Tuning: which is harmful and which is beneficial?

About fifty years ago, when the shelves of auto stores were consistently half empty, any outlandish thing aroused the constant interest of buyers. Select lucky ones bought steering wheel covers, panoramic interior mirrors and even compasses on suction cups in the Beryozka currency stores. All this seemed like elements of unprecedented coolness, allowing you to stand out from the crowd of your kind. And today such tinsel is sold in any tent.

What is it: BMW or Volkswagen Golf? In order to make a car such a “show stopper”, you need to invest a lot of effort and money into it.

What is tuning?

The word “tuning” translated from English means “tuning”. That's right - the owner customizes the car for himself. For example, a long time ago, car enthusiasts installed non-standard jets in the carburetor, trying to get either more power or improve efficiency. This was also tuning, although the word itself was not yet widespread in those days. In general, everything that is non-standard brought into the car, that was not installed on the assembly line, fits the concept of “tuning”.

If earlier Zhiguli owners changed the jets in the carburetor, now that their car has turned into a real rarity, more attention is paid to appearance.

Today this phenomenon has actually split into two parts. The first includes those changes to the car that most likely will not cause complaints from the authorities. But the second, on the contrary, can prevent you from passing instrumental control, provoke a long and difficult conversation with a traffic inspector on the road, or even completely deprive you of your driver’s license for quite a long period of time. In addition, if such a car gets into a serious accident, then significant changes in the design found during the examination that are not registered in the prescribed manner will work against the owner.

Engine

In the engine, all efforts are mainly directed towards achieving the maximum increase in the number of horsepower, thereby creating even more power at high speed. Acceleration time is reduced, and the engine itself becomes more dynamic.

Car tuning involves using one of several methods to improve engine performance or all of them at once.

When choosing to increase torque on the crankshaft, the cylinder is bored for a larger piston.

On a turbocharged unit, acceleration is increased by supplying more boost. Thus, the speed increases, and with it the pressure. But here you need to take into account the limits that are set by the control unit, since if there is an excess, the control unit will bleed it off. However, this limit can also be increased, but wisely, because otherwise there is a risk of completely destroying the motor.

Tuning is acceptable

The most harmless transformations, as a rule, are hidden inside the cabin. Technical regulations prohibit us from changing the steering wheel and other major controls, as well as seat belts and seats. But interior lighting, “music”, additional instruments and trip computers, parking sensors, modified mirrors, any upholstery and seat covers, rugs, armrests, toggle switches and backlit strips can be considered harmless entertainment.

GAZ-21 is a beautiful car from the very beginning. Did this car look better after tuning enthusiasts had a hand in it?

But external tuning is very limited. Here, however, the owners of old cars that have been discontinued find themselves in a better position. In particular, they are allowed to install lighting equipment from other models. However, the owner of a car that is still in production can do little on the outside without a complex certification process. And here we immediately need to divide all tuners into those who are ready to go through the crucible of certification tests and making changes to the documents for the car, and those who act quietly. For example, a small “game” with the sizes of wheel rims and tires is almost unnoticeable - especially if the factory workers installed several size options on a given car.

An example of tuning that is not clear to everyone. Well, why does a heavy “rogue” need such low-profile tires? For beauty? The explanation is controversial in this case. How many people, so many tastes, as they say.

A slight change in disc offset will most likely go unnoticed. A small suspension lift (no more than 20–30 mm) will also not interest anyone - of course, except when you come to the officials to fix a malfunction of this very suspension under warranty. However, many good people lower the car by as much as 100 millimeters - they need a vehicle that sparks from all the speed bumps.

The owner probably loves his car in his own way. But he expresses it in this way. Mirrors, antennas, covers on the trunk lid... But what parameter of the car has improved?

Chassis

When producing suspension, developers most of all try to achieve maximum comfort when moving. However, not all car enthusiasts like this kind of driving. To obtain more dynamic characteristics, they are often willing to sacrifice convenience. Car tuning in this case can also be varied.

For example, the shock absorbers are changed to stiffer ones. They are usually gas-filled and can be adjusted. With some expensive shock absorbers, they are adjusted while sitting in the cabin, armed with special equipment.

In addition, the suspension springs are replaced, and to reduce body tilt when cornering, rigid anti-roll bars are replaced.

When choosing wheels, they usually give preference to low-profile sports tires. Forged wheels are installed on them. You can also choose cast ones, but at high speed they can crack.

Cheap (useless tuning)

We recently talked about stupid, from our point of view, tuning. After all, a car is not a Christmas tree, and therefore, for example, it definitely doesn’t need a flexible glowing cable to plug cracks in the cabin.

Beautiful? Cool? Essentially these are the same notorious blue light bulbs in light fixtures and washer nozzles. Only more expensive ones...

This also includes huge flavors on the front panel, luminous caps on the wheels, sport-style stickers that interfere with normal visibility, rear wings and other spoilers, alien cheap mascot figures on the hood and, unfortunately, much more. Drivers of such cars are unlikely to realize how bad it all looks.

You can argue for a long time about the difference between a wing and a spoiler. But now we are talking about tuning. Specifically, about the stupid and even funny. Does the owner really believe that his car has acquired some new qualities with this cover?

And the native deer looked much more impressive...

Unfortunately, in most cases, the result of tuning is disappointing - if not the owner, then those around him. By the way, selling a “sophisticated” car is usually much more difficult than an ordinary “Cinderella”: the owner remembers very well the money spent and, of course, wants to compensate for the losses. And the buyer, as a rule, does not care about this...

We invite everyone who is ready to give examples of obviously useful car tuning to share their thoughts.

Is there any useful tuning - ZR expertise

Subtle manipulations on the motor

If you move the torque to high rpm and install a wide camshaft in the engine, it is very easy to lose torque in the low end. Poor airflow may occur. However, as the speed increases, when the cylinders are well filled, the torque will increase, and this will lead to an increase in engine power. To adjust the uneven operation of the unit, you will need to adjust the gear ratios in the transmission. All these are not easy manipulations. But at the finish line, if, for example, a Lada is taken for work, tuning will turn it into a car that will have a pronounced sporting character.

Tuning - useful and useless. Or... completely useless? Let's figure it out.

Is there any useful tuning - ZR expertise
Photo: from the authors’ archive

The most daring modifications to the chassis

Sometimes they decide to completely replace the suspension. However, this work is not easy or cheap.

The dynamics of a car are primarily affected by the transmission. And the main role is assigned to the CP. Generally speaking, if you correctly set the gear ratios in the box, the car will become fast without all the other tuning.

The clutch is also an extremely important choice. Its main function is to transfer power from the engine to the transmission, soften jerks when shifting the gearbox and sharp acceleration.

Also, to increase the power of the car, two driving wheels and a self-locking cross-axle differential are used. If the operation of the wheels in rotation is very different, then it will not give a strong slip, but will continue to rotate the leading two.

Hot Rod

If JDM involves tuning an old-school Japanese car, then Hot Rod involves modifying classic American retro cars . The history of the Hot Rod style dates back to the distant 1930s. During the troubled times of the Great Depression, Californian youth began organizing illegal races in tuned two-seater cars. These machines were modified thanks to valuable finds found in various junkyards. These roadsters often had all removable body parts removed to reduce the weight of the racing car.

If the term Hot Rod originally meant a racing-tuned roadster (a two-seater retro car from the 1930s), over time the term came to be used to define an entire style, way of life and thought. In the 19540-50s, Hot Rod gained particular popularity and soon split into two movements. The classic Hot Rod style involved tuning the car by replacing original auto parts, while the Street Rod allowed for the possibility of replacing old, but original parts with new ones.

Hello Kitty

It's not hard to guess that this crazy pink style originated in Japan. There is probably no person in the world who has never seen a Japanese cat with a red bow, which has become a kind of symbol of Japanese popular culture. In this style of tuning, special attention is paid to the facade of the car and the interior decoration.

The main distinctive feature of the style: an explosion of pink color. Ideally, absolutely everything in the car should be pink or white. Faux fur covers, fluffy steering wheel covers are very often used, and the image of the famous cat is usually painted on the body. You might think that girls gravitate towards this style, but in fact it is considered especially chic when a man of an exaggeratedly brutal appearance sits behind the wheel of such a car.

Dekotora

Bright, colorful, awkward and absolutely incredible styling of Japanese trucks. It is important to understand here that this is exactly the decoration of the transport. Dekotora does not require any major modifications. The most basic example: all kinds of key fobs that truckers attach to the windshield. Adherents of this style go much further: they use all kinds of household items, hang neon signs, New Year's lights, make a fur trim on the windshield, etc. There is only one principle here: the more fun and brighter, the better.

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DONK

Funny, ridiculous and surprisingly cool style, the main distinguishing feature of which is the absurdly huge wheels. The style appeared relatively recently: in the early 2000s. And naturally, the American ghetto became its birthplace. Those who managed to escape poverty did their best to emphasize their well-being. That's how Donk was born. Its characteristic features are as follows:

Giant wheels and very expensive rims
Chrome-plated, or better yet, gold-plated parts
Bright colors and airbrushing
A very expensive and visible audio system to everyone around
All visible parts of the chassis painted in contrasting colors
Bright and expensive upholstery. Expensive natural furs, gilding, etc. are often used for upholstery.

Should I do it or not?

There is simply no clear answer! Everyone chooses for themselves, but again, I repeat, people strive for the best, for perfection. Therefore, even without consciously, you will improve your car, let it be - covers, tinting, xenon.

But if you are thinking about serious tuning, then this is most likely an expression of your “I”, an indicator of “coolness” and “status”.

Just guys, I ask you - don’t hang “fake mufflers”, spoilers on old and completely rotten VAZs, it looks just funny! It doesn't drive, it smokes, but it's all smart.

By the way, watch a useful video on how you can “pump up” an old MOSKVICH 412

I’ll probably end here, the article turned out to be voluminous, but I tried to cover all aspects in it.

Read our AUTOBLOG.

Raggare

The birthplace of this trend is not America, or even Japan, but Sweden. Back in the 1970s, another energy crisis broke out in the States, thanks to which a frantic stream of old American cars, absurdly large for European streets, poured into distant Scandinavian countries.

Most of them were in pretty bad condition, but they were worth mere pennies. Young people who consider themselves part of the punk rock culture or call themselves Raggare began to buy them. Since then, this frankly “trash” direction of car tuning has gradually begun to develop, which is still very popular in Europe.

Chop top

The main distinguishing feature of this style is the cut-off, or in other words, “lowered” roof of the car. If Japan has become famous for its love of low-slung vehicles, then in America, on the contrary, they dearly love low roofs.

As part of this trend, the roof of the car is usually artificially lowered and the pillars are cut. At one time it was considered a variation of Hot Rod, but then it became an independent style.

About the benefits

We also need to say a few words about what are the advantages of such global processing. Firstly, this is an increase in the power characteristics of the motor. This directly affects the dynamics of the car. Reworking the suspension gives increased cross-country ability or composure and rigidity, depending on the purpose. In general, you can turn an ordinary, inconspicuous car into a real masterpiece; these are the results that high-quality tuning gives. Whether you have a Mazda or a VAZ, it doesn’t matter: both one car and the other will attract the eyes of passers-by.

WOODY

A very dubious type of car modification, involving the maximum number of wooden parts. The goal in this case: an all-wood car. The ideal, of course, is unattainable, but getting closer to it is considered a special chic.

Almost mandatory: wooden doors and a natural wood interior; in all other respects, the car owner is given room for creativity. Undoubtedly, wood in the design of the interior and body of retro cars of the 1920s-1930s looks organic, but on modern cars such tuning looks “freaky”.

The difference between a tuned car and a factory one

It is necessary to understand that thoughtless tuning of the transmission, engine or chassis can only worsen the factory characteristics. Therefore, a competent approach is needed everywhere. Without having any idea about the structure of the car, you shouldn’t even try to get into the engine, because it could end in disaster.

But you can still recycle the car interior yourself without resorting to the help of specialists. Many drivers even install dashboards from other car brands, however, it is rarely possible to do without serious modifications. Eventually the salon becomes unrecognizable. This also applies to the appearance of the car: when the body is carbon fiber, a body kit is installed, a spoiler and gills are added, then it will not be so easy to recognize the factory model, if only by the emblem. This also applies to the engine compartment.

Serious tuning involves modification of the ignition system, injection, gas distribution mechanism and much more. It even goes so far as to completely replace the wires and hoses with stronger ones. If everything is global, then under the hood the same 1.6 engine will look like a 3-liter monster, and an inconspicuous budget Kia, the tuning of which was done competently, will surprise with its characteristics.

Brake system

Well, now let's imagine that we have completely completed the technical tuning of the Hyundai and forgot about the brakes. A car, say, with a 106 hp engine. With. switched to 200, and a sports suspension and an advanced exhaust system were also installed. But the brakes remained standard, which are simply not designed for such a load. In this case, they are unlikely to work effectively, providing an optimal braking distance.

That is why it is necessary to address the issue thoroughly. The first step is to change the drum type brakes to disc ones. This applies to the rear axle. Next, wider brake discs are installed, preferably perforated ones for better cooling. The pads and calipers must also be replaced. In some cases, the gas turbine engine is also changed. At the last stage, new brake fluid is poured in and the system is pumped. Now the Hyundai tuning can be considered complete.

DUB

This style originated in the poor neighborhoods of America. At the very beginning of hip-hop, the first rappers (Ice-T, Ice Cube Eazy E, etc.) were the first to modify their cars. Such a car had to stand out against the background of the garbage and poverty of the ghetto. Often the car itself was just “garbage” for styling, but they tuned it to perfection.

The basis of the style: low suspension, huge wheels, tinted windows (and don’t care that in America tinting is prohibited in almost all states), and most importantly: a lot of shiny chrome parts . Special chic: a folding roof, flying doors and airbrushing. Everything the blacks like (there is no one else at DUB exhibitions except them).

DTM

The main goal: to make a car for DTM racing, which means homologation of the car under the existing regulations. The direction was revived in the early 2000s. German automakers take part in this touring car championship - Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Opel.

The cars technically have little in common with the road version and are similar only in appearance; in general, we can only talk about tuning here conditionally. So in a car for DTM, the units are placed on a space frame, the body elements are made anew, the center of gravity is located as low as possible and is close to the center of the axles. Front engine, rear wheel drive, mandatory rear wing.

Bosozoku

Japanese tuning style, born among bikers of the 1950-1960s. A little later it turned into a whole subculture. Moreover, each gang brought something of its own to this style.

The most characteristic features of this tuning include: minimal ground clearance, negative camber. In the classic version, it must be an old-school Japanese retro car, but a little later a branch of the style called VIP appeared, which involved tuning new Japanese cars.

Fitment

This term is commonly used among auto mechanics to refer to the location of the wheels relative to the body. There are more than a dozen different standard wheel positions. The essence of this style of tuning is to modify the standard position of the wheels. negative camber is used within this style .

JDM Style

Toyota Soarer Z10
Translated, this abbreviation means “home Japanese market.” Tuning within this direction involves modifying the technical characteristics of the vehicle, giving it the appearance of a classic Japanese car: low seating, wide wheels, right-hand drive, etc. The most common modifications within this style include:

Engine change
Manual Transmission
Classic Japanese wheels
Negative camber
White, poisonous yellow or scarlet headlights
Wide body kit , giving the car body the most predatory look.

Color palette: non-standard poisonous colors (purple, fuchsia, light green, etc.). White and yellow cars are also held in high esteem.
Colored wheels . Only the most ardent fans of old-school Japanese style resort to this type of tuning. In this case, it is planned to paint the wheels in the corporate color of some recognizable and respected brand in Japan.
Carbon . In the design of Japanese cars, carbon is considered a kind of trademark, so within the framework of JDM Style it is planned to use this material to the maximum. First of all, the metal hood is changed to carbon fiber

Old school design. The trend originated in the Land of the Rising Sun in the 1980s of the twentieth century, so tuning old Japanese cars from the 1970s-1980s is considered especially chic. It is believed that classic JDM tuning can only be found on a car produced in the 20th century.

Stickers, sticker bombing , use of brands popular in Japan. If at the end of the 20th century it was customary to sculpt stickers on places of cracks and scratches on the body, then in the 21st century sticker bombing has turned into a whole style, which is often used in JDM tuning. The stickers usually feature Japanese flags or declare their love for this type of tuning.

W.R.C.

Cars that are as similar as possible to those that participate in the rally. Moreover, only external similarity is often observed, such as wheel arch trims, authentic vinyl colors, headlight chandeliers, and a protective frame for the interior. But true fans of style also customize the technical characteristics of a classic rally car. Naturally, manufacturers that participate or have previously participated in the WRC are subject to this tuning: Subaru, Mitsubishi, Ford, Peugeot.

A little about the cons

Of course, one cannot help but mention the shortcomings that still exist here. Let's start from the very beginning. For example, you decided to tune a Nissan Almera and started with the engine. The pistons, crankshaft and much more were completely replaced. In this case, any malfunction will cost a lot of money.

If the overhaul of a standard engine will cost 30-50 thousand rubles, then a tuned one can be repaired for 100,000 rubles. It is clear that this is quite expensive. This applies to almost all processed components and assemblies. Usually more expensive components are installed, so their repair or replacement costs a pretty penny.

Well, there is one more rather important detail - violation of the law. “Collective farm” xenon, dull tinting or direct flow - all this is a violation of the law, and every traffic police officer will issue you a fine, which is nothing good.