How to lower the Lada Granta? Pros and cons of lowered suspension

In the basic configuration, the ground clearance of the Lada Granta Sedan and Lada Granta Liftback is 160 mm. The clearance height is quite enough to overcome all road obstacles.

Low Granta Liftback

Tuning enthusiasts often practice the so-called understatement of Grants. To do this, non-standard suspension elements are installed, and the vehicle's ground clearance is reduced by 30 - 70% of the base one.

The advantages and disadvantages of tuning and how to carry it out will be discussed below.

Ways to understate Liftback Grants

1. Buying an air suspension on a Lada. The average cost is from 37 to 50 thousand rubles, depending on the place of purchase and technical characteristics.
2. Front and rear suspension kit with mechanical ride height adjuster. If necessary, we independently adjust the suspension height, reduce (increase) the stiffness of the shock absorbers.
3. The most cost effective option is to install a lowered suspension kit. We dismantle the standard shock absorbers and springs and install new ones on the factory mounts. The lowered Lada Granta is ready.
4. Low-profile tires: changing the car's shoes to a low-profile range. Cheap and cheerful, but not advisable.
5. Installation of lowering springs, which are sold at retail. We select the height according to the ground clearance.
6. Trimming one or two coils on factory springs.

Method of sawing off springs

A cheaper, quick and easy way to lower a VAZ 2106 is the method of sawing off the springs. After preliminary preparation of the machine, the springs are cut down with a grinder into the required number of turns so that the landing of the machine becomes the required height. You can use either the stock version or use springs from a different brand of car. It is often recommended to use Niva springs for these purposes, since they are stiffer and more durable.

Before walking with an angle grinder, you should make the necessary height calculations so that the front and rear bumpers of the car are the same height (or the rear is slightly higher). Professionals advise cutting the springs by a maximum of 2 turns. This will help lower the VAZ 2106 enough so that it is both visually visible and the suspension retains its properties at least partially. After cutting, it is recommended to install a Panhard rod. This will allow you to correct the rear axle in the center, because after landing the axle often “leads” to the side.

You can successfully combine a ready-made set of shortened shock absorbers and cutting the springs. This will be a more expensive method than simply cutting the coils, but also safer.

Cost of equipment for tuning Lada Grants

Lowered suspension on Grant

Link by topic:
Review of books on the operation of Lada Granta Liftback

*prices are current as of October 19, 2018.

Sequence of actions for self-lowering Lada Granta

Option No. 1 Installation of short springs

Lowering springs

Let's look at how to properly lower the Granta Sedan.

1. We place the car on a flat platform, secure the rear row of wheels with wheel chocks, and activate the parking brake lever.
2. Jack up the front part (side) of the car and remove the wheels.
3. Unscrew the upper and lower fastenings of the front shock absorber assembly and disconnect it from the hub. We remove it from the wheel arch.
4. We disassemble the front strut module into its component parts: shock absorber, spring, support bearing, bowl, nuts.
5. In place of the standard spring, install a new one (short one). Depending on the wishes of the owner, the spring height will be 30 mm, 50 mm, 70 mm.

If the owner does not pursue any specific goals when tuning, it is enough to limit the size to 30 or 50 mm. When choosing the specified parameters, there is no need to replace the standard shock absorber or insert additional rubber spacers under the support bearing mount.

We assemble the structure in reverse order.

The beaten path: tuning VAZ-2106

Let's make a reservation right away: those who have already eaten more than one dog tuning Zhiguli will probably not be amazed. Many will say: tuning followed the beaten path, boring – shafts – “turbo gear”... But even if all this is not new to you, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the story in full: the final figures clearly deserve attention.

From 8 to 16

But the story of the purchase and subsequent life of this “six” really followed the classic, well-trodden path. In 2006, freshman Kolya began his automotive life by purchasing a VAZ-2106 - bright red, on 15 wheels, with a sports muffler and a subwoofer in the trunk. The car, of course, was far from new - but the new owner and his friends improved its technical condition: a major overhaul of the engine and elimination of problems with the braking system and suspension “put the car back on its feet.” Well, then, of course, came the thirst for tuning.

At that moment, drag racing and other night racing were gaining momentum. Nikolai could not stay away, went to a couple of events - and he was hooked. So he decided to make a really fast car out of the Soviet Zhiguli. The “Six” and its eight-valve engine survived an increase in volume, sports camshafts, modified carburetors... They even tried nitrous oxide. For some time this was enough, but it soon became clear that if we were to increase the power, then seriously. The following logical idea arose: to assemble a serious turbo engine based on a 16-valve unit from the VAZ-2112.

Lots of time for a lot of air

Engine:

4-throttle intake from 4A-GE Toyota Levin engine

At that time, turbocharged VAZs, although they existed, were still quite rare, and there was no opportunity like now to buy all the necessary parts at once. Therefore, a lot was brought from other countries (Japan, USA, China, Germany), and sometimes they even came up with the design themselves and made it to order. Often the car had to be brought to various workshops and left there for several days, or even weeks, so that the craftsmen could take measurements on site and make the necessary parts. And all this, of course, is time and money. The receiver alone delayed the project for an entire season. The human factor played a role - the master did not deliver the order on time. But there was also an exhaust system, a cooling system, and an intake based on chokes from Toyota Levin...

As a result, the car made its first independent trip only three years later. The basis of the power charge is now provided by the Garrett GTX 3071 turbocharger. This turbine provides a fairly early spool, that is, spin-up, and for a small volume of 1,500 “cubes” this is very important. At the same time, it provides more power at the top. The turbine, wastegate and blow-off were purchased new in the USA. The valves were supplied from Volkswagen, and the valve springs from the famous company Schrick were ordered from Europe.

After assembly, the January ECU was filled with a run-in program at a boost pressure of 0.6 bar. Then there was a complete adjustment on the stand for maximum pressure. Since the VAZik is used on public roads, it was decided to increase the power gradually: first 1 bar - running-in and getting used to, then 1.5 bar - new setting and new running-in. At the moment, the car has two programs: 1 bar for the city and for first gear to eliminate unnecessary slipping at the start, and 2 bars in racing mode. Switching is carried out using a toggle switch on the steering wheel.

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The “six” turned out to be powerful. Very powerful. At the moment, the guys have settled on 450 hp, and this is approximately 80% of the maximum possible power with this engine configuration.

Of course, the standard suspension and transmission were not ready for such power, speed, and overall loads. It is foolish to believe that, for example, a gearbox designed for power “a little over 60” will painlessly handle a sevenfold increase in power. Kolya did not tempt fate and immediately installed more reliable units from BMW. In particular, the gearbox and rear subframe, along with the entire suspension, were moved to the car from the E30 generation three-ruble car.

Show rage

Power:

450 hp

The “evil” filling must have a corresponding appearance. Initially, there was a temptation to leave the look completely stock, making a sleeper , but Kolya found it too simple and uninteresting. And, standing at the start, you still want to instill fear in your opponent - he must immediately understand that it will not be an easy fight, and the Zhiguli cars nearby are not the simplest. For such an effect we needed something unique, but at the same time harmonious. Therefore, we did everything ourselves.

To begin with, all the chrome was removed from the body. Then experiments with fiberglass began - the guys made a new front bumper, hood and trunk lid. Everything would be fine, but the low-lying bumper was constantly in contact with the road, which is why it required regular repairs. At some point, Nikolai got tired of this process, and he decided to try using modern aluminum composite panels.

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Wheels

Tires Toyo Proxes 888

Forged 15-inch wheels TOM`S

It is a lightweight, durable material that can be cut and bent easily. The sills, splitter, rear diffuser, as well as the menacing front apron were made from the composite - the picture turned out exactly the way I wanted to see. The appearance of the VAZ-2106 was complemented by TOM`S wheels brought from a Japanese auction. The appearance turned out to be very extraordinary - catchy, but at the same time stylish.

In life, of course, not everything did not always go as smoothly as on paper. This is not surprising - knowledge comes with experience. So, one day, right before the race, the engine died: the oil system could not cope with the loads, and oil starvation occurred. We had to urgently rebuild the engine overnight - fortunately, the necessary spare parts were in stock.

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Speed ​​and friendship

Now the “six” is used by the owner exclusively as a weekend car - to go to exhibitions, shows and races, to unwind, as they say. According to the results of measurements, this VAZ covers 402 meters in exactly 12 seconds, and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes only 4 seconds, the maximum speed is 250 km/h. So if you see him at a traffic light in the city, we do not recommend even trying to compete: there is a high chance of losing.

As Nikolay says, the most difficult thing in the project was to decide on all the improvements and invest a lot of money in the domestic VAZ, believing in this red “six” and its potential. Now his car is serviced by the famous motorsport team HMG. Initially acting as consultants, now the engineers and mechanics of the team are engaged in full technical support for the “six”. It was there that a custom intake receiver was made and a Getrag gearbox from BMW was installed. It is planned to weld a new exhaust manifold by next season.

VAZ-2106

Brief technical specifications:

Engine: Block from VAZ-2112 1.5 liters Electronics: ECU January 5.1-4 Transmission: Getrag 260 gearbox from BMW Suspension: Rear suspension from BMW E30 Brakes: Calipers from GAZ-3110 Exterior: Plastic hood and trunk RMC-Garage

In addition to his friendly team, while working on the project, Kolya acquired a large number of like-minded people in the form of the Bunny Brothers Company club. So the purchase of a first car for a student, which did not foretell anything, turned into a project that lasted for several years and involved many interesting people and events in the life of the owner. After all, tuning is not only about cars, but above all about communication and new friends.

List of improvements:

ENGINE

• Block from VAZ-2112 1.5 liters
• Crankshaft 71 mm
• Connecting rods 121 mm H-shaped United Motors
• Cylinder head from VAZ-2112 sawn (RMC-Garage)
• Valves 32/27 mm
• Schrick springs
• Titanium plates
• Solid tappets
• Camshafts OKB Dynamics
• Adjustable camshaft gears OKB Dynamics
• Pistons from VAZ-21213, modified to a compression ratio of 7.9
• Turbine Garrett GTX 3071
• External wastegate Tial 44 mm
• Receiver HMG
• 4-throttle intake from 4A-GE Toyota Levin engine
• Front intercooler 450/300/76 mm
• Aluminum piping 63-76 mm Mud-Power
• Silicone pipes
• T-bolt clamps
• Custom exhaust system RMC-Garage on a 76 mm pipe
• Fox Racing Muffler
• Bosch fuel pump 340 l/h
• Siemens Deka 870 cc injectors
• Stainless steel manifold DGT
• Thermo-Tec thermal tape
• AEM Low Resistance Air Filter
• Bypass valve Tial 50 mm
• Oil catcher Cusco
• Oil cooler Trust
• Reinforced hoses
• Spacer for oil filter
• Oil nozzles
• Cylinder block reinforcement plate
• Cooling system: radiator + two fans from Chevrolet Niva
• Expansion tank Lada Largus

ELECTRONICS

• ECU January 5.1-4
• HMG firmware
• DAD AEM 2.5 bar + DTV
• Tachometer Street Storm
• Defi Oil Pressure Sensor
• Defi boost sensor
• Voltmeter Defi
• Defi Coolant Sensor
• Defi oil temperature sensor

TRANSMISSION

• Getrag 260 gearbox from BMW
• Short-stroke rocker RMC-Garage
• Metal-ceramic clutch RMC-Garage
• Cart RMC-Garage

SUSPENSION

Front

• Reinforced tubular arms with modified castor
• Silent blocks polyurethane
• Double front stabilizer
• Plaza Sport shock absorbers
• Springs with lowering -50 mm

Behind

• Suspension from BMW E30
• Plaza Sport shock absorbers
• Springs with lowering -50 mm
• Differential lock
• Silent blocks polyurethane

BRAKES

Front

• Calipers from GAZ-3110
• Ventilated discs Alnas 284 mm

Behind

• Wilwood force regulator
• Hydraulic handbrake

INTERIOR

• Buckets
• Momo steering wheel
• Bride seat belts
• Vihur safety frame

EXTERIOR

• Plastic hood RMC-Garage
• Plastic trunk RMC-Garage
• Rear windows polycarbonate
• Bolted roll cage Vikhur
• Body kit RMC-Garage
• Color: repainted red + black acrylic

WHEELS AND TIRES

• Forged 15-inch wheels TOM`S
• Tires Toyo Proxes 888

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Option #2: Installing a complete suspension kit

New suspension with lowering
The process is similar to that described above:

1. After hanging the car and removing the wheel, unscrew the fastenings of the shock absorbers, hub, ball joint tip, suspension arm, and silent blocks.
2. We remove the parts one by one, installing new sets.
3. We complete the assembly, the ground clearance is lowered by 3 - 7 cm.

Note to the driver! Service center technicians do not recommend installing the air suspension on the Lada Granta yourself in “garage” conditions. Due to the complexity of the design, the work must be carried out by professionals. Subsequently, quality assurance will be provided.

Other ways to reduce your car

In addition to the methods listed above, the car is lowered by several centimeters if the owner removes some parts of the car.

Some operations require not only special knowledge and skills, but also the accuracy of preliminary calculations. And not every car will survive such experiments.

We recommend reading:

• Removing the clutch and gearbox on a VAZ 2106
• Have you changed the gearbox on your VAZ 2106?
• History of the Zhiguli 2106 car and its modifications
• MALFUNCTIONS of the VAZ 2106 brake system
• Functions of the VAZ 2106 ignition coil
• Dimensions of the VAZ 2106 car

Disadvantages of lowered suspension on Grant

• limited vehicle operation area;
• mandatory presence of a smooth road surface, absence of gravel, crushed stone, coarse and medium-sized stones;
• restrictions on the number of transported cargo and passengers;
• frequent need for technical inspection and maintenance;
• premature failure of air suspension elements during frequent use in winter.

How best to make an understated Grant:

• seek qualified assistance from service station specialists;
• install components only under warranty;
• exclude handicraft repairs.