Unfortunately, the suspension now works in such a way that if you want to improve comfort and ride, then handling will become worse. It so happened that «ten» has a smooth ride, but «thinks», how would she act while turning the steering wheel. A «nine» responds instantly to any rotation of the steering wheel.
Consider the role of the main suspension elements «dozens» in her comfort.
Shock absorbers
Shock absorbers increase the service life and increase the reliability of the following vehicle components: steering gear, gearbox, constant velocity joints, differential, wheel hub bearings, levers and ball bearings, silent blocks and tires.
It is difficult to choose shock absorbers for a car on your own, you need to have extensive experience in operating a car with different shock absorbers, and most importantly, to determine what the driver wants for his car, good handling or smoothness.
Companies that develop shock absorbers for «dozen», trying «kill two birds with one stone». According to the operating experience of both domestic and imported shock absorbers of various companies, it is possible to give them certain characteristics. On «top ten» during assembly, shock absorbers of a domestic company are installed «SAAZ» two-pipe hydraulic. They hold small bumps well, and on large bumps the car sways like on waves, but this is typical for a sedan, a hatchback behaves more stably, and a station wagon practically does not need to replace shock absorbers. The standard shock absorbers, combined with the shape of the body, do their job well.
Shock absorbers of the St. Petersburg company are quite popular «Plaza», With these shock absorbers, the sedan feels more stable on a wavy road and holds the car well in corners.
Dutch shock absorbers «Horses», which specializes in sports shock absorbers, produces shock absorbers that are suitable for the family «tenths» models. The smoothness of the ride has improved, and this is especially noticeable when cornering. «Ten» becomes even more sporty, and most importantly, it has become less «think» after turning the steering wheel, i.e., handling becomes better. But passengers, especially in the front seat, feel all the bumps in the road. For better comfort and better handling, you need to pay more than twice as much money for a set of these shock absorbers.
Firm shock absorbers «Plaza» single-pipe, gas-filled high pressure. Their main advantage is a faster reaction to road irregularities, to its condition, they are less thoughtful than «Zhiguli». But it is advisable to install them on a car with sagging springs or if it is necessary to increase the vehicle's ground clearance. The car with these shock absorbers becomes higher. To reduce the stiffness of the suspension with gas-filled shock absorbers, it is better to put them with low-profile rubber and alloy wheels.
Each driver, based on his character, wants to see his «friend» obedient, comfortable, hard or soft, and depending on the availability of money, he can choose the shock absorbers he needs. Their selection is great.
Springs and stabilizers
For family «tenths» models produce several options for springs. Ahead, black springs with an index of 2108 and a technical mark for VAZ-2110 and VAZ-2111 are installed. For the VAZ-2112 car, springs with the index 2112 are installed. They differ in a white mark on the spring. It is designed for heavier power units.
Light gray springs are installed at the back: for VAZ-2110 cars with an index of 2110 without a label; for a VAZ-2111 and VAZ-2112 car with an index of 2111 with an orange label.
For export options, shortened springs are produced, less rigid. With such springs, the ground clearance is less.
Stabilizers «tenths» models perform the same functions and are made of the same material as the «nines», only they have a different mount.
Ball joints
One of the important parts of the suspension are the lower and upper suspension arms. They are made of steel and hold the entire car. Motorists, probably, paid attention to a car that stands in the middle of the road, and its front wheel lies on its side. How many times «Friend» on every bump, with his knock, he reminded the negligent owner: it's time to change the ball joints, and maybe the levers. But there was no decent answer, and support «friend» couldn't take it anymore.
The mobility of the levers is provided by rubber-metal bushings of silent blocks, they also need to be monitored.
The connection between the car body and the wheel, which rotates on the wheel hub, is carried out through the upper and lower levers and ball bearings that are attached to them. This is a responsible unit, every driver should remember this and regularly monitor its condition. It fails no more often than other car suspension parts wear out, and of course, first of all, ball bearings.
If the ball joints need to be changed, as you saw for yourself or you were told at the service station, it is best to change them to quality ones. The company that makes them should be well-known and give the best warranty. On the good side, ball bearings manufactured by the company «BelMag» from the city of Magnitogorsk.
Wheels with increased diameter and width
Another suspension element that affects the comfort of a car is its wheel. The theory of the car says: the lighter the suspension elements that perceive bumps, the softer the car moves along them. A light, durable wheel tracks and perceives road bumps better, unloads the work of shock absorbers and springs, and increases their service life.
Another main advantage of a light, but, of course, durable wheel is that it can be accelerated more easily and braked faster. And the designers have developed and continue to work on a wheel that is strong, light, with an excellent design, but also - no less important - not very expensive. At present, wheels are made of cast aluminum alloys with good design and smooth movement of the car, they are more expensive than the metal ones installed on the car. Forged wheels are able to satisfy athletes, they can withstand heavy loads, but those who are able to pay big money for comfort can install the best ones on their car.
The wheel consists of a disc and a rim. On regular wheels, they are welded together, and on cast and forged wheels, they are poured and forged together.
On «top ten» and «eleventh» models are wheels with an index of 2108, with six oval holes. In appearance, they differ from other VAZ models in the number and shape of holes. They have different sizes in design. Therefore, they are not interchangeable with other wheels. Mounting diameter of the wheel - the distance between the planes on which the tire rests is 13 inches. It is desirable for the driver to know whether his wheel is chambered or tubeless. They are distinguished by a protrusion on the flat surface of the wheel.
The wheel for cars with the VAZ-2112 engine differs from other wheels of the VAZ family, it has the index 2112. It has 12 round holes, and on «troika» there were 16 of them, and the mounting diameter was 14 inches, Wheel 2108 cannot be changed to 2112, but instead of 2108 you can put 2112.
Tires for summer and winter
On VAZ-2110 and VAZ-2111 vehicles, tires with a size of 175/70 R13 and 2112 vehicles with a size of 175/65 K14 are installed. Every driver should' know the size of his shoes «friend». We know what the numbers 14 and 13 stand for, and the letter R stands for the mounting diameter. The numbers 175 indicate the width of the tire profile in millimeters, and the numbers 70 and 65 indicate the height of the tire profile, its side part. 65 is a low-profile tire, and there are also high-profile ones with a profile height of 82. You can definitely put a wheel with your own tire with an index of 2112 instead of 2110, but you can’t do a reverse replacement.
Outwardly, they differ little. The size of the rectangular blocks of the tire tread on the R13 is larger than on the R14. And the R14 tire has stud holes. The weight of the R14 is larger, and we already know that the weight of the wheel affects the smoothness of the ride, but the car's handling is faster with 14-inch wheels, it responds better to changes in steering wheel rotation and holds the road better in corners, but at the same time, speed is worse, consumption more gasoline and so on. The recommendations are: if your «friend» regular shoes, then on the other «dozens» It is better not to put standard shoes. But at present, many companies produce a large number of different tires, with different tasks for the car.
There are expressions in the rules of the road that relate to tires, and the driver must know their meaning: «Residual tread depth»; «Tires are not the correct size for this type of vehicle»; «Tires with different tread patterns or different cords». These expressions can be found when choosing a tire.
About tire sizes for «dozen» already mentioned, but the rules prohibit the operation of tires if they do not correspond to this type of car, that is, tires must be selected only in size so that there are no troubles when meeting with traffic police officers.
The tire consists of a tread, carcass (cord) and side part. The tread is the upper part of the tire with a specific pattern. The tread interacts directly with the road. The tread is soft and in the area of contact with the road it deforms and affects the roughness of the road, as if clinging to the road with the help of its protruding blocks. The more such blocks are simultaneously in contact with the road, the more difficult it is to make the tread slide, the higher the friction force with the road, the shorter the braking distance and the higher the safety. Drivers say: «tire grips the road well».
The slots on the tread are mainly intended for good drainage of water, snow, mud and air from the tire-road contact surface from under the tire tread, this reduces the possibility of hydroplaning, the car floating above the wet road surface. They greatly improve vehicle handling on slippery roads. If you drive behind a car in the rain, then at a certain distance behind the wheel there is a dry track on the road. This is how the tread pattern works, thanks to the slots, it comes into contact with the dry road surface. Therefore, the rules require that the residual tread depth of a passenger car be at least 1.6 mm, otherwise it is necessary to change the tire.
The tread pattern also affects other performance characteristics. Thin sipes provide good grip on snow-covered roads. Proper sipe distribution promotes even tread wear. The difference in the size of the protruding blocks reduces the noise level, the outer blocks provide reliable traction during a change in direction.
But thin slots cannot remove a layer of dirt on a dirt road from the contact zone. The tread becomes clogged with dirt, and the tire turns into a smooth skating rink.
The universal tread pattern has wider slots, and this tire can be used both on asphalt roads and on dirt roads.
Winter tires have large blocks and wide sipes. They are good not only for well-rolled snowy roads, but also for off-road.
Protectors may have a directional pattern (herringbone). They are well cleaned of snow and dirt and they must be placed strictly in the direction of the arrow, which is applied to the sidewall of the tire.
Another element of the tire is the cord, or carcass. Cord is a German word, in Russian it is a carcass, a power element of a tire. It perceives internal air pressure and external loads. A specially prepared mass is poured onto the frame during manufacture, and the biggest secret of each company is the composition of this mass and the technology of its preparation. For example, the inclusion of natural rubber in the composition of the mixture allows the tire to maintain its softness, and, accordingly, its grip on the road.
Cords are: cotton, viscose or metal. They provide a smooth ride and comfort. They increase the stability of the car when transporting heavy loads, especially on bad roads, gravel with a lot of potholes, bumps, i.e. on our domestic roads, mostly far from large cities.
Metal cord - such a frame is assembled from a very thin metal wire. It improves durability on good roads and, most importantly, reduces rolling resistance. Such a tire has written on the sidewall «Steel».
If the threads or wires are assembled into a frame so that there is a square at the intersection when they intersect at a right angle, then such a tire is called a radial tire. It's written on the side «Radial».
If the threads or wire are assembled into a frame so that there is a rhombus at the intersection when they intersect at a certain angle, then such a tire is called a diagonal tire.
Bias and radial tires interact with the road differently to reduce the chance of skidding when braking and cornering. The rules say: «It is forbidden to put tires with different tread patterns and different cords on the same axle». So your «friend» on the same axle on the right and left must be the same tires. The radial tire evenly distributes the pressure in the contact zone, therefore, the grip is better, especially on slippery roads, the braking distance is reduced. But radial tires are gentle, they are afraid of punctures and rocky roads. For «heavy» they are worse roads.
Tires are winter and summer. Winter tires have thin tread slots in the middle, wide and deep sipes on the sides. In addition, studs can be installed on almost any tire before winter. A tire with studs significantly increases traction, the car is easier to handle and less likely to skid.
Recommendations: if your car is equipped with studded tires, then attach an identification mark to the rear window «studded tires». Your vehicle will receive increased attention from all road users. And you will be in a better position. But the most important recommendation is that almost any tire becomes helpless on an icy road. Stay prudent, be on the alert all the time, and on ice you need to be more careful. Remember, it is not the tire that causes the car to skid, but the driver. Winter tires hold the road better, but they are also more expensive. You have to pay for comfort.
Summer tires have a large number of slots of different sizes. There is also a different pattern for the blocks. Summer tires usually have a narrow tread. Recommendation: if it is possible to have summer and winter tires, especially in areas where autumn-winter and spring-summer bisect the year, then you should have summer and winter tires. Your friend will have excellent braking properties, a high level of comfort and fuel economy at any time of the year.
Tires are chambered and tubeless. In a tubeless tire, there is a coating inside with a special material that acts as a tire. On the side of a tubeless tire it says «Tubeless». The tubeless tire is very comfortable and holds pressure well.
Tire pressure
In the instruction manual «dozens» recorded - the pressure in the tires 175/70 R13 of the front and rear wheels should be the same and equal to 1.8 kg / cm3. Some drivers believe that tire pressure should be kept lower in winter and higher in summer. If that were the case, it would have been written that way in the instructions.
Theory and practice say the following. Reducing tire pressure in winter increases the braking distance, and in summer it slightly reduces it. At any time of the year, controllability deteriorates, acceleration time increases, run-out decreases, gasoline consumption increases. If a tire is not inflated by 10%, its life is reduced by 20%.
An increase in pressure in winter worsens the stability of the car, at any time of the year the tire becomes stiff, comfort deteriorates, skidding occurs earlier in side slip. If you increase the tire pressure by 10%, the service life will decrease by 10%.
Conclusion: tire pressure must be kept in accordance with the requirements of the manufacturer's instructions. And if you know your car's tire pressure is dropping, and it's hard to tell by eye, then it's better to keep it slightly increased than to wait until it decreases slightly.
Of considerable importance is the fact that an under-inflated tire increases gasoline consumption to a greater extent, and an over-inflated tire increases gasoline consumption to a lesser extent.
When driving a car on a smooth paved road, you feel that the steering wheel twitches at a constant frequency. There are many reasons, let's look at the main ones:
- dynamic imbalance, when in a wheel with a disk, a rim, a tire and a chamber, the materials of these parts of the wheel are unevenly distributed over the entire surface. When this wheel rotates, a heavy place creates a centrifugal force in this place, which tries to overturn the spinning wheel;
- static imbalance, when the heavy seat in the wheel tries to go down. The mark on the wheel during free rotation stops at the same place;
- the wheel with all its elements is not a geometrically correct circle, while radial or lateral runout of the wheel is observed.
Designers try to minimize the defects of wheel elements that cause these causes. During the assembly of a new car, already tested balanced wheels are delivered to the conveyor. But during the operation of the car, especially after it has overcome hillocks, curbstones, and so on, these phenomena are increasingly making themselves felt.
Balancing is important. A balanced wheel means increased suspension life, safety, comfort, acceleration and gas savings.
Hinges of equal angular velocities
Hinges of equal angular velocities (SHRUS), and the drivers call them «grenade», are designed to transmit torque from the power unit to the driving and steered wheels at a large angle, while maintaining the uniformity of wheel rotation. The design of CV joints is very complex and cannot be repaired.
On «dozens» The CV joint in the device is slightly different from the nines, since we have already said that the engines «dozen» located unequally, «dozens» it is shifted to the left. They also differ in length, the right one is 7 mm longer, and the left one is shorter «eight». Both drives have a number of other differences. Drive shafts are not interchangeable. The main difference is that a more durable material is used.
If you have to buy new ones, you need to be careful. When choosing a drive, the main thing is the manufacturer. The manufacturer only guarantees reliable operation of actuators manufactured at this factory. An important assembly and a properly manufactured drive at the factory is durable. Its service life is the same as that of a car. They are capable of spinning wheels up to 150,000 km or more.
Protective covers are the same with «eight», and the service life of the drive mainly depends on the condition of these covers. Must be checked regularly. They operate in a very hostile environment. And the ingress of salt, dirt, dust for drives is detrimental. If there is a suspicion that dirt has got into the hinge, then it is necessary to change it.
Worn hinges characteristically crunch on corners and when pulling away sharply.