Front suspension details: 1 - ball bearing; 2 - lever; 3 - rotary fist; 4-column anti-roll bar; 5 - shock absorber; b - spring; 7 - front subframe; 8 - longitudinal beam of the front subframe
The front suspension is independent, with telescopic shock absorbers, wishbones and a torsion-type anti-roll bar.
Front suspension strut consists of shock absorber strut, coil spring, upper spring cup and upper strut mount. Outside, a steering knuckle mounting bracket is welded to the strut body.
The strut spring with its lower coil rests on the lower support cup, and the upper coil rests on the upper support cup fixed on the shock absorber rod. Also on the shock absorber rod is an upper support and a thrust bearing. The bearing allows the shock absorber strut, together with the spring and the upper spring support cup, to rotate when the steering wheel is turned, and the rubber cushion prevents the transmission of vibrations to the car body.
Front suspension struts are attached to the car body with three bolts. To protect the shock absorber rod from dirt and dust, a protective cover is installed on it. To protect the car body from sharp shocks during suspension breakdown, a compression stroke buffer is installed on the shock absorber rod.
From below, the front suspension strut is attached to the steering knuckle with two bolts and nuts, and the steering knuckle, in turn, is attached to the front suspension arm through a ball joint.
A double-row ball bearing is pressed into the steering knuckle hole. The wheel hub is pressed into the inner ring of the bearing.
The front suspension arm is attached through silent blocks to the front subframe.
The ball joint consists of a body. fingers and inserts. From one end, the support pin has a spherical shape, and from the other, it is conical with a threaded shank. The conical part of the finger is attached with a nut to the eye of the steering knuckle.
The spherical end of the finger is installed in the liners of the body. The connection is protected by a rubber boot.
During operation, the ball joint experiences heavy loads, which wear out its rubbing surfaces, which leads to an increase in the gap between the support body and the pin. As a result, the finger begins to move along its axis, and a knock appears. The rupture of the protective cover will lead to intensive wear of the ball joint, as a result of which dirt and moisture will inevitably get inside. If the support is not replaced in time, it can collapse and cause an emergency.
The anti-roll bar of the front suspension consists of a round steel rod and two struts. The stabilizer bar is fixed through rubber cushions on the front subframe, the ends of the bar are connected with the lugs of the shock absorber struts of the front suspension of the car with the help of stabilizer struts.
An anti-roll bar is needed in order to reduce the body roll of the car when cornering - this improves handling and increases the average speed of the car. The anti-roll bar is essentially a torsion bar that connects the suspension elements of the right and left wheels. In turn, they twist, reducing roll. At the same time, the tendency to rock the car is reduced.
During the operation of the car, the stabilizer bar and its mounting pads wear out slowly and do not require frequent replacement. The operation of removing the stabilizer bar and replacing the pillows is fraught with a number of difficulties and is performed on the removed front subframe, therefore, in the event of a malfunction, it is advisable to contact a specialized service station. The main load is taken by the hinges of the stabilizer struts, so they fail much more often. If the check of the technical condition of the front suspension has revealed a malfunction of the anti-roll bar struts, they must be replaced.
To ensure the correct rolling of the wheels of the car, taking into account the operation of the suspension and steering, the elements of the front suspension must be installed in a certain position.
Recommendation. After repairing any suspension or steering components, be sure to check the wheel alignment. It is possible to qualitatively check and adjust the wheel alignment angles only in the conditions of a service company that has a special stand for performing adjustment work.
The camber angle of the front wheels is the angle of inclination of the plane of rotation of the wheel relative to the vertical. Uneven camber angles cause the car to pull to the side when driving in a straight line. Large positive camber (when the top of the wheel sticks out) leads to accelerated wear of the outer part of the tire tread, and a large negative camber - to wear of the inner part of the tread (see «Rims, tires and hubs - checking the technical condition»). The camber angle of the front wheels is set constructively and is not adjustable. According to the camber angle, it is possible to diagnose the state of the front suspension.
The convergence of the front wheels is the angle between the plane of rotation of the wheel and the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the car in the position of rectilinear movement. Violation of the convergence of the wheels worsens the handling and directional stability of the car, and also leads to intensive tire wear. The convergence of the front wheels is regulated by changing the length of the steering rods, by screwing into or out of the tips.
Tie Rod Parts: 1 - tie rod end; 2 - turnkey flats; 3 - locknut; 4 - hexagonal turnkey steering rod
Pitch is the angle between the front axle of the front wheel and the vertical in a plane parallel to the center line of the vehicle. Violation of the correct angle of inclination of the axis of rotation of the front wheels causes a deterioration in the controllability of the car. At a large angle of longitudinal inclination, the resistance to rotation of the steering wheel increases, and at a small angle, the stabilization of the front wheels in the direction of movement straight ahead worsens.
The inclination of the axis of rotation of the wheel is set constructively and is not adjustable. If the value of the angle of longitudinal inclination of the axis of rotation is beyond the permissible limits, then repair of the suspension elements is necessary.