The subframe on the VAZ-2109 is able to complement the power structure of the body. Its need arises when the car has a very light load-bearing part of the body. If there is a risk of deformation under the weight of the power unit included in the design of the machine, it is necessary to strengthen the body. When installed on the "nine" subframe, the dynamic characteristics, as well as handling, are improved. When cornering, rolls are reduced, and significantly.
General information
Despite the fact that the “nines” and “eights” were designed by Porsche engineers, today these cars are significantly inferior to even the cheapest Korean ones. The standard suspension for front-wheel drive cars, such as McPherson, is pretty unreliable. Her indicators are low, the power structure too.
To improve the quality of the entire suspension, and at the same time increase the rigidity of the body, you can install a subframe. With your own hands you can make it in a few hours, having the necessary tools at hand. On sale there are a lot of designs of subframes, but their cost is more than 3000 rubles.
When do I need to improve the suspension?
It is not necessary to consider that such tuning is necessary only to owners of domestic cars. Foreign cars also need improvements. Even abroad, motorists install subframes on their cars. This element favorably affects not only the car itself, but also the driver with passengers. Riding comfort increases, and significantly.
Subframes are made of high strength metals. Moreover, the design is thought out very competently, because you need to consider that this element should not interfere with the repair of the engine or gearbox.
The driver should have easy access to all parts of the car. The car body will become much stronger when using such devices. The resource of all elements included in the suspension design is significantly increased.
At its core, front-wheel drive cars even without subframes have very good stability. And the use of this element significantly improves all the positive characteristics. Maneuverability of the car also increases significantly.
Benefits of Using Subframes
The body becomes much stronger, so when cornering, there will be a significantly smaller roll. Therefore, the degree of security is improved. Individual body elements will be much less displaced relative to each other. This increases the rigidity of the entire body.
The load is distributed evenly between all parts of the VAZ-2109. It follows the conclusion that the resource of all body parts, as well as the car as a whole, significantly increases. All vibrations that occur when the car is moving will be damped using a subframe. As a result, passengers and the driver will hardly feel them.
Negative qualities
Among the main disadvantages of the rigid body structure, it can be distinguished that it is not able to deform. Consequently, the impact will not extinguish energy. Passive car safety is deteriorating.
The ground clearance is significantly reduced, as this element is installed in the lower part of the car. Therefore, riding on rough roads can be dangerous - it’s not an hour, hook the cover with a suspension element.
Subframe Selection
For VAZ-2109 cars, the installation of a subframe of aluminum or steel is necessary. The design feature of the element, as well as the characteristics of the material used, provide the best balance between weight and stiffness.
Aluminum structures have a very small mass, but the rigidity is quite decent. The subframes can be installed together with the motor protection in aluminum or steel. Also included with the subframe are the suspension arms. Item Design:
- Longitudinal spars in the amount of 2 pieces.
- Cross member (pipe).
- Fasteners are made using rubber silent blocks.
- Structural elements are usually located crosswise.
To maximize the rigidity of the car body, you can install spacers between the rear racks on the VAZ-2109.
Operational Features
Most designs that are commercially available are patented. If you care about your safety, then it will be much better to purchase products in the store than to make them yourself. Saving on your life and health is not recommended. But even if you buy a factory subframe, which was made by professionals with many years of experience and excellent education, you will need to install it yourself.
You can contact the service center, but it will fly "a pretty penny." Before buying, be sure to carefully inspect the device, if there are any defects, then you can not install it. During operation, the following symptoms may appear:
- When overcoming small obstacles and when moving on an uneven surface, squeaks may appear. Often the reason for this is the failure of the silent blocks.
- During engine start and stop, jolts are felt. Again, this may be the cause of failure of rubber products.
- From the side of the construction, metal knocks are heard. The reason for their appearance can be both poor welding quality and damage to power elements.
All faults must be fixed as soon as possible. It is better to ride a VAZ-2109 without a subframe than with a broken design.
How to install a subframe?
The sequence of installation of the subframe on the VAZ-2109:
- Place the vehicle on level ground.
- The front wheels should be installed as evenly as possible. Turn on the ignition so that the steering wheel does not lock.
- Disconnect and remove the battery.
- Now you need to install the entire structure on the car.
- The simplest version of the element involves 4 mounts - two in front and the same back.
- Remove the bolts that secure the transverse link. In this place, the front subframe brackets are mounted on the VAZ-2109.
- The back of the structure is fixed to the body with bolts.
Installing the suspension arms
If the set includes suspension arms, then they need to be installed. To do this, you will need to partially disassemble the front suspension:
- Remove the front wheels.
- Remove the two bolts that secure the ball joint to the lower arm.
- After that, you can remove the old lever and install a new one in its place, which will be connected to the subframe using silent blocks.
Before starting work, be sure to treat all threaded connections with penetrating lubricant. If it is not possible to unscrew the nuts even after processing, it is necessary to heat them with a gas spray. But only after such dismantling, be sure to clean all metal surfaces.
Tools for DIY subframe manufacturing
To make a stretcher with your own hands, you will need:
- Angle grinder, better known as a grinder.
- Electric welding.
- Tape measure, marker, corner and other marking tools.
- Smooth platform for installation.
Of course, a large amount of metal will be required. For the manufacture of subframes, profile pipes can be used. It is desirable that they have a rectangular or square section.
The main thing in manufacturing is to achieve maximum structural rigidity. But you need to see how much the subframe costs on the VAZ-2109 in stores. The cheapest design can be purchased literally for 3000-4000 rubles. The material costs about the same, the savings are negligible. And if you are not confident in your abilities, then it is best to buy ready-made products.
How is manufacturing made?
First you need to install transverse pipes on a flat area. This is the basis of the entire structure, you will build on it when installing the remaining elements. Brackets must be welded to the front profile pipe, they will be attached to the pendulums of the transverse thrust. The rear brackets are welded in the same way.
The main thing is to withstand all distances to a millimeter, otherwise the design cannot be installed on a car. You cannot change the body of the car, so you need to adjust the position of the elements on the subframe structure. The subframe scheme for VAZ 2108, 2109 and 21099 cars (the dimensions of the front of the bodies for these cars are completely identical) can be seen in the article.
Next, you need to connect the front and rear crossbars. For this, a profile pipe is used. Carefully ensure that all angles and distances are observed. It is advisable to first fix the pipes with clamps, check their relative position, only then proceed with welding. First you need to fix the position of all pipes relative to each other by welding.
It is advisable to weld the pipes crosswise between the two cross members. This will increase the rigidity of the car subframe. Try not only to check all the dimensions indicated on the drawing, but also to try on the design directly on the car. At the slightest inaccuracy, adjust the arrangement of the elements relative to each other.
Conclusion
The subframe on the VAZ-2109 will significantly improve the dynamic characteristics. Its pros and cons were discussed above - there are much more advantages than disadvantages. But when upgrading a car, be sure to change all the important suspension elements - ball, bushings, levers, grenades, etc. This will achieve the most efficient operation of all car systems.
It is possible to independently make subframes, but only for the purposes of self-development. It is unlikely that every "craftsman" will be able to make the same seams as in factories. And the quality of the metal is unlikely to be good. Therefore, it is better not to save on your safety, but to buy a good stretcher for 5000 rubles and install it yourself. Together with it, it is desirable to put a spacer between the rear racks on the VAZ-2109. In this case, the rigidity of the body increases significantly.