Despite the fact that the Niva SUV has four-wheel drive and high ground clearance, it is unlikely to be able to overcome full off-road conditions. Yet this is not an all-terrain vehicle and not a tank, but a civilian car. However, some craftsmen make every effort to ensure that their car has the greatest possible cross. One of these methods is the installation of large diameter wheels.
But along with this, one should not forget that such work entails an increase in wheel arches and the so-called Niva elevator. With the latter, it is worth noting that all the suspension parts of such an SUV will endure a large load, respectively, their service life will be significantly reduced. Therefore, do-it-yourself “Niva” elevator is possible only when the jeep is often used on the roads. In today's article, we will learn how to do this in a garage environment.
Niva Elevator: Rear Axle
First we take the jack. We raise the car and install the stand under the body. This is first done with the rear axle. Here it should be raised to the maximum height and fixed. We turn off the traction of the brake force limiter, the lower and upper mounts of the shock absorbers, as well as the tee of the rear brake circuit. Now remove the springs and install in the upper cups spacers. Elevator "Niva" is accompanied by the reverse installation of springs and pumping shock absorbers. It is advisable to replace the gum on the last part.
At the next stage, the two upper
jet thrusts are removed from the rear axle and new ones are installed in their place. In this case, you do not need to completely tighten the bolts. After that we raise the bridge to the stop with a jack and rotate it. Now we fasten the traction to the body. They also do not need to be tightened much. Now lower the
rear axle and wrap all the bolts all the way. Next, we mount back the brake force limiter rod. And the tee needs to be lengthened. This is done using a special hose.
Niva Elevator: Front Axle
To get started, you need to unscrew the wheel nuts and lift the front of the car on the jack. Do not forget about the fixation. After our wheels are removed, we clean the ball joint, shock absorbers and levers from accumulated dirt. Next, remove the front springs. We take wrenches and unscrew the shock absorbers from the upper and lower mounts. After that, we remove them together with the stabilizer and unscrew the mounting bolts of the ball joint. We release springs from couplers. It is better to replace them with new ones. In order not to waste extra time searching for all these parts, it is advisable to purchase a ready-made elevator kit for Niva.
And we are back to work. So, we install new rubber bands on the shock absorber, mount the part in place and cut off half the height from the upper bump. Next, we attach the ball to the lower lever, and on the upper we attach the spacer. It should be of 13 pressure plates. Then we fasten the upper ball joint to the upper arm with long bolts and lower the car.
After the Niva elevator is made, the stabilizer can not be installed back, as this part negatively affects the car’s passability.