Replacing the front struts of a VAZ 2114 with your own hands - useful tips

Front shock absorbers VAZ 2108 and 2109

The front shock absorbers of VAZ 2108, 2109 have right/left divisions. There is a misconception that their design is non-removable. In fact, even the official manuals describe brief instructions for disassembling them. To do this, you just need to knock out the compression buffer support with a hammer and chisel, and then unscrew the nut with a special wrench. Therefore, you can purchase either a solid front strut or just a separate liner in order to directly change the shock absorber itself. By installing not a standard, but a more advanced part with better technical characteristics.

If we judge the quality of the original, specifically the front shock absorbers, they are too soft (like all hydraulic struts from SAAZ). This is especially noticeable on the front wheels.

Since the shock absorbers are dismountable, instead of the assembled strut, you can buy separate inserts - cartridges. 21082905002 – left, 21082905003 – right.

Analogues of front shock absorbers for VAZ 2108-2109

Shock absorber replacements in Samara traditionally have higher demand. This is facilitated by the constant decline in the quality of the originals and their excessive softness.

Analogues of the original inserts are also popular. The most popular ones are presented in the table below. They are not divided into right and left .

Replacement

Before starting work, secure the vehicle by engaging second gear and placing chocks under the wheels. It is better to start by cleaning the threaded connections using a regular wire brush; they are also treated with liquid wrench (penetrating lubricant). After which, they begin to work:

• To begin, jack up the car and unscrew the wheel. It is recommended to place a support under the machine to ensure safety;
• The backrests of the rear seat are lowered, then you need to remove the casing covering the nut located at the top that secures the shock absorber. It is unscrewed with a regular spanner; keep in mind that the rod must be held in place, otherwise it will turn.
• The next step is to remove the top cushion, as well as the thrust washer;
• Unscrew the nut located on the mount below. The screw is removed;
• The stand is lowered. The lower cushion is carefully removed. This is done along the coils of the spring;
• The shock absorber (more specifically, the rod) of the car is recessed;
• The spring is removed as an assembly (cover, compression buffer, cover);
• The rack is pulled out from the rear arch;
• If there is no top insulation gasket on the thrust cup, then it must be removed from the machine;
• A buffer responsible for compression is put on the rod of the new rack;
• We install the stand on the lower mount. To do this, we place it in the seat and insert the bolt. It is advisable to apply a lubricant to it, “Litol” will do. Tighten the nut. This should be done with a torque of 66-88 Hm
  ;
• The rod is pulled out a little, and then a thrust washer and a cushion are put on from below. To make it easier to pull out the rod, the nut must be screwed on;
• An insulation gasket is placed on top of the outermost coil of the spring. It should be tied using thin twine;
• The spring is placed on the stand so that the coil falls into the stamping of the cup;
• Now the spring is sure to compress. Otherwise, you will not be able to secure the rod. This is done using a jack; it lifts the beam from behind. For greater effect, it is better to place the lifting device strictly at the bottom of the spring. When lifting, make sure that the rod fits strictly into the hole intended for it;
• We put all the parts on the stem. The nut is screwed on;
• The wheel is put in place. The car is lowered from the jacks;
• The top nut is finally tightened. This is done with a moment of force of 50-61 Hm
  .

All that remains is to install the removed interior elements. The functionality of the rack is checked. Remember that this part is changed on both sides at once. After a run of 100 kilometers, tighten the connections again.

Rear shock absorbers VAZ 2108 and 2109

The rear shock absorber struts are not divided into right/left, and have only one original part number. The rear shock absorbers are non-separable. In terms of characteristics, the rear ones are similar to the front ones - the same problem with excessive softness and an uncomfortable ride over uneven surfaces.

Analogues of rear shock absorbers 2108-2109

Replacement shock absorbers for the rear are slightly less popular than for the front ones. But they are also more often preferred than the original ones.

Which shock absorbers should I choose for VAZ 218 and 2109 cars? As drivers' experience shows, the ideal option is Fenox for the front wheels, and Kayaba for the rear. If you can’t afford KYB stands, then Hola will do just fine. Moreover, it is worth noting that they most often install oil ones, since gas shock absorbers for these cars will be a little harsh. Although less popular, Russian SS20 shock absorbers are still worthy of attention. Their advantage is a good balance between rigidity and ride comfort over uneven surfaces at speeds above 50 km/h.

Shock absorbers on 2109 and 2108 should be changed according to their condition. On average, the mileage of original shock absorbers is up to a maximum of 50 thousand km (the manufacturer provides a guarantee of 30 thousand). On cars of earlier releases, there were often cases when factory shock absorbers traveled more than 100 thousand km.

How to correctly replace VAZ-2109 valve guides

Of course, if you really want to replace the elements that serve to guide the movement of the engine bushing, you can do it yourself in a garage. But such a procedure can cause some difficulties. This is due to the fact that the bushing itself is pressed tightly in order to prevent the appearance of a gap through which engine oil can enter the combustion chamber.

To carry out the procedure for replacing guide elements, you will need tools (every car enthusiast usually has them in the garage):

• puller/mandrel for pressing out;
• presser;
• 8.03 mm reamer (a special long drill with which the hole is brought to the desired size).

It is also advisable to prepare the coolant. All these tools will be needed, since before replacing the guide element you will have to remove the bushings themselves.

On the VAZ-2109, the replacement procedure is carried out in the following sequence:

1. The first stage is preparing the engine for removing the valve bushings from it:
   the valve cover is removed;
2. the bolts that secure the block head are unscrewed (there should be ten of them);
3. the cylinder head is removed;
4. the camshaft is removed from it;
5. the studs are unscrewed (primarily the end ones).
6. The second stage, cleaning the cylinder head, should be done on a workbench using a solvent or diesel fuel.
7. The third stage is pressing out or knocking out the bushings:
   the mandrel is placed on this element from the side of the combustion chamber;
8. the head heats up to a temperature of 100-120 degrees;
9. use a hammer to knock out each of the bushings (the blows should be relatively light);
10. the areas from under the knocked-out parts are washed with gasoline using a rag or a rag made of soft material;
11. After washing, the seats are blown with compressed air.
12. The fourth stage is the replacement of the engine valve guides with the subsequent assembly of the entire mechanism:
    the block head heats up;
13. a repair kit of new bushings is pre-cooled in a regular freezer;
14. mounting holes for bushings are processed using a reamer;
15. New guide elements are placed in the machined holes.
16. The fifth stage is pressing, which is carried out by hammering using a mandrel.

If such a procedure causes difficulties for a car enthusiast, then it is best to contact a car service center.

Replacing valve seals on a VAZ 2109 and replacing valve seals on a VAZ 2108 is, in fact, the same work process and completely identical, since the engines on these VAZ models are the same. As a rule, blue smoke is not a good sign, the appearance of which means that engine repair is necessary. The job of valve seals, in general, is to remove excess oil that gets onto the valve stem. They remove excess oil, not all of it; the remaining small amount of oil should lubricate the valve with the bushing. You can study the operation of valve seals in more detail using special videos and photos.

Product delivery options

Note! Below are the shipping methods available specifically for this product. Payment options may vary depending on the shipping method. Detailed information can be found on the “Delivery and Payment” page.

Parcel by Russian Post

Available payment methods:

• Cash on delivery (payment upon receipt)
• Using cards Sberbank, VTB, Post Bank, Tinkoff
• Yandex money
• QIWI
• ROBOKASSA

Shipping throughout Russia. Delivery time is from 5 to 12 days.

Parcel by Russian Post 1st class

Available payment methods:

• Cash on delivery (payment upon receipt)
• Using cards Sberbank, VTB, Post Bank, Tinkoff
• Yandex money
• QIWI
• ROBOKASSA

Shipping throughout Russia. Delivery time – from 2 to 5 days. More expensive than regular delivery by Russian Post, approximately 50%. Parcel weight up to 2.5 kg

Express Parcel EMS

Available payment methods:

• Cash on delivery (payment upon receipt)
• Using cards Sberbank, VTB, Post Bank, Tinkoff
• Yandex money
• QIWI
• ROBOKASSA

Shipping throughout Russia. Delivery time – from 3 to 7 days. More expensive than regular delivery by Russian Post, approximately 100%.

Transport companies

Available payment methods:

• Using cards Sberbank, VTB, Post Bank, Tinkoff
• Yandex money
• QIWI
• ROBOKASSA

Delivery is possible to any locality where there is a representative office of the transport company. Delivery time – from 2 to 10 days. Sending large parcels is approximately 50% more profitable than by Russian Post.

Courier delivery in Togliatti

Available payment methods:

• Cash upon receipt
• Using cards Sberbank, VTB, Post Bank, Tinkoff
• Yandex money
• QIWI
• ROBOKASSA

Delivery time from 1 to 12 hours.

Pickup from our warehouse

Available payment methods:

• Cash upon receipt
• Credit, installments
• Using cards Sberbank, VTB, Post Bank, Tinkoff
• Yandex money
• QIWI
• ROBOKASSA

Pickup times must coincide with store opening hours.

conclusions

Of course, the best option for installation on a VAZ-2114 are sports racks, since they are durable and have many advantages over the original ones. It is worth noting that several analogues have also earned their name because they have a price-quality ratio. So, if you know your driving style, the characteristics of the region and some characteristics of the struts, you can choose the best option for your car.

• We guarantee fast processing of your order during business hours (we work from 11-00 to 20-00, Saturday and Sunday are days off).
• We guarantee reliable packaging of your order (when sending it by Russian Post or transport company).
• We guarantee the fastest possible dispatch of your paid order (within 2-4 business days after receipt of payment).
• We guarantee a refund or exchange for another product (with recalculation) within 14 days from the date of receipt of the order (the product must be in good condition, without traces of installation, delivery costs are not reimbursed).
• We guarantee a free exchange of goods (transportation costs at our expense) if the purchased goods turn out to be defective.

Payment Methods

Delivery options

Pickup options

Gas-oil struts for the KYB Excel-G front suspension on video

Over time, every car owner is faced with the need to replace old racks that have lost their efficiency and performance with new ones. But here a logical question arises: which ones are better and what to choose among this variety? Let's try to figure it out.

There are two main types of racks used for the VAZ 2109:

Let's talk about each of the types and their features separately.

Oily

They are also called hydraulic because they use fluid. Key features of oil struts include:

• Almost all domestic passenger cars are equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers. Before this, there were belt or friction ones;
• Modern variations of hydraulic struts are a double-acting unit. They are able to reduce suspension vibrations and dampen amplitude during relaxation or full compression. This became possible thanks to the oil, which moves from one part of the rack to another, taking on the resistance of the springs, helping to dampen the force;
• A hydraulic shock absorber includes in its design a cylinder, a rod with a piston, compensation chambers, guide bushings and the damping fluid itself - oil;
• The main disadvantage of this option is the presence of an air mixture in the compensation chambers. If the air level is low or completely absent in the chamber, the efficiency of the racks is equal to zero;
• If there is too much air, the shock absorber also cannot perform its functions and begins to fail;
• Another disadvantage is poor heat transfer performance. During long trips, ineffective cooling of the struts is especially affected, since the fluid overheats and loses its properties, so the struts do not work properly;
• When driving on bad roads, overheated shock absorbers cause the car to sway. This cannot be called a dangerous phenomenon, but the comfort of the driver and passengers is clearly reduced;
• If you regularly drive on bad roads, it is strictly not recommended to equip the VAZ 2109 with hydraulic struts. The piston will move frequently, causing a tense field to appear on the working surface. This leads to the appearance of cavitation bubbles, that is, the oil will simply foam. The oil loses viscosity, shock absorbers do not do their job or simply fail.

The most important advantage of a hydraulic strut is its cost and resistance to fairly harsh climates. But just because of these advantages it is not worth buying them.

Gas

Gas shock absorbers have appeared quite recently, and they have managed to profitably replace soft hydraulic systems. Gas struts work more rigidly, but at the same time ensure long-term, reliable, stable operation of the suspension.

1. Unlike oil struts, gas-filled struts contain gas rather than air in the compensation chambers. It is pumped there under a pressure of about 28 atmospheres.
2. A special membrane, provided by the design of the gas shock absorber, serves to separate and isolate gas from oil. This minimized the likelihood of liquid foaming.
3. Due to the high pressure, the piston is always pressed. This way the car reacts faster and more adequately to unevenness, potholes, and bumps. There are more than enough shortcomings on our domestic roads, and gas-filled struts allow us to at least somehow cope with them.
4. Single-pipe gas units cope with their tasks more efficiently than double-pipe oil units. This is achieved through better cooling. Therefore, the device works more stable and performs its assigned functions.
5. If we compare the level of rigidity of the two types of struts, hydraulic ones are inferior to gas ones. Therefore, gas shock absorbers are mainly used by fans of fast driving and participants in sports competitions.
6. An important advantage of gas shock absorbers is the ability to install them in different directions: horizontally, vertically, at an angle. Under no circumstances should hydraulics be installed this way.
7. The main disadvantages of gas-filled units include high price, complexity of manufacturing, reduced driving comfort and large loads placed on the car body. Due to the last minus, the body of your VAZ 2109 may suffer and lose strength.

Gas unit
When using gas struts, be prepared for the fact that you will have to change ball joints and bearings more often than expected.

What to choose?

Your choice in favor of one type of shock absorber or another is influenced by several factors:

• Driving experience;
• Current condition of the car;
• Quality of machine service;
• The condition of the roads you primarily travel on.

Here are some basic thoughts that may help you make your choice.

1. When changing shock absorbers, every driver strives to improve comfort and controllability. But these are mutually exclusive indicators. If you increase comfort, handling deteriorates, and vice versa.
2. Gas units demonstrate their true advantages during high-speed driving and at sports competitions. How often can you see “charged” VAZ 2109? Not good.
3. Hydraulics are the optimal solution for ordinary drivers. Especially considering the state of our roads.
4. Oil struts are available, much cheaper than gas struts.
5. But safety, braking distance and handling efficiency speak in favor of gas ones.

You just have to decide what is more important to you.

Reasons for replacing VAZ-2109 valve guides

Among the reasons that lead to replacing the valve guide element of the VAZ-2109 engine, experts cite wear of this part. It can be determined by the following characteristics:

1. Engine oil entering directly into the combustion chamber (this can be judged by increased oil consumption and gray smoke from the exhaust pipe).
2. Tapping from the side of the engine block head (this is the bushing and valve knocking against each other).
3. Reduced car engine power.

Also, a malfunction of the guide element can be noticed visually when replacing a set of valves and during a major overhaul of the engine block head.

As soon as the car owner notices signs indicating failure of the guide elements, without wasting time, they should be replaced with new ones. This can be done either independently in a garage or with the help of qualified car service specialists.

Leading manufacturers

When choosing new nodes, you should think about what exactly you want to get and what it will be like for you in the future. We recommend installing collapsible struts, since their design can be disassembled into parts, thereby simplifying and reducing the cost of suspension repairs. This is one of the key advantages of collapsible units.

KYB (Kayaba)

Look at the front element assembly in the photo to first understand what exactly this component of your car looks like. Choosing a manufacturer is a fairly pressing issue, since each of the options presented today has its own advantages and disadvantages. We invite you to familiarize yourself with them in the table.

From this we can conclude that spare parts from Kayaba are the optimal solution that will last a long time, reliably, and will not be afraid of harsh Russian winters, during which many analogues among the A-pillars simply will not be able to function normally, causing problems for you.

Procedure

Valve adjustment is carried out at an engine temperature of no more than 15 - 20 degrees. Care must be taken to ensure that the gap level is within the normal range. With a narrower gap, the valve will not completely close the hole, and thereby significantly reduce compression in the engine. And with a wide gap, the fuel will not have time to completely enter the combustion chamber, and exhaust gases, on the contrary, will exit it. This will reduce the volume of the combustion chamber, and accordingly the power.

To adjust you will need:

• Spanners;
• Screwdriver (flat and Phillips);
• Tweezers;
• Measuring probe;
• Adjusting washers;
• Device for adjusting valves;
• Set of gaskets.

When everything is prepared, you can start working. First of all, put the car on the handbrake and engage fourth (if possible, fifth is better) gear. One drive wheel needs to be placed in a position in the air.

Next, disconnect all mechanisms from the cylinder head and unscrew the spark plugs. Remove the cover and clean the cylinder head of oil. When the cylinder block is free and the cover is removed, rotate the crankshaft to a position where the piston of the first cylinder is at top dead center. This can be done by turning the drive wheel. You can monitor the position of the piston through a window located in the clutch housing.

The valves are adjusted depending on the order of their operation. On the VAZ 2109, the exhaust valves are in the order of 2, 3, 6, 7, and the exhaust valves are in the order of 1, 4, 5, 8.

Before starting work, mark with a marker every 90 degrees around the circle of the cylinder. Rotate the camshaft so that the mark on the timing belt casing and on the pulley meet. After this, continue rotating the camshaft another 2-3 teeth using a 17mm wrench. Now, check the gap size with a feeler gauge. Move the dipstick between the camshaft cams with little force.

If the gaps are larger or smaller than normal, then you need to remove the washer from this valve using tweezers. Using the special formula H = A + (B – C), calculate the required washer size and replace it.

Decoding the formula for adjusting the VAZ 2109 engine:

Sources

• https://ladaautos.ru/vaz-2109/samostoyatelnaya-zamena-napravlyayushhix-vtulok-klapanov-vaz-2109.html
• https://masteravaza.ru/dvigatel/obsluzhivanie-dvigatelya/vaz-2108-i-vaz-2109-zamena-salnikov-klapanov-308
• https://vashalada.ru/mashiny/vaz-2109/regulirovka-klapanov-vaz-2109.html

Installing a New Rack

Installation of a new shock absorber strut on the nine is carried out in the complete reverse order of dismantling. Be sure to install a new boot, preferably an elastic one. For example, a standard boot for a VAZ-2109 car has the shape of a glass and is made of hard plastic. The work of the anthers that are installed on cars, starting with the VAZ-2110, is much more efficient. Be sure to install at least new nuts. The fact is that they have a plastic thread lock. Only if high-quality elements are used, replacing the front body pillar of a VAZ-2109 will give a noticeable result. Driving on uneven roads will become smoother and vibration will be reduced.