Suspension lift in the field yourself

Making a Niva-2121 elevator with your own hands, the drawings, the dimensions of which are freely available, will not be difficult. Thanks to such a trick, you can make your car more stable on the road and overcome a lot of obstacles with it. Of course, to bring a truly high-quality Niva elevator to life with your own hands, you will have to work hard.

The process will take time and require effort, because even the easiest elevator requires a significant immersion in the technical aspects of the issue. However, the end result will live up to all expectations, allowing the modest Niva to show its exceptional side.

Necessary tools for work

ordinary jack;
hijack jack;
spring remover;
wheel wrench;
set of socket heads with ratchet;
set of open-end wrenches;
mount;
wooden deck (stump).

It is advisable to perform such work with a partner. First of all, it's safer. Secondly, some lifting work is performed with four hands. Let's take the front suspension as an example.

Raise the front end. You can safely cling to the standard bumper, only the jack is installed under the pipe securing it.

By removing the wheel, we get full access to the lever and spring. The front suspension 21214 is made using a double wishbone design, which simplifies the task.

For safety reasons, it is advisable to install some kind of support under the bottom power spar: for example, a wooden block.

The lever travel is limited by the shock absorber. Unscrew its fastening and move it to the side.

Next you need to free the suspension from the anti-roll bar. The mounting bolts may become stuck due to corrosion, so we will use a penetrating liquid (such as WD-40). The stabilizer silent block clamp can be pryed off with a pry bar.

Then disconnect the hub from the lower arm. To do this, you need to jack up the suspension and fix the steering knuckle of the wheel. You can tie it with wire. Then unscrew the 3 mounting bolts and release the ball joint.

We fix the spring with ties and lower the jack. We remove the old elastic element. In some cases, it is enough to simply lower the lever with your foot, and the spring will come out without the use of ties.

Remove the upper support rings from the old springs
. With their help, the elastic element is centered in the cups.
They come together easily with a hammer and screwdriver. We install the rings on new, longer springs.

We put the elastic elements in their regular places and jack up the lower arm until it is completely aligned with the lower cup. At the same time, an assistant centers the shock absorber eye and moves the steering knuckle to the mounting location of the lower ball joint.

We tighten the ball “triangle” and attach the shock absorber mounting axis.

By manipulating the jack, we “catch” the mounting holes for the stabilizer bar clamp. With its bolts it should get into the normal place without distortion.

After such modernization,
the clearance increases by 30-50 mm . This is enough to install wheels of larger diameter, and the bottom will still rise above the ground.

The rear axle of the Niva can be lifted by installing spacer supports of increased height. When using a size of up to 50 mm (according to changes in front end height), no modifications to the rear axle are required.

By lifting the rear axle, maintenance can be carried out on the axle and brake system.

Which lift is suitable for the 2121 series?

In professional circles, do-it-yourself car lifts are divided into body lifts and suspension lifts. The bodywork, accordingly, is designed to lift the body when stands are placed under it, the hose is modified, etc. Such tuning is quite simple, but it is not suitable for Niva 21213, 21214 or 2121, since these cars do not have a frame. Frame structures can be found on the Niva 2329, but only on the rear suspension. Therefore, a Niva 21214 body lift using only our own resources is unlikely.

The Niva suspension lifting is considered more attractive for increasing the vehicle's cross-country ability, since it lifts the entire vehicle and makes it possible to install wheels of a certain diameter without cutting the arches. It is assumed that if a suspension lift of 6 cm is made, then 29-inch wheels can be installed painlessly. They will easily fit in the existing arches, which is enough for the minimum “charge” of the car after the Niva 21214 elevator was made with your own hands.

In order to install extreme 33-inch wheels, you will need to cut out the arches and do suspension tuning, since cutting the arches alone only slightly increases the ground clearance and geometric cross-country ability. At the same time, cutting arches 21214 with your own hands without changing the suspension has the advantages that you can get rid of rusted elements, not disrupt the operation of the suspension, and CV joints will have a shortened service life only due to increased loads.

As a rule, the standard Niva 21214 lift is carried out when 31 wheels are installed, which are considered optimal for increasing cross-country ability.

Installation of a ready-made lift kit for Niva 21212

To understand the process, let’s look at the geometry of the suspension on NIVA SUVs (front axle). The drawings clearly demonstrate the position of the elements relative to each other. If you organize an elevator only by increasing the length of the spring, its bending radius decreases, and lateral loads appear on the mountings of the levers.

To compensate for this side effect, spacers are used: under the spring cup and ball joint.

The standard version shows that the axle shaft (CV joint) is located virtually parallel to the ground.

The spacer is installed between the spring and the lever. The radius of curvature of the elastic element is small, the softness of the suspension is maintained. The fastening is reliable, there is no backlash. Disadvantage - the additional element adds unsprung masses (aluminum parts can be used to reduce weight).

The spacer is installed between the cup and the spring. There are no unsprung masses, the radius of curvature of the elastic element is even smaller than in the previous version. The disadvantage is that the attachment of the additional element is not so reliable.

In all cases, the elevator changes the position of the axle shaft. The load on the tripods (gimbals) increases. When lowering the suspension, the travel of the upper arm to the bump stop decreases. To restore the geometry, a spacer is installed under the upper ball joint.

Factory kits are designed taking into account all the design nuances of the front axle and rear axle.

The set includes:

drawings for correct installation;
spacers;
extended shock absorbers;
new trailing arms for the axle;
extended panhard rod;
new bowls and springs.

Some kits for Niva 2121 offer extended brake hoses. When lowering the wheels, the standard brake system may be too short.

Making a Niva 2121 elevator with your own hands, drawings, dimensions

Initially, the Niva 2121 was created as a universal all-terrain vehicle that feels comfortable off-road and in the city. Therefore, it is logical that off-road tuning of the Niva 2121 is especially popular.

This is due to its relative simplicity. To create, or rather, enhance the image of an SUV, you need to install on your car:

Larger diameter wheels with tires designed for extreme off-road use. It should be recalled that low-profile tires are not relevant in this case. It is also necessary to take into account that installing large-diameter disks requires impressive torque figures. Ignoring this rule will lead to premature wear of the power unit
Installing arch extensions on a Niva will solve several problems at once: get rid of splashes of dirt on the wings and doors, expand the possibilities in terms of choosing the diameter of the disks, and complement the tuning composition
Power kit. It consists of a powerful kenguryatnik. It is easy to make it yourself from pipes. A structure is installed on the rear door, onto which the spare tire is attached. It will also perform a protection function. A winch must be installed. It will help off-road and give the car an aggressive, masculine look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68OSADkgmNs

This is all that is needed to create a car designed for participation in sports competitions or outdoor activities. This external tuning of the Niva 2121 combines aesthetic and practical functions. Therefore, the efforts and resources invested in it will quickly pay off.

You can do an easy tuning of the Niva 2121 - install new wheels and tires and apply stylish airbrushing with a 3D effect. To carry out the last operation, it is necessary to attract specialists.

Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and a number of other countries are the greatest admirers of Niva cars. They are affordable and provide many benefits.

Some people prefer to do everything themselves. I can’t say that modifying the front and rear suspension of a Niv car will be an easy job in a minute. No, you will have to spend a lot of effort, time and patience on this.

You can find out how much such a service costs at a service station. The price for a professional lift is steep, so not every owner of a not-so-expensive crossover like the Niva is willing to spend that kind of money, having the opportunity to do everything themselves. And if you put a power bumper and an expeditionary trunk on top, it will turn out great. At least now on a round-the-world trip on Niva.

Although the Chevrolet Niva is an SUV, it is noticeably inferior to its European and Asian competitors in cross-country ability in hard-to-reach places. It is because of this problem that fans of hunting, fishing and simply extreme driving choose to lift their car instead of watching videos while sitting at home.

Lifting is a type of tuning that increases the vehicle's ground clearance. They often do it with their own hands, in garages.

Chevrolet Niva

Proper modification will turn the Niva into a fairly solid car that will show excellent results off-road and in difficult terrain. We mentioned the word “lifting”, but did not say what it is.

An all-wheel drive jeep is much more suitable for this task than a simple passenger car.

Consequences of lifting

In the struggle to increase the vehicle's cross-country ability, some owners are ready to sacrifice other characteristics. And it should be noted that there is something to sacrifice, but, first of all, let’s highlight the advantages of the modified Chevrolet Niva suspension. After lifting, as an additional measure, special “mud” tires are installed on the car. They have a higher profile, which also leads to increased ground clearance. After installing the elevator from the Niva, you can get a real SUV, and this is the main advantage of such tuning.

There are additional positive aspects that the new suspension brings. This is a change in the image and appearance of the car, the ability to install tires with a larger radius, as well as eliminating the possibility of damage to the engine and gearbox when driving off-road. The elevator cannot but affect traffic flow.

Watch this video on YouTube

Not without a fly in the ointment. A certain category of auto experts generally speak categorically about changing factory settings. According to an objective assessment, as a result of changes in suspension components, certain negative aspects arise. By raising the gearbox relative to the vehicle axis, the angle between the drive shaft and the axis of the front wheel hub changes. The CV joint begins to experience increased loads. This leads to a decrease in its resource.

After lifting, the center of mass rises relative to the horizon. Statistics show that the Chevrolet Niva lift leads to accelerated wear of suspension and transmission parts. Despite the above arguments, for some motorists, increased cross-country ability is still the determining factor. Indeed, a passable car is considered an invaluable assistant when hunting or fishing.

Design and purpose of the front suspension

A study of the engineering serviceability of suspension systems can be carried out by placing the car above the inspection pit or by lifting the car with a special lift. The front wheels need to be raised.

For reliable fixation, use specialized racks and ramps. You can also use wooden stands. Place stops to prevent the car from rolling away under the rear wheels. Reliable fixation of the machine is a guarantee of your safety.

Hammer.
Balloon wrench (to unscrew the wheels).
Set of keys.
Screwdriver.
Torque wrench.
Empty container for washing elements.
Litol-24.
Beard.
A mandrel used in pressing parts.
Kerosene.
Metal brush.
Blade for installation. Jack.
Mount.
Puller for pressing out silent blocks.

Refinement of the gas distribution mechanism

After replacing the jets and accelerator pump, you can proceed to the second stage of tuning the VAZ-2121 engine. It includes modification of the gas distribution mechanism (GRM), namely, an increase in the diameter of the valves with their subsequent sealing. Such tuning of the Niva 2121 engine will increase the power of the power plant by almost ten percent.

It makes sense to replace the pusher (with a new one with a diameter of at least 1 mm) during the modification of the Niva engine. Work is being done to increase the pusher wells of the intake and exhaust channels. The result of such modification will be especially good for the Niva 4x4.

Subsequent work concerns the replacement of injectors and the control unit itself. Tuning the VAZ-2121 engine will be incomplete unless the standard crankshaft is replaced with an advanced modification, which will significantly increase the power of the power plant. This is due to the increase in piston stroke. It is also recommended to replace the piston rings with new ones. When replacing the crankshaft, boring should be done, as this will provide an additional opportunity to make the engine more powerful. However, be prepared for the fact that fuel consumption will also increase.

Such tuning repairs are capable of:

Springs for Chevrolet Raid Niva

"Raid" is produced at one of the Russian enterprises, which is called CJSC "PPRZ". These springs have a long history, but we won’t dwell on it, it’s only worth noting that Reid is one of the most successful solutions for reinforced products for the Chevrolet Niva.

Three enterprises take part in the production of Reid springs: winding is carried out on special US equipment, painting is carried out by the ITW GEMA AG complex from Switzerland, and a Russian company is engaged in production. Each Reid spring undergoes a thorough check and only after that it reaches the shelves of car dealerships.

Springs series “Raid”

The price for Reid springs is about 2,800 rubles (for two pieces), but it is worth noting that this is the best price for such a reliable product. If you try Raid on your car, you simply won’t want to go any lower. Thus, each manufacturer is proud of its product, and drivers need to remember that no matter what springs are chosen, they are all good in their technical parameters.