DIY shock absorber strut repair for VAZ 2109

Do-it-yourself repair of VAZ 2109 racks

Maintaining the struts of your “nine” in working condition will not only allow you to enjoy a comfortable ride, but also prevent serious accidents.

You can repair faulty struts on the VAZ 2109 model yourself; to do this, read our instructions.

So, in order to repair the front struts, you first need to remove them and clean them of dirt.

Secure the strut spring with a special tie, preventing it from pressing on the support cups, then remove the nut of the upper strut mounting unit.

Remove the upper support limiting assembly, the support itself and its bearing. Remove the top cup and spring assembly.

Check the condition of the swing arm, lower cup, housing and bracket assembly. If damage is found, replace these entire units.

Place the shock absorber in a vertical position, then lower and raise the rod assembly until it stops. If there are signs of knocking, dips or jamming, the shock absorber part must be completely replaced.

Using a chisel, dismantle the compression damper support assembly, using a wrench, unscrew the nut securing the strut body.

Remove the nut, remove the rod and working cylinder part, pour out the liquid and the prepared container from the shock absorber. The liquid can then be reused. Clean the inside of the shock absorber housing and place an oil or gas cartridge in the housing.

Reassemble the stand in reverse order. During assembly, replace faulty parts and install the spring in a compressed position with care.

The housing needs to be replaced if it is not flexible enough, has cracks or holes, or there is separation of the metal reinforcement from the rubber.

The upper support assembly must be replaced if movement of the bearing along the axis inside the housing is detected, the bearing is seized, or lubricant leaks are visible from under the protective rings.

It is also necessary to replace the mounting bolts when fixing damage to the threads.

Source

Dismantling the front pillar of VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars

The need to disassemble the front strut of VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars arises when replacing its elements: shock absorber cartridge, front suspension spring, support bearing, protective casing, compression stroke buffer.
Screeds can be of different designs; here, the simplest ones are used as an example.

— Special wrench for unscrewing the nut of the strut housing

— Special wrench for unscrewing the shock absorber rod nut

— Tools for removing the front strut from the car

— Before disassembling, remove the front strut from the car (either with or without the steering knuckle). Read more: “Replacing the front suspension struts of VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars.”

— We fix the front pillar in a vice (by the bracket so as not to bend the body)

The procedure for disassembling the front pillar of VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars

— Compress the suspension spring

See photo above. We install two ties opposite each other on four or five turns of the spring. One by one, we evenly rotate the tie screws using a wrench, squeezing the turns. It should be noted that this procedure requires caution and slowness. The ends of the tie rods must be installed so that they do not come off the coils when the screws rotate. If the spring straightens abruptly, it can cause injury.

— We disassemble the front pillar

Using a special wrench, unscrew the strut shock absorber rod nut. We remove the upper strut support with the support bearing, the upper spring cup, the spring with ties, the compression stroke buffer and the protective casing. We loosen the ties by alternately rotating their screws and remove them from the spring.

parts of the front pillar of VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars in the order of disassembly and removal

— Remove the shock absorber cartridge

Using a special wrench, unscrew the nut of the strut housing, remove it and remove the shock absorber cartridge. A special wrench has protrusions (two or four depending on the design) that fit into the holes of the nut and allow it to be turned.

If a collapsible shock absorber was installed in the rack, then it is necessary to knock down the compression buffer support with a chisel, unscrew and remove the housing nut, and remove the collapsible shock absorber. Drain the shock-absorbing fluid. We wash the rack body with gasoline. During subsequent assembly, we replace the collapsible shock absorber with a non-separable cartridge.

That's it, the front pillar of VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars has been disassembled. We clean the parts of the front pillar from dirt. Dismantling the front pillar on the other side of the car is done in the same way.

We assemble the front pillar of VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars in the reverse order, replacing the necessary parts. Read more: “Assembling the front pillar of VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 cars.”

What is needed to repair VAZ 2109 struts

Repair of VAZ 2109 struts is necessary when all the oil has leaked out of them. The reason for this is simple - extreme wear of all rubber elements. Consequently, the tightness is broken and all the oil leaks out during shock absorber operation. A visual inspection will help make an accurate diagnosis - on the VAZ 2109 pillar you will be able to see large oil stains, which will most likely be mixed with dust.

In addition, you will experience discomfort while driving - the car’s suspension stops working correctly, there is no shock absorption, so if you hit a bump, the car will not be able to return to normal for a long time. She will continue to jump on the springs. Of course, all this is reflected both on the body and interior of the car. For example, cracks may appear on the vehicle and windshield. Of course, repairing struts on a nine will cost less, but it’s worth noting that it’s not always possible to do it well.

What does the front strut brace do?

Increases the rigidity of the car body;
Helps maintain the vehicle's trajectory during maneuvers;
Improves controllability on bad roads;
The service life of suspension elements increases;
The geometry of the front part of the car body is preserved.

A person is not inclined to think about bad things, but the body of a car can move so much that the driver can lose control of the car and put himself in danger of getting into an accident. To prevent such a situation, they generally install a strut on the front risers. This part limits the deformation of the body during loads. Thanks to the smooth geometry of the body and the proper suspension of the car, vehicle controllability at high speeds is achieved.

The strut spacer is made of steel or aluminum. This tuning product is non-adjustable and the front strut struts are adjustable. On cars with already broken body geometry, an adjustable front strut strut is used. It is inferior to a non-adjustable brace and cannot provide the necessary rigidity, but it is better than without it at all.

Non-adjustable spacers can be easily installed under the hood of new cars whose body geometry has not yet been damaged due to long-term use. To install it, you need to park the car on a flat surface, after which you need to unscrew all visible nuts on the shock absorber strut mounting rods. After that, this tuning product will easily fit onto the studs of the supports, tighten the nuts and go check the car.

The spacer also differs in the method of attachment. It can be two-point, this is when it is attached only to glasses. The three-point strut is installed on the glasses and on the car body. When choosing this type of part, you need to make additional holes in the body for fastening.

Lack of strut bracing

This type of car modification has one big drawback in contrast to all its advantages. In the event of an accident when the impact falls on one of the front wings of the car. The impact will be transmitted through the strut brace to the opposite side of the car. This increases the cost of repair work to restore the car after an accident. But every motorist does not want to get into an accident when getting behind the wheel of his car. This type of tuning is supported by the fact that it improves the car's handling and this can help you in extreme situations on the road.

What is needed for repairs?

It's better if you install new racks. But in cases where there is not sufficient finance (and replacing two struts on the front suspension of a car costs about 6,000 rubles including wheel alignment), you can buy a repair kit and repair all the elements. You will also need oil to fill the shock absorbers. So, you need to buy in the store:

Two support bearings.
Repair kit for VAZ 2109 struts.
Anthers (the old ones are most likely already covered with cracks).
Bumpers.
It is advisable to purchase at least new nuts with a plastic thread lock.
Oil.

Did you buy it? Now get to work on the repairs. You will also need a tie rod end puller, get one, otherwise you may damage the threads. Now put stops under the rear wheels, lift the front part with a jack and remove the wheel. It is advisable to open the hood and place a support under the front side (next to the jack). Removing the stand is a matter of a few minutes. Look how simple it is:

Loosen the nut that secures the shock absorber rod to the support bearing.
Unscrew the three nuts securing the bearing to the body.
Unscrew the tie rod end nut and use a puller to remove it from the steering knuckle.
Using a 19mm wrench, unscrew the nuts from the two bolts that secure the front strut of the VAZ 2109 to the hub.
By pulling everything down, you remove the shock absorber into the light of day.

Now you need to start disassembling the shock absorber itself.

How the front suspension works

The front suspension of the VAZ-2109 car consists of several levers, a shock absorber strut, a support bearing and other elements. All these elements are interconnected, the failure of one leads to the loss of comfort and safety. The shock absorber strut is connected via a movable hinge to the steering rack. The lower part of the rack is rigidly fixed to the front wheel hub. The hub is attached from below to the suspension arm using a ball joint.

The shock absorber rod is installed in the support bearing. With the help of this element, the rack rotates around its axis. In some cases, to restore functionality, it is necessary to replace the front strut liner of the VAZ-2109. At the same time, all important elements are also replaced and fresh oil is added. But it is a very controversial question what is better to do - repair the shock absorber struts or install new ones.

Repair and replacement of shock absorber struts VAZ 2109

What part of the car do you think suffers the most on our roads? Of course, this is the chassis. The wear of its elements occurs faster than we would like. And one of the most common problems is the failure of shock absorbing struts. Sometimes the problem can be corrected with timely repairs, but sometimes a complete replacement of the shock absorber strut is required. We will deal with both the first case and the second. But first you need to decide what this element is.

Tools and accessories

When carrying out repairs, you will need some tools, and wrenches alone will not do. First, you need a special wrench to remove the shock absorber rod nut. Of course, you can use wrenches 17 and 8. Lastly, hold the rod from turning. If you plan to completely replace the rack, you can use a pipe wrench to clamp the rod. Secondly, a puller for the tie rod ends is a must. Without it, it will not be possible to dismantle the tip. Be sure to have a jack, supports, and wheel chocks on hand. The presence of wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers is also mandatory; no repair can be done without these tools.

How to do DIY repairs?

Due to the fact that the shock absorber struts are the most “delicate” element of this system, we will turn all our attention to them. The shock absorber struts of the front (sometimes also the rear) are made according to the principle of a double-acting shock absorber operating on hydraulics. The rear shock absorber strut is most often made using a standard two-pipe design. There is no point in delving into the structure of these elements, but you still need to know the main differences between them.

So, the main difference in shock absorber struts is that the front struts primarily affect the handling of the car, while the rear ones serve to improve comfort. The idea is clear - the front struts must be in working order, but you shouldn’t forget about the rear struts either, because the good condition of the suspension means trouble-free and comfortable movement of the car.

Diagnostics of shock absorber struts

But how can you check the status? The vehicle owner can carry out the diagnostics, and the process itself is not particularly difficult. The more modern the car, the easier it is to inspect and evaluate. But there are general signs that apply to all cars: If you notice fluid leaks in the suspension area or hear a constant knocking sound while driving, then there is a 95% chance that the struts need repair.

Moreover, the repair of racks can be done with your own hands.

So, we have identified a malfunction - repair is required. Of course, you can go straight to a car service center, where they will replace or repair you, but you need to say right away that it is quite expensive. Another option is to do the work yourself. If your car has collapsible racks, then there should be no problems with repairs. Unfortunately, modern foreign cars most often have solid struts, but domestic and old cars have collapsible struts. Why is that? In Europe, repair has been replacement for quite some time. And it is right.

In the cold season, it is worth warming up the shock absorbers in the same way as the tires: after the car has been idle for a night, you need to ride it for about five minutes at low speed. This is done so that the oil warms up smoothly. If you immediately turn on the gas, the frozen oil can break the poppet valves.

Non-removable shock absorber struts

If you are the owner of a car where non-removable racks are installed, then you won’t be able to do it yourself - servicing them requires special equipment, so there is only one way out - go to a car service center. Almost every service station offers services for servicing non-demountable racks. Here it is better to choose a proven and recommended car service, because... Repairing such racks means making design changes. There is a chance that they will fail again after repair, even if it is carried out by experienced mechanics, so replacement will be more profitable and reliable.

Preparing for repairs

Before replacing the front strut shock absorber of the VAZ-2109 begins, preparations must be made. The most important thing is to securely position the car so that it does not roll away. It is enough to raise one side of the car above the ground, the one on which the repair is being carried out. If you plan to replace the entire rack, then no additional manipulations are necessary. But in the event that repairs take place, it is advisable to mark the position of the strut relative to the front wheel hub. For this purpose, you can use a marker, a can of paint, a metal scriber, or even a nail. It is not advisable to use chalk, since it can simply be erased during repairs.

Repair process

Before you start repairing racks, you should decide on the tools:

Do-it-yourself repair and replacement of racks involves changing the main part of the rack - the cartridge, so you need to purchase one. When purchasing, you need to name the model of your car.
You will need a rack wrench for front-wheel drive cars (needed for springs and couplers) and a classic one.
You need to place sawhorses under the car; it is strictly forbidden to work with a jack, because this threatens the safety of the person carrying out the repairs.

General information about car struts

Replacing struts on a VAZ 2109 yourself

From a practical point of view, the VAZ rack performs the function of a mechanical stabilizer, being a kind of rational connecting link between the body and the track. Many motorists often confuse a car strut with a shock absorber. In this regard, the most logical solution would be to consider the functions and structure of the shock absorber and strut.

VAZ 2109 do-it-yourself replacement of front struts

Main functions of the rack

ensuring stabilization of the car body during movement;
accumulation of kinetic energy during vehicle movement;
ensuring the correct orientation of the vases body in space;
ensure not only the comfort of the vehicle, but also its safety.

Main functions of the shock absorber:

assistance in stabilizing stands;
increasing the degree of smoothness of the car during movement;
dynamic adaptation of the car to rapidly changing track conditions, etc.

Note. From a practical point of view, a shock absorber is a dynamic spring with liquid that stabilizes the functioning of the strut, and that, in turn, directly stabilizes the car body itself.

Replacing front struts on a VAZ 2109

Replacement: when repairs cannot be made

Of course, it will be much cheaper to repair shock absorbers than to replace them, but sometimes you have to do that too. Again, you can carry out diagnostics and determine whether they can still last after repair. If you are not confident in your insight, then diagnostics can be carried out at a car service center. If you change shock absorbers, then this process should also be carried out only in pairs. To replace, you will need the same tools: a rack wrench for classics and ties with springs for front-wheel drive cars.

You should not test the strength of your shock absorbers on a bad road - this can keep them in good condition for a long time. High speed also negatively affects them, so if you drive, do it on a high-quality road surface. Lifting the suspension also harms the entire shock absorber system: the rod begins to function in the area of movement, and this entails rapid failure.

If replacing a shock absorber strut can be done with your own hands, then replacing the entire shock absorber is most often done at a car service center, because This is an extremely responsible undertaking. Finally, we would like to give a few recommendations for caring for new shock absorbers. The first step is to carry out anti-corrosion treatment on the underbody of the car. This will help cope with adverse weather conditions.

Means for treating cars against corrosion

Again, for our realities this is necessary, because... Bad weather lasts for about six months, and it is rare to notice drains on our roads. Therefore, when you drive through continuous puddles, it is simply necessary that the underbody of the car is protected from corrosion. In addition, when repairing shock absorbers, we recommend paying attention to the rear axle gearbox, as well as other elements of the vehicle’s suspension.

Symptoms of a problem

Racks may require repairs for several reasons:

Presence of manufacturing defects in installed racks;
The appearance of dull knocks of shock absorber supports on the car body. Usually occurs when driving on uneven, bumpy roads;
Unpleasant squeaks that appear when starting or stopping the car;
Traces of leakage of shock-absorbing fluid;
The rack is dirty, it becomes wet, dirt quickly sticks;
The car shakes even when driving on a flat road.

Even the best quality repairs do not provide a lasting effect. This is a temporary measure, which will definitely require the racks to be completely replaced soon.

Since a quick replacement cannot be avoided, you should think about choosing new racks for the future.

Type

Advantages

Flaws

The hydraulic unit allows them to cope perfectly with driving on good roads in the city and on the highway. They are not expensive and have small dimensions

Heat dissipation is poor. Inside the compensation chamber there is an air mixture, an excess of which leads to a decrease in the reliability of the mechanism, and if there is a lack of mixture, they do not work at all. Plus, cavitation bubbles can cause the oil to foam. This happens when driving frequently on dirt roads.

Repair

Since the VAZ 2109 is equipped with front and rear struts, the features of their repair should be discussed separately.

Such activities are not difficult to implement if you have at least a little experience. If it is missing, be sure to contact a trusted service station.

Front struts

To repair the front struts on your car, follow the instructions and rely on video tutorials.

Dismantling and replacement process

Remove the racks and clean them of accumulated dirt.
Use a special tie to secure the spring. This way it will not put pressure on the support cups.
After securing the spring, remove the nut from the upper strut mounting assembly.
Remove the upper support limiting assembly. The support and bearing can then be removed.
Next in line are the top cup and spring assembly.
Make sure the swing arm, lower strut cups, shroud, and bracket assembly are in good condition. If there are defects, this entire assembly is replaced entirely.
Place the shock absorber vertically. Begin raising and lowering the rod assembly until it stops. If there are signs of abnormal noise, knocking, dips or jamming, completely replace the part.
Using a chisel, remove the damper support assembly. Next, arm yourself with a wrench to unscrew the fastening nut that secures the rack body.
Remove the nut, take out the rod and working cylinder.
Be sure to drain all liquid from the shock absorber into a prepared container. If the liquid has retained its quality, it can be refilled and reused.
Thoroughly clean the internal surfaces of the casing of the element being repaired.
Install a new cartridge cartridge into the housing that matches your rack - gas or oil.
Reassemble the unit, steps in reverse order.
Replace faulty parts as assembly progresses.
Carefully return the springs to their original state. This is due to the fact that it is clamped and can hurt your hands if you suddenly remove the lock.
If the housing has lost its elasticity, cracks or crevices have formed on it, or traces of metal peeling off from the rubber have appeared, be sure to replace the component.
If there are leaks from under the protective rings of the upper support assembly, or the bearing seizes, this assembly will definitely have to be replaced with a new element.
It is recommended to change all used mounting bolts during the repair process in order to maximize the service life of the new elements installed during the process of restoring the functionality of the front struts.

The repair process includes quite a few stages, where the most important factor for success is accuracy and attentiveness. Otherwise the work is not difficult.