When is it necessary to change ball joints on a Chevy Niva and how to do it correctly

The design features of the front suspension of the Niva Chevrolet are that it provides for the presence of four identical ball joints at the top and bottom. The design of the suspension is extremely simple, since it is inherited from the classic VAZ-2121 Niva car, so it should not be difficult to replace the ball joints yourself and you should not immediately resort to the help of a service station.

The ball joint on the VAZ -2123 is a ball joint that is attached to the lever, connecting it to the steering knuckle. The upper and lower ball joints are the same, unlike the VAZ 2101-07. Ball joints on a car experience heavy loads, especially when the car is used for its intended purpose - off-road driving.

The article number of the ball joint is 21230-2904192-82. The average price for an original support is 535 rubles. What analogues can be considered?

I strongly recommend not to skimp on such highly critical parts as a ball joint. Choose either the original manufacturer or products from the TRACK line, which has established itself as a manufacturer of quality products for domestic cars, which is a rarity today. In addition, if one ball joint fails, then all 4 new bearings are installed.

What ball joints are in the field?

Three generations. They differ from each other in body geometry

• until 2009, a “kopek” knot was used. At the same time, there were identical parts on top and bottom. Art. – 2101-290419;
• 2009-2016 the element was unified with the model created jointly with GM. Art. – 2123-2904192. Suitable for 1st generation;
• 2016 – present, the data allows us to obtain the original wheel running distance. Interchangeability with other generations is excluded. Art. – 21214-2904082.

Tips for extending the life of ball joints and further operation

The main culprit for the rapid failure of ball joints is a weak seal. The rubber used on the boot weakly resists external factors and quickly breaks, after which dirt and water get into the joint and the ball joint begins to knock. If you buy cheap ball joints, then in any case you will have to buy good boots separately. Polyurethane anthers perform well in terms of resistance to aggressive environments.

• The second point: increased wear on ball joints. The car's suspension is structurally from the 60s. The size of the ball joints is too small to carry even average loads, not to mention constant use on poor country roads. When choosing expensive manufacturers, you can be confident in the quality of the parts, but I recommend checking for the presence of lubricant under the anthers, since in many cases there is none there at all.

The service life of ball joints on a Chevrolet Niva is too ambiguous. Depending on the manufacturer and where the car is operated, ball joints can last from 5 to 50,000 kilometers.

After replacing the ball joints, you should take the car to have the wheel alignment checked.

If you have any problems with dismantling and installation work, then there are many videos on the Internet on how to get out of this or that situation. A common situation is turning the pin together with the nut when removing the ball joint.

Replacing the lower support

To remove the Niva 2121 ball joint, lift the car on a jack and remove the wheel, clean all elements from dirt using a wire brush or compressed air, unscrew the hub adjusting nut (with the cap installed, use a chisel).

Using a 22 mm spanner, unscrew the nut securing the assembly to the steering knuckle (KC).

Place a stop at the lower point of the suspension arm (screw jack, bottle jack, block of wood).

Release the ball mount from the lower arm using two 13 mm wrenches.

Move the PC away from the lever.

Using a puller, press out the ball joint pin.

If you don’t have a special device at hand, insert a block into the space between the upper suspension arm and the rebound buffer bracket, after compressing the spring using a block or jack and tightening the support pin nut. Then hit the PC eyelet with concentrated blows until you get the result.

Before installing new supports, do not forget to fill it with ShRB-4 lubricant.

Symptoms of Bad Ball Joints

There are several symptoms of hinge failure on Niva 21213 and 2123:

• Creaking around the wheels when turning the steering wheel. It occurs, more often, when the wheel turns in place, when the driver begins to maneuver in the yard or parking lot.
• Knocking noise when driving over bumps. It's a dull thud. It can occur when a wheel falls into a large hole or even small joints in the asphalt.

It is not recommended to drive with such symptoms for a long time. Appropriate repairs should be carried out as soon as possible.

Signs of malfunctions and how to check

Knock from the wheel - a characteristic clang is clearly audible while driving. It does not disappear even at low speeds. Intensifies when hitting an obstacle. The symptom may appear only once or be systematic during increased loads on the ball joint. Exceptions include severe frost - in this case, the lubricant in the CV joint may freeze, as a result of which the support heats up during the start of movement, which creates a knock.

If the ball joint is damaged and the wheel alignment characteristics have changed, then the main symptom will be rapid wear of the rubber in the lower part of the wheel. Play in the ball joint causes the wheel to begin to loosen. This leads to the loss of the ability to keep the road straight. Deviations from the norm will increase along with speed.

Creaking when turning is a sign of damage to the power steering or steering rack. To accurately determine the source of the sound, it is recommended to undergo diagnostics. Uneven tire wear is visible upon visual inspection. When it's time to replace the ball joint, severe wear will be noted along the inside edge of the tread.

If during braking the trajectory of the car changes, then a problem with the ball joint may be indicated by movement to the side (to the damaged side). This is accompanied by clicking or tapping.

Checking the product.

Before replacing ball joints on a Chevrolet Niva, you need to inspect their appearance for damage. Typically, such an assessment is carried out by specialists at a service station. But this cannot always guarantee a good result; in addition, this method is quite expensive. When inspecting yourself, you must first of all pay attention to the main signs of malfunctions:

• Large gap gap
• Damage to the surface of the boot

If only the boot is out of order, and the wear is not so strong that there is a backlash, then you can only get by by replacing it. If the problem is more serious, then the owner is faced with the question of choosing a high-quality and inexpensive part. The most common options on the market are products from Kedr, Phobos and Trek. Usually the cost of the sets is the same and does not exceed 3,000 rubles.

Replacing the lower ball joint on a VAZ 21213 and VAZ 2123

If this fails, then we hit the finger with weak blows so that it comes out of the fist, or goes a little into it.
When replacing a ball joint on a Chevrolet Niva, the very first thing to do is remove the wheel. This way you can increase the service life of the support significantly. Replacing the ball joint on the Chtvrolet Niva. One of the main problems during the operation of brand cars...

Factory ball joints are much inferior in quality to those supplied to the market by secondary manufacturers and, even under normal driving conditions, rarely last more than 10 thousand. New ball joints on a Chevrolet Niva are installed quite simply; the procedure can be done in any garage using standard equipment.

These are one of the first signs of rapid wear of the ball joint, by which you can determine the need for replacement. Replacing ball joints on a Chevrolet Niva consists of several simple operations.

Factory ball joints are much inferior in quality to those supplied to the market by secondary manufacturers, and even under normal driving conditions they rarely last more than 10 thousand. Replacing a ball joint with a Chtvrolet Niva Choosing a ball joint. The best ball joints are those made in the city.

How to extend the life of ball joints?

Plastic liners of parts are destroyed under the influence of two factors:

1. The shock load that occurs when driving on an uneven road.
2. The abrasive effect of dirt.

Impact loads can be reduced by avoiding potholes and reducing speed on uneven roads. But the main thing that affects the life of the hinges is the condition of the boot.

If the rubber band is damaged, dirt gets stuck between the finger and the plastic inserts, quickly grinding down the parts, and a squeaking may occur. To prevent this, it is necessary to regularly check the condition of the anthers and change them if damage occurs.

An important role here is played by the presence of lubricant in the space between the protective cover and the ball. Thick “Litol” lubricates rubbing surfaces. It is even able to protect the liners from dust for some time if the boot is damaged. However, this does not eliminate the need to replace the latter.

replacing a ball joint on Niva 21213 video.