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

Currently, there are 4 ways to lift a Niva car:

1. Installation of rigid long springs and a spacer over the upper ball.
2. Installing spacers under the spring cup and a spacer above the upper ball.
3. By installing large wheels (a significant disadvantage is that the arches will need to be cut).
4. Lowering the beam down to the desired height.

Further, for a better understanding, all methods will be considered separately.

The first two methods are the easiest to perform. However, at the same time, these methods are incorrect, since with this design the lower arm moves lower relative to the body, as a result of which the car is lifted.

Experts consider the third method to be more correct. Since when lifting is carried out, the suspension will retain the driving characteristics that were specified at the factory during manufacture. Therefore, by making a lift in this way, the driver does not sacrifice the speed of the car in any way. In addition, this will help avoid unwanted steering and changes in the operation of the braking system.

What affects the increase in clearance

There are two options that car owners use. They can be combined, and in some cases one option cannot exist without the other. They divide Niva elevator methods into two categories.

First category:

• spacers for springs;
• spacers for ball joints;
• replacing springs and shock absorbers with longer ones;

Second category:

• increase in wheel diameter;
• extended jet thrust;

It is worth considering that the use of large wheels is impossible without increasing the length of the suspension elements. In addition, it may be necessary to trim the wheel arches. Therefore, to prevent one type of tuning from developing into another, it is important to start small and follow the elevator sequence.

Materials and tools

In order to produce a suspension lift (Chevy Niva diesel) ourselves, we need to prepare the following set of spare parts:

1. Set of front and rear springs. Here parts that are 31.5 centimeters long and 1.57 centimeters thick fit perfectly on the Chevrolet Niva. You can buy springs and other parameters - it all depends on your taste.
2. Rubber spacers with metal cups. We will install them under the springs.
3. Shock absorbers. As practice shows, the products of the Premium and Excel-G brands are the most suitable for Niva. But again, it all depends on how stiff the suspension you want to get in the end.
4. Spacers for the upper ball joint. You can hardly find them in a store, so it would be wiser to order them from a familiar turner. The thickness of the spacers is about 2-3 centimeters. In this case, you will have to make the brackets for the rear shock absorbers yourself.
5. Enlarged washers for the cup. Their internal diameter should be 1 centimeter, external - 3 centimeters. We will need 12 of these washers in total.
6. You should purchase special extended bolts for the upper ball joints and cup. Parts from the G8 muffler (M8x65) and from the VAZ suspension arm M10x75x1.25 are suitable here, 6 and 4 units, respectively.
7. Several jacks, spring ties and boards for backing.

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.

Get ready to go. Photo and video instructions will help you.

Niva 2121 suspension lift sequence

You should start with options that will least affect the design of the car. Then you can move on to complex options, depending on the tasks being solved.

Big wheels

It would be wrong to call such wheels large, but their diameter is slightly larger than that of the standard version, so the ground clearance will definitely increase. On VAZ 2121, 21213 and 21214, without any modifications, you can safely install the following tire configurations:

• 215/65R16;
• 205/75R15;
• 205/70R15;

It is worth considering that the larger the wheels, the worse the dynamic characteristics will be. The Niva engine does not allow it to support larger wheel sizes without maintaining power.

Springs

The next option is more budget-friendly than the previous one, but it will allow you to seriously raise the Niva and allow you to use even 28 tires. An example of such springs is from the Chevrolet Niva. Their length is 314 mm with the standard Lada 4x4 size being 278 mm.

Comparison of springs from Chevrolet Niva and 3D

When installing larger springs, it is necessary to replace the shock absorbers. Otherwise, they simply will not fall into place. And if you try to install them by force, they will break. However, it is not necessary to use new shock absorbers. There are mounting kits that move the installation location of the eye.

Spacers

If you want to install 30th wheels, then you need to use the previous methods in combination with spacers. A spacer is a polyurethane spacer that is installed between the spring and its cup. In addition, there are special spacers that are mounted between the ball joints and levers in order to increase the angle of inclination of the levers.

Elevator set of spacers and fastenings

More tips for tuning the Niva 2121's chassis:

Important information for motorists

If the driver is going to lift an old car, then it is necessary to remember the internal CV joints (they can move out of place). Therefore, you need to be careful and, if necessary, replace them with new ones. You can also fix the problem by reducing the drive angle by uncoupling the front axle.

When installing 33-inch wheels on a Niva car, you will have to cut out the arches and also perform suspension tuning. If you cut out the arches, you can increase the car's ground clearance and airtight strength. Thanks to this, the car will be able to drive even in the dirtiest and most impassable places.

Is it necessary to change the jet thrust when lifting the Niva?

As the suspension height increases, the reaction rods will be subjected to too much stress. In addition, their length may become insufficient for fastening. Therefore, to adjust the position of the bridge and increase strength, it is necessary to install adjustable rods of reinforced design.

Adjustable rods of the Niva rear axle

Tie rods must be changed when using:

• longer springs;
• spacers;

If tuning involves wheels of larger diameter, then there is no need to use long torque rods, since the wheels do not change the position of the body relative to the suspension angles.

Benefits after installing a lift kit on a Niva car

If you lift the front suspension, the result is an increase in the distance to the surface in front. However, this will be enough to prevent squats on the beam, since the front takes up more than 60% of the total weight of the car.

In addition, the vehicle's airtight permeability improves. This occurs as a result of an increase in departure and entry angles and a decrease in the radius of transverse and longitudinal maneuverability. But lifting in this way significantly reduces the performance of CV joints and factory boots.

Last stages

After this, we weld the fingers under the shock absorbers under the clamp of the steel brake pipe. We attach the shock absorbers and go to a car service for wheel alignment. This way you will complete the final finishing of the bridge. That's it, the rear suspension on the VAZ Niva has been successfully modernized. As you can see, lifting the chassis is quite possible to do in your own garage without the help of special tools. True, if you do not have a semi-automatic welding machine, you will have to buy or rent one, since an electric arc or inverter welding machine can burn through thin metal. Or choose a thinner electrode.

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. 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.

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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.

Complete set for Niva 21213

Everything you need for remodeling

In the store you can also purchase a complete lift kit for the Niva, which includes:

• spacers for rear shock absorbers for Niva 21214, 2131, etc.;
• bracket used when moving the attachment points from the brake hoses;
• modified rod for adjusting braking forces;
• rod for rear suspension (transverse);
• steel brackets for moving the mounting points from the rear shock absorbers (give a lift of 5 cm);
• rods for rear suspension (adjustable, upper);
• steel spacers for the upper supports of the rear springs, including compression stroke limiters for the upper rear suspension (with a height of 5 cm);
• steel spacers for the upper ball joints, 2 cm thick;
• steel spacers for cups for upper springs, quantity 8 pcs.;
• brackets for anti-roll bar model 2131, etc.

A lift kit costs about 10-11 thousand rubles, does not require replacing shock absorbers or purchasing additional parts, and has a 5-year warranty. This set assumes that the optimal tires will be 30 x 9.5 R15, which you can install on Niva wheels with your own hands.

The factory-produced Niva kit differs for models produced in different years. For example, there are assemblies for cars that came off the assembly line after 2009, after 2012, etc. There is a separate lift kit for model 21214 with an anti-lock brake system. It features features such as extended rear shock absorbers that are not found on the base model.

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.