Why is it worth regularly checking the tire pressure in your Chevrolet Niva and how does it affect safety?

Why measure tire pressure on Niva Chevrolet

Before you start measuring tire pressure, you need to decide on the units of pressure measurement. The most common are bar and atmosphere (atm.). Many people consider them identical, but this is not entirely true. If we take one normal atmosphere (760 mm Hg) as 1, then 1 bar will be 1.0133 atm. The difference of less than 2% is caused by the peculiarity of the mmHg conversion. Art. to Pascals in the SI system. All modern pressure gauges are marked in bars or atmospheres.

Timely monitoring of tire pressure affects:

• stability of straight motion;
• maximum braking distance of a car;
• stability and safety of control in extreme conditions;
• uniform tire tread wear;
• eliminates damage to tire sidewalls and cords;
• reduces fuel consumption at all speeds.

The pressure in Niva Chevrolet tires may be too low or too high . The behavior of the car on the road differs from this value as follows.

Important! The nominal level for wheels with landing radius R15, R16 is taken to be the factory setting of 1.9 bar.

Blood pressure is higher than normal . The car's ride becomes harsher, the contact patch with the road surface decreases, and directional stability deteriorates. The braking distance increases greatly, especially on wet or slippery surfaces. Characteristic bald spots appear on the tread in the middle of the wheel. An overinflated wheel is much easier to damage, and strong impacts are transmitted to the disc and suspension elements.

Underinflated wheels increase the effort on the steering wheel of the car and significantly increase gas mileage. The behavior of the SUV on hard surfaces becomes slack, the car yaws and floats on the road at high speed. The tread wears out from the edges of the tire, and the sidewall becomes cracked. Such a wheel cannot protect the disc from a strong impact when falling into a hole.

Advice. If the pressure on all wheels is not uniform, the car will pull towards the flat tire.

The causes of flat tires are universal for all brands of cars - punctures, damage to the beads, curvature of the wheel rim, air leakage through the valve, drying out and loss of tightness of tires due to age.

What does the size of tires and wheels affect?

The smaller the unsprung masses

(this includes a lot of tires and wheels), the better the car will hold the road and accelerate faster. For example, if you put wheels on a car that are 2 kg lighter each, then acceleration to 100 km/h will be reduced by 0.2 seconds.

As a reminder, for safety and to increase tire life, you should maintain your tires at the recommended pressure. Other modifications to the Lada 4×4 can be found in the tuning category and by content.

Keywords: 4x4 wheels | 4x4 tires | Lada 4x4 urban

Instruments and methods for measuring pressure

Chevy Niva tire pressure measurements are carried out with any mechanical or electronic pressure gauge:

1. Mechanical dial pressure gauges are considered simple and unpretentious devices. The operating principle is based on a cylinder with a piston and a spring, and an arrow associated with it. Measuring range from 0.1 bar to 8 bar. The disadvantage of pointer instruments is the low measurement accuracy and dependence on the ambient temperature (underestimates readings in winter). Pros: reliable and cheap, do not require a power source.
2. Electronic or digital pressure gauges . Modern high-precision instruments. Models from well-known manufacturers have minimal errors. Equally accurate in winter and summer. Cons: high price, less reliability.

Important! Measurements are made with a stationary vehicle and cold tires. After driving, you should let the car sit for 2-3 hours in summer or up to half an hour in winter. The correct order of measurements is indicated in the instructions for the pressure gauge.

The disk-tire system is not completely sealed, especially on off-road vehicles , which include the Chevrolet Niva. Air under pressure will always find a place to escape, so such pressure checks should become regular, and not 1-2 times a year when changing tires. The optimal mode is to check once every 2-3 weeks, before a long trip and after off-road trips.

Advice. Many drivers forget about the condition of the spare tire and only remember it when changing it. A deflated spare wheel will not help if a tire punctures, and you will only be able to drive a deflated wheel for a few kilometers, after which the tire will most likely have to be thrown away.

Relieving pressure correctly

In order for the readings to be accurate, you need to remove the pressure correctly. This should be done this way:

• tires must be unheated;
• for the last 3 hours before measurement, the car should be at rest or drive no more than 1.5 kilometers;
• Measurements must be taken on all four wheels and the spare wheel.

Only in this case can the readings from the pressure gauge be considered correct.

Table of values ​​for the required tire pressure level for the Chevrolet Niva:

The pressure standards for Niva wheels 2121 or 21214 must be indicated on a special metal plate. As a rule, it is attached to the door on the driver's seat side. If for some reason there is none, you can look at the data online. But in this case, it is better to take into account the readings only approximately.

You should also pay attention to the fact that the amount of air in the rear tires should be about 0.3-0.5 bar more. This is due to the fact that the load on the rear axle of the wheel is always greater than on the front.

Off-road wheels on Chevy Niva

The difference between special off-road tires and all-season tires lies in a different power structure and standard size. Among the manufacturers of mud tires for Chevrolet Niva, BFGoodrich, Cordiant, Forvard, Federal Mogul and others have proven themselves well. They produce tires in sizes 215/65/R15, 215/75/R15, 225/65/R15, which fit on the Niva with minimal modifications to the standard wheel arches. Tread type M/T or A/T.

Off-road tires are distinguished by increased lugs and a reinforced tire sidewall . In addition, it is elastic and works well when deflated to a minimum. The working pressure of mud tires directly depends on the type of terrain being overcome. On rocky soils it is recommended to pump up to 2.3-2.5 atmospheres. This increases the ground clearance and traction properties of the tires. On muddy ground, sand or snow, the pressure is released to 0.8-1 bar. The tires roll well and allow you to overcome very difficult areas.

Which wheels are better to install on Lada 4×4

The choice of tires for R16 wheels is not large; most often they choose sizes 185/75 R16, 175/80 R16, or 215/65 R16. Due to the paucity of choice, many SUV owners install R15 wheels on their Lada 4×4.

R15 wheels can be borrowed from Chevrolet Niva wheels, which fit without modifications. Thus, the choice of tires will increase significantly and you will be able to choose the appropriate tires for certain operating conditions. In addition, a car with such wheels will look more stylish. In addition to standard tires for R15 wheels, you can install 205/75 R15 tires.

Do you dream of a Lada 4×4 on big wheels , but are not going to cut the arches? The maximum tire size for a Lada 4×4 without modifications is 215/75 R15, and the rims must have an offset of 40, otherwise the tires will touch the fender liners. Finally, install alloy wheels on your Lada 4×4 and you will get a stylish SUV!

When choosing wheels, you should take into account the full diameter of the wheel; it should not differ much from the standard one. Compatibility table for Lada 4×4 tires and wheels:

Green indicates the minimum deviation of the wheel diameter (up to 3 mm); Orange indicates a diameter deviation from 3 to 6 mm.

Don't forget about the rim width:

When installing tires or wheels that differ in parameters

from those recommended by the factory, you can:

• be refused warranty repair of the chassis;
• be stopped by a traffic police inspector, who has the right to draw up a report on the car’s non-compliance with the requirements of the Technical Regulations;
• fail to pass technical inspection.

Niva Chevrolet and low pressure wheels

Low-pressure tires or arched tires are highly specialized tires that are designed primarily for constant use in severe off-road conditions, in swampy areas, and deep snow. They differ from ordinary off-road wheels in their width, light weight, and the normal pressure in such wheels is 0.5-0.7 bar.

It is impossible to install low-pressure tires on a standard Chevrolet Niva without modifying the car . You will need to lift the car and suspension, change the main pairs, strengthen the suspension elements, and install a pumping system. Such tuning turns the Niva into an excellent rogue on any terrain.

Disadvantages of low pressure tires in everyday use:

• short wheel life;
• reduction of maximum speed;
• deterioration in controllability;
• decreased reliability of the vehicle transmission;
• transfer of the car to the section of self-propelled vehicles;
• increased gasoline consumption.

Recommended size of wheels and tires Lada 4×4

185/75 R16 92Q 95T

Allowed to be installed in operation

195/70 R15 92Q, T

205/70 R15 95Q, S, T

• * Speed ​​indices: Q – up to 160 km/h, S – up to 180 km/h, T – up to 190 km/h. Load capacity indices: 85 – 515 kg, 88 – 560 kg, 92 – 630 kg, 95 – 690 kg.
• **Rim offset (ET) is the distance from the mating plane of the disc to the middle of the rim.
• In operation, it is allowed to install wheels with a rim width of 5 1/2J and a rim offset of 48-58 mm.
• R is not a radius, but a designation of the radius of the tire, and the number is the diameter of the rim in inches.

Consequences of incorrect tire pressure

Most car owners should remember the manufacturer's recommended tire pressure value for Chevrolet Niva - 1.9 bar . This is a normal value that should be used as a starting point when making adjustments up or down. Minor deviations will not lead to adverse consequences. There may be an increase in fuel consumption or slight discomfort in the car interior.

But deviations from the norm of 0.5 atmospheres or more already have a serious impact on safety and controllability and cause increased tire wear. To avoid this, it is recommended to always have a high-quality pressure gauge in your car and regularly measure the pressure in all wheels, including the spare tire.

How the pressure sensor works, how to turn it off on a Chevrolet Niva

The main task of the controller is to monitor changes in air pressure in the tire and transmit data online to the electronic control unit. The latter compares the indicators with the programmed ones and informs the driver about a possible malfunction. Most often, this is a sound signal combined with light flickering.

Principle of operation

• A pressure measuring sensor is installed on the inside of the tire. This must be done with the wheel lowered.
• After activation, the controller measures the pressure every 3 seconds and sends the data to the ECU. Bluetooth technology is used as a means of communication.
• The electronic control unit analyzes the obtained indicators for each of the wheels and compares them with the specified parameters.
• The end result can be duplicated on a smartphone if a special application is installed on the latter.

How to disable pressure sensors

There is no such thing as deactivating a sensor for the reason that it is impossible, since the absence of equipment must be registered at the system level. In case of unauthorized deactivation of the controller, “Error” is displayed on the dashboard.

Some car owners practice physically dismantling controllers in a service station. Do not try to do this on your own, as unprofessional intervention does not guarantee full functionality of the electronic control unit.

Source: kolesospec.ru