Replacement of ball joints for suspension of VAZ 2105, 2107 cars

Symptoms of ball faults on a VAZ 2101-07

The very first sign of a problem can be considered a knocking sound when driving over uneven surfaces. It may indicate pin wear or lack of lubrication in the joint. If the knocking appears when it is cold and disappears as you move further, then there is nothing to be afraid of.

Other signs of trouble:

• creaking when turning the steering wheel;
• tight steering wheel;
• car yaw on the road;
• crunching sound when turning the wheel

If these symptoms appear, you need to drive into a pit or lift and check the play in the hinges. Lift the wheel, ask your partner to hold down the brake pedal and rock it vertically; if there is play, the ball joints need to be replaced. You can accurately determine a faulty ball joint using a long installation:

Replacement of ball joint Lada 2101 (VAZ 2101)

The VAZ 2101 suspension has a rather complex design. If we compare it with a more modern one, which is used on cars starting with model 2108, then we can put a minus in the “Reliability” column. is it so bad? Can a simple MacPherson be cooler than a cheap suspension? Yes, it can, and in terms of reliability it wins many points at once. Now let’s try to figure out what’s good and what’s bad about pendant pendants. More specifically, let’s first consider the VAZ 2101 front suspension arms and ball joints. How to carry out the replacement will be discussed in the following materials.

Replacement process

First you need to purchase the appropriate ball joints. The best ones are Track “Champion”. Price: 2000 rubles per set. The next thing you need when replacing is a ball joint remover. It makes the procedure much easier.

After this, follow the following procedure:

1. Lift the wheel and remove it. Secure the machine against accidental falls.

2. Clean the ball nuts and bolts from dirt and apply penetrating lubricant:

3. Using a 22mm wrench, unscrew the lower ball nut not completely:

4. Install the “soldier” puller between the two balls:

5. If there is a jack under the lever, it can be removed. Using a puller, create tension between the two balls. If the puller bolt is difficult to unscrew, apply several blows with a hammer to the eye of the lower ball knuckle. The lower ball should “shoot”.

6. Pull out the puller, unscrew the ball nut until the end. If the pin rotates together with the nut, then it must be clamped using a bench clamp. After unscrewing the nut, lift the steering knuckle and release it from the ball:

7. Unscrew the lower ball mount - 3 bolts and 3 nuts for 13. Remove the old support and clean the seat.

8. Add litol24 lubricant under the boot of the new ball:

9, Install the new ball joint:

The tightening torque for attaching the ball to the lever is 20 Nm. Nut securing the pin to the steering knuckle - 98 Nm.

10. Pull the steering knuckle in halfway to fit the new nut:

As the nut is tightened, the steering knuckle can be pushed in all the way. The nut can be tightened.

The upper ball pin is changed in the same way. Also, using a puller, you need to push it up, then unscrew the nut completely and replace it on the lever. After this, it is inserted into the steering knuckle and tightened with a 22 nut. We recommend treating the threaded connections of the new supports with copper grease.

Useful tips

The main difficulty when replacing a ball joint is squeezing it out of the eye. Many car enthusiasts, in order to make the task easier, are forced to resort to numerous non-standard solutions.

For example, if it is impossible to squeeze out a finger using a special puller, many people use the special tool WD-40.

Many experts advise, if the specified liquid is not on hand, to use ordinary dishwashing detergents from the average price category (not very rare). According to them, they cope with rust no worse than special means, but are cheaper.

The main problem, according to employees of many service stations, is considered to be a longer period of “acidification”. For example, if you can remove WD-40 after 15 - 20 minutes, then after detergent - after about 1 - 1.5 hours.

In addition, many service station employees have recently begun to complain about ball joints from French manufacturers, saying that the quality has dropped significantly compared to previous years.

How to independently check and replace ball joints on a VAZ 2107

The car's ball joint is an important part of the front suspension. This is especially true for classic VAZs, in which there are twice as many of them compared to front-wheel drive ones. If you drive on worn ball joints, then when they fail, the wheel will fall to one side and the car will be in an emergency. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor their condition and replace them on time.

Purpose and design of the part

The ball joint (SHO) of the VAZ 2107 is a hinge that is fixed in the suspension. Thanks to this design, the wheel can only move horizontally and cannot move in the vertical plane. SHOs have a small resource, so their condition needs to be monitored and changed as necessary. Which happens quite often. Damaged anthers must be replaced, as dust, water and dirt penetrate through them, which greatly increases the wear of the balls.

The first cars did not have ball joints; their function was performed by kingpins, requiring constant lubrication. They had insufficient mobility, which made driving difficult. On the VAZ 2107, manufacturers installed SHOs, the body of which contained a spring and a pin. The assembly was protected by a boot on top.

The finger was secured in an eyelet, which was always stationary. The connection was secured by a powerful spring. The entire assembly was covered with a steel boot. This design also required periodic lubrication, but it did not need to be updated as often - twice a year. The pins had to be lubricated once a week.

The designers improved the ball by removing the spring, and replaced the steel boot with a plastic one. The eyelet in which the finger was pressed was made less bulky and refined with a plastic finish. The design became non-separable, which made the ball joints disposable parts.

Why do problems arise with SHOs and what are the symptoms of their failure?

Ball joints may not fully perform their functions during long-term operation for the following reasons:

• Lack of lubrication. The SHO constantly experiences shock loads, which gradually squeeze out the lubricant. When there is a shortage of lubricant, parts rub against each other, which accelerates their wear. In addition, during operation the lubricant loses its characteristics.
• Shock loads. They cause destruction of the pin located in the suspension eye. The knot is designed in such a way that the ball on the pin experiences significant loads. Since the quality of the road surface often leaves much to be desired, the load increases several times.
• Damage to the boot. A boot is installed to protect the hinge joint. It prevents sand, water and dirt from getting onto the support. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the anthers. They are made of rubber, so they are especially susceptible to wear in sub-zero temperatures and hot weather. If cracks, tears or other defects appear on the product, it must be urgently replaced. If this is not done, moisture and abrasive particles from the dirt will get into the hinge and grind down the surface of the pin ball.

• Big gap. With prolonged use, the pin ball gradually wears off, increasing the gap in the steering knuckle, which can lead to loosening of the part. When driving off-road, this can cause your finger to be knocked out of the eyelet.

Signs of wear and tear on the VAZ 2107:

• Wheel rocking. When the car picks up speed, the wheel sways slightly from side to side. The reason is play, which occurs due to wear on the parts of the ball joints. This is dangerous, as a moving car can turn the wheel perpendicular to the body. Therefore, the backlash must be urgently eliminated.
• Suspicious noises and sounds. When driving on a bad road, unpleasant sounds are heard from the side of the wheel: knocking and grinding. They can be heard especially clearly at low speeds – less than 30 km/h. Usually the cause of the noise is a slight break in the ball pin.
• Creaking sound when turning the steering wheel. The reason is a lack of lubrication on one of the ball joints, which becomes unusable
• Uneven wear of rubber on slopes. The reason may be a malfunction of the ball joints or other problems associated with the wheels.

If the listed symptoms appear, you need to check the SHO.

Diagnostics of ball joints

The frequency of diagnostics depends on the area in which the vehicle is operated. In large cities with good roads, checking can be done after 100 thousand kilometers. In rural areas where there are no roads, it is advisable to check the suspension and ball joints as often as possible, at least after 20 thousand km. You can check the SHO in several ways:

• Aurally. The engine stalls. The driver and assistant rock the car by pressing on the hood on both sides. If you hear a suspicious sound from one of the wheels, then there may be a problem with the corresponding wheel drive. It will either need to be replaced or lubricated.
• Checking ball pins. The method is applicable only for the latest releases of “sevens”, which are equipped with special holes that allow you to control the wear of the product through them, without resorting to disassembling the support. If the pin is worn by more than 6 mm, the SHO must be replaced.
• Determination of play of ball joints. To do this, the wheel on which there is a suspicion of a failed wheel brake is raised by 30 cm using a jack. The assistant in the cab presses the gas pedal all the way. Then you need to grab the upper edge of the wheel with one hand, and the lower edge with the other, and forcefully swing it up and down. Then do the same in the horizontal plane, swinging the wheel left and right. When the brakes are locked, the presence of play will immediately become apparent. Even with minimal play, the ball needs to be replaced.

Self-replacement: step-by-step instructions

The main part of the ball joint, on the quality of which the service life of the entire hinge joint depends, is the ball pin. It must be made of high-alloy steel, its ball must undergo a cementation procedure so that its surface becomes more durable, and its body is hardened. The technology for manufacturing high-quality SHOs requires large material costs. Therefore, only a few companies can afford it for the manufacture of ball joints for the VAZ 2107. Among them:

Italian made Pilenga

Belebeevsky

When purchasing kits, you should be wary of counterfeits, so you should buy from trusted sellers or specialized stores. It's not worth saving. High-quality products always cost more.

The first VAZ 2107 models used collapsible ball joints. Therefore, they could be disassembled and worn parts replaced. In the latest “seven” SHOs they install non-separable products.

For the replacement procedure you need to prepare:

• jack;
• new repair kit;
• puller for squeezing out the support;
• hammer;
• screwdriver;
• a set of keys.

The replacement process is a sequence of steps:

• Using a jack, we raise the car and remove the wheel on which we will change the support.
• We take the key at “22” and unscrew the nut that secures the pin in the upper steering knuckle.

• Using a puller, squeeze the pin out of the steering knuckle. You can use a hammer and hit the pendant several times. At this time, pry the part to be removed with a long lever and pull it up.

• Next, we unscrew the three bolts with a “13” key, thanks to which the upper SHO is held on the lever and take it out along with the cover and plate. Let's check her condition. If the finger moves freely, without effort, the support must be replaced.

• Using a wrench set to “22”, loosen the fastening nut of the lower SHO. Extrude the lower finger in the same way as the top one. Now there is nothing stopping you from completely unscrewing the nut.
• Unscrew the fastening nut holding the ball pin. Then we unscrew the three bolts securing the SHO to the lever. We take out the ball joints. We replace it with new parts, after applying a little lubricant under the boot.
• We assemble the suspension in the reverse order of disassembly.

Technically, replacing the SHO with a VAZ 2107 is not difficult. The only difficulty that arises is in pressing the ball pins out of the steering knuckle; considerable physical effort must be made. Therefore, it is advisable to be in good physical shape. Otherwise, the replacement is not difficult.