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.
Niva suspension lift yourself drawing
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 Set of socket heads with ratchet Set of open-end wrenches Pry bar Wooden block (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.
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.
Installation of a ready-made lifting kit for Niva 21212
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 standard version shows that the axle shaft (CV joint) is located virtually parallel to the ground. The spacer is installed between the spring and the lever. The radius of curvature of the elastic element is small, the softness of the suspension is maintained. The fastening is reliable, there is no backlash. Disadvantage - the additional element adds unsprung masses (aluminum parts can be used to reduce weight). 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 cups and springs
Video 2
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.
Niva 2121 suspension lift: how to properly lift the body
Increasing ground clearance is something that sooner or later the owner of a car used off-pavement thinks about the need for. The cornerstone in this process is suspension modification (or "lift").
The offset of the wheel axles allows you to install wheels of larger diameter, which will increase the ground clearance both on the body and on the axles. The offset of the wheel axles allows you to install wheels of larger diameter, which will increase the ground clearance both on the body and on the axles.
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 axles does not change (an exception may be the installation of portal axles, 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. Are you planning to improve your Niva? See how you can tune the Niva's interior with your own hands.
Methods for lifting suspension on Nivas
There are several main ways to increase ground clearance on a Niva by lifting the suspension:
Installing spacers for suspension springs. Installing spacers between the upper arms and ball joints (front suspension). Spacers between the lower cups of the front springs and the lower arms. Replacing the suspension springs with longer and stiffer ones.
The required amount of work is quite simple, and kits for modifying the suspension are produced by many companies. The typical installation process for a suspension lift kit is as follows:
Spacers are installed between the spring cups of the rear shock absorbers and the body. The lower mount of the rear shock absorber is moved upward (the shock absorber is connected to the suspension through a special extension). The upper rods of the rear axle are replaced with extended or adjustable ones. The extension spacer is attached between the Panhard rod and its standard mounting point. A more expensive, but also more correct way is to replace the entire Panhard rod with a tuning rod with the ability to adjust the length. The brake force regulator rod (“sorcerer”) is replaced with an extended one. Spacers are also installed under the front suspension springs. Spacers are also required to be installed under the upper ball joints. Otherwise, a significant increase in the angle at which the ball pin is inclined to the plane of its installation can lead to the fact that it will rest against the body of the ball joint, which can cause its destruction in the extreme positions of the suspension. Threaded extensions are screwed onto the rods of the front shock absorbers, or the shock absorbers are replaced with longer ones. What is important to consider when lifting the suspension?
Spacers to increase ground clearance Niva 21213
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.
Let's start with the existing elevator options. Suspension modification professionals distinguish two types of such procedures:
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:
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.
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.
Materials and tools
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:
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.
Purpose
Chevrolet Niva comes from the factory with springs, both front and rear. The main purpose of these devices is to absorb all the shocks of the suspension that occur when the wheels hit potholes and bumps. They are located in the gap between the wheel and the frame of the car, due to which shocks from the road are smoothed out.
For their manufacture, special high-strength steel is used. The number of turns of the device affects not only the quality of shock absorption, but also the distance of the body from the suspension.
Many Chevrolet Niva owners upgrade the rear springs by installing spacers or reinforced parts.
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.
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:
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. The main thing is to do everything correctly and use only high-quality ingredients.
Thank you all for your attention!
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Ground clearance, or ground clearance, is very important for cars that drive on domestic roads. As a rule, this option for tuning the Niva is done for the following reasons. An overloaded car, especially the rear axle, rubs its wheels along the body arches, and the mudguards generally lie on the road, which is why the installation of spacers is required.
There are also special spacers - “houses”, which can also be used to increase the Niva’s ground clearance.
These suspension components are made from very durable materials that are resistant to mechanical deformation and corrosion. Most often, the spacer is located between the body and the spring, but if the spring is worn out, as a result of which it does not provide optimal operation, it must be changed, and only in pairs, on both sides of the car’s axle; moreover, further use of the car violates safety rules.
A completely different “picture” occurs when the part is installed between the body and the working spring. The car body will rise, but at the same time the free play of the shock absorber on compression and rebound may be reduced, making being in the car less comfortable. There are cases when the subsidence effect is observed not because of the springs, but because of the body. In this situation, installing spacers is recommended. It should be added that AvtoVAZ did not initially provide for the placement of additional spacers between the suspension parts.
You can install “houses” between the rear beam eyes and the lower ends of the shock absorbers. This method is very convenient, as it allows you to adjust the ride height.
What will you need for the job?
In order to slightly increase the ground clearance, it is advisable to use a factory lift - a kit for Niva-2121, sold both in company stores and in car markets. Using the included instructions, you can carry out the desired tuning in just 1 day. However, there is one significant drawback: the suspension lift is produced exactly as much as the manufacturer considers necessary.
At the same time, if there is an urgent need to tailor the car to specific needs or the specifics of the road, you can make a lift kit for the Niva on your own.
You just need to prepare the following set of tools:
When choosing spacers for springs for rear shock absorbers, you don’t have to go too deep into the search and make them yourself from an ordinary metal corner. The internal diameter of the product is 13.2 mm, the external diameter is 32 mm.
In addition, during the work you must refer to the diagram (Fig. 1).
And, if all the subtleties of the technical stuffing of 2131, as well as 2121, are agreed upon and ordered, you can immediately get to work. Just a few hours of painstaking work, and the Niva tuning will be completed.
Refinement of the gas distribution mechanism
After replacing the jets and accelerator pump, you can proceed to the second stage of tuning the VAZ-2121 engine. It includes modification of the gas distribution mechanism (GRM), namely, an increase in the diameter of the valves with their subsequent sealing. Such tuning of the Niva 2121 engine will increase the power of the power plant by almost ten percent.
It makes sense to replace the pusher (with a new one with a diameter of at least 1 mm) during the modification of the Niva engine. Work is being done to increase the pusher wells of the intake and exhaust channels. The result of such modification will be especially good for the Niva 4x4.
Subsequent work concerns the replacement of injectors and the control unit itself. Tuning the VAZ-2121 engine will be incomplete unless the standard crankshaft is replaced with an advanced modification, which will significantly increase the power of the power plant. This is due to the increase in piston stroke. It is also recommended to replace the piston rings with new ones. When replacing the crankshaft, boring should be done, as this will provide an additional opportunity to make the engine more powerful. However, be prepared for the fact that fuel consumption will also increase.
Such tuning repairs are capable of:
