How to replace stabilizer bushings on Lada Vesta

Replacing an element such as stabilizer bushings on a Lada Vesta can be easily done with your own hands. It is for this reason that only inexperienced owners of cars of the model mentioned above turn to a car service center. As practice shows, often a specific and unpleasant squeak in the suspension area appears literally just a few days after purchasing a new vehicle. A simple inspection reveals that the problem lies in the stabilizer, which is responsible for its lateral stability (SST). In the aforementioned unit, the weak point turns out to be the bushing, or rather, the not very good material chosen “apparently – solely for the sake of economy” by the manufacturer for its manufacture.

Stabilizer - features

To better understand how to replace bushings with your own hands, you need to become familiar with the most common causes of their failure, be able to see signs of a malfunction and understand how the unit in question generally works.

The design of the front suspension mounted on the Lada Vesta was roughly copied from a similar Renault unit, but the domestic version turned out to be less advanced than the French prototype.

The torsion bar stabilizer is made from steel with high springiness. It itself is a rod that has a specific bend that helps reduce the lateral roll of the vehicle during turns at relatively high speeds. Without this element, the described maneuver may cause the vehicle to roll over.

In the case of Vesta, the stabilizer is installed exclusively on the front axle. The rod itself is fixed to the subframe with steel clamps and rubber bushings. From the edges the element is attached by levers to the suspension itself.

The operating principle of the stabilizer installed on the Lada Vesta is quite simple. The element distributes loads arising from any side evenly over the entire suspension. So, if the car begins to roll to one side, then the stabilizer rods change position. On the side where there is a critical slope, the node rises, and on the opposite side, on the contrary, it lowers.

The bushings that hold the front of the element allow it to rotate. This makes it possible to adjust the position of the body as the vehicle moves along the road. The stabilizer has another additional, but no less important function - improving the grip of the wheels on the road when entering a turn. Thus, the bushing takes on quite large loads, which contribute to the rapid failure of the part. Because of this, replacement (either with your own hands or in a car service) has to be done relatively often.

Lada Vesta suspension

Products from the Dustershop77 range on the topic of the article:

When replacement is necessary

The failure of the stabilizer bushings on the Lada model under consideration is indicated by quite characteristic signs. So, in particular, on Vesta:

• there is a very loud creaking, and sometimes a knocking or even a grinding noise coming from the front suspension;
• the mentioned noises become especially loud if the car is moving on a bumpy road or after crossing a water obstacle;
• The car does not obey control well when the speed ranges from 60 to 90 kilometers per hour.
• when turning, the body rolls noticeably;
• turning the steering wheel requires more force.

Installing stabilizer bushings on Vesta from Kia

Front stabilizer bushing number 54813-2K100 (aka KSBSOULF) - 21.5mm. Cost from 150 to 500 rubles per piece.

The shape of the analogue is noticeably different from the standard bushings, so you will additionally have to buy a stabilizer bushing bracket 54814-1G000, which costs 100-500 rubles. Installation according to familiar instructions.

The cost of modification is from 500 to 2000 rubles.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that when installing analog stabilizer bushings, the characteristics of the vehicle’s suspension may change. For example, the car will not be so smooth when passing joints and uneven roads, etc.

Have you encountered a creaking noise in the front suspension of Vesta? How did you solve this problem? You can post photos of your solutions in the comments.

How to prevent the stabilizer from squeaking

Each owner tries to improve his car, eliminating the flaws made by the largest domestic manufacturer. Vesta’s owners continue the tradition. In particular, they often think about how to improve the performance of the stabilizer.

The easiest way to rid the Lada of squeaking is to thoroughly lubricate the bushings. To do this, it is permissible to use silicone compounds or even WD-40. This recommendation, by the way, is also present in the official operating manual for the machine. The problem is that this measure is not enough for a long time - sooner or later the lubricant dries out, so its layer has to be renewed regularly. Moreover, the owners note that the described measure helps only at first.

A more effective way is to replace the bushings. However, it is not very wise to use original products, because they will not last as long as their predecessors. Thus, the best way out is to use elements from foreign cars, and then the stabilizer will start working, albeit not silently, but much quieter.

How to correctly change the Lada Vesta SPU airbags?

The technology for performing repair work on changing the rubber pads of the stabilizer bar is simple and accessible to the vast majority of motorists. Of course, if the car is under warranty, then this should be done by the mechanics of the dealer's car service center.

Preparatory activities

To carry out repair procedures, you do not even need to remove the engine protective apron. However, no one has canceled the availability of a small set of tools; for work you will need:

• Torx key T40.
• Ring wrench “16”.
• Socket wrench “13”.
• Driver, extension and 10mm socket.
• Silicone Grease.

For a comfortable and high-quality replacement of faulty stabilizer bushings on a Lada Vesta car, you need at least an inspection hole or overpass, and in the best case, a lift. Before putting the car in for repairs, it is worth washing it thoroughly, especially in the area where the work is being carried out.

Technology system

It is important to remember one important detail - you need to start changing the SPU rubber cushion only when the stabilization bar is in a relaxed state. This happens when the front wheels are suspended or the entire mass of the car is loaded evenly on an overpass or pit. After this condition is met, the process proceeds according to the following scheme:

• Using a wrench, an extension and a 10mm socket, unscrew the five bolts securing the steering gear protective cover.
• Unscrew the two rear bolts securing the mounting brackets for the cushion and the rod using a 13mm spanner.
• Using a Torx T40 ratchet wrench, unscrew the two front bolts on the brackets (on the steering rack side).
• Dismantle the bracket and remove the old bushings.
• Make a cut in the bottom of the new cushions.
• Treat the inner surface of the holes in the pads with silicone grease and put them on the bar.
• Tighten the fastening nuts in the reverse order, tightening torque – 1.8-2.4 kgf.m.

Judging by the reviews of “vestavods”, the service life of polyurethane products is 3-4 times higher than that of rubber ones. Such pillows retain elasticity and resilience even at low temperatures, which guarantees the stability of the car, as well as a high level of its handling.

Which bushings are suitable for Vesta

For those who are thinking about replacing the bushings with their own hands, we recommend throwing away the original rubber products and replacing them with polyurethane ones. It is easy to find them by article number - in the spare parts catalog they are designated as 17012680. This part has a similar internal diameter of 21.5 millimeters.

Bushings from:

• Chevrolet Niva 2123 (code – 17012680);
• Kia Rio (548132K100).

By the way, the fixing brackets from the last car (548141G000) will also work.

Installation

In general, the algorithm for replacing standard stabilizer bushings with an analogue one is simple and, by and large, the same for components from the Chevrolet Niva and for parts from KIA. The only difference is that, in the case of parts from KIA, you will have to install the purchased bracket.

As for the Chevy Niva, the bushings from it will need to be modified - it is necessary to make a slot on the side, and then grind the sides down to the same size as on Vesta.

The replacement process itself begins with installing the Lada Vesta on the overpass, after which you need to thoroughly clean the bolts that secure the stabilizer bar from dirt. Next, you need to arm yourself with a wrench and a Torx T40 bit, with which one bolt from the bracket is completely unscrewed (located further from the steering rack). The second bolt is also unscrewed, but not completely, but enough so that the mounting bracket can be moved to the side.

When the bolts are unscrewed, all that remains is to move the bracket and remove the bushing itself. A pre-prepared bushing is placed in its place, and the bolts are tightened. The second element changes similarly.

This method works provided that components from ChevyNiva are used. If you decide to install bushings from KIA, you will have to completely remove the brackets. In this case, simply unscrewing the bolts will not work, since the screw, which is located closer to the steering rack, rests on the clamp that secures the rack boot.

It can be seen that it will not be possible to unscrew both bolts

In this situation there are 4 options:

1. Turn the clamp itself;
2. Rotate the boot (together with the clamp, of course);
3. Remove the rack protection, then loosen its fastening bolts and slightly lift the rack up;
4. Remove the rail completely.

This will allow you to replace the bracket along with the bushing.

And also the bracket from it

As you can see, there are several options for getting rid of creaking Lada Vesta bushings, which differ strikingly in both the effort involved and the financial and time costs.

This form provides general recommendations for eliminating squeaks.

There is a problem on the Lada Vesta car: the stabilizer bushings (struts) make a squeaking noise. Needless to say, on modern cars, besides the Lada Vesta, even on expensive ones, the problem of rubber bands is noticeable. The Lada Vesta stabilizer bushings begin to creak well and the struts quickly make themselves known. Creaking, knocking, non-functioning stabilizer bars appear so often on the Lada Vesta car - that AvtoVAZ even answered the question: why Vesta creaks so early. The price for such stabilizer struts and bushings is not high, but the sensations are not pleasant. By the way, the dealer changes the bushings under warranty. What to replace with: as an analogue, stabilizer bars from Kia Rio and Avensis are suitable for Lada Vesta - but this is after warranty. Polyurethane stabilizer bushings have proven themselves better - you can install them. Replacing components with your own hands takes 14 steps, more on them later in the article. The maximum weight of the Lada Vesta is 1670 kg. The Vesta is equipped with MacPherson strut suspension, a suspension that has been tested over years of operation on different types of vehicles. There is an opinion that the car is simply too heavy; for such stabilizers, they should be more powerful. On the Lada Vesta suspension, the stabilizer bushings are simply not slightly modified to accommodate the weight of the car. To understand the problem, let’s understand the principle of operation of the stabilization system of modern cars. There is nothing complicated about this. Everything works on the principle of a lever, which was invented by Archimedes at the beginning of the last millennium, read the article and find out about it