Self-diagnosis of the front suspension. I shook your suspension arm: how to diagnose the chassis How to diagnose the chassis

Suspension Diagnostics(front) consists in checking the transmission and steering, which consist of the following components, which are most often subject to failure:

1. Shock absorbers;
2. Springs;
3. Ball joints;
4. Lower arms with silent blocks;
5. Upper suspension mounts with bearings;
6. Stabilizer rods;
7. Stabilizer supports;
8. Steering rack;
9. Tie rods;
10. Steering tips;
11. Steering cardan;
12. Hub bearing;
13. SHRUS (external hinge).

Before you get busy suspension diagnostics, all rubber boots and anthers of the listed parts should be inspected. As a rule, a part that has a damaged cover needs to be replaced.
A serviceable shock absorber should not have oil smudges, its rod should have a smooth mirror surface without shells and scratches, it should not make sounds when the car is rocking, and almost immediately dampen the vibrations of the car. When driving with a faulty shock absorber, the car sways, and from the side it seems that the wheel does not roll along the road, but jumps like a ball. Oil leaks occur before other symptoms and with them the shock absorber can still work normally for a while.

Worn (sagging) springs are identified by the low landing of the machine and the inability to properly adjust the camber.

Ball joints are checked by swinging the lower arms up and down using a mount on a pit or lift. In this case, there should not be a noticeable backlash.

Silent blocks of the lower levers should not have play when pressed with a mount, should not have bulging and cracked pieces of rubber, rubber should not peel off from the inner or outer bushings.

Includes check of ball joints and silent blocks, which need to be looked at on a raised car, unscrew the fastening of the ball joint to the lower arm. After that, when turning the body of the ball joint by hand, it should move smoothly, with effort and without backlash. The lower arm in the free position should tend to take a horizontal position, under the action of the elasticity of the rubber of the silent blocks.
Faulty upper suspension bearings may have play when the machine is rocked up and down. In addition, the rubber part can be torn in the support, but it is not always possible to identify this without removing the support.

The stabilizer links and supports are checked by inspection and swinging by hand with effort. All joints should not have any backlash.

The steering rack very rarely fails, except when the guide bush on the side opposite to the driver wears out. This can be determined by swinging the rail itself with your hands, turning the wheels in the direction of the steering wheel, holding the rail through the tie rod cover.

Tie rods and steering tips are checked either by turning the wheel with your hands, or by turning the steering wheel left and right, while holding the part being checked with your hand. Neither rods nor tips should have any play.

A faulty steering cardan can either have a backlash, sometimes quite large, or vice versa - turn with effort. If on your car the steering cardan shaft does not have any cover or cover, it is recommended to pick up and put some kind of cover on it. Steering rod covers are well suited, you can also pick up a cover from a domestic car.

A faulty one can make a hum when driving, which is checked by spinning the wheels on a well-fixed posted car. It can also have a backlash, which is checked by swinging the wheel with your hands at its upper point from yourself to yourself.

A faulty external CV joint produces a characteristic loud crack when the car is moving with a slight acceleration in a sharp turn.

The front suspension may have other malfunctions, only the most typical ones are described here, so the full suspension diagnostics it is better to carry out at specialized car service stations

The suspension is a very important part of a car. Your safety, driving control and comfort depend on its condition. Knowing how suspension diagnostics are carried out with your own hands, you can save a lot on car services, where very good money is taken for this procedure.

It does not happen that the suspension parts fail at one moment (of course, if you do not fly into the curb, or even much worse). Usually the suspension breaks down gradually. First, one element begins to tap on bumps, since it no longer works properly, its load falls on other elements that are not designed for this. They wear out faster. All this grows like a snowball, and in the end, all this results in a malfunction of the front and rear suspension and a lot of money.

To avoid this, we will consider the most important topic - do-it-yourself car suspension diagnostics. You can print this article and hang it in your garage as a reminder, and if you suspect something is wrong with the suspension, check it right away and don’t put it off.

There are a huge number of options for the execution of car suspension. The differences lie in the driving characteristics and the price of maintenance and of course its condition. The main structural elements remain unchanged.

The main elements of the suspension include:

• shock absorbers
• Levers
• Springs
• ball joints
• Shrus
• wheel bearings
• Stabilizer's pole

Let's take a closer look at how the car's suspension is checked, and identify its malfunction, if any. Let's start with springs and dampers.

shock absorbers

Telescopic strut shock absorbers play a very important role in the car - they dampen body vibrations and are responsible for the stability of the car on the road when performing maneuvers.

Checking the performance of shock absorbers is quite easy. To do this, take and shake the car when it is on a flat surface. After stopping trying to rock the car, it should stop. If the rear shock absorbers or the front ones are faulty, it will continue to wobble.

With faulty shock absorbers, it becomes problematic to operate the car. One feels the lack of assembly of the car, and breakdowns on some bumps.

Be sure to drive the car into a pit or overpass, and see if there are smudges on the shock absorbers - if there is, then the shock absorber is not in order, and it should be changed.

For a deeper analysis of worn parts, you need a special vibration stand for suspension diagnostics. You won’t be able to assemble such a stand with your own hands, and it will also be expensive to buy it for private use, so it’s best to fork out a few hundred rubles and contact the service to perform this procedure.

Springs

The next step in the chassis diagnostics will be the diagnostics of the springs. It starts with their visual inspection. If the spring is cracked, or worse, burst, then it must be replaced. Particular attention should be paid to the coils of the spring. If they are close to each other, or even touch, this indicates that the metal of the spring is “tired”, it is better to change such a spring.

It is also worth measuring the clearance of the car and comparing it with the clearance of which it was from the factory, if it is less, then the springs sagged.

With faulty springs, the car will roll, there will be rolls in corners, breakdowns in the suspension. Driving such a car will be difficult.

Basically, springs become unusable for natural reasons. If the car was a workhorse, various weights were carried on it, then this can cause premature wear.

In large cities, reagents adversely affect the properties of the spring, causing corrosion and thereby reducing the thickness of the coil.

Ball

In order to make the diagnosis of the suspension more complete, it is necessary to check the ball joints. The ball joint is the element that connects the movable hub and the non-movable suspension arm. Ball joints often fail due to fast driving on bad roads.

If there is wear on the ball joints, a dull sound will be heard. It will be especially pronounced when driving over bumps.

You can accurately diagnose ball joints using two methods:

1. side to side swing method. To do this, you will need an assistant who will check the knock in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe wheel during buildup. If it is, do not rush to sentence the ball joints, check the second method.
2. To implement the second method, it is necessary to jack up the car, observing safety methods. To eliminate the possibility of bearing play, you need someone to press the brake pedal. At this moment, you need to shake the wheel by holding the upper and lower points (as on the dial of hours 12 and 6). If you feel a noticeable backlash, then the support needs to be changed.

Stabilizer supports and struts

Stabilizer struts most often than all other suspension elements fail. Their malfunction is expressed in a distinct rattling and tapping on bumps.

If, when you release the steering wheel, the car throws out of the rut, you have to constantly steer and align it, this indicates that the stabilizer struts are faulty.

In order to check the stabilizer bar, you need to grab it with your hand, or find a stop and shake it with a crowbar. If loosening occurs without much effort, a knock is heard or play is felt, then the rack must be changed.

steering rack

The steering rack often starts to knock when driving at high speed on bad roads. The knocking of the steering rack indicates that it needs to be repaired as soon as possible. If this is not done, then in the future you can get to replace the steering rack, and this is very expensive.

The steering rack often starts to knock on cars that have a very stiff and clamped suspension. It does not dampen the full force of the impact, and part of the impact falls on the steering rack. Special crackers are installed in the steering rack, which are needed so that the shaft does not play. Over time, these crackers wear out, and constant shocks that the suspension does not dampen speed up this process. Reika starts to knock. The knock is very similar to the knock of the stabilizer struts.

To check the rack, you need to climb into the pit, or remove the wheels, and pull the rack shaft, first on one side then on the other. If you feel a beating, then you need to repair the rail.

It will also be useful to know that one of the characteristic signs of this malfunction is recoil to the steering wheel when driving over bumps.

Steering rods and tips

Symptoms of defective tie rod ends can be compared to the symptoms of a faulty steering rack, namely, there is a knock when driving over bumps.

In order to accurately diagnose the failure of these elements, it is necessary to visually inspect the rubber parts; if they are cracked or torn, then it is likely that these parts are faulty.

You can check these elements for play by swinging the mount up and down. If you feel a noticeable backlash, then most likely the ball bearings of the steering rods or tips are worn out.

Hub bearings

If the hub bearings are faulty, they give out a hum that appears when driving. This hum becomes very audible when driving on a flat road at one speed.

To be sure that this is the hub bearing, and not some box bearing, you need to slightly disperse the car, turn off the gear so that the car coasts. If our fears are confirmed.

In order to find out which bearing is buzzing, you need to raise the car on a jack and spin the wheel, if you feel a characteristic rattle of the bearing, then this bearing is faulty.

When the situation is very neglected, the wheel has play in the vertical plane. The more the bearing is worn, the more play there will be.

CV joints

Most often, a faulty CV joint shows itself with a distinct crunch with the steering wheel turned in any direction when starting off sharply. When this symptom is observed in a car, it makes sense to drive the car into a pit and check.

In order to check the CV joint yourself, you first need to perform a visual inspection, if the anthers are torn, it is likely that the CV joint is faulty, since the dirt that will fly under it will act as an abrasive and accelerate wear several times.

Outcome

The above is not all that is included in the diagnosis. These procedures will help to find out only the general condition of the main suspension units. For a deeper analysis of the wear of a particular element, equipment may be required that is only available at service stations.

The fact that any node in the car must be serviceable is beyond doubt. This fully applies to such an important part of the car as the suspension - its technical condition should always be perfect. It is responsible not only for comfort when driving on roads with a heterogeneous, low-quality surface, but also for safety. So, it is the suspension that is responsible for maintaining the horizontal position of the body when driving.

This is required to maintain control of a vehicle that makes sudden maneuvers, especially at high speeds. If there is a faulty or heavily worn element in the suspension of the vehicle, there is a real threat to the safety of the driver, his passengers, and other road users. Eg, sagging springs or damaged shock absorbers that are unable to ensure the stability of the car can cause a departure into a ditch when trying to overtake or entering a sharp turn. Their independent and timely diagnosis will avoid such problems.

How the suspension works

In order for the car suspension to always remain in a technically sound condition, it should be checked periodically by yourself. Suspension diagnostics can be carried out at service centers using special stands and computers, but this is not suitable for every car. In addition, the cost of such a service is a considerable amount. For the vast majority of owners of domestic vehicles, self-diagnosis of the suspension is the best option.

To correctly diagnose the suspension yourself, you need to know how it works. The main elements of any suspension, which are most often prone to failure, and therefore require special attention, are the following:

For experienced drivers who have been driving for many years, there are no problems with self-diagnosis of the suspension. Often, they just need to listen to the car while driving to accurately determine the faulty node. For inexperienced drivers or owners of luxury cars, where everything is controlled by electronics, everything is not so easy. However, suspension diagnostics must be performed.

Principles of self-diagnosis

Periodic diagnostics of all suspension elements is important for any car, but not all car owners do it. This is associated with a considerable amount of time, and with some inconvenience - it is better to carry out self-diagnosis by raising the car on a lift. However, the appearance of extraneous noise and knocks in the suspension when the car is moving forces most drivers to crawl under the car. This is a great alternative to a service check, because often the cause of a knock or rattle is just a penny gum seal, the replacement of which is a matter of several minutes.

The first priority for self-diagnosis of the suspension is a visual inspection of all protective covers, or anthers. Any experienced mechanic will tell you that an assembly that lacks boot protection is either in need of repair or will need it soon. It should be understood that the presence of cracks on the still whole anther, found during self-diagnosis, should be regarded as the need to replace it with a new one, since it will cease to perform its direct duties in the near future.

After diagnosing anthers, you can start diagnosing the front suspension - it is more susceptible to damage, since it is the first to encounter all the flaws in the road surface. Diagnostics of shock absorbers consists in their visual inspection - no visible deformations are allowed on the body, as well as oil smudges. Do not confuse this with oil deposits, the presence of which is considered the norm. The serviceability of these elements can be judged without inspection - just shake the car standing on the ground. If it continues to sway on its own after the driver no longer makes an effort for this, then it's time to change the shock absorbers.

Important! When diagnosing suspension springs, first of all, attention is drawn to the presence of visible cracks in them.

It is worth evaluating the height of the clearance, if it is less than normal, then the springs also do not perform their functions and require replacement. Ball and silent blocks are diagnosed with the car raised. There should be no pronounced play, deformations and delaminations. There should be no play on the stabilizer supports, rods and bearings. The same moment is checked on the steering rod. Carrying out independent diagnostics of the front or rear suspension, it is advisable to pay attention to the brake system - primarily discs and pads. A few tips for self-diagnosis - on the video:

How suspension failures manifest themselves

To suspect that the suspension is not working correctly, you do not need to be an experienced mechanic - often car diagnostics are not so difficult. Especially if the car was purchased new, and the memory of a smooth, comfortable and quiet ride has not yet been erased from the memory of the car owner. Of course, the quality of the road surface in many regions of our country is far from ideal, but there are a number of signs, the presence of which is the reason, at least, for a simple visual diagnosis of the suspension. These calls include the following:

Basically, any of these symptoms is already a reason for diagnosing the suspension: computer or independent. Operating a car with a faulty suspension is not only unacceptable by the rules, but also simply dangerous. In addition to the immediate threat to life and health, postponing the diagnosis of a car and its repair for later often leads to the need for very expensive and lengthy repairs in the future.

The most common faults

The main number of suspension failures of any car occurs as a result of a tangible mechanical impact that continues all the time while the car is moving. Bumps on the unevenness of the road surface causes incessant mechanical stress, as a result of which certain defects appear even on metal parts, making the normal operation of the suspension impossible. Among the most common and characteristic breakdowns of standard suspensions, which are easy to determine with self-diagnosis, include the following:

• disturbed balancing of wheel alignment-camber;
• loss of design stiffness by springs and shock absorbers, and in case of serious overloads, their complete failure;
• loss of suspension arms of the correct geometric shape;
• damage to silent blocks, ball bearings, bearings;
• breaks or severe abrasion of rubber seals.

What threatens the lack of diagnosis of the condition

The absence of an elementary self-diagnosis of the front and rear suspension cannot remain without consequences even for the most technically advanced car. Of course, we are not talking about the need to independently carry out diagnostics and interfere with the operation of a complex adaptive suspension, which is completely controlled by electronics. But the standard suspension options that most vehicles are equipped with require constant attention from the driver. Worn suspension significantly impairs the comfort of the driver and passengers during the trip, but this is the least significant consequence.

Improper suspension operation threatens the following troubles while driving:

• a noticeable increase in the braking distance, due to the high reactivity of the body, which allows for serious swaying when trying to brake sharply, as well as accelerate;
• poor car stability on the road, which is especially noticeable when maneuvering at high speed - too much body roll can lead to a complete loss of control over the car, especially on slippery surfaces;
• large loads on the load-bearing elements of the body, resulting from weak damping, accelerating its wear.

In addition, operating costs for maintaining a car increase, for example, uneven tire wear requires more frequent replacements, which can cost quite large amounts.

All articles

Checking a car's suspension from the outside seems like a complex process, requiring global technical knowledge and equipment ownership. In fact, it is possible to independently check the suspension - this does not require equipment and complex devices. We will talk about how to properly check the suspension yourself, and what conclusions can be drawn after the check, in this material.

Most cars have standard McPherson front suspension. The most expensive part of the suspension are the struts and shock absorbers. According to the degree of complexity of the replacement, the silent blocks of the stabilizer and levers are next. The easiest and cheapest thing to change is the ball bearings of the front suspension.

When checking the front suspension, first of all inspect the anthers and rubber covers of the parts, and then proceed to inspect the silent blocks, ball joints and all of the above. Inspect mounting bolts and tie rod ends. If you find a part whose cover is damaged, then it will be necessary to replace such a part.

Carefully inspect all rubber seals, they should not have mechanical damage. Separately examine the parts adjacent to the body - here you need to inspect more carefully due to poor visibility.

Oil smudges will tell behind the shock absorber - the first signs of a malfunction. They can be noticed before the sounds occur when the car is rocking. If the car oscillates instead of damping out vibrations, this will also mean wear on the shock absorber, but at a more advanced stage, again, replacement is required.

With severe wear on the springs, they sag, and all that is required in this case is to inspect the car, paying attention to its fit. The car is lower than it should be - a sure sign of "fatigue" of the shock absorber springs. It also makes it impossible to adjust the camber.

Ball joints are checked on the inspection hole, this is somewhat more difficult, as it requires the ability to look under the car, as well as the presence of a mount. Press down on the lower arm bushings and see how they move up and down. If there are no backlashes, and the rubber on the parts is intact, then everything is in order and you don’t have to worry.

Much easier things are with bearings. To find out what condition they are in, it is enough to rock the car up and down, and if the part is worn out, backlash will occur. It is usually said that with severe bearing wear, the machine shakes more than once, at least twice. One movement up and down during the buildup indicates the serviceability of the parts.

Some defects are diagnosed in motion, or simply because of the steering wheel in static. Problems with the steering rack are diagnosed by turning the steering wheel to the side and rocking the rack. Usually the cause of problems with this mechanism is the wear of the guide bush.

Tie rods and tips are also checked by moving the steering wheel, but not one-time, and from side to side. In this case, you will need an assistant, since during the movement of the steering wheel you need to hold on to the steering tips and rods - they should not play. If there is play, then the tips are faulty and need to be replaced.

The condition of the hub bearing is easiest to determine in motion - in the event of a malfunction, it emits a loud and uniform hum, it will be difficult not to hear it even with good sound insulation of the car. The condition of the wheel bearing can be determined when hanging out: spin the wheel, or swing it over the top point, identify the play.

Since you have begun to study the car's suspension in earnest and asked the car seller for a test drive, test the external CV joints that make a crack during a sharp turn with acceleration. Perform a maneuver and listen to how the car reacts.

The main part of the components and assemblies is concentrated in the front suspension, so the rear suspension is easier to check. On most budget cars, the rear suspension is dependent, the most expensive part of it is the struts, on medium (budget) cars they travel about 100 thousand kilometers, after which they begin to “get tired”.

There is nothing more significant and critical in the rear suspension, in addition to silent blocks, which are almost eternal (again, look at the condition of the rubber bands). If the rear suspension is independent, its arrangement is somewhat more complicated, but the essence of this does not change - apart from the struts and silent blocks, there is nothing fatal, but in an independent suspension they wear out faster, and this is better noticeable.

It is best to check the rear suspension together with the front during a test drive, here the sounds and behavior of the car will best tell about the situation - whether something “blinks” or not, and how it absorbs - sways on bumps or not. If the car sways on bumps not only up and down, but also transversely, this indicates that the suspension is dead, and repairs are urgently needed. It also means that the car was not monitored and looked after at all, and it is better not to buy such a car.

It is best to check the main components and suspension parts on the go, the sounds will tell you in detail whether there are any malfunctions. The car must be driven over bumps, such as rails or bumps, but without fanaticism, so as not to harm the vehicle.

The main components to be aware of are:

• Shock absorber - serves to dampen vibrations. If the car sways a lot, then the shock absorber is faulty.
• The spring is an integral part of the shock absorber, if it sags or bursts, the car becomes significantly lower than the factory fit.
• Ball joint - on the one hand, it is attached to the lever, on the other - to the steering knuckle. Responsible for turning the steering wheel.
• The lower arm is attached to the body at two points, ensures the operation of the suspension. Silent blocks are located on the attachment points to the body.
• Stabilizer link - connects the stabilizer and the rack, thus connecting it to the suspension.
• Steering rack - transmits power from the steering wheel to the steering knuckles. When turning the steering wheel, it should not play and make extraneous sounds.

The suspension will tell about the main points itself, however, if you want to know everything in detail, then it is better not only to look under the car and ride it, but also contact the service specialists who, using the lift, will be able to examine the condition of the suspension parts and tell you with accuracy which there is a problem.

Before checking the car and its individual components, you should contact a specialized inspection service. The Autocode service will allow you to find out in 5 minutes whether the car had an accident, whether it was stolen, whether it was used in a taxi and whether it has restrictions, and much more.

A prudent order of the report will allow you to know in advance whether the car has been in accidents - this information will give an understanding of whether it is worth inspecting the car at all and studying its technical aspects. You will save a lot of time and effort by finding out all the aspects that interest you before meeting with the seller.

If you think that checking the suspension yourself is an impossible task, order an on-site check of the Autocode service. The specialist will arrive at the place, even if you or the buyer are in another city, inspect the car with tools and send, if necessary, a conclusion with a photo. This method will completely eliminate the option of hidden damage that the online report may not show.

The chassis of the car is a frequent topic of conversation among motorists. It is especially relevant in the light of our "fabulous" roads: either a pit under a puddle, or a bump on a bump. "Fun" in one word. As a result of all this, we begin to notice that somewhere it knocks and creaks, the car does not obey the steering wheel, and it begins to pull to the side. If at least something is wrong, you should immediately check the chassis, because your safety on the road directly depends on its serviceability. Contact the service station and make a high-quality running diagnostics.

Why do you need running diagnostics

It doesn't matter if your car is brand new or with solid mileage. Running diagnostics are needed in any case for your own peace of mind.

If you observe some oddities, immediately contact the service station:

1. On a bad road, there was a rumble, a knock - this may be a malfunction in the suspension elements.

2. At high speed, the car became unstable, and the steering wheel play increased - this most likely indicates a malfunction of the steering rack or wear of the steering rod mounts.

3. When cornering, the car rolls - suspect improper operation of the chassis stabilization system.

4. During braking, the car pulls to the side, or the braking distance has increased - perhaps the brake pads or drums will soon fly.

Diagnosis is considered a method of prevention. It is for this purpose that it is necessary to prevent undesirable moments on the road in time and save the lives of your passengers and casual pedestrians.

What applies to the elements of the chassis of the car

The chassis includes: frame, front and, wheels. During movement, it is on them that the main load falls, and therefore they are subject to frequent wear.

Did you know? A shock absorber in driver's slang is called a "marter".

If you decide to inspect the chassis yourself - drive it into the viewing hole. During your inspection, pay attention to:

- support cups under the springs and the springs themselves for elasticity.

Are the shock absorbers leaking?

Cylinders, if the car is with air suspension.

Silent blocks.

Backlash on tie rod ends, CV joints, ball bearings.

Brake system: pads, drums, hubs, discs, rubber, integrity of brake hoses.

If during the inspection you find a defect in any part - immediately change it.

How often to carry out diagnostics of the chassis

You don't need to do this every day. But twice a year (for example, when changing winter-summer tires) is necessary. And if the mileage of your car is more than 10 thousand, then it’s definitely time to do a comprehensive diagnosis of the chassis.

It is recommended to carry out diagnostics regularly. It is not necessary to count 10,000 km, "thanks" to our bad roads, routine inspections should be carried out more often. Often there is a need for emergency diagnostics after a “visit” to a hole hidden under a puddle. As a result of such a mechanical impact on the chassis, a rumble, knock, steering play may appear, the car may begin to roll or pull to the side.

Remember! In any case, do not delay a visit to the master at the service station.

Checking the condition of the front and rear suspensions

The parts take all the hits on rough roads. That is why it is very important that they are in perfect condition. Suspension failure will immediately make itself felt by the appearance of extraneous sounds. Suspension diagnostics are complex measures:

1. Shock absorbers are checked with a special device that determines the degree of wear.

2. The springs are constantly under load (both while driving and at rest), therefore, over time, they lose their elasticity.

3. The support cups of the springs must be free of flaws and damage.

4. Backlash in ball joints, CV joints and tie rod ends is also an element of diagnostics of the vehicle chassis.

5. The anthers on the CV joints must be intact.

6. Silent blocks (or other chassis components) in poor condition provoke instability and a violation of the smoothness of the car.

7. Included in the diagnosis of the suspension is checking the wheel bearings.

8. Testing brake pads, discs, drums, hoses.

The presence of steering play

The play (or free play of the steering wheel) of the steering is needed to control the movement of the car. Let's allow play from 10 to 25 degrees, depending on the design of the car and the presence of amplification mechanisms on the steering wheel.

There should be no interference, jamming or jerking - all this makes it difficult to turn the steering wheel and can cause an accident. Tie rod ends are subject to the greatest wear. These are spherical hinges. If they wear out, you can completely lose control of the steering, because the traction will fail.

For a detailed inspection of the tips, the car is jacked up, the wheel is removed. We find the tip on the steering rod, press the hinge from above (we rest our fingers against the nut from below). If as a result of such actions it is compressed, and you feel play, then it's time to change the hinge. Sometimes, to determine the backlash, the steering wheel needs to be turned in different directions.

How to replace the steering tip yourself

If you know where the steering tip is, you can replace it yourself. There is nothing archaic in this.

1. Raise the car with a jack.

2. Remove the wheel.

3. Pour WD-shku in place of the tip (this will facilitate the process of unscrewing).

4. Turn the steering wheel all the way to either side (it will be more convenient to remove the hinge) and unscrew the entire steering mechanism.

5. Remove the cotter pin from the hinge nut with pliers and unscrew the fixing nut.

6. Press the mount (puller) on the swivel nut so that the tip bolt comes out of the seat.

7. Unscrew the joint from the steering rod clockwise (count the number of revolutions made so that later there are no problems with alignment).

8. Put the new tip on the rod counterclockwise (the number of turns should be the same as when unscrewing). Tighten the nut well.

9. Insert the pin.

Condition of front and rear wheel drives

The drive directly depends on the state of the hinges of equal angular velocities (they can last up to 100 thousand km). Drive hinges are internal and external. A malfunction of the outer hinge is warned by clicks in the front wheel hub on a sharp turn or a characteristic constant crunch when driving in a straight section.

The outer joints of the drives wear out more often due to poor-quality roads, interference with the suspension structure itself, and damage to the protective rubber covers. If the cover is worn out from old age or torn as a result of mechanical impact, then water, dust, snow, dirt, sand, clay freely enters the hinge. Thus, the protective lubricant is washed out, and the hinge becomes unusable after a few kilometers.

If you found damage to the rubber boot in time, but the hinge itself has not yet been damaged, then the boot can be replaced. In this case, the hinge is disassembled, washed, new grease is put into it and a new cover is put in place. If the hinge is already badly damaged, then replace it with a new one.

Attention! A working hinge does not produce extraneous sounds and does not create backlash between parts.

Brakes should always be "in good shape". Diagnose the brake system yourself every day in order to notice problems in time. In no case do not start a long journey with faulty brakes.

What we can do ourselves:

1. Without starting the engine, press the brake pedal. It should stop almost immediately and you won't be able to finish it. If there is a feeling of "jamming" - this is an alarm signal.

2. The pedal "stands up" with a slight pressure - it has too short a stroke. You will have to adjust the compensation hole in the brake master cylinder.

3. The pedal has a large free play - there is air in the system. Look for a leak and bleed the brakes.

4. Press the pedal several times, leave your foot on the brake pedal and start the car. If the brake pedal "failed", then the vacuum brake booster is in order. If a hiss appears in the cabin, then the vacuum booster will have to be changed.

5. To check the handbrake, raise the handbrake lever 3-4 clicks up. The control lamp on the instrument panel should light up. Put the car in neutral (handbrake lever should be at the top) and try to manually move the car from its place. If the vehicle is moving, the parking brake cables must be adjusted. If the adjustment is made and the machine continues to move, the brake pads need to be replaced.

6. Using a dipstick, check the brake fluid level (should be up to the upper level limit) in the expansion tank of the brake system.

7. Inspect the hoses and vacuum booster housing. They must be dry. If it's leaking, change it.

8. If there are oily smudges on the inside of the wheels, look for the cause in the working cylinder of the brake system: there should be no condensate on the cylinders, the hoses should be dry, there should be no rust on the tubes, there should be protective caps on the brake bleeders, the hose should be attached to brake hose bracket.

9. It is better to check brake pads at a service station or during a wheel change at a tire fitting.

10. During the test drive, the car must not pull to the side when braking. If something is wrong, it is better to contact a specialist at the service station.

Remember!High-quality diagnostics of the brake system can only be carried out at service stations on special stands. Reliable brakes are your safety!