Tehnomaster” (Tolyatti) is added, although it will be needed adjust to the elevator machine, digest.

External dimensions

Tuning Niva 2121 with your own hands (photo video)

Below are all types of VAZ 2121 ever produced and its modifications and their detailed dimensions.

Dimensions of Niva 2121/2123

Niva 2123 is a restyling of the 2121 model and in terms of external dimensions completely copies its predecessor.

Dimensions of Niva 2123

Interior dimensions of Niva 2123

Trunk dimensions

The Niva's luggage compartment volume is an impressive 265 liters, which is quite enough to transport any cargo. But if you fold the rear seat down, 265 liters magically becomes a staggering 585 liters, with plenty of space to fit everything you need. For example, such a volume will be useful when going fishing or hunting.

Dimensions of Niva 2131

Niva 2131 is an extended copy of Niva 2121, but only with 5 doors. AvtoVAZ engineers managed to enlarge the interior of the car by sawing the three-door Niva in half and making an insert between the parts of the car, which can be seen on the roof of the five-door car.

Overall dimensions of Niva 2131Interior dimensions of Niva 2131

Trunk dimensions

The size of the luggage compartment of the 5-door Niva is initially larger than that of the younger model. The trunk volume of the Niva 2131 is as much as 420 liters, but once you fold down the rear seats, 420 liters turn into a huge 780 liters.

Dimensions Niva Urban

Niva Urban is a modern copy of Niva 2123 and 2131 with plastic bumpers and a more modern interior.

Dimensions of 3-door Niva Urban

Dimensions of Niva Urban (3 doors)

Dimensions of the 5-door Niva Urban

Dimensions of Niva Urban (5 doors)

Strengthening drives on Niva with your own hands

A vehicle suspension, or suspension system, is the parts, components and mechanisms that are an integral link between the car body and the road.

For SUVs, a very important point is the efficiency of the vehicle in severe off-road conditions, and conventional standard suspension units cannot always cope with the tasks.

To improve the Niva's cross-country ability, it is important to strengthen the main suspension mechanisms. Based on the objectives, to improve the efficiency of the SUV, it is necessary to install spacers between the suspension elements, which will significantly affect the vehicle’s ground clearance, upgrade the springs and shock absorbers, and strengthen the front and rear axles of the vehicle.

Work on modernizing drives must begin with strengthening the rear axle of the vehicle. You can change the configuration of the Niva's rear axle on your own or buy a finished product that has increased strength, which is very important in off-road conditions.

Most extreme sports enthusiasts strengthen the bridge with their own hands. To strengthen it, the bridge is removed from the car and, using a grinder, all elements are cut off from it, except for the breather and the lower linkage fastenings. It is necessary to purchase a rectangular profile 50*50 or 60*60 to strengthen the bridge. Using a grinder, you need to cut out one wall of the profile, then it is adjusted in place so that the profile fits as tightly as possible to the product.

Experts recommend welding the bridge in assembled form with axle shafts, gearbox and filled with oil. This is done so that the bridge does not move during welding work. It is necessary to cook with short seams at a distance of about ten centimeters. Then the missed spots are brewed in two passes. After strengthening the bridge with the help of profile pipes, an angle for attaching shock absorbers and cups for springs is welded to the beam. It is also possible, instead of the standard fasteners for the lower links, to weld ears from a corner of steel about four millimeters thick with a continuous welding area.

Particular attention must be paid to the rear axle rods, which most often break at the connection points under significant loads. To do this, a strip of metal of about three millimeters is spot welded along the entire length, and high-quality polyurethane products are installed instead of conventional silent blocks.

We've sorted out the rear axle, now let's look at how to strengthen the front suspension on the Niva. It is necessary to begin strengthening the suspension by installing special spacers, which helps raise the lower spring areas. To ensure that their angle of inclination does not change, the installation of spacers must be carried out directly on the platforms themselves, and not under the springs.

As an upgrade option, you can install a new reinforced beam with modernized lever bushings at the bottom, which blocks the bending of the axles.

Gearbox: the difference is obvious

The gearbox is also one of the weak links in the Niva’s standard equipment. Of course, many Nivovodys believe that there is no point in replacing, they say, the factory version is quite consistent in terms of gear ratio, but, frankly, it can be better.

Install a reinforced traction box adapted to the Niva, and the difference will become obvious: the traction version is more durable, since the quality of the components is an order of magnitude higher. In addition, all speeds except 4 are reduced by about 10%, which adds endurance to the car and improves handling.

In addition, an improved gearbox allows:

• reduce vibrations on the body and gearshift knob;
• extend the service life of the box and make it more obedient;
• almost completely eliminate oil leakage and maintain the switching range even at low temperatures “overboard”;
• Reduce oil consumption by almost half.

By the way, if you are going to change the gearbox, it is better to do it together with the bell. The completeness of the part will ensure its full compatibility with other structural elements. Here's how you can increase the Niva's cross-country ability with your own hands, simply by changing the gearbox.

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Lift kit for Niva: which one to buy and how to install it yourself

Hello, dear friends! Today I propose to talk to you about the elevator kit for the Niva. This could be a Chevrolet Niva, that is, series 2123, or the more “our” Niva Urban, 2131 or 4x4, and representatives of the 2121 series, that is, 21213, 21214. It all depends on what kind of car you have at your disposal.

Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and a number of other countries are the greatest admirers of Niva cars. They are affordable and provide many benefits.

Some people prefer to do everything themselves. I can’t say that modifying the front and rear suspension of a Niv car will be an easy job in a minute. No, you will have to spend a lot of effort, time and patience on this.

You can find out how much such a service costs at a service station. The price for a professional lift is steep, so not every owner of a not-so-expensive crossover like the Niva is willing to spend that kind of money, having the opportunity to do everything themselves. And if you put a power bumper and an expeditionary trunk on top, it will turn out great. At least now on a round-the-world trip on Niva.

Lift options

How and where you will make a lift for your crossover, decide for yourself. I will try to tell you about all the nuances of this procedure so that you understand what to expect and what to prepare for.

I will say right away that a body lift lifts the entire body by using stands, modifying the hose and other parts. In theory, such tuning is very simple, but in the case of the Niva it is not used. And why all? Yes, because the Niva 2121 and other representatives of the series do not have a frame. If there was a frame, then there would be no questions.

From this we conclude that for our Niva the optimal solution would be suspension lifting. It provides the following benefits:

• increases crossover cross-country ability;
• lifts the entire machine;
• allows you to install larger wheels without having to trim the arches;
• provides the car with a more attractive appearance;
• makes the Niva an ideal car for fishing, hunting and driving on the most difficult sections of roads and off-roads.

If you raise the car by about 45 mm, achieve a lift of 50 mm, or even take the height to a bold 60 mm, you can easily insert wheels with a diameter of up to 29 inches into the factory arches. Do not forget that installing large wheels affects fuel consumption.

Many people mistakenly believe that it is easier to cut out the arches, insert 33-inch tires there and thereby raise the car. In practice, with such solutions the machine rises slightly.

Most importantly, this does not greatly affect the geometric cross-country ability. I would recommend installing 31-inch wheels and lifting at the same time. This combination will provide the best result.

And also interesting: Amount of oils and fuel liquids VAZ 4×4 2121 Niva “

Just choose your car wheels wisely and don’t forget about the seasonal rules for storing tires.

I'll make one remark. When lifting the car, the service life of the internal CV joint and the factory boot is reduced. To fix the problem, try replacing the internal boots on the CV joint with external ones, and also lower the FRM (front axle gearbox) by 10 mm. This way it will be possible to reduce the angle of operation of the CV joint.

I don’t argue that in Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow or cities like Yekaterinburg and St. Petersburg there are many companies ready to do any amount of work on your car and suspension in particular for your money.

If you decide to do everything yourself, I have nothing against it. I only advise you to use only factory-made, high-quality kits for the Niva elevator.

Kits from Izh Techno have earned good reviews; you can also find excellent options in the store on Sedova Street in St. Petersburg. This store is called Niva 4x4. The T 34 lift kit also showed excellent performance. Each of them is excellent for the Niva, which is why it is widely used by car owners when modifying the front and rear suspension.

There is an option to assemble the kit yourself. But this will require accurate drawings and even more time and effort. I don’t see the point in this, since it is better to take a ready-made set after looking at a review of different sets.

To work you will need to take:

• front and always rear new springs;
• spacers made of rubber for springs with a metal cup;
• spacers for the Nivov ball joint (upper);
• shock absorbers;
• brackets for rear shock absorber springs;
• cup washers;
• set of tools;
• jack;
• durable boards;
• ties for working with springs.

Sizes are selected individually, based on what kind of car you have and what results you are aiming for. You can buy something without any problems. Although some elements will have to be ordered or done yourself. That's why buying a ready-made lift kit seems preferable to me.

Elevator assembly

The installation procedure is divided into installing a front and, accordingly, rear car suspension lift.

There is nothing particularly complicated here. Especially for those who have already had to work with the suspension, change something, repair and dismantle it.

Let's look at the processes separately.

Front suspension

Let's start with the front of the Niva. Then I’ll tell you separately how work is done on the rear suspension of the crossover.

• It all starts with removing the wheels and releasing the silent blocks. The activities are elementary, so we won’t pay much attention to them;
• Securely secure your Niva. To do this, place a jack under the ball joint. The machine rises until the spring is fully compressed;
• Next, the ties are installed on the fastenings and the fastening elements that you will see on the Niva’s shock absorbers are dismantled;
• Now we remove, that is, we unscrew the ball joints and remove the stabilizer. Be careful here, as there is a risk of damaging the brake hoses, which are located very closely. You will see bolts near the wheel. Remove them and set them aside. They will no longer be useful as longer counterparts will be used instead;
• Prepare spacers for springs in advance and keep them on hand. Carefully install them in place so that everything is smooth and accurate;
• The bumper is carefully bent by 2-4 mm and the two outer bolts are replaced with elongated ones;
• A washer spacer should be installed between the cup and the lever;
• Now the spacers with the spring and your cups are installed. Don't forget to center them. The lever is carefully jacked up;
• We got to the lower and upper car ball joint. A stabilizer is installed on them and then the shock absorber is delicately returned to its place;
• Replace the hub and install the wheel.

That's it, the work is completed.

Rear suspension

Here you will have to buy yourself or borrow a welding machine from a friend, because you can’t do without welding. Get a semi-automatic one.

The procedure for lifting the rear suspension of a Niva will look something like this:

• The cups are carefully placed under the Nivov springs so as not to be damaged;
• The rear shock absorbers included in the kit are installed on the car. Additionally, I advise you to secure the bracket by welding;
• When you install the element, your rear axle will move forward slightly. To avoid such a change, all rods must be lengthened;
• The lower cup is cut off and shifted by about 20-30 mm. When moving, pay attention to the crosspieces, which are easily damaged;
• The cups are welded firmly into new places using a welding machine;
• The rocker arm of your brake system is extended. As a result, the extension should add 30 mm;
• Pins are welded under the shock absorbers using semi-automatic welding. Just not yours, but car ones.

Be sure to visit the service station after this. Not to show off the work, but to perform a wheel alignment.

Remember that lifting will require further installation of main pairs with a different gear ratio. And forget about alloy wheel sets. Now only stamped discs will be your property.

If you really want to perfect the car, then spend a little more money on a new limited-slip differential.

All responsibility for lifting lies entirely with you, even if you ordered the service from a car service center. Remember that the consequences may be very unpredictable. Although practice shows how satisfied car owners are with the elevator and that such reconstruction brings benefits and driving pleasure.

Increasing the ground clearance of the VAZ 2121 (lifting) allows you to increase the vehicle's off-road capability. Thanks to simple manipulations, the ground clearance increases significantly by changing the suspension height (the Niva lift kit will help you here, which makes the work very easy to do even with your own hands without the help of a service center) and installing slightly larger diameter wheels.

Special pads are installed above the upper springs (in some cases, the kit involves installing guide washers under the lower pad), which entails:

• An extension should also be added under the swing arm in order to compensate for the increased pressure exerted on it and set it to its normal geometric position (included in the kit);
• It will also be necessary to overcome the problem of the outer traction links hitting the stabilizer during deep turns. This problem can be solved in several ways: either by replacing the mount for the stabilizer, or by replacing the left and right swing arms. In the latter case, the stroke algorithm of the traction tip is reversed, from top to bottom.

Increased ground clearance

As for replacing shock absorbers, the lift kit for the Niva, in addition to spacers for springs, contains extensions for them and reinforced mounting brackets. It is also worth noting that there are ready-made reinforced shock absorbers, initially designed for lifting your iron horse. If the work on the front part of the Niva 2121 suspension is completed, it’s time to move on to its rear part.

Increasing the rear suspension clearance by installing additional spacers above the springs (5 cm) entails a number of modifications such as:

• it will be necessary to change the position of the body relative to the suspension in the transverse plane, for which the Panhard rod must also be adjustable (have a cut with an adjustable coupling) or mounted on a special extension from the lifting kit;
• it is advisable to lengthen the short rods (this will eliminate problems with biting the cross);
• jet thrust can also be enhanced. Here you can go in several ways: either increase the strength of the stock one by additionally welding a corner, or you can buy ready-made, double ones (the standard Nivov lift kit does not require such modifications, but these manipulations will significantly increase the reliability of the suspension).

Also interesting: Niva Chevrolet front suspension

How is the installation carried out?

To lift the front suspension of a Niva Chevrolet, you need to do the following:

1. Raise the car with a jack and remove the wheel. We take the second jack, install it under the bottom of the ball and lift it until the spring is compressed. When the spring is compressed, it must be tightened with a special device
2. We loosen the bracket at the shock absorber and remove the two ball joints along with the stabilizer
3. We remove the spring. We move the hub to the side and install it on the holder
4. We change the outer wheel bolts to longer ones, to do this we bend the bump stop by 4 millimeters
5. We install washer spacers between the cup and the lever
6. Install the spring, cups and spacers. Center them relative to each other and jack up the lever
7. The stabilizer and ball return to their place, screw the shock absorber
8. The hub returns to its place and then we install the wheel back

And a few more important points

1. When upgrading the suspension, it is also important to install stronger springs on the vehicle. You can buy special reinforced rigid products, however, their price may not be very low. Most often, springs from Volga are purchased for Niva. Before installation, one and a half turns of the spring are cut using a grinder. Thus, the car's suspension will be more protected for a long period.
2. Reinforced axle shafts are also a necessary purchase when strengthening the suspension. However, relief-type axle shafts will only fit disc brakes. If your vehicle is equipped with rear drum brakes, then you will have to replace them with disc brakes. Moreover, disc brakes have significant advantages over their predecessors.
3. When strengthening the front and rear drives of a car, choose only domestic parts that are durable, have a long service life, and are characterized by low wear.

Clearance value

Ground clearance, or otherwise Niva 4X4 ground clearance, is relevant not only off-road, but also in the city. The higher the Niva 2121’s ground clearance, the higher the seating position and the better the visibility. The driver of an SUV receives earlier and more information about the road situation. This means it can react to it in a timely manner. If the ground clearance is higher on a Niva 4X4, then there is a greater chance of avoiding an emergency.

The large glass area and good visibility of the Chevrolet Niva helps to spot holes in the asphalt. Speed ​​bumps and other obstacles. Most obstacles can be overcome by walking without slowing down. Long-travel suspension is famous for its energy intensity. After all, it is designed for off-road driving.

Let's sum it up

Using the Niva in an aggressive environment often leads to rupture of the vehicle's chassis components. To use an all-wheel drive SUV in severe off-road conditions, reinforcement of the vehicle drives is required. To carry out the necessary work, you can turn to specialists for help, however, not everyone can afford it.

To improve your car yourself, it is important to have repair skills and the necessary tools, as well as an equipped garage. Keep in mind that changes to the design features of the car can also have a negative result. Start work only if you are completely confident in your abilities.

Cost depending on configuration

Let's look at the configuration of the Chevrolet Niva car. The weight of the car of all modifications is approximately the same. There are five main compositions of the car in question:

1. Model L. This is the basic package, equipped with 15-inch wheels, no roof rails, but there is lower rear seat heating and power windows.
2. Variation LC. An air conditioner is installed here, which increases the price of the car by 50-100 dollars, while its standard version costs from half a million rubles.
3. LE version. The car is designed for extreme off-road driving, equipped with 215/R 16 wheels with black alloy wheels. The transport is equipped with an external air intake, fasteners for mounting a winch, and additional protection for the motor and transmission unit. In addition, there are railings and a tow bar. The price of such a car is 50-100 thousand rubles higher.
4. The most expensive versions are designated GLS or GLC and are distinguished by artificial leather trim, built-in heated seats, ABS, side airbags and original coating of door handles and mirrors.

Manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to develop their brainchild and modernize the car. But high competition in the market requires the use of non-standard marketing approaches and constructive solutions.

Suspension lifting Niva VAZ 2121 21213 21214 2131

When a person buys a Chevrolet Niva, he rarely thinks about an extreme trip. Most often, a car is bought for a picnic with the whole family. That is, the car moves from one point to another.

Although the Chevrolet Niva is an SUV, it is noticeably inferior to its European and Asian competitors in cross-country ability in hard-to-reach places. It is because of this problem that fans of hunting, fishing and simply extreme driving choose to lift their car instead of watching videos while sitting at home.

Lifting is a type of tuning that increases the vehicle's ground clearance. They often do it with their own hands, in garages.

Chevrolet Niva

Proper modification will turn the Niva into a fairly solid car that will show excellent results off-road and in difficult terrain. We mentioned the word “lifting”, but did not say what it is.

Lifting is a set of changes made to the design of the car. They allow you to install larger diameter wheels on your car. Most often, cars with all-wheel drive are chosen to create such projects.

An all-wheel drive jeep is much more suitable for this task than a simple passenger car.

What does lifting give?

There is a rumor among inexperienced drivers that lifting increases ground clearance. Remember, this is not true. It should be understood that the ground clearance will be increased by large diameter wheels, and lifting will mainly allow them to be installed on the car.

In other words, this is a modernization of ground clearance and a significant increase in cross-country ability. This kind of car tuning can be done with your own hands without much difficulty.

To do this, you need to find time, a garage stocked with everything you need, and allocate a budget for the purchase of spare parts.

Ultimately, the ground clearance increases, and the car can easily overcome bumps and all kinds of holes. The first step is to install and upgrade the suspension lift and install larger wheels. Let's consider the advantages of Niva with lifting:

• More “hard” appearance of the car;
• Improving the cross-country ability parameter;
• Possibility of installing wheels with mud tires and larger wheels;
• Increased clearance;
• Increased protection of important mechanisms from physical damage and wear.

Subtleties of lifting

In this type of car suspension tuning, such as lifting, you always need to maintain common sense and be able to stop in time. It is important to know that during modification, the bend angle of the drives changes, which automatically leads to a reduction in their service life.

In most cases, such car tuning is done to order, since everything depends on the wishes of each car owner; an individual suspension modernization project is drawn up for each car. The center of gravity also shifts and, as a result, the overall behavior of the car on the road changes. It is believed that the maximum wheel size should not exceed 235/75 r15.

It is necessary to increase the ground clearance only with minimal load on the chassis, otherwise serious problems may arise.

Tuning the suspension of such a car is very popular among hunters and fishermen. The cross-country ability of this vehicle has already proven itself at a high level, and the suspension upgrades made increase them even more. This makes it even more popular and functional.

Modified all-terrain vehicle

You should only use a lift for a Chevrolet Niva if you spend time off-road, because a lifted car reduces the life of the suspension, transmission and the life of chassis parts.

If you know that you will spend time hunting and fishing, then it is worth carrying out such an upgrade. Remember that choosing wheels for your car is an important aspect of tuning. Lifting is also suitable for people who love wild nature and are not afraid of difficulties while riding.

But be prepared that parts will wear out faster during such extreme driving.

The outer CV joints are too little susceptible to this, it will be worse for them if the wheel becomes larger in offset, width and weight, and then they can “crunch”. Although even then the hub bearing has a hard time, especially if it had play before.

Although we have avoided this problem, since we install steering knuckles with 2 ball bearings (from the rear axle shaft), they do not need to be adjusted; they are tightened all the way, although it is much better with a torque wrench. The unit comes out maintenance-free, the hub is unloaded, rolling is easier and the dynamics of the car are much better. Steering knuckles are naturally of domestic production and with a guarantee.

When installing wide wheels after a lift, you will need to keep in mind the ball ones (when the weak ones “fly”), the pendulum will also be able to fly, and the installation of the latest gas shock absorbers results in a stiffening of the upper bracket of the lane. shock absorber (otherwise it tears, especially when the front end is heavier), the mounting of the rear shock absorbers can also be strengthened. It is preferable when lifting, replace the suspension with p/urethane instead of rubber.

Economical Niva suspension lift of 1.5-2 centimeters. In such a situation, we resort to replacing the rubber spacers for the springs with tuning ones (of greater thickness), installing washers, spacers for the upper ball joints and adjusting the spring bumpers (at the visitor’s request). In this implementation, the Niva gets wheels (correct) in size R15 215/75.

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What is a suspension lift

A suspension “lift” is a set of modifications that make it possible to increase in one way or another the distance between the wheel axles and the body. It is important to understand that lifting the suspension itself will not provide a dramatic increase in actual cross-country ability , since the clearance on the bridges does not change (an exception may be the installation of portal bridges, but this is the most expensive and technically complex of all possible modifications).

The disadvantages associated with such a change in suspension design should also be taken into account, such as:

• Increasing the angles of inclination of the drive shafts of the front suspension and the driveshaft can reduce the life of constant velocity joints (CV joints) and cardan crosspieces.
• The center of gravity of the car noticeably increases, reducing its stability - hence the large rolls in corners. Any improvement in the off-road properties of a car will worsen its performance in the city.

Tuning Nissan Navara D 40 Fabtech – 4x4 Tuning

And here, in order not to get tedious with repetitions, we will indicate the main components of the kit: long-stroke shock absorbers, a set of enlarged levers and a powerful front subframe, which ensures that the front axle “goes down”. A set of fasteners and extended stepladders for the rear springs are a given. And for certain reasons, springs as such are absent in the American tuning kit, which is why the “Ironman” appeared.

Under this protection there is something else interesting: an additional stainless steel tank with a capacity of 110 (!) liters, made by the hands of our craftsmen. Separately, we emphasize that we didn’t try to “tinker” with another fuel neck: a transfer pump was attached to the frame and both tanks are filled into the standard hole in the wing.

We installed an additional fuel tank instead of a spare wheel under the cargo compartment of the pickup truck, and the enlarged spare wheel now “lives” on the gate of the RIF rear power bumper. In it, instead of a license plate that has moved to the tailgate, there are the “lips” of the Come Up 9000 winch. We made a special platform for it.

The ARB front bumper has the same winch, and you probably also noticed the additional IPF light. At this point, the modifications have been completed for now; in such a “combat body kit” you can already travel very far.

Having risen by 15 centimeters (which is 6 inches), you can safely drive along gullies and ruts; all sorts of bumps and logs are no longer scary. But for greater confidence in the safety of all the “lower” components, the bottom was covered with a solid aluminum “ski” made in-house by the 4x4 technical center.

All that remains to be mentioned is the Prology head unit that appeared in the cabin, the large display of which transmits images from the rear view camera.

Is it possible to increase the ground clearance of the Chevy Niva

The need to increase ground clearance may arise in cases where the car often travels off-road. To maintain the ability to pass difficult areas with bumps and bumps, you need to raise it.

And the higher the ground clearance of an SUV, the more confident it will behave in difficult road conditions. In addition, the increase in ground clearance helps give it an unusual and menacing appearance. But what is most valuable is that the optimal value of ground clearance affects the stability, controllability and safety of the vehicle.

To change the clearance of a Chevrolet Niva, there are two main ways:

• modernization of the suspension mechanism;
• body technique.

Each of them has its own characteristics, which are definitely worth familiarizing yourself with.

Types of lifting

Sometimes both the first and second methods are combined. This makes tuning more expensive, but allows you to raise the body by a significant amount.

The simplest, safest and most cost-effective lift of the Niva 2121 is the installation of rubber spacers over the suspension springs.

To increase the ground clearance by 1.5 cm, it is enough to install K-139 tires, the size of which is an inch larger than the factory one. Don't chase heights. With a high lift, you can “break” the spar or axle shafts. The risk of the vehicle rolling over also increases.

Minuses

In addition, such a rise increases the Niva’s center of gravity. And this entails a decrease in its stability (in particular, large body rolls when cornering), a deterioration in performance properties when driving on asphalt areas. Changes in driving conditions and vehicle dimensions must be taken into account when driving in order to avoid accidents.

It is worth remembering that a significant increase in wheel alignment angles requires careful adjustment of their camber and toe. If the standard range is not enough for this, new modifications have to be made to the design.

When lifting the Niva, it is very important not to unbalance the entire structure (we lift the fasteners, springs and shock absorbers only to equal, verified distances). Tuning beginners do not always manage to achieve this.

After the elevator rises on the Niva, it’s time to forget about alloy wheels; you can only install stamped ones.

Using a larger wheel diameter leads to a change (increase) in torque, which means the gearbox ratios change. Therefore, sometimes the car owner adds a self-locking differential (self-locking differential) to the rear axle.