Self-diagnosis and replacement of ball bearings VAZ 2107

The ball joint of the car is a connecting structure that is part of the suspension and allows the wheel attached to it to rotate in different directions. Its failure while driving can lead to a serious accident. Therefore, every owner of a VAZ 2107 should know the algorithm for checking the performance and replacing ball joints.

The purpose of the ball joints VAZ 2107

The ball joint (SHO) is an ordinary hinge built into the VAZ 2107 suspension and allowing the wheel to move only in a horizontal plane. At the same time, it limits the ability of the wheel to move in the vertical direction.

Ball joints on the latest versions of the VAZ 2107 have become more compact

Ball joints VAZ 2107 are very short-lived, so they have to be changed often.

The design of ball joints VAZ 2107

Previously, there were no ball joints on passenger cars. They were replaced by bulky pivots that had to be lubricated frequently. The mobility of such compounds left much to be desired. This, in turn, adversely affected the vehicle's handling. The designers of the VAZ 2107 abandoned the pivots and installed ball bearings. The first SHOs consisted of:

• housing;
• ball finger;
• springs;
• anther.

The finger was pressed into a fixed eyelet, fixed with a powerful spring and closed with a boot. This structure also needed to be lubricated periodically, but rather rarely (about twice a year). The pivots had to be lubricated every week.

No springs are used in modern ball joints

In the future, SHO VAZ 2107 was constantly improved:

• the spring has disappeared from the structure;
• the steel boot was replaced with a plastic boot;
• the fixed eyelet, in which the finger was fixed, became more compact and received a plastic outer finish;
• SHOs became non-separable, that is, almost disposable.

One driver I know assured me that he found a great way to extend the life of plastic anthers. Before installing new ball joints, he always applied a thick layer of silicone ointment to the anthers, which car owners use to keep rubber bands on car doors from freezing in winter. From his words, it turned out that the anthers after such a procedure become practically “indestructible”. When I asked how an ointment designed for rubber could improve the quality of plastic, I was advised to just try it and see for myself. Unfortunately, the hands never reached this point. So I leave this driver's find to the reader to check.

The reasons for the failure of the ball joints VAZ 2107

The main reasons for the failure of the SHO are as follows:

1. Alternating shock load. As a result, the ball pin, pressed into the suspension eyelet, is destroyed. The support is designed so that the shock loads on the ball of the pin are very high. With poor road quality, these loads multiply increase. In such conditions, even a high-quality SHO will not be able to fully develop its resource.
2. Lack of lubricant. Under the influence of shock loads, the grease from the SHO is gradually squeezed out. In addition, over time, the grease loses its original properties.
3. Anther destruction. The boot protects the swivel joint from dirt. If a crack appears in it, the dirt that has entered the joint turns into an abrasive material and grinds off the surface of the ball pin.
   

   Through a crack in the anther, dirt enters the joint and grinds the surface of the ball pin

Signs of malfunction of the ball joints VAZ 2107

The main signs of a malfunction of the SHO VAZ 2107 include:

1. Extraneous sounds. During movement from the side of the wheel, a knocking or grinding sound begins to be heard. This is especially pronounced on an uneven road at a speed of about 30 km / h and is usually the result of partial destruction of the ball on the support pin.
2. Wheel swing. When picking up speed, the wheel begins to sway slightly in different directions. This happens due to the backlash that occurs in the SHO due to its wear. The situation is quite dangerous, and the backlash must be quickly eliminated. Otherwise, the wheel may turn at right angles to the body at speed.
   

   The play in the ball joint leads to the swinging of the front wheel, which can turn around at speed
3. Grinding and squeaking sound when turning the steering wheel to the left or right. The reason is the lack of lubrication in one of the SHO (usually only one of the supports fails).
4. Uneven wear on the front and rear tires. This can happen not only due to faulty SHOs. Uneven wear can be caused by incorrectly set camber and toe, insufficient or excessive air pressure in individual wheels, etc.

Diagnostics of the ball joints VAZ 2107

You can make sure that the cause of the grinding or squeaking is precisely the ball joint, in various ways.

1. Aurally. This will require an assistant. Two people rock the car with the engine off, while simultaneously pressing on the hood of the car from both sides. If, at the same time, an uncharacteristic sound is heard from one of the wheels, the corresponding SHO is worn out or needs lubrication.
2. Identification of backlash SHO. The wheel, on which the support most likely failed, is lifted by a jack by about 30 cm. An assistant from the passenger compartment depresses the brake pedal to failure. After that, you should shake the wheel with force, first in a vertical plane up and down, then to the right and left. With the brakes locked, play will immediately appear. Even if it is insignificant, the SHO still needs to be changed.
   

   To determine the play of the ball joint, the wheel should first be shaken up and down, and then to the right and left
3. Inspection of ball pins. This method is relevant only for the latest VAZ 2107 models, which have special inspection holes for monitoring the wear of the ball pin without disassembling the support. If the pin is worn more than 6 mm, the ball joint must be replaced.

The choice of ball joints for the VAZ 2107

The main element of any SHO is a ball pin, on the reliability of which the service life of the entire unit depends. A quality ball pin must meet the following requirements:

• the pin should be made only of high-alloy steel;
• the ball of the finger must be subject to a carburizing (surface hardening) procedure, and the body of the finger must be hardened and then cooled in oil.

Other support elements are produced by cold heading followed by heat treatment.

This technology of manufacturing SHO is quite expensive. Therefore, there are only a few firms that produce high-quality supports for the VAZ 2107. These include:

• Belebeevsky plant "Avtokomplekt";
  

  Ball bearings "Belebey" are very popular with the owners of the VAZ 2107
• Software "Beginning";
  

  Ball bearings manufactured by Nachalo are more expensive than Belebey bearings, and it is much more difficult to find them on sale.
• Pilenga (Italy).
  

  Italian SHO Pilenga - one of the most expensive and durable supports for the VAZ 2107

When choosing ball bearings for the VAZ 2107, you should beware of fakes. There are quite a few such products on the market. Some of them are made so high quality that they can mislead even a specialist. The only criterion to distinguish a fake from the original is the price. Poor-quality SHOs are half the price of real ones. However, it is unacceptable to save on details, on which the life of the driver literally depends.

Replacement of ball joints VAZ 2107

Ball joints on the VAZ 2107 cannot be repaired. On the first "sevens", collapsible SHOs were installed, from which it was possible to remove a worn ball pin and replace it. Modern supports do not understand. Moreover, even if we admit the possibility of disassembly, it will still not be possible to repair the SHO, since the ball pins for the VAZ 2107 have long been out of production.

To replace the SHO you will need:

• a set of new ball joints;
• jack;
• device for squeezing out the supports from the lugs;
• set of open-end and socket wrenches;
• a hammer;
• flat blade screwdriver.

Procedure for replacing ball joints

Replacing ball joints on a VAZ 2107 is carried out as follows.

1. The wheel is jacked up and removed, on which it is planned to replace the SHO.
2. Open-end wrench 22 unscrews the nut of the upper ball pin.
   

   The fastening nut of the upper ball pin VAZ 2107 is unscrewed with a key of 22
3. Using a special tool, the finger is pressed out of the eye.
   

   The upper ball pin VAZ 2107 is squeezed out using a special tool
4. Instead of a finger extrusion tool, a hammer can be used to apply several blows to the suspension. In this case, the finger is hooked with a mounting blade and pulled up. Since the mounting blade is used as a lever, it must be quite long.
   

   A hammer can be used in place of the ball stud extrusion tool.
5. With a 13 key, three bolts securing the upper support to the suspension are unscrewed.
   

   The bolts of the upper ball joint are unscrewed with a key of 13
6. The upper ball joint is removed from the suspension.
7. With a 22 key, the nut of the lower ball joint is loosened (by 6–7 turns). It is impossible to completely unscrew it, as it will rest against the suspension arm.
8. With the help of a special device, the lower ball pin is squeezed out of the eye.
   

   The lower ball pin VAZ 2107 is also squeezed out using a special tool
9. The ball stud nut is completely unscrewed.
10. With a key of 13, three fixing bolts on the eye are unscrewed. The lower SHO is removed from the suspension.
    

    The lower bolts of the ball joint are unscrewed with a socket wrench by 13
11. New ball joints are being installed.
12. The suspension is assembled in the reverse order.

Video: replacing the ball joint VAZ 2107

Replacing the lower ball joint on the VAZ 2107

Thus, technically replacing the ball joints of the VAZ 2107 is quite simple. In practice, however, considerable physical strength is required to squeeze the ball pins out of the lugs. Therefore, any car owner, before starting work on replacing the SHO, should realistically assess their capabilities.