After some period of operation of this car, its owners begin to be interested in upgrading the Hyundai Solaris suspension. This brand of Korean car has become popular in many regions of the Russian Federation and CIS countries in a very short period. The beautiful appearance of this car and its good performance characteristics attract many potential buyers. Despite many positive factors, many owners do not stop with the purchased product, but try to change its quality for the better.
Upgrading the Hyundai Solaris suspension with your own hands is quite possible, you just need to approach this issue competently and responsibly. Problems with the suspension appear mainly when traveling on bad roads, which is why the question arises about the possibilities of its modifications. Changes can be different, depending mainly on the capabilities and requirements of the car owner.
A few words about the problems
A lot has been said about the shortcomings in the design of the rear suspension of this car for a long time. The manufacturer assures that in the latest models all the wishes of the owners have been taken into account and corrected, but models of earlier releases need changes. The most complaints come from owners about the car's yaw when driving at speeds from 80 km/h to 140 km/h. As experts have found out, the reason for this is the poor design of the rear shock absorbers.
We all understand perfectly well that there is no such thing as an absolutely ideal car, but we want to have a car with as few shortcomings as possible. After a certain period of operation, the wheel bearings become weak and the steering rack of the car begins to make unpleasant sounds. Because of this, the steering wheel begins to beat, and the steering tips quickly become unusable. In order to somehow get rid of this, its elements are being improved.
Do-it-yourself Solaris suspension upgrade
After some period of operation of this car, its owners begin to be interested in upgrading the Hyundai Solaris suspension. This brand of Korean car has become popular in many regions of the Russian Federation and CIS countries in a very short period. The beautiful appearance of this car and its good performance characteristics attract many potential buyers.
Upgrading the Hyundai Solaris suspension with your own hands is quite possible, you just need to approach this issue competently and responsibly. Problems with the suspension appear mainly when traveling on bad roads, which is why the question arises about the possibilities of its modifications. Changes can be different, depending mainly on the capabilities and requirements of the car owner.
Upgrading the Solaris suspension at home is of interest to many car owners. How to do it yourself, what tools are needed for this and what spare parts to use will be discussed in detail in this material.
Almost every owner of a Hyundai Solaris, after using the car for some time, asks the question: how to upgrade the suspension? This is not difficult to do, but it is important to approach the task responsibly and competently. Problems with the Hyundai Solaris chassis usually arise when driving over uneven surfaces, of which there are a lot in our country. Changes in the suspension can be different and they usually depend on the capabilities and requirements of the owner for his own car.
When preparing cars specifically for our market, the Koreans wanted the best. And they endowed the car with a comfortable suspension, which is especially valuable in bad road conditions, and a lively engine - as you know, there is never too much horsepower. However, it soon became clear that the car, which was soft and quiet on a flat road, lost its nobility of character on potholes and began to shake with its entire body. And in turns or during active maneuvering, you can even jump off the trajectory like a hare confusing the trail.
Having learned that the designers tried to correct this defect in the car updated in the spring, I immediately wanted to check the car in action. And turning off the Kaluga highway towards Borovsk, I immediately found what I was looking for. The surprisingly smooth M3 federal highway turns into a regional road here.
No, you won’t be scared of a bad, expensive Russian Hyundai! After just a few tens of kilometers, I concluded, not without satisfaction, that the car had become more stable and clearer in all driving modes. Even where previously the stern was overcome by rocking, now there is nothing like it; and, ultimately, the car allows you to drive faster and more confidently.
Having believed in the energy intensity of the suspension, I immediately caught such a pothole that forced the front shock absorbers to break down. Well, yes, you still need to be more careful! Moreover, the grip properties of standard Kumho-Solus tires still leave much to be desired.
Has Solaris become tougher? Perhaps. Not enough, however, to shake out the soul. I would be happy with just such chassis settings. Although my fellow traveler doesn’t seem to be very happy: at the next speed bump the car shook noticeably, and my colleague, snoring peacefully in the passenger seat, looked reproachfully in my direction. Still, it is a thankless task to try to please a sophisticated public.
Other features of Solaris remained with him: there are few of them, as before, but they still exist. The sound insulation of the arches leaves much to be desired, and you will have to put up with the low ceiling above the sofa. The 1.4-liter engine does not come with side and window airbags, and convenient central locking with remote control becomes available at least in the expensive “Comfort” version.
But now, even in the most affordable versions, the hood is supplemented with sound insulation, and the trunk lid of the sedan has received interior trim. In addition, if previously in the basic version the back of the sofa could only be folded entirely, now it can be folded in parts on any sedan. Finally, a photochromic mirror and a rear view camera have settled in the top-end configuration.
It turns out that combining incompatible things while remaining within a modest budget is still possible. True, it’s still not possible to please everyone, as usual.
The updated “Solaris” caters to the traditional Russian desire to drive quickly more skillfully. The car has become a little stiffer, but this is an absolutely adequate price for stable handling. By maintaining a tasty price, this “Russian Korean” will be able to remain the most popular car on our market for a long time.
I tore out the skin on my finger. So you need to work very carefully with pullers. And here's the drav test. My wife and I sit down. Solik now looks like a crossover. The front end was raised by 15 mm.
What can be done?
In most cases, many begin to improve the stability of this car when driving at high speeds. As noted earlier, the most complaints are caused by the yaw of the rear of the car, pulling to the side when there are side gusts of wind or heavy vehicles passing by. All this was a design flaw, which is quite possible to correct on your own. The main culprit for these problems is an incorrectly selected angle of installation of the rear shock absorbers.
Finally
We will not dwell on the issue that only high-quality spare parts should be used. In some cases, especially on cars with high mileage, the quality of the parts used alone increases the controllability, stability and other characteristics of the car. Fans of traveling at high speeds install a stabilizer bar on the rear axle, which, after minor modifications, is used from domestic cars with front-wheel drive VAZ 2108.
As can be seen from our story, there are opportunities for improving this car model. We tried to tell everyone how the Hyundai Solaris suspension is modernized. Assess your technical and financial capabilities for such work and only then get to work.
How to modify the Hyundai Solaris suspension?
It is necessary to move the shock absorber mounts by making new fasteners for the assembly. They are made so as to obtain four points for attaching the lower point of the shock absorber. This will allow you to select the optimal suspension geometry for specific operating conditions. Note that such a modernization of the Hyundai Solaris suspension increases the chances of breaking through the suspension. This can be eliminated by installing other springs.
Changing the stance angle
Initially, to avoid breakdown, car owners made inserts from dense rubber, inserting them between the coils of standard springs, but this solution was not very effective. After experimenting with springs of different brands from other cars, optimal results were achieved using springs from VAZ 2108 and 2110. They should be slightly shortened by cutting off approximately 2.7 parts of the coil and bending the outer part of the cut coil.
This upgrade produces good results, but it is important to install lower spring bumpers to act as a center for the springs. installation of standard barrel-shaped coil springs for Hyundai Solaris significantly improves the technical characteristics of the chassis. Depending on the required ground clearance, you can trim the springs a little more or less.
Reworking the rear suspension immediately helps to identify weaknesses in the front axle of the car. They do the same with the front struts: they are removed from the car and disassembled, and instead of the standard ones, new ones are installed, which should also be taken from the VAZ 2106, cutting them into 2.9 parts of a turn. From this model you should also take rubber gaskets for the springs.
Components
The rear suspension allows the car to move smoothly and softens road imperfections. It must be admitted that the design of the front suspension is more complicated than the rear one, however, in this case, you also need to figure it out. Its design is as follows:
- The main element is the beam.
- Lever attachment.
- A device that acts as a stopper for a spring during compression.
- Shock absorber.
- Lever arm.
- Hub assembly.
- Pad located underneath the spring.
- The spring itself.
- Lining located on top.
- Buffer washer.
- Thrust element.
The Hyundai Solaris uses a semi-independent suspension, with an elastic beam type, as well as a spring suspension with installed shock absorbers.
The levers are equipped with edges on which the wheel axles, individual brake elements and support clamps are directly attached. In front, the levers have welded bushings in which silent blocks are located, which act as a connecting part between the body and the beam. As for elastic parts, in this case their role is played by springs.
In the Solaris suspension, it is worth highlighting the fact that the spring rests directly through the gaskets of the rubber sample. Another characteristic feature of this car is the smaller diameter of the lower turn compared to the uppermost one.
In any suspension, springs are usually divided into classes, depending on their stiffness parameters. To determine the class, the specific color of the part is used. Naturally, on both sides you need to use springs of the same class and the same model. During replacement, it is not recommended to install elements different from those that were installed previously. The role of the limiter during compression is performed by the buffers listed in the list under No. 3. They are installed in the middle of the upper support.
The shock absorbers have special eyes both at the bottom and at the top. Hinges made of rubber and metal are pressed into them. Inside the hinge there is a bushing through which a bolt is inserted, allowing you to attach the shock absorber to the body. The front suspension of the Hyundai Solaris is equipped with a bearing located in the hub unit. The advantage is that there is no need to regularly add lubricant to it. If the device fails, it is simply replaced.
Design improvements
But it’s good that Hyundai’s management treats its work reasonably and rationally: the company many years ago established feedback with consumers in order to know all its shortcomings and fair criticism from customers, in order to correct shortcomings in the future and not fall under an avalanche of popular indignation.
Thus, having received complete information about the preferences of drivers, the Koreans are launching the next generation of the model in 2014, in which the main emphasis was placed on the Hyundai suspension. The concern announced the work done a year before the official release of the updated version. All major auto publications spread this news, so it was difficult to find a motorist who had not heard about the upcoming premiere. Hyundai fans waited with bated breath to see what would happen this time.
To their great joy, the company did not destroy any illusions or dispel good ideas. The car turned out to be even more colorful than before, but most importantly, it really became more practical and durable. The front and rear suspensions of the Hyundai were changed, new engines appeared that developed dizzying speeds, and the car became more functional.
Now the Hyundai front suspension is a unique MacPherson strut design, it ensures reliability, driving safety, good stability, road grip, and handling. The rear suspension is represented by a semi-independent spring, it is responsible for the softness and smoothness of the ride: on a good road and at an impressive speed, it seems that the car is simply taking off, it moves so easily and naturally.
To give Solaris dynamics, engineers paid special attention to shock absorbers; in the new version they turned out to be more energy-intensive than in previous generations, and were developed with the active participation of the Mando company. Shock absorbers and springs received parameters of greater rigidity, which had a positive effect on the car’s ability to move on bad roads.
If earlier it began to desperately rattle at every bump, now it drives quietly and smoothly. Road irregularities that do not fall into the extreme category now go completely unnoticed by the Solaris driver. Just a few years ago this could only be a dream. The rocking motion has also become smoother, so you won’t get motion sickness in a car; this is especially important for people with increased sensitivity and not the best vestibular apparatus. Photos of suspension parts can easily be found on the Internet.
Additional Information
Based on the data provided, one can guess that dismantling and installing individual suspension parts in a Hyundai should not cause difficulties. The main thing is to have the proper equipment.
Today, many craftsmen are engaged in refining the suspension. Such work involves installing new parts of higher quality. They often install reinforced springs, based on the fact that domestic roads cannot boast of high quality.
It is appropriate to modify the suspension only if there is a need for it. For example, when the car has to drive on bad roads.
As a rule, pointless suspension upgrades lead to increased costs, and there is no point in spending money just like that.
Theme Options
Search by topic
Display
- Linear view
- Combined view
- Tree view
How to modify the Hyundai Solaris suspension?
It is necessary to move the shock absorber mounts by making new fasteners for the assembly. They are made so as to obtain four points for attaching the lower point of the shock absorber. This will allow you to select the optimal suspension geometry for specific operating conditions. Note that such a modernization of the Hyundai Solaris suspension increases the chances of breaking through the suspension. This can be eliminated by installing other springs.
Changing the stance angle
Initially, to avoid breakdown, car owners made inserts from dense rubber, inserting them between the coils of standard springs, but this solution was not very effective. After experimenting with springs of different brands from other cars, optimal results were achieved using springs from VAZ 2108 and 2110. They should be slightly shortened by cutting off approximately 2.7 parts of the coil and bending the outer part of the cut coil.
This upgrade produces good results, but it is important to install lower spring bumpers to act as a center for the springs. installation of standard barrel-shaped coil springs for Hyundai Solaris significantly improves the technical characteristics of the chassis. Depending on the required ground clearance, you can trim the springs a little more or less.
Reworking the rear suspension immediately helps to identify weaknesses in the front axle of the car. They do the same with the front struts: they are removed from the car and disassembled, and instead of the standard ones, new ones are installed, which should also be taken from the VAZ 2106, cutting them into 2.9 parts of a turn. From this model you should also take rubber gaskets for the springs.
