Possible suspension faults, their causes and methods of elimination (VAZ-21051)

Cause	Method of elimination
Noise and knocking in the suspension when the car is moving
The shock absorbers are faulty	Replace or repair shock absorbers
The bolts securing the anti-roll bar have come loose	Tighten the rod mounting bolts and nuts; if the rubber cushions are worn out, replace them
Wear of rubber-metal hinges of levers	Replace the hinges
The shock absorber mounts have become loose or the rubber bushings of the shock absorber lugs have become worn out	Tighten the mounting bolts and nuts, replace the bushings in the shock absorber eye
Wear of ball joints of suspension arms	Replace the ball joints
Increased clearance in front wheel bearings	Adjust clearance or replace bearings
Large wheel imbalance	Balance the wheels
Wheel rim or disc deformation	Replace the disc assembly with the rim
Settling or breakage of the spring	Replace the spring
Wear of rubber bushings of rear suspension rods	Replace the bushings
Knocking from suspension "breakdown" due to destruction of compression buffers	Replace damaged buffers
Frequent breakdowns of the rear suspension due to overloading of the rear axle	Avoid overloading
The front wheel alignment angles cannot be adjusted
Deformation of the lower arm axle	Replace the axle
Deformation of the suspension cross member in the area of the front mounting bolts of the lower arm axles	Repair or replace the crossmember
Wear of rubber-metal hinges	Replace the hinges
Deformation of the steering knuckle, suspension arms or front body elements	Replace deformed parts, straighten the front body elements
Car drifting away from straight-line motion
Different air pressure in tires	Set the tire pressure to normal
Front wheel alignment angles incorrect	Adjust the wheel alignment angles
Incorrect clearance in front wheel hub bearings	Adjust the gap
The steering knuckle or suspension arms are deformed	Replace the spring that has lost its elasticity
Uneven elasticity of suspension springs	Replace deformed parts
Incomplete release of the wheel brake mechanism	Fix the problem
Significant difference in tire wear	Replace worn tires
Increased imbalance of the front wheels	Balance the wheels
Rear axle offset due to deformation of rear suspension rods	Straighten or replace the rods
Self-exciting angular oscillation of the front wheels
The air pressure in the tires is not correct	Set the tire pressure to normal
Increased clearance in wheel hub bearings	Adjust the gap
The shock absorbers are not working	Replace or repair shock absorbers
The nuts securing the ball joint pins have become loose	Check the reliability of the ball joint pins
Front wheel alignment angles incorrect	Adjust the wheel alignment angles
Wear of rubber-metal hinges of lever axles	Replace the hinges
Large wheel imbalance	Check and balance the wheels
Wear of ball joints	Replace the hinges
Frequent suspension "breakdowns"
Suspension spring sag	Replace the springs with new ones
The shock absorbers are not working	Replace or repair them
Increased clearance in ball joints
Wear of the rubbing surfaces of the ball joint parts as a result of contamination caused by leaks in the protective cover or its damage	Replace the ball joint and protective boot
Increased tire tread wear
Driving at high speed on uneven roads	Choose your speed depending on the road conditions
Too sharp acceleration of the car with wheel slippage	Avoid sudden acceleration
Frequent use of brakes with wheel locking	Use your brakes wisely
Wheel alignment angles are incorrect	Adjust the angles
Increased clearance in wheel hub bearings	Adjust the gap
Overloading the car	Do not exceed the permissible loads specified in the operating instructions
The recommended wheel rotation pattern was not followed	Rotate the wheels according to the operating instructions
Squealing tires on turns
Abnormal tire pressure	Bring your blood pressure back to normal
Incorrect front wheel alignment	Set the angles
The steering knuckle, suspension arms, cross member or front body elements are deformed	Replace deformed parts, straighten the front body elements
Uneven tire tread wear
Increased speed on turns	Reduce speed
Large wear of suspension joints and bushings	Replace worn parts
Wheel imbalance (the appearance of spots, evenly distributed around the circumference on the outer tracks, and during prolonged driving with an unbalanced wheel, also on the central track)	Balance the wheels
Uneven braking of wheels	Adjust the brake system
The shock absorbers are not working	Replace or repair shock absorbers
The wheel camber angle is incorrect (wear of the inner tread tracks)	Adjust the camber angle of the wheels
Low tire pressure (heavy wear on the edges of the tread)	Set the pressure to normal
High tire pressure (high wear in the middle part of the tread)	Set the pressure to normal
Front wheel alignment is too low (wear of the inner tread tracks)	Adjust the wheel alignment
Increased front wheel alignment (wear of outer tread tracks)	Adjust the wheel alignment
Wheel beating
Wheel imbalance:
- uneven wear of the tread around the circumference	- balance the wheels or replace them
– displacement of balancing weights and tires during installation	- balance the wheels
- rim deformation	- straighten the rim or replace it with a new one; balance the wheels
- tire damage	– replace the tire and balance the wheel
Increased clearance in wheel hub bearings	Adjust the gap
Fluid leaking from shock absorber
Wear or destruction of the rod seal	Replace the seal
Foreign mechanical particles getting onto the sealing edges of the seal	Wash shock absorber parts, replace or filter fluid
Shrinkage or damage to the tank sealing ring	Replace the ring
Notches, scratches, scuffs on the rod; complete wear of chrome plating	Replace worn or damaged piston rod and seal
Loosening the reservoir nut	Tighten the nut
Damage to the tank in the sealing ring area	Replace or repair the tank
Excessive amount of fluid in the shock absorber	Provide the required amount of liquid
Insufficient shock absorber resistance during compression stroke
Leaky rebound or bypass valve	Replace damaged valve parts or repair them
Broken or stuck in the piston ring groove	Replace the ring or eliminate its sticking in the groove
Insufficient fluid due to leakage	Replace damaged parts and fill with fluid
Scoring on piston or cylinder	Replace damaged parts, replace fluid
Guide bush bore wear	Replace the guide bushing
The liquid is contaminated with mechanical impurities	Wash all parts, replace fluid
Recoil valve spring settlement	Replace the spring
Insufficient shock absorber resistance during rebound stroke
. Compression valve leakage	Replace damaged valve parts
Insufficient fluid due to leakage	Replace damaged parts and fill with fluid
Wear of the guide bushing and rod	Replace worn parts with new ones
The liquid is contaminated with mechanical impurities	Wash all parts, replace fluid
Wear or failure of compression discs	Replace the disks
Knocking and creaking of shock absorbers
Wear of rubber bushings in the lugs	Replace the bushings
Deformation of the casing due to impacts	Replace or repair parts, fill with fluid
Insufficient fluid due to leakage	Replace damaged parts, fill with liquid
Loosening of reservoir nuts, piston	Tighten the nuts
Piston seizure due to deformation of the cylinder, reservoir or rod	Replace or straighten parts
Loosening of shock absorber nuts	Tighten the nuts
Failure of shock absorber parts	Replace damaged parts