Symptoms of a malfunction and replacement of the VAZ 2106 cardan cross

Cardan crosses on the classic Zhiguli are made in the form of a cruciform hinge, which is designed to connect the rotating axles of the transmission. These parts can be replaced without much effort and special tools. Difficulties can arise only if the crosses were not properly cared for.

The purpose of the cross of the cardan VAZ 2106

When a car is moving, the vehicle axles are not always in a straight line. They change their position relative to each other and the distance between the axes also changes. On the VAZ 2106, as on many other cars, the torque from the gearbox to the rear axle is transmitted by means of a cardan, at the ends of which crosses (hinges) are installed. They are the main link of the driveline, which connects the gearbox and the drive gear of the rear axle gearbox. Another important function is assigned to the cardan cross - the ability to dampen the possible deformation of the cardan joint, due to the constant movement of all its elements.

The VAZ 2106 cardan cross is designed to connect the rotating axles of the transmission

What are cardan crosses made of?

Structurally, the universal joint is made in the form of a cruciform part with needle bearings, seals and covers, which are fixed with a stopper.

Crosspiece device: 1 - crosspiece; 2 - anther; 3 - lip seal; 4 - needle bearing; 5 - thrust bearing; 6 - needle bearing housing (glass); 7 - retaining ring

Cross

The crosspiece itself is a product with perpendicular axes in the form of spikes resting on bearings. The material for the manufacture of the part is high-alloy steel, which has high strength. Such properties allow the crosspiece to withstand heavy loads for a long time.

Bearing

The outer part of the bearings is a glass (cup), the inner part is a cross spike. Moving the cup around the axis of the spike is possible thanks to the needles located between these two elements. Anthers and cuffs are used to protect the bearing from dust and moisture, as well as to retain lubricant. In some designs, the end of the spike of the cross rests against the bottom of the cup through a special washer, which is a thrust bearing.

The bearing of the cross consists of a cup and needles, and its inner part is the spike of the cross

Stopper

Bearing cups in the holes of the forks and flanges can be fixed in different ways:

• retaining rings (internal or external);
• clamping bars or covers;
• punching.

On the VAZ 2106, the retaining ring fixes the bearing cup from the inside.

What crosses to put on the "six"

If you listen to the opinion of service station specialists, they recommend changing both universal joint crosses, even if only one of them fails. But not everything is so clear. The cross, located in front of the driveline, goes much longer than the back. There are situations when the part in the shank is changed three times, and near the outboard bearing there is no need to replace it. When choosing crosses for your car, you should not chase a low price, since repairs will eventually cost more. Consider some manufacturers of hinges that you can trust with your choice:

1. trialli. Made of high carbon steel and hardened evenly over the entire surface. The product is able to withstand high impacts of a dynamic and static nature. The seal has an improved design, which increases reliability and protection against dust and sand ingress into the bearings.
   

   The Trialli cross is made of high-carbon steel, which increases the reliability of the mechanism.
2. Kraft. The part is made of a special stainless steel alloy resistant to corrosion. The manufacturer gives a guarantee of high quality, which is incorporated in the multi-stage control during manufacture.
   

   Kraft universal joints are made of a special stainless alloy that is resistant to corrosion
3. Weber, GKN, etc. The crosses of these and other imported manufacturers are of good quality, but sometimes the stoppers have to be adjusted in place.
4. The most affordable version of the gimbal cross is a domestic-made part. There is no need to talk about the quality of such a product, so how lucky.
   

   The advantage of domestic crosses is their affordable cost, but the quality of such products leaves much to be desired.

Before you buy and install a universal joint, be sure to consider the size and shape of the cups. Attention should also be paid to the spikes of the hinges. They should not have any burrs, scratches or other defects. For domestic cars, it is better to give preference to crosses with grease fittings, that is, serviced ones, which will allow you to periodically renew the grease in the bearings. Seals must not have any flaws, such as visible breaks or manufacturing defects.

When choosing a cross, attention should be paid to the size and shape of the cups.

Table: parameters of the gimbal cross for the "classic"

room	Application	Dimensions DxH, mm
2101 – 2202025 Feet	Cardan cross VAZ 2101–2107	23,8x61,2
2105 – 2202025 Feet	Cardan cross VAZ 2101–2107 (reinforced)	23,8x61,2

Signs of bad frogs

The crosspiece of the VAZ 2106, like any other part of the car, has a certain service life. Theoretically, the resource of the part is quite large, about 500 thousand km, but the real figures are 10 times less. Therefore, the replacement has to be carried out after 50-70 thousand kilometers. This is due not only to the quality of parts, but also to our roads, the intensity of car operation. The lack of periodic maintenance of the crosses only brings the need for their replacement closer. The fact that some problems have arisen with the hinge is indicated by characteristic signs:

• blows and knocks;
• running gear vibrations;
• squeaks while driving or accelerating.

Clicks and bumps

Often problems with crosses appear when the seals are damaged and dust, sand, dirt and water get inside the bearings. All these factors negatively affect the life of the product. When the hinges are worn, clicks will be heard during gear changes on the go, bumps at a speed of about 90 km / h, and a crunch or rustle also appears. If metallic sounds occur, it is recommended to twist the parts of the cardan, for example, by placing the car on a flyover. If a large amount of play is found, the crosspieces will need to be replaced.

During the diagnosis of the gap in the crosses on the box, the neutral gear must be engaged.

Video: cardan cross play

If on my car there are clicks in the area of ​​\uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbthe cardan, but at the same time I am sure that the crosses are still in good condition and should be like, then most likely there is simply not enough lubrication in the hinges, for which they need to be syringed. I advise you not to delay maintenance when clicks appear, since the bearings will break and it will not be possible to do without replacing the cross.

squeaks

The cause of squeaks in the area of ​​​​the cardan shaft is usually associated with the souring of the crosses. The problem is clearly visible at the beginning of the movement and when driving at low speed, while the car creaks like an old cart.

The cross may creak due to lack of lubrication

The malfunction appears in the absence of maintenance of the hinges, when the bearing simply does not cope with its task. Sometimes, after removing the cardan, it turns out that the cross does not move at all in any direction.

Video: how the cardan cross creaks

Crosspiece creak LADA-2107

Vibration

Malfunctions in the form of vibration with cardan joints can occur when moving forward or in reverse. The problem can be present with both old bearings and new ones. In the first case, the malfunction is due to wedging of one of the hinges. If the vibration persists after replacing the cross, then a poor-quality part may have been installed or the installation was not done correctly. The spider, whether old or new, must move in any of the four directions freely and without jamming. If you have to apply little effort when moving the hinge with your hands, you can lightly tap on the bearing cup, it may not fit well.

Vibrations of the cardan shaft can be associated with imbalance. The reason may lie in the impact on the gimbal with something solid, for example, when hitting a stone. The balance plate could also fall off the shaft. In such situations, you will have to visit a car service to eliminate imbalance, and possibly replace the shaft itself.

Cardan vibrations are caused not only by the failure of the cross. From personal experience, I can say that the problem also manifests itself when the outboard bearing breaks, when the rubber in which it is held breaks. The vibration is especially pronounced when reversing and at the beginning of movement in first gear. Therefore, before embarking on the replacement of the cross, it would be useful to check the propeller shaft support.

Replacing the cross of the cardan VAZ 2106

The cardan crosses are only subject to replacement, since the bearing needles, the outer and inner parts of the cage wear out, which leads to the formation of play. This indicates the impossibility and inappropriateness of restoring the part. If, by characteristic signs, it was revealed that the cardan joints need to be replaced, it will be necessary to dismantle the shaft itself, and only then proceed with the repair. For the upcoming work, you will need the following tools and materials:

• open-end wrench for 13;
• head 13 with a knob or ratchet;
• copper or aluminum tip;
• a hammer;
• compression pliers with thin jaws;
• universal puller;
• chisel;
• new crosspiece;
• grease "Fiol-1" or "SHRUS-4";
• big screwdriver.

To remove the cardan and replace the cross, you will need a standard garage tool kit.

Removing the cardan

On the VAZ "six", the cardan shaft is attached to the rear axle gearbox, and closer to the gearbox, the cardan is held by an outboard bearing. Dismantling the shaft from the car is carried out as follows:

1. We unscrew the cardan mount with a key of 13.
   

   The cardan is attached to the rear axle gearbox with four bolts that need to be unscrewed
2. If the bolts turn when the nuts are loosened, insert a screwdriver, tightening the fasteners.
   

   The nuts will loosen easily if the cardan bolts are secured with a screwdriver.
3. When unscrewing the last bolt, hold the shaft with the second hand, as it may fall on you. We take the cardan to the side after completely unscrewing the bolt.
   

   After unscrewing the bolts, the cardan must be supported by hand so that it does not fall
4. With a chisel on the flange of the elastic coupling, we mark the position of the cardan.
   

   We mark the position of the cardan and flange with a chisel in order to install the shaft in the same position during reassembly
5. With a screwdriver, we bend the clip of the seal near the coupling.
   

   Using a screwdriver, we bend the antennae of the clip, which holds the seal
6. We shift the clip together with the sealing ring to the side.
   

   Shifting the clip to the side
7. We unscrew the central mount and hold the cardan itself.
   

   Loosen the nuts holding the bearing
8. For final dismantling, pull off the shaft from the gearbox.
   

   After unscrewing the fasteners, pull the shaft off the gearbox

Removing the crosspiece

After dismantling the cardan shaft, you can immediately proceed to disassemble the cross:

1. We mark the forks of the cardan joints to avoid violation of the factory balance during assembly. To apply marks, you can use paint (pictured below) or hit lightly with a chisel.
2. We remove the retaining rings with special pliers.
   

   We take out the locking rings with special pliers
3. Holding the cardan in a vice, we press out the bearings through suitable mandrels or knock them out with a hammer.
   

   We press out the bearings of the cross in a vice or knock out with a hammer through a suitable adapter
4. We disassemble the hinge, shifting the cross in the direction of the removed bearing, after which we slightly turn the cross and remove it from the fork.
   

   Having knocked out one cup of the cross, we shift the hinge in the direction of the removed bearing, after which we slightly turn the cross and remove it from the fork
5. Press out the opposite bearing in the same way.
6. We repeat the steps described in paragraph 3, and completely dismantle the cross.
   

   After pressing out all the cups, remove the cross from the eyes
7. We repeat the same steps with the second hinge, if its replacement is also required.

Installation of the cross and cardan

We mount the hinge and shaft in the following order:

1. We remove the cups from the new cross and put it into the eyes.
   

   Before installing the cross, remove the cups and put it into the eyes of the cardan
2. We install the cup in place, gently tapping with a hammer until the groove for the retaining ring appears. We mount it and turn the cardan.
   

   The cups of the new cross are driven in until the groove for the retaining ring appears.
3. Similarly, we insert and fix the opposite cup, and then the two remaining ones.
   

   All bearing cups are mounted in the same way and are fixed with circlips
4. We apply Fiol-1 or SHRUS-4 grease to the spline joint of the cardan and insert it into the flange of the elastic coupling, fixing the protective ring.
5. We fasten the cardan shaft to the body and to the rear axle gearbox.

Video: replacing the cardan cross on a VAZ 2101–07

Replacement of crosses VAZ 2101 - 2107 "Classic"

Lubrication is put into the cardan crosses from the factory. However, when replacing a product, I always inject the hinge after the repair. There will be no excess lubrication, and its lack will lead to increased wear. For crosses, it is recommended to use "Fiol-2U" or "No. 158", but in extreme cases, "Litol-24" is also suitable. Although I know car owners who use Litol for both crosses and splines. When squirting, I pump the lubricant until it starts to come out from under the seals. According to the regulations, the hinges must be serviced every 10 thousand kilometers.

Serviced crosses are lubricated through grease fittings with a special syringe

It is not necessary to be an experienced auto mechanic to replace the cardan joints. The desire of the car owner and step-by-step instructions will help to identify the malfunction and carry out repairs in a garage without making mistakes.