Which rail is better to put on viburnum?

Steering mechanism Lada Kalina

The development of the Lada Kalina design began at AvtoVAZ in the 90s.
A line of cars was conceived, including the 1119 sedan, 1118 hatchback and minivan. The last model was never implemented; instead, a station wagon 1117 was developed. In 1999, a hatchback prototype was demonstrated, and in 2000, a future sedan model was demonstrated. The first generation of cars lasted on the market for about ten years; since 2014, AvtoVAZ has been producing an updated series, including the Kalina Cross all-terrain vehicle, which is distinguished by greater comfort, a new engine and design. On all Lada Kalina models, a steering mechanism was installed only with a rack and pinion drive, depending on the configuration, equipped with or without electric power steering (EPS). Hydraulic power steering (power steering) was installed only on the Lada Priora and the Niva SUV.

Characteristics of the steering mechanism of different modifications of Kalina

The steering mechanism (RM) is one of the most important elements of a car and is designed to change the trajectory of its movement. Control is carried out by turning the steering wheel, and the greater the angle of rotation, the more the car turns. Among the variety of PMs, rack and pinion mechanisms are most widespread due to their simplicity of design, low weight and size, high reliability and low cost.

All models and modifications of the Lada Kalina car have a standard safety rack and pinion mechanism, which is equipped with an electric amplifier.

The steering column can change its angle depending on the driver's height, ensuring comfortable driving. Currently, there are three manufacturers supplying components for electric power steering: Makhachkala, Aviaelectronics in Kaluga and Korea. All electric boosters are available for free sale and you can choose any one, but experienced drivers prefer the Korean device.

Operating principle and design of rack and pinion steering mechanism

When the steering wheel rotates, torque is transmitted through the column shaft through a helical gear to the rack, which is connected to rods that change the angle of rotation of the wheel hub. The working pair in the rack and pinion mechanism is the helical gear located on the column shaft and the PM rack.

Kalina's steering rack is placed in an aluminum housing (case), which includes a helical gear connected to the column shaft. The helical drive gear meshes with a rack and is supported by two bearings and a bushing on the crankcase. The rack also has an oblique tooth with a variable pitch, with a smaller pitch on the peripheral part. As a result, the driving behavior becomes more natural and comfortable, and the steering wheel angles are reduced. In a car with a variable ratio rack, the steering range of rotation is 720°. In this case, the driver, turning the wheel one revolution, reaches the right or left stop. During linear motion, the gear shaft is in the zone of straight teeth. When cornering or maneuvering, the steering responds more dynamically. In the area of the rack, which has oblique teeth, the gear ratio decreases rapidly as the steering angle increases.

For fans of fast driving, a Kalina Sport steering rack can be installed, which has a gear ratio of 3.1, unlike other models, in which this figure is 4.02. This shortened version allows you to feel the car better, but increases the risk when driving at high speeds.

Steering gear

The rack and pinion steering mechanism is the most common vehicle control unit for passenger cars. The main parts of such a mechanism are the gear and steering rack. The gear is mounted on the steering wheel shaft and is always geared by the rack. When the steering wheel rotates, the steering column rotates, the gear attached to it rotates, the gear drives the rack, which pushes the steering rods and turns the wheels.

Steering rack and pinion diagram

1-case; 2-lord; 3-spring; 4-ball pin; 5-ball joint; 6-stop; 7-rack steering; 8-gear.

As can be seen from the diagram, the design of the car steering mechanism is simple, but it is sensitive to vibrations while driving on rough roads.

1-outer tie rod end; 2-threaded bushing; 3-inner tie rod end; 4-protective cap right; 5-steering mechanism; 6-shaft-gear; 7-steering gear housing; 8-protective cap left; 9-stop plate for tie rod bolts; 10-connection plate; 11-crankcase pipe.

Rack and pinion steering is installed on front-wheel drive cars. On the Lada Kalina car, the steering rack is placed in an aluminum housing (crankcase). The gear used here is helical and, accordingly, the rack has helical teeth. The steering angle is 720 degrees, that is, 2 full turns: one turn to the right all the way, the second turn to the left all the way.

In order for all suspension parts to serve as long as possible, you need to drive over a speed bump or an “artificial bump” at a speed of 20 to 40 km/h.

Steering mechanisms for VAZ Lada Kalina cars are equipped with rack and pinion steering mechanisms with different gear ratios.

So, for those who like to drive, a steering mechanism with a gear ratio of 3.1 is suitable for street racing.
For ordinary cars, a steering device with a gear ratio of 4.02 is installed.

Wear on steering gear parts increases if there is no protection from dust, water and dirt. In Kalina, the parts of the steering device are protected from above by the hood, from below by the sump, but when used in an aggressive manner, water, salts, and dirt still get onto the steering column.

Malfunctions of RM Kalina and ways to eliminate them

Even the most reliable mechanisms wear out, especially if they are not protected from dust, dirt, water and aggressive environments. Although the steering rack of the Lada Kalina is located under the hood of the car and is protected from below by a pallet, during operation, especially in off-road conditions, it is exposed to all of the listed factors. The main malfunctions of the PM can be grouped into three groups:

large free play of the steering wheel;
knocking, noise and creaking in the mechanism;
tight steering wheel.

Increased play, squeaks and knocking of the Kalina PM can be caused by:

loosening the tie rod nuts,
wear of their tips and silent blocks,
loosening the PM fastening nuts,
large gap between the rack and the adjusting nut.

These faults are easy to fix: you need to tighten the nuts and pin them where necessary, and replace the silent blocks with new ones.

Difficulty turning the Lada Kalina steering wheel can be caused by more serious reasons:

wear of the bearings of the upper support of the steering column upper universal joint,
damage to the rack support bushing,
failure of the telescopic strut of the front suspension,
faulty electric power steering or low tire pressure.

If the last reason can be dealt with quite easily by inflating the wheels to the level specified in the car’s operating manual, then to eliminate the rest you will need to replace parts and assemblies with new ones.

Many Lada Kalina owners are interested in whether it is possible to replace the standard rack with a mechanism of a different design. It's possible, but not necessary. The manufacturer does not structurally provide for the replacement of the rack and pinion steering mechanism with other types. Worm or screw PMs simply won't do. To facilitate steering wheel rotation, an electric power steering is installed on all Kalina models.

Classification of steering mechanism faults into groups:

large play (free play) of the steering wheel;
the presence of extraneous noises, knocks and creaks while driving a car in different modes (creaking, knocking, for example, can only happen when turning right or only when going uphill);
tight turn of the steering wheel.

Causes of malfunctions:

The tie rod nuts have become loose.
The steering tips and silent blocks are worn out.
The nuts securing the entire steering mechanism (RM) have become loose.
There is a large gap between the nut and the adjusting rod.

Troubleshoot problems by tightening bolted connections, replacing tips and silent blocks.

If the steering wheel on your Kalina car has become very difficult to turn, then the reasons for this may be:

The bearings of the upper support of the steering column upper universal joint (RC) are worn out.
The steering rack support bushing is worn or damaged.
The telescopic strut of the front suspension broke.
The electric power steering (EPS) does not work.
Low pressure in the front wheels.

The fifth reason can be easily eliminated with your own hands. To eliminate other causes of problems, you will have to contact a car mechanic or study the device and replacement procedure yourself.

There are also worm and screw types of steering. Some people are interested in whether it is possible to install a mechanism of a different operating principle instead of the standard rack and pinion mechanism for driving a car. Answer: It is possible, it is possible, but is it necessary? It is better not to change the factory design at as many critical components as the machine control unit.

Tightening and adjusting the rack

During the operation of the vehicle, natural wear and tear occurs on the contacting parts, including the PM rack. The presence of such wear can be easily recognized by the characteristic knocking sound of the mechanism at low speeds on uneven roads. This sound also produces a vibration that you can feel through the steering wheel. The initial stage of wear is easy to eliminate; this requires adjustment of the Kalina steering rack, which is easy to do with your own hands.

First of all, you need to loosen the three clamps on the air duct pipe:

on the mass air flow sensor,
on the crankcase ventilation pipe,
on the throttle assembly.

After removing the air duct pipe, a large enough space opens up so that you can stick your hand in with a special wrench to adjust the rack and tighten the nut on the end of the PM crankcase. By turning the adjusting nut a quarter turn clockwise, you can begin installing the disassembled pipe and testing the machine. If the knocking noise has disappeared and when the car is moving, the steering wheel automatically returns from its extreme position, then the adjustment was made correctly. If the steering wheel does not return, you have over-tightened the rack. You will have to perform all the procedures again and loosen it somewhat, and then check again. If the knocking noise does not disappear when the nut is fully screwed in, then replacing the steering rack on Kalina is inevitable.

Adjusting and setting the steering rack

If signs of abnormal operation of the steering mechanism appear, diagnostics and a visual inspection should be performed. Check bolted connections. It often happens that the nuts come loose, so the bolts need to be tightened periodically.

How to adjust the Kalina steering rack

Loosen the three clamps on the air duct pipe:

on the mass air flow sensor (mass air flow sensor);
on the crankcase ventilation pipe;
on the throttle assembly.

Having dismantled the air duct pipe, there is a lot of space for working with a special wrench. Now you can tighten the nuts on the end of the car control mechanism.

If you turn the nut a quarter (1/4) turn to the right, clockwise, you can test the steering wheel. To increase driver comfort, it is recommended to make a leather braid on the steering wheel. During the test, the steering wheel is turned to its extreme positions and released. A correctly adjusted steering wheel returns to its original position.

If the steering wheel does not turn back from its extreme position, it means that it has been over-tightened, that is, you need to loosen the nut. The nut is sensitive; you only need to turn it a little.

And, if extraneous noise or knocking does not disappear as a result of adjusting the steering wheel, then you will have to change the steering rack.

Changing the EUR on Lada Kalina

The electric power steering is mounted on the steering column and is removed along with it. First you need to turn off the power to the car by removing the battery terminal and position the front wheels straight. To dismantle the Kalina steering wheel, remove the lower cross member of the instrument panel, disconnect the wires from the EUR control unit and the switches located on the column, and then lower the steering wheel to the floor.

Now it is convenient to unscrew the nut of the bolt securing the lower universal joint to the steering gear shaft. Then we open the joint connection, use a flat screwdriver to remove the intermediate cardan from the pinion shaft of the RM Kalina and dismantle the column along with the electric power steering. After replacing the EUR with a new one, installation is carried out in the reverse order to that described above.

For safety reasons, replacement of various components and mechanisms should be carried out only with those approved by the Kalina manufacturer. If the vehicle requires repair, it must be carried out immediately, otherwise the risk of creating dangerous situations on the road increases. If damage is detected or there are irreparable faults, the mechanism must be replaced.

How to replace the EUR on Kalina

The electric power steering is attached to the steering column and removed along with it.

Procedure for replacing the EUR:

Disconnect the car battery terminals.
Align the front wheels straight.
Remove the lower cross member of the instrument panel.
Disconnect the wires from the electric power steering control unit and the switches that are installed on the column.
Lower the steering wheel to the floor.
Unscrew the nut of the bolted fastening joint that connects the lower cardan shaft and the PM gear shaft.
Disconnect the hinge connection.
Using a flat-head screwdriver, remove the intermediate cardan from the pinion shaft of the Kalina steering mechanism and remove the column along with the EUR.
We install a new EUR for Kalina and assemble it in the reverse order.

To ensure safety, spare parts for such critical components as the steering mechanism should only be replaced with original ones from the Lada Kalina manufacturers.

Until the malfunctions of the steering mechanism of any vehicle are eliminated, further operation is prohibited.

Installing a 3.1 turn steering rack on a Lada Kalina (sport), cardan and amplifier.

I installed the rail a long time ago, but there was no time to write.

It all started with the fact that I took out a rack from a Kalina Sport, found the necessary lubricant, bought an intermediate steering shaft SS-20 and a disc spring.

new rack and intermediate shaft SS-20

Everything you need to prepare the rail for installation is written here

A front panel amplifier was also purchased from a technomaster. It is needed so that the rack “walks” less. The effect can be appreciated when turning at high speed.

There is nothing complicated in the replacement itself, the steering cardan is unscrewed from the interior, on one side it connects the rack and on the other the EUR. True, I had to struggle with it to tighten the last bolt, which is closer to the EUR, it’s very inconvenient to climb, I struggled for several hours) I didn’t take a photo, and nothing will be visible there.

Factory intermediate shaft

To replace the rack, first unscrew the cardan from the interior, then remove the steering rods with a puller:

press-out puller

Then we unscrew 4 nuts (2 on both sides), for convenience you need to remove the battery, remove the rack from the studs and take it out through the left (in the direction of travel) opening for the steering rods.

view from under the hood

view from the left steering rod opening

old and new slats on the fret viburnum. New – Lada Kalina Sport

The amplifier is installed very simply; the ears from the amplifier are placed in place of the standard rail mounting ears, then the pipe is screwed to them. It’s just better to do this under the hood, otherwise the rail may simply not fit through.

new rack with amplifier

Then we put everything together in reverse order; we definitely need to do a wheel alignment.

new rack with amplifier view from under the hood

steering rod with old strut

steering rod with new strut. About the suspension on the Lada Kalina Sport here.

Immediately I decided to install rubber protection in the openings of the steering rods:

rubber protection of steering rods

rubber protection for steering rods Lada Kalina

Of course, the advantages are questionable, it is made of very poor quality rubber, as I heard it breaks quickly, it does not fit very well on the left and sticks out a little due to the steering rack. In general, I decided to put it on until it breaks, and then we’ll see.

About the sensations: Driving has become much more comfortable, now you don’t need to grab the steering wheel during a normal turn and turn it back and forth in the parking lot, even 3 turns sometimes seems like a lot and I don’t even want to remember 4) For a long time I couldn’t get used to the fact that I constantly have to turn the steering wheel , even changing quickly from lane to lane was problematic. The effect of the steering cardan and power rack is difficult to describe because I installed everything at once, but in general the steering changed very much for the better, a clear zero appeared, feedback from the road, the steering wheel of course became heavier, but this only made me more comfortable ! Now, for example, all new viburnums and grants are equipped with a 3.1-turn rack and a new EUR. So the steering wheel turns there very easily, but because of this, the information content of the control is lost. Having driven the Grant for a long time, I can say with confidence that my steering is much more informative! Although there were no amplifiers or cardans.

Short steering rack on a VAZ 2110 (installation, pros and cons)

A pleasant interior, comfortable seating and informative steering, all together, determine the driver's comfort on the road. The latter is to some extent influenced by the steering mechanism (rack), which could vary depending on the configuration and year of production of the “tens”. Do you know what the advantages and disadvantages of a short steering rack are?

Depending on the type, the steering rack 2110 can have 3.7 turns or 4.2 turns (we are not talking about racks with power steering, see “interchangeability of VAZ racks”). Owners of such steering mechanisms can easily install “short racks”, for example, from the Lada Kalina Sport, which has 3.1 turns. If you buy a short rack assembled with steering rods, then there will be no difficulties during the replacement process.

Installing a short steering rack on the “ten”

You will need: a key “13”, “19”, a mounting blade and a hammer. To remove the VAZ steering rack of the tenth family along with the steering rods, you should:

In the passenger compartment, under the pedals, unscrew the bolt of the lower flange of the elastic coupling using a “13” wrench.
Remove the front wheels. Remove the cotter pin, and then unscrew the nut securing the tip to the strut arm using a 19mm wrench. If there is no puller, do not unscrew the nut completely.
Press the pin out of the lever using a puller. If it is not there, install the mounting blade in the spacer between the steering rod and the strut arm and press the pin out with hammer blows on the end of the strut arm.
In the engine compartment, unscrew the nuts securing the steering rack brackets to the front of the body on the right and left sides, using a “13” wrench.

Move the rack forward until the splined end of the gear comes out of it. Pull out the steering rack along with the rods through the hole in the right wheel well. Installing a short steering rack is no different from installing the standard rack on a VAZ 2110. All actions are performed in the reverse order, with the rack in the middle position (in the position where the car is moving in a straight line) . That is, the marks on the boot and crankcase must match, and the flat on the gear shaft must be on the right. If the gear was turning, then move the rack to one side until it stops. Then move the rack to the other side one full turn of the mark on the boot and bring the mark to align with the mark on the mechanism housing. After completing all installation work, check and, if necessary, adjust the wheel alignment angles. An example of installing the Kalina Sport steering rack on a VAZ 2110:

Advantages and disadvantages of a short car rack

Drivers who replaced the standard steering racks with short ones (3.1 turns) noticed that the steering became more informative (clear, precise, accurate, sharp and obedient). Now there is no need to turn the steering wheel from side to side, like on a ship. You now have to grab the steering wheel less when maneuvering than before. All this makes driving fun. There is also a drawback - the force on the steering wheel increases, but with the EUR this is not noticeable. By the way, now is the time to install a sports steering wheel or a Kalina steering wheel. xn--2111-43da1a8c.xn--p1ai

Steering rack Lada Kalina

Steering rack lubrication without removal on site Lada Kalina

I did a little maintenance on the steering rack. Removing the entire steering rack from the car is a little problematic, and after installation you need to do the wheel alignment adjustment... I can’t do it on my own. I settled on lubricating it without removing the rack itself, I’ll just open the anthers and take a look

Is it true that everything is so sad with lubrication?

1. For convenience, remove the decorative casing from the engine cover. On the left (right) side, where the washer reservoir is located, we find the steering rack boot...

Use pliers to cut off the tie on which the boot is attached

2. The inside of the boot is clean

3. The rack rod is also clean

4. It’s dry inside and doesn’t smell like grease.

5. And now, after a little manipulation, it “smells” of lubricant) You need to stuff lubricants inside between the body and the rack rod.

You need to lubricate more carefully, don’t skimp on the lubricant

6. Photo of a factory used one. screeds. "Eight" logo

Steering rack casing fastener

7. And here is a comparison of the factory and used ties.

8. Put the boot in place. We fasten with ties. I had zip ties that were slightly smaller in size and width. Therefore, I attached the tie to the tie to increase the length.

9. Let's proceed to the boot from the other side. Turn the wheel (steering wheel) to the right. We jack up the car so that it is higher, and, from the wheel side, we carry out all the manipulations.

10. We look under the boot, there is no lubricant either.

11. Fill with lubricant. We turn the steering wheel from left to right and back... As if we were pumping the lubricant.

12. The boot is in place, zip ties will help it

I'll be removing the rail by summer.

Lubricating the rack on the right side will not have any special effect, because... in that place there is a plastic (or whatever else it’s made of) bushing; you can’t get grease through this bushing into the rack. If we're going to lubricate it, it'll be on the left side and in the middle, where it's not very easy to get to.

Steering rack from Kalina Sport. Lubrication and replacement of the disc spring

More than a month ago I purchased a steering rack from Kalina Sport with a speed of 3.1 instead of 4.02 for a regular rack.

The steering rack is supplied assembled, the photo shows the rack and markings:

By the way, now a short rail is installed on all new viburnums except the standard version.

Additionally, an SS-20 intermediate steering shaft was purchased, you can read about it here: autosystem.ru/index.php? >14:851

I plan to install the rack in the near future, probably combined with changing the tires to summer ones, but for now I decided to lubricate it and change the disc spring to a SS-20 spring (autosystem.ru/index.php? > 15:1678

When lubricating the steering rack at the factory, a special lubricant, RENOLIT JP 1619, is used. Finding one is problematic, but I managed) Usually it is replaced with FIOL, sometimes with Litol (I would not recommend it).

RENOLIT JP 1619

Here is a short description of this lubricant:

RENOLIT JP 1619 is a special grease based on lithium soap and synthetic base oil with an effective additive package to provide excellent anti-wear and extreme pressure properties and load-bearing capacity, as well as to improve boundary friction parameters. It also contains corrosion inhibitors and additives to improve aging resistance and maintain the desired consistency.

The use of carefully selected base oils gives RENOLIT JP 1619 excellent lubricity and good pumpability at low temperatures.

RENOLIT JP 1619 is recommended in cases where good lubricity and minimum starting torque at low temperatures are required. RENOLIT JP 1619 is used for lubrication of fan shafts, steering gears and high-speed spindle bearings, as well as loaded lubrication units of mining equipment, incl. through centralized systems.

Temperature range -50/+120 C

I didn’t disassemble the entire rack; I cut off the ties and lubricated what was visible; by the way, there wasn’t much grease in the rack; it was normal in the steering tips.

I also immediately changed the disc spring, the photo shows how this is done, you need a very high-quality hexagon 6:

Remove the top part and turn it over:

Then we pry it with a screwdriver and remove the top plate, under it there is that same disc spring:

For comparison, on the right is a regular one, on the left is ss-20:

We lubricate everything generously and assemble it in the reverse order:

We count the rack revolutions:

It all started with the fact that I took out a rack from a Kalina Sport, found the necessary lubricant, bought an intermediate steering shaft SS-20 and a disc spring.

new rack and intermediate shaft SS-20

Also, a front panel amplifier was purchased from a technomaster. It is needed so that the rack “walks” less. The effect can be appreciated when turning at high speed.

Factory intermediate shaft

To replace the rack, first unscrew the cardan from the interior, then remove the steering rods with a puller:

press-out puller

view from under the hood

view from the left steering rod opening

old and new slats on the fret viburnum. New – Lada Kalina Sport

new rack with amplifier

Then we put everything together in reverse order; we definitely need to do a wheel alignment.

new rack with amplifier view from under the hood

steering rod with old strut

steering rod with new strut. About the suspension on the Lada Kalina Sport here.

Immediately I decided to install rubber protection in the openings of the steering rods:

rubber protection of steering rods

rubber protection for steering rods Lada Kalina

But I still advise everyone who is due to change the steering rack, or you don’t have to wait for this deadline, as I did, to install a short rack of 3.1 turns, especially since now they are quite easy to find on sale. And the effect will be noticeable immediately!

Installation of the Kalina steering mechanism

Before installation, check that the rail is installed in the middle position. To do this, using sliding pliers, use the flat on the gear shaft to rotate the shaft in any direction until it stops, then turn the shaft in the opposite direction two full turns and turn the shaft so that the flat on the shaft is located vertically on the right side along the direction of the car. Otherwise, the installation of the rack is carried out in the reverse order.

Thus, it will take at least 1 hour to replace the steering rack on Kalina. If it is not possible to repair it, then you will have to buy a new one. The steering rack of the Lada Kalina is the same as the rack of the Priora or VAZ 2110-2112 of the new model and has a catalog number: 11183-3400010 (rasp inside 21100-3401068). Price approximately 3500 rub. For Kalina Sport:

11183-3400010-10 inside rasp 11183-3401068-00 (3.1 turns)
11183-3400010-12 inside rasp 11183-3401068-01
11183-3400010-01 without EUR inside rasp 21100-3401068-00 (4.1 turns)
11183-3400010-10 with EUR inside rasp 11183-3401223-00

Steering rack Lada Kalina

Steering rack lubrication without removal on site Lada Kalina

Is it true that everything is so sad with lubrication?

1. For convenience, remove the decorative casing from the engine cover. On the left (right) side, where the washer reservoir is located, we find the steering rack boot...

Use pliers to cut off the tie on which the boot is attached

2. The inside of the boot is clean

3. The rack rod is also clean

4. It’s dry inside and doesn’t smell like grease.

5. And now, after a little manipulation, it “smells” of lubricant) You need to stuff lubricants inside between the body and the rack rod.

You need to lubricate more carefully, don’t skimp on the lubricant

6. Photo of a factory used one. screeds. "Eight" logo

Steering rack casing fastener

7. And here is a comparison of the factory and used ties.

8. Put the boot in place. We fasten with ties. I had zip ties that were slightly smaller in size and width. Therefore, I attached the tie to the tie to increase the length.

9. Let's proceed to the boot from the other side. Turn the wheel (steering wheel) to the right. We jack up the car so that it is higher, and, from the wheel side, we carry out all the manipulations.

10. We look under the boot, there is no lubricant either.

11. Fill with lubricant. We turn the steering wheel from left to right and back... As if we were pumping the lubricant.

12. The boot is in place, zip ties will help it

I'll be removing the rail by summer.