Front suspension for VAZ 2107 - suspension design and repair

The VAZ-2107 car is the latest model produced by AvtoVAZ using the so-called classic layout, when the car was driven by the rear wheels.

And since the majority of our car enthusiasts prefer rear-wheel drive cars, the 2107 is still a popular car among the people.

The chassis of any car includes two main suspension components: front and rear wheels.

If we take into account the front suspension of the VAZ-2107, then it is more reliable than that of the VAZ-2108.

This is explained by the fact that the “Seven” has fewer front suspension components than the “Eight” due to the drive to the rear wheels.

But at the same time, due to the same drive, the rear suspension is more complex, which means there is a greater likelihood of a malfunction.

Front suspension and its current repairs on the VAZ 2107

It is the front suspension that most often “takes the blows of fate”, being the most loaded component of the car’s chassis.
That is why care and timely inspection of its main components, their repair and replacement will be the key to successful driving of the VAZ 2107. The entire front suspension of the “classic” is more reliable than subsequent front-wheel drive modifications of the VAZ, since a car with rear-wheel drive has fewer parts in the suspension from the front, its device is more “economical”.

The design of the front suspension has important components, without which a smooth ride of the car is impossible.

Let us describe the design of the front suspension on the VAZ 2107:

• double wishbone suspension, there are upper and lower arms that exist independently; the upper one is secured through the mudguard strut with a long bolt, the lower one is bolted to the suspension cross member, which, in turn, is connected to the front side members.
• silent - blocks, or rubber-metal hinges of quiet running. They are needed for the levers to turn. When worn out, replacement is required.
• ball joints, or simply “ball” joints - the wheel hub is ultimately installed to them through a steering knuckle system with a pin.
• The shock absorption device includes a spring installed in the cups and a hydraulic shock absorber installed inside the spring.
• The list of main devices is completed by a lateral stability bar (stabilizer).

The structure and most important parts of the VAZ 2107 suspension:

5 — knuckle axle; 9 — ball pin of the upper support; 10 — steering knuckle; 13, 36 — upper and lower arms; 17 — support glass; 18 — shock absorber mounting pads; 21 — upper spring support cup; 22 — axis of the upper arm; 29 — bracket for fastening the cross member to the spar; 30 — cross member of the front suspension; 33 — stabilizer bar; 34 — body spar; 37 — bolts for securing the lower arm axis; 40 — shock absorber;

This is what the pendant looks like from below. All structural elements are clearly visible (levers, spring, shock absorber, stability bar, balls, etc.).

How to check the chassis on the "seven"

Self-checking the chassis of a VAZ is a relatively simple and quick procedure. No special tools are required, but you need to drive the car onto an overpass or pit.

Checking the chassis involves a visual inspection, so you will need to take care of good quality lighting. During the inspection, it is necessary to carefully examine all suspension components, paying special attention to:

• the condition of all rubber elements - they should not be dry or cracked;
• the condition of the shock absorbers - there should be no traces of oil leakage;
• integrity of springs and levers;
• presence/absence of play in ball joints.

This check is quite enough to find the problematic part in the chassis of the car.

Video: chassis diagnostics

The chassis of the VAZ 2107 has a fairly simple structure. An important fact can be considered the ability to independently identify chassis faults and ease of diagnosis.

The latest luxury version of the VAZ “classic” is still popular among our fellow citizens. The VAZ 2107 is easy to maintain, and many operations to restore the chassis can be done with your own hands. The front and rear suspension of the car are quite reliable, and spare parts for the car can be purchased at any store or market.

Maintenance and repair of the machine will not be a difficult task if the owner knows the material well. The front suspension of the car consists of the following elements:

1. upper and lower lever;
2. ball joints;
3. pivot pin;
4. hub with bearing;
5. shock absorber;
6. coil spring.

The rear suspension design includes:

1. set of four longitudinal rods;
2. rear axle with gearbox and hubs;
3. lateral Panhard rod;
4. shock absorbers;
5. springs.

Many years of experience in operating the model shows that it is possible to tune it by installing gas-filled shock absorbers with improved characteristics.

WHAT MALFUNCTIONS CAN THE SUSPENSION HAVE?

• Drying and simple wear over time of rubber parts, boots, liners, seals, deterioration of ball joints, wear of the stability bar cushions;
• “Fatigue” of the metal, which can cause damage to springs and shock absorbers.

The front suspension, unlike the engine, was luckier, since it is easier to carry out repairs in a home garage, and the design of the suspension is open. To do this, you need an overpass or a regular inspection hole.

WHAT CAN BE DETERMINED WHEN INSPECTION OF THE SUSPENSION?

• The state of wear, crumbling, dryness of all rubber parts;
• It is determined how dry the shock absorber is and whether there is any oil leakage from it, as well as evaluate its performance. The test scheme is simple: you need to sharply press on the surface of the car's wing and remove the load, that is, “release sharply”. A working shock absorber returns the wing up in one pass, without additional vibration.
• The integrity of all coils of springs on the right and left sides;
• The gap in the ball joints is determined.

REPLACING BALL JOINTS

The work scheme (like all others) begins with cleaning the parts from dried dirt. You need to make it a rule to clean all the elements at the bottom of the machine before starting diagnostics and repairs. The most convenient way to do this is to first use a stream of water from the nozzle of a portable car wash, and then dry it with compressed air.

To replace the ball joints, first remove the wheels of the VAZ 2107.

The jack for loading the lower part of the suspension rests on the lower arm, simulating a “load” on the suspension.

Then:

• Unscrew the ball pin nut (for example, the top one).
• A special pressing tool is used to separate the steering knuckle and the support pin;
• Unscrew the ball joint and remove it in its protective case.
• A new support is installed and assembly occurs in the reverse order.

The lower support is also replaced. After this, the car is jacked up on the other side and the ball joints on the other side of the suspension are replaced.

After this, it is necessary to adjust the wheel alignment; this must be done at a service station on a special stand.

Silent blocks.

Let us recall that the silent block is a connecting element in the suspension of the VAZ 2107, and any other “classic”, which has an elastic liner made of polyurethane or rubber in order to soften the shocks of the suspension and vibrations. These parts take on large shock loads.

The figure shows the mounting diagram for the silent block of the lower arm.

Because of this, silent blocks are susceptible to wear, as a result of which the alignment is disrupted. It is advisable to change silent blocks every 50-100 thousand km. Mileage.

Brake system of VAZ cars

The carriageway of this road has

On the VAZ prototype, Fiat 124, the designers installed a disc brake system. It is ideal for highways and highways, those that in modern Russia are called federal. However, at that time, there were no roads of this level in the USSR. The vast majority of roads were of poor quality and did not provide opportunities for high-speed travel. And at low and medium speeds, disc brakes did not perform well. Therefore, a drum type was adopted, where semicircular pads were expanded hydraulically and pressed against the walls of the drum over a large area. So it became customary to install drum brakes on the classics. They didn’t try to split hairs by switching to front-wheel drive. The first “chisels” VAZ-2108, and after them 2109, were equipped exclusively with drums.

Switching to disc brakes

However, time passed, and the situation with the roads began to improve noticeably, the speed limit increased. Drum brakes were no longer doing a good job. However, installing a completely disc brake system meant completely eliminating the sale of new models to buyers from peripheral areas, where many roads still leave much to be desired. The “Solomon decision” was made - the rear brakes remained drum brakes, and the front ones were installed on discs. Since then, this formula has been fixed at VAZ. The only exception is the Lada Kalina Sport. This special speed model is equipped with disc brakes from the factory.

Tuning of VAZ chassis and suspension system

There are no special improvements when tuning the suspension of any brand.
The usual steps in this direction are to replace drum brakes with disc brakes. But this is worth doing if a general modernization of the engine and gearbox has been carried out. You can replace some components with products made from lighter and stronger, and therefore more expensive, material. Another tuning point is to manipulate the length of the springs. Some owners, trying to give their car the look of a sports car, cut off 1-2 turns from the spring. Others, those who expect to carry heavy loads, on the contrary, “lift” the car with the help of special spring cushions, and even buy non-standard ones, with a large number of turns. Both options are unsafe. When trimming, “lowering”, the car loses a decent part of the depreciation, and the shock absorber strut fails faster. The body is destroyed and control deteriorates. When the body is raised, the car becomes less stable at high speeds and the risk of rollover increases. In general, suspension tuning requires careful thought and serious consultation. In the video you can watch the repair of the front suspension of the VAZ-2107:

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REPLACING SHOCK ABSORBERS

The shock absorber is a non-separable paired part. That is, if one of them fails, then both change.

In order to replace the shock absorber, you need to carry out the following steps:

• Unscrew the fastening nut on the rod;
• Remove the washers along with the upper cushion made of rubber;
• We unscrew the bracket with which the shock absorber is connected to the lower arm;
• The broken shock absorber can be removed through the slot in the lever housing;
• The bracket is removed from the shock absorber and a new shock absorber is installed in the reverse order.

We diagnose the signal and its activation buttons

In order to find out whether your car uses a correctly working signal, you should disconnect its wires from the relay and connect them directly to the battery. If the sound does not appear in this case, the causes of the breakdown may be the following:

• contacts located directly in the device body are burnt or heavily soiled;
• The signal is not configured correctly, causing the dial tone to sound very low or not audible at all.

Troubleshooting is done by adjusting the signal (to do this you just need to turn a special screw installed in the back of the case) and cleaning the contacts.

Another reason why the signal may not work is a broken or worn button. To restore its normal functioning, you can either replace the entire part, or again put the contacts to which the wires are connected in perfect order.

As you can see, you don’t have to go to a car service center to diagnose and repair the sound signal. Almost any work can be easily done with your own hands without spending a lot of time on it. We only strongly recommend that you do not delay this, so as not to expose yourself to the risk of a traffic accident due to a non-functioning horn.

On the VAZ 2105 car, two types of sound signals can be installed - single and double. As a rule, the main repair work that needs to be carried out with the signal is its adjustment of the tone of the sound produced, or dismantling it in order to completely replace it with a new one in case of failure. Since they cannot be repaired, if they break, they are replaced. We carry out dismantling on a de-energized vehicle, disconnecting the minus terminal from the battery. To carry out repair work, prepare a standard set of tools, and then perform the following sequence of actions:

• Disconnect the power cables from the signal.
• Next, use a thirteen wrench to unscrew the nuts securing it to the bracket and remove it.

This completes the removal repair work. Replace it, and then perform the installation in the reverse order.

To adjust the sound tone, do the following:

• In the case of a double signal, we adjust each one separately; to do this, we disconnect the supply wire from the second one.
• Find the adjustment screw on the body, then ask an assistant to press the horn button, while you, in the meantime, turn the screw with a screwdriver to achieve optimal sound.
• If the bad sound cannot be eliminated, we replace it.

At this point, the repair work on replacing and adjusting sound signals on the VAZ 2105 has been completed.

Sources

• https://ladaautos.ru/vaz-2107/pochemu-ne-rabotaet-signal-na-vaz-2107-i-chto-delat.html
• https://remont-vaz2106.ru/vaz-2105-zamena-i-regulirovka-zvukovogo-signala

REPLACING A BROKEN SPRING

To replace the spring (which also cannot be repaired), you need to remove the shock absorber and disconnect it from the roll bar. After this, you need to loosen the screws of the lower arm, after that it is jacked up, then using a special puller we remove the ball pin.

Now you can slowly release the jack, as a result of which the spring weakens and is easily removed from the cup.

Attention! A new spring can be placed in the support bowl only by first tightening it with a special tie.

After this, the lower arm is pressed in the same way, then its ball joint fits into the steering knuckle. Then you can release the spring from the tie. A diagram of spring compression using a tie is shown.

In conclusion, it must be said that a novice motorist is quite capable of monitoring the serviceability of the suspension, the main thing is that he has an overpass or a pit at his disposal.

Suspension structure

The front suspension of the VAZ 2107 is “independent”. It consists of two levers and a coil spring, shock absorbers with a telescopic structure, as well as an anti-roll bar.

The lower arms are bolted to a beam that connects to the front spar. There are shims between the beam and the lower arm; they help adjust the camber of the front wheels.

The upper arms are attached to the body with a bolt. The hub is secured using a ball joint. The front suspension spring is in the mudguard strut cup, and its lower edge rests against the lower arm support cup. You can see all this clearly in the diagram below.

The anti-roll bar serves to prevent the car from skidding. It is attached at the front through rubber bands to the side member, and at the rear to the lower suspension arms.

Polyurethane or regular?

On sale you can find two types of elements - polyurethane and rubber-based. The question is: which ones are better to use on the VAZ 2107? Rubber ones have many disadvantages:

1. Even the new ones squeak.
2. They have a relatively small resource.
3. Under the influence of an aggressive environment they quickly become unusable.

But they also have a big advantage - a fairly low price. Depending on the “appetites” of the seller, you can purchase a set for 500-700 rubles. But polyurethane ones have higher characteristics. They are practically not exposed to aggressive environments, have a long service life (at least twice as long), but there is one drawback - the price. It is within one and a half thousand. Look at how you are used to using your car.

Which ones should you install on your VAZ 2107? The question is not easy, you need to weigh everything to answer it. And most importantly, assess your financial capabilities.

You also need to pay attention to your driving style. If aggressive, then polyurethane will be more suitable for the job.

But if you drive quietly and the suspension is not subjected to significant loads, then you can install regular rubber ones. But we need to make a reservation again - it all depends on your capabilities and preferences. Polyurethane ones are many times better than rubber ones on the VAZ 2107 and similar models. And they are free from the main drawback of rubber joints - they do not creak.

Front suspension diagram

This diagram will help you clearly understand the suspension structure.

1) rubber wheel bearings; 2) hub protection; 3) nut; 4) part of the base with a steering knuckle; 5) cuff; 6), 7) location of the hub and brake disc; protection for the upper ball pin; 9) place of attachment of the upper ball pin; 10) liner for the upper support; 11) lever (upper); 12) the so-called “chipper”; 13) fastening the spring gasket; 14) shock-absorbing element; 15) a pad for attaching a shock-absorbing part; 16) base of levers (upper); 17) rubber hinge bushing; 18) hinged bushing located outside; 19) washers for adjustment; 20) cross member for axle suspension; 21) cushion on the stabilizer bar; 22) place of attachment of the rod; 23) base of the lever (lower); 24) lever located below; 25) clip for attaching the stabilizer rod; 26) spring; 27) rubber bushing for the shock absorber spring; 28) spring support bowl (lower); 29) place for the steering knuckle; 30) location of the ball pin race liner (lower); 31) support bearing (lower); 32) fastening for the lower ball pin.

As you noticed, the scheme is not complicated.