How to make the suspension softer? Debunking myths

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Car suspension
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You can often hear from owners of cars of various classes that the suspension of their iron horse is stiff, some say oak. You can literally feel every small unevenness (bump or hole). The comfort in the interior of such a car is reduced, and the thought constantly floats in my head - how to make it softer? So that, as they say, the spine does not fall off onto the seat. And here a huge amount of advice appears on the Internet, which is sometimes simply amazing in its illiteracy. Today we’re going to debunk the myths and also think about real ways to make the suspension more comfortable...

What they don’t write on the Internet is to trim the springs, install other “soft shock absorbers”, ride almost on winter tires (in the summer), etc. I propose to discuss each point separately, but first think about why the suspension can be stiff

What is hard and soft suspension?

The suspension is influenced by a large number of factors:

This is the mass of the body
Body shape, tall or, on the contrary, squat
Dimensions, wheelbase
Speed and power characteristics
Settings

A little theory, let's start with the oscillation frequency. After all, even when walking, it is present, and a person gets used to certain indicators in the life cycle.

The normal vibration frequency of a person when walking is approximately 1 Hz (Hertz). If you apply this to a car: the frequency is higher, it will be harsh, and if it is lower, it can cause motion sickness.

A car also has this parameter, only this is the vibration frequency of the body with cargo and passengers on the suspension.

The achievement of this parameter is ensured by the rigidity of the elastic element and the weight of the body with cargo and passengers bearing on it.

In simple words, the more the body weighs, the more powerful and, accordingly, stiffer the springs should be.

However, one value remains practically unchanged - the static deflection of the elastic element (spring or spring) is 25 cm. This is the difference in the values of the free spring and the compressed one on the suspension (with passengers and cargo). When applied to the wheel, because in some suspensions the springs work directly, and in others through a lever. Accordingly, the lever must be taken into account.

This is ideal!

However, now on modern cars the suspension is made a little stiffer than we would like, let’s go point by point:

With low rigidity it is difficult to achieve high energy intensity . To prevent the soft suspension from breaking through an obstacle, you need to make a large compression stroke. BUT there are two problems here: you can’t make a big move due to restrictions on the body layout (spars or wings simply won’t allow it). And a limitation on the suspension kinematics itself. The suspension works along a radius and with a large compression stroke, unwanted movements of the levers increase, which reduces controllability and increases the load on the elements.

Compression buffers . Probably everyone has heard the concept of “rebound” suspension operation. Some manufacturers, to please the consumer, can install soft springs and shock absorbers with “high compression,” but as a rule, such suspensions easily break through sharp bumps. Therefore, they install so-called compression buffers, rubber elements that limit the stroke. springs and leaf springs have them . BUT if the suspension reaches the “buffer” its comfort is lost significantly.

A smaller, taller and lighter passenger car . The more difficult it is to achieve a smooth ride and, accordingly, a soft suspension. After all, soft springs are required so that they give a comfortable oscillation frequency. BUT there is another problem here, loading the car. After all, if such a machine is heavily loaded, the drawdown will be severe. It is also worth taking into account the kinematics of the suspension, because a small car will have smaller operating radii. But sometimes the car needs to be loaded just as heavily (for example, 4 people + cargo). That's why small cars are often the stiffest, especially those tuned to high speeds.

Anti-roll bar . It is needed to increase the angular stiffness of the suspension and resist body roll when cornering. Helps in kinematics, not to go beyond the maximum permissible points of suspension radius mixing. Also helps with driving.
Air suspension . When installed, almost any car can be made comfortable and soft (from the driver’s point of view), but the cost of the system is prohibitive. And they don’t install it on budget brands

I would like to summarize briefly. On large cars it is easier to make the suspension comfortable. Because the body weight is greater, the wheelbase is longer, there is plenty of space for the suspension to work, and the settings are for high loads and speeds. ON a large car, even huge springs will work better.

ON small, and even tall cars. Often, making a soft and comfortable suspension heavier. For example, I had a FORD FUSION, it was really made of oak (due to the short wheelbase and high body). The manufacturer has nowhere to roam in such a car. That's why they make such cars a little tougher. This is not a whim of the manufacturer, but a necessity.

Now I want to talk about myths that, although on the Internet

Low stiffness springs

All impacts from the wheels are transmitted to the springs, so the smoothness of the ride when driving over uneven surfaces depends on their stiffness.
Springs with less rigidity take on a greater share of the impact energy, which means the ride will be soft and comfortable. Domestic suppliers of springs for cars made notches on the upper coil. Their number conditionally corresponded to the level of rigidity. Over time, such labeling has been abandoned and today one can only hope for truthful information written on the packaging or provided by the seller. However, there is a way to determine the spring stiffness by external signs. Its coils are somewhat thinner, and their thickness also varies.

Each manufacturer offers several spring options for certain brands.

Trim or install other springs

To cut this at all is some kind of game!

Firstly , there is no 25 cm in a loaded car, which is necessary for comfortable work. Secondly , the work of the suspension will be, on the contrary, torn, and the spring will become a little softer, it simply won’t have enough coils to hold the body normally. The center of gravity of the body will be mixed, which has an extremely negative effect on handling. If you cut off more turns, you will hit the bottom on the road, because again there is not enough spring (let’s say power) to hold the body. YES, the spring can simply fly out of its place.

Install other springs. Hypothetically, this is possible, but they are selected together with shock absorbers (more on this below). But if you make it more powerful, the car will become stiffer, but we need comfort. And if you install it softer than what you had, then the body simply won’t hold up, there will always be breakdowns.

Which racks are better to install on the Lada Priora

The suspension of any car is designed to minimize vibration transmitted to the wheels from the road surface, as well as provide stability when cornering.
It should be remembered that an overly rigid chassis will be able to completely eliminate roll, but will not properly dampen vibrations. A soft suspension, on the contrary, will help to almost completely eliminate vibration, but will not provide normal directional stability. While the car is moving, the chassis experiences very serious loads, which leads to accelerated wear of its main components. This is especially true for racks, which often fail and may require replacement. The need to install new parts should not be ignored, but it is important to decide which components are best selected for a particular make and model of car. We will look at how to do this using the Lada Priora as an example.

Install other shock absorbers

Despite their similarity in appearance, shock absorbers are categorically different; they can be oil, gas-oil, single-tube, double-tube, etc., you can read more here .

BUT they have different degrees of compression, in simple words - different working strokes. After all, various bypass valves can be installed inside, the performance of which directly depends on their operation. The shock absorber will be softer or harder.

If you use standard springs and install rigid “struts”, then again this will not do any good, the car will become stiffer

If you install soft shock absorbers, then the body will wobble at the slightest unevenness. It’s commonplace that the shock absorber will not support the body.

I repeat once again, you can install other shock absorbers and springs, but it is not as easy as it seems; they need to be selected according to the characteristics of your car.

And listening to experts on the Internet who say “install soft springs and shock absorbers and you will be happy” needs to be driven with a broom. With such tips, you can end up in a ditch on sharp turns.

How to make the suspension softer? Debunking myths

THE CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE

High tread tires

This is a surer way to make the suspension a little softer. For example, if you have a low tread, 35 – 40 – 45. THEN the car will be a little stiffer.

You can take a disc with a smaller diameter, but with a larger tread of 55 - 60.

Due to the fact that the rubber cord has become larger, the energy intensity will increase slightly, but as practice shows, not by much. If we exaggerate greatly, then only 5 - 7% can be added to smoothness if we measure the noise level in DB.

You can also install less noisy tires , I wrote about this here.

Racks "ASOMI": choosing one of two options

Another Russian company that sells racks for Priora produces only two varieties:

gas-oil front struts belonging to the Comfort PRO series. They have a fairly long service life, can be used equally successfully on roads with any surface, hold the road perfectly and reduce vibrations to a minimum. If you carefully study the reviews, you can note that these products are better than CC20 products precisely due to their versatility;
“Comfort CLASSIC” oil products, which have high reliability indicators for high-speed travel on high-quality roads. Its excellent characteristics are well demonstrated, for example, by a video on the manufacturer’s official website.

It is better to purchase Priora products at specialized retail outlets, where they are equipped with everything necessary for installation and maximum reliable operation for a long time.

Another option is to install racks from the Japanese manufacturer Kayaba. But in this case, there is a nuance - the rear and front suspensions on the Priora appeared in the company’s product range relatively recently and can be expensive. As an alternative, it can be proposed to remake and install structures developed for the VAZ 2110.

Which of the above products are best suited for changing the worn suspension of your car? It is simply impossible to give a definite answer to this question, since everything depends on individual taste preferences.

Light wheels

There is also some truth here. You can work with wheels, just like with tires. Again, reduce the diameter of the rim (if you install tires with a larger profile).

And you can also reduce the weight of the disk, and accordingly you can reduce the sprung mass, how well this has a beneficial effect on comfort, not critical, but still.

For example, instead of a heavy stamped wheel, you can put a lightweight forged disk. Sometimes casting is lighter, but you need to look for it; some alloy wheels, on the contrary, are heavier.

With this approach, softness will increase a little, but again you shouldn’t expect miracles.

How does suspension affect a car's performance?

A rigid suspension is more reliable and increases driving safety, since the car “feels” better, maneuvers and controls, but it negatively affects the health of the driver and passengers. A soft suspension provides a smooth ride, but reduces the vehicle's handling and responsiveness.

The ideal solution is an adjustable or air suspension, where you can increase or decrease the stiffness depending on the situation. But for standard cars this will be expensive, since production cars are equipped with a standard suspension with constant stiffness parameters.

Also, to improve ride smoothness, you can increase the weight of the vehicle or reduce the unsprung weight. In the first case, you can load the axle, but this will increase fuel consumption and reduce the dynamic characteristics of the car and controllability. In the second case, you can install small lightweight cast or forged wheels and not install wide and high tires.

Air suspension

In essence, this is a completely redesigned car suspension, sometimes even working on different principles. Here pneumatic elastic cylinders can be added, which can work perfectly as an additional damper. In general, there are a huge number of buildings, but that’s not about that now.

BUT there are two problems here:

Not all cars have them. Especially for small cars
Cost is usually expensive. A complete set, if you take a domestic car, not China, starts from 100,000 rubles

BUT with this solution, you can achieve softness and comfort.

Air suspension installation

Completely replacing the factory suspension with an air suspension is a radical decision that costs a lot of money.

Installation of air suspension should be carried out in specialized service centers, since for each car model it requires personal installation parameters. Its undeniable advantage is that the driver, by adjusting the air pressure in the airbags, can change the level of rigidity of the car's chassis and its ground clearance.

People's decision

How to decide the comfort of the suspension in garage conditions. Everything is simple, just put one or two bags of sand in the trunk. And lo and behold, the goat that was jumping over uneven surfaces becomes much softer. But why?

Yes, it’s simple, initially the suspension was designed for loaded weight, it’s trivial that it should support this weight (especially on cars with a short wheelbase). As I wrote above, without loading it will be a bit harsh, but as soon as you load it, the mass changes and the suspension begins to work differently, as a rule, it becomes softer.

Now we are watching the video version

I'll end here. In conclusion, I would like to say that manufacturers are far from fools; they do not have the task of making “gear-crushing” cars. If your car has a stiff suspension, then most likely this was done for some reason, or because your car is small, tall, or has a short wheelbase. Either it is dynamic, has a powerful engine (takes turns at 100 km/h and has a maximum speed of 250 - 300 km/h), etc. And thoughtlessly changing characteristics is simply dangerous, think about it.

Popular rack models

Racks SS20

produces fairly high-quality and inexpensive chassis parts. As for the Priora, for this model, manufacturers offer four options for struts; they differ from each other in only one parameter - rigidity while driving. All SS20 shock absorbers are hydraulic .

Let's look at each option:

"Standard". These SS20 components are considered the softest. Front and rear components can be replaced with SS20 "Standard". There is a special modification of this SS20 model, which allows you to increase the carrying capacity of the Priora.
"Comfort". This entry kit comes with front and rear pieces. This model is universal, as it demonstrates sufficient rigidity not only on new routes, but also on bad roads, which we have plenty of.
"Highway". This SS20 kit is best installed for motorists who often make long-distance trips. Despite the high rigidity, the shock absorbers also provide a soft ride in the city.
"Sport". From the name you can understand what the racks are intended for. CC20 “Sport” is best used by fans of sports racing and street racing, as they have maximum rigidity.

The kit includes supports, bumpers and reliable sound insulators.

The manufacturer made supports specifically for the Priora, since the components intended for previous models were not suitable for the VAZ 2110. You don't have to think about modifications; all the necessary parts are already included in the kit.

Kayaba stands

If you want to know which racks from foreign manufacturers are best to install on the 2170, then pay attention to Kayaba products. The Japanese company specializes in the manufacture of chassis components for foreign cars, but there are also options for Russian cars. Some Priora owners prefer to install shock absorbers designed for the “ten”. We recommend spending time finding a kit specifically for the 2170. For the Priora, the company offers gas-oil rear and front components; the kit is called Exel-G. The release began recently, so you won’t be able to find them right away.

If you are a fan of do-it-yourself modifications and looking for various components, you can purchase the Kayaba kit for the “ten”. But for proper installation you will have to buy collapsible glasses from Priora and install supports. As for the supports, they can be supplied from SS20. But such difficulties are caused only by the front struts; the rear struts are already assembled.

Kayaba racks are universal - they are suitable for both trails and roads with poor surfaces. High-quality components contribute to a comfortable ride even on rough roads, hence the high price. If you want to know which parts are better - from Kayaba or SS20, then motorists are confident in the leadership of the Japanese manufacturer.

Replacing struts on a Priora: when is it necessary to repair a car?

Before determining which racks on the Priora are better and more reliable, you should make sure that the elements need to be replaced. There are several main reasons why repair work is required. The best decision would be to visit a car repair shop and examine the spare parts by specialists. You can independently determine the need for installation based on the following phenomena:

1. The car holds the road worse.

2. When turning, vehicles are subject to strong roll.

3. There is a knocking or clicking sound in the area of the racks.

4. Shocks when hitting small holes lead to “jumping” of the car and are transmitted to the cabin.

5. When the body rocked, strong vibration appeared.

Bleeding a car is easy and allows you to accurately identify problems. To perform it, the owner needs to swing the body at the corner front point. The next time you lower the car down, you should release it.

If, after lifting to its original position, the body stops swaying, then the condition of the racks is normal. Otherwise, you need to think about what racks to install on the Priora, and start work as soon as possible.

Choosing racks for Priora: the main differences between modern products

Domestic and foreign manufacturers offer high-quality parts. Standardly installed on the SAAZ oil type product model. Their approximate price is 1800-2000 rubles. They are optimal for driving in urban areas and on minor off-road conditions, and cope well with long journeys along the highway. Travel on uneven surfaces is well tolerated for the first 30-40 thousand km, and then they may require replacement.

The Japanese Kayaba racks have also proven themselves positively. The company has recently appeared on the domestic market, but has pleased customers with both a reasonable price and good quality: the elements cope with both off-road driving and highway racing. They have good stability and are able to absorb strong shocks.

When purchasing products, it is important to study the certificate, since there are also low-quality fakes on the market. A novice motorist who is determining which struts are best for a Priora will definitely like the Japanese elements: they are easy to use and install.

Lada Granta //—UNEXPECTED—// › Logbook › Continuation of the epic with the suspension, or a guide to lowering!

The first thing that always infuriated me about the cars that are produced for our country is the suspension “ala” all-terrain vehicle. I perfectly understand the angry people who felt all the pain of our “roads”, but in our region not everything is so sad, and as a user I don’t drive my chilito to the back of the world, so I wanted to give the suspension at least the slightest sense of controllability and an aesthetic appearance .

I bought this stuff for 4 thousand rubles. The racks were alive and did not cause any oddities during inspection. Well, accordingly, my hands were itching to install them on the same day, fortunately my friend owns a service station, and with his help we installed them in place.

Here is the actual photo with the result of the appearance:

I will say that the sensations from this setup are very pleasant, the ride is as smooth as at the factory, but the steering and sharpness have become better, and if you consider a car for every day without losing comfort, then this is it!

After riding like this for about a month, I wanted problems in my life.

Setup number two meant installing only springs, so as not to heavily finance the project. The option of cutting down the factory springs was chosen, with minor modifications to prevent the springs from flying out from the front (a common problem with sawn springs). I had the rear springs lying around from my first grant, all that was left was to deal with the front ones. Everything fit well, the front springs were sharpened at the tips, which rested against the bottom glass, so that they did not stick out, but lay flat.

Now about the result, short and clear: the car jumps! The bump stops were also shortened, but this did not work! The rear pillars were a little softer, but as they say, it didn’t become any easier.

Then I found a very profitable option for front struts, which I took with springs for 1,500 rubles, and the struts turned out to be alive, which surprised me quite a bit. Accordingly, it all happened on the same day. The muzzle is level with the backside, in the photo you can see that because of the large music box, the backside is still slightly lower:

It feels like now what I wanted. Don’t expect comfort as low as on stock, I’ll say that everything is in moderation, your back doesn’t hurt from driving to work 40 km one way and back.

Disassembly and replacement

Dismantling is carried out in accordance with the following diagram.

The machine is fed into an inspection pit or raised by an elevator.
In the trunk, the gasket is removed, the belt reel is removed. There is also a fastening of the racks to the body, which is simply slightly weakened. No need to unscrew it.
The pair of rear wheels are now loose. To do this, the exhaust hoods are removed and the wheels are dismantled. Make sure the sockets are properly secured to the machine.
Remove the brake cables. Here you need to unscrew the cable fastening to the suspension brackets and the body. The brake drum is then removed and the cable ends are pulled through the hand drive lever. Be sure to unscrew the flanges from the brake valves at this stage.
At the next stage, the nozzles and hoses are removed from the brake system, and the drive lever is dismantled. It is used to operate the pressure regulator. To remove the arm, the bracket is detached by removing the washer and removing the shackle from the wheel axle.
After this you can disconnect the shock absorbers. Remove the rubber pads, unscrew the mounting nuts and remove the washer from the body. Next, stops are installed under the front wheels, and the rear part is slightly raised. This will allow you to remove the buffer, springs and shock housing.
By unscrewing the housing mounting bracket, you can dismantle the entire beam. This gives you full access to the rear suspension and struts. This allows you to even disassemble the shock absorbers yourself, change them for new ones, or make
an understatement for the VAZ 2114. Although, given the quality of our roads, this is not recommended. Don't forget that to remove the shock absorber, or rather the springs, you need to use special ties. If they are not in your garage, you may be seriously injured if you attempt to dismantle them without these attachments. The spring is under a lot of pressure, so it easily jumps out and you get injured.