And again about creaking stabilizer bushings

Why do stabilizer bushings creak?

One of the unpleasant features of the front suspension, elements of which were borrowed from Renault, was the creaking of the anti-roll bar bushings. It occurs for several reasons:

• Poor quality material used to make parts.
• Dirt caught on rubber elements.
• Poor tightening of bushings.
• Damage to the stabilizer itself.

The result is damage to important suspension components. The Lada Vesta stabilizer bushings have to be changed.

Principle of operation

Stabilizer bushing
The operating principle of this suspension unit is quite simple. A torsion bar is used, the middle of which is fixed to the car body, and the ends, directly or through special rods, are connected to the suspension arms. Due to its elasticity, it reduces the roll that occurs when the center of gravity of the car shifts to one side or the other. The vehicle's stability and controllability on the highway improves.

How to correctly change the Lada Vesta SPU airbags?

The technology for performing repair work on changing the rubber pads of the stabilizer bar is simple and accessible to the vast majority of motorists. Of course, if the car is under warranty, then this should be done by the mechanics of the dealer's car service center.

Preparatory activities

To carry out repair procedures, you do not even need to remove the engine protective apron. However, no one has canceled the availability of a small set of tools; for work you will need:

• Torx key T40.
• Ring wrench “16”.
• Socket wrench “13”.
• Driver, extension and 10mm socket.
• Silicone Grease.

For a comfortable and high-quality replacement of faulty stabilizer bushings on a Lada Vesta car, you need at least an inspection hole or overpass, and in the best case, a lift. Before putting the car in for repairs, it is worth washing it thoroughly, especially in the area where the work is being carried out.

Technology system

It is important to remember one important detail - you need to start changing the SPU rubber cushion only when the stabilization bar is in a relaxed state. This happens when the front wheels are suspended or the entire mass of the car is loaded evenly on an overpass or pit. After this condition is met, the process proceeds according to the following scheme:

• Using a wrench, an extension and a 10mm socket, unscrew the five bolts securing the steering gear protective cover.
• Unscrew the two rear bolts securing the mounting brackets for the cushion and the rod using a 13mm spanner.
• Using a Torx T40 ratchet wrench, unscrew the two front bolts on the brackets (on the steering rack side).
• Dismantle the bracket and remove the old bushings.
• Make a cut in the bottom of the new cushions.
• Treat the inner surface of the holes in the pads with silicone grease and put them on the bar.
• Tighten the fastening nuts in the reverse order, tightening torque – 1.8-2.4 kgf.m.

Judging by the reviews of “vestavods”, the service life of polyurethane products is 3-4 times higher than that of rubber ones. Such pillows retain elasticity and resilience even at low temperatures, which guarantees the stability of the car, as well as a high level of its handling.

DIY replacement

Replacing the front stabilizer bushings of a Lada Vesta with your own hands is not a very difficult task. A person even without special skills can cope with it. For this he will need:

• Lift or inspection hole. You can't get by with a jack here. Unobstructed access to all parts of the structure should be ensured.
• A driver and a set of socket heads, among which there must be a 16mm head.
• Sets of open-end and spanner wrenches.
• TORX bits.
• Lubricant that does not destroy rubber and plastic.

It makes no sense to indicate the exact sizes of the keys, since the manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the design. You'll have to find your way around. You can assess the complexity of the upcoming task by watching videos posted online.

Creaks of the stabilizer bushing on Lada Vesta

As it turned out, the device's bushings, or rather the material from which they are made, are to blame. AvtoVAZ is aware of this problem, and there is hope that sooner or later everything will be resolved for the better.

While this time has not yet come, there are three solutions left:

1. Lubricate the original, installed rubber bands;
2. Replace with new ones, exactly the same (catalog number 8450006748) ;
3. Exchange for similar ones from other models or brands of cars.

   

   Rubber bands from KIA and Vesta brands.

The disadvantage of the first option is that the procedure will have to be carried out regularly as soon as an unpleasant sound appears from under the hood. This is guaranteed, since it is the material of the product that causes discomfort. An extraneous sound appears even on new cars after the first thousand kilometers . Buying another pair of substandard products is not a particularly encouraging prospect. Even dealerships offer to use analogues that are suitable in terms of characteristics for replacement.

What are the alternatives to standard bushings?

Practice shows that car enthusiasts have already coped with the task, having tried some options. According to them, analogues from :

• Chevrolet Niva made of polyurethane (items 2123-2906046, 17012680);

  

  Stabilizer bushings for VAZ-2123.

• Kia Rio or Hyundai Solaris made of rubber (article KSBSOULF 54813-2K100).

  

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  Hyundai-KIA stabilizer bushings.

In practice, there is no clear opinion regarding the first replacement. Some argue that the attempt counts. Others are sure that nothing has changed. There is even a special point of view, they say, it is polyurethane that causes grinding, contributing to additional wear of structural elements . There have never been any complaints about the Kia Rio.

Korean-made bushings definitely do not creak and are by far the best replacement, as it turns out, the only possible one.

True, it will not do without the additional headache of finding clamps for attaching to the body (part number 54814-1G000) . There are no problems with them, you just need to order and wait a little for delivery. If our new imported parts are already in place, we can begin disassembling and installing new components.

Stabilizer bracket 54814-1G000.

Which stabilizer bushings are suitable?

As already noted, the original parts are not of high quality. A worthy replacement should be found for them. There are several options to solve the problem:

• Some enterprises are already producing polyurethane bushings for the Lada Vesta stabilizer. This material has better mechanical and chemical resistance than rubber.
• Install stabilizer bushings from KIA on Vesta. These parts fit true to size and are of satisfactory quality. Whether these are original Kia components or analogues does not matter.

Bushings for Kia and Lada Vesta
Both options give good results. Which one to prefer, you will have to decide for yourself. Buying the necessary components is not a problem. But it is not recommended to mount stabilizer bushings from Niva to Vesta. Like original parts, they may be of poor quality.

Important!

When purchasing parts from KIA for Vesta, you should make sure that their external and internal dimensions match! Otherwise they may not fit.

↑ Replacement Guide

If, nevertheless, a decision is made to replace the stabilizer bushings of the Lada Vesta car, and not half-measures in the form of applying a layer of lubricant to them, which lasts for a limited period of time, then you should decide on the type of components. There is an opinion among motorists that there are analogues for the stabilizer bushings of the Lada Vesta model.

This is true; you can use parts from other machines recommended by experienced craftsmen. Inserts from the Kia and Chevrolet Niva brands are most often cited as being the most compatible with Vesta, close in size and characteristics. How to install them correctly will be discussed further.

Let's sort it out

Dismantling operations should be performed in the following order:

• Place the car level on the inspection hole or lift it on a lift so that both front wheels are hanging. This is necessary in order to eliminate the occurrence of stress on the torsion bar. Only after this can you proceed to the next operations.
• Remove the protective cover of the steering mechanism, having previously unscrewed the bolts securing it. After this, access to the mounting points will be greatly simplified.
• Unscrew the lower bolts securing the stabilizer struts and release the struts from their mounting points. You can find videos and instructions where it is recommended to replace old parts with new ones by making a cross-section on them. In this case, the strength of the elements will decrease and they will not be able to perform their functions as expected. In order for the front stabilizer bushings of the Lada Vesta to serve for a long time, you will have to completely disassemble the unit.
• Unscrew the bolts securing the fixing brackets.
• Remove the stabilizer.

Removing the bushing Removing the bushing

Removing the bushing

Removing the bushing

Lada Vesta suspension

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We collect

After lubricating the surface of the stabilizer with soap or lubricant, the bushings are installed. They should fit tightly, without play. After making sure that everything is in order, we assemble the unit in the reverse order:

• We install the stabilizer in place.
• We install the brackets securing the bushings. We tighten the bolts securing them.
• We fix the ends of the struts to the stabilizer. We tighten them.
• Only after this do we tighten the bracket bolts with a force of 1.8–2.4 kgf. m. Do not overdo it, otherwise you will break the threads in the mounting holes!
• We install the protective cover of the steering mechanism.

Replacing the Lada Vesta stabilizer bushings is a simple job. If it is done correctly, the service life of the stabilizer bushings will increase several times. You can extend the life of important parts by carefully monitoring their cleanliness and promptly removing contamination. Both rubber and polyurethane elements are especially sensitive to the ingress of engine or transmission oil. This is another reason to immediately eliminate the leak that has arisen. Well, decide for yourself which is better – rubber or polyurethane, and don’t forget to leave your feedback on whether the recommendations helped you!

Replacing stabilizer bushings on Lada Vesta

When removing elements, it is extremely important to do this when the load on the stabilizer is completely removed . This can be achieved using a lift, which will relieve the load on both front wheels. The second option is to jack up one wheel, install a reliable stop, and move on to the next one. Or use two jacks. The wheels are raised, let's start replacing. It will be the same for any of the selected options.

Required Tools

• open-end wrench 10×12;
• ratchet bit or L-shaped Torx T40 (star-shaped with six rays);
• socket wrench 13;
• knife to cut new pillows.

  

  Open-end wrench 10×12.

  

  Socket wrench 13.

  

  The key is in the shape of the letter G.

Dismantling sequence

We carefully clean the bottom of the car from dirt, paying special attention to the stabilizer bars and mounting bolts so that all the debris does not fall on your head. We take a key with a T40 bit and completely unscrew only one bolt securing the rod of the first bracket . We turn the second one out almost to the end so that you can release the bracket and turn it 1800, using the remaining fasteners to fix it. We remove the creaking pillow, and do the same with the second bushing.

Unscrew the bolts securing the bracket rod.

In fact, it would not be possible to unscrew the bolts that are located on the steering wheel side, since the clamps will not allow this to be done. The fact that we have weakened it by at least 2/3 is quite enough. Provided that you want to change new bolts, the operation will be a little costly in time and effort . Dismantling the protection alone is not enough. You will need to slightly unscrew the bolts on the steering rack, lift it up, and remove the stabilizer pad brackets to the end. In some cases you have to completely remove the rail.

You can try one more method, but very carefully, so as not to violate the main principle of medicine - “do no harm.” With a little effort, move the anthers a little , as they are, together with the clamps. Our simple method of turning the staple together with the rubber band should work exactly.

Installation and assembly of unit bushings

Half the battle is done. We take new elements and use a knife to cut each one according to the marks made on the pillows . The material is very hard and will require some effort. Then everything is simple, we install the spare parts in place of the unsuitable ones, reassembling them in the reverse order. We tighten all the bolts tightly, and there is no need for additional lubrication.

We make a cut in the bottom of the new pillows and put them on the bar.

All is ready. Our Lada Vesta doesn’t care about potholes, speed bumps or other obstacles. Now there will be no more creaking or nervous tapping. The trip will bring you joy and a sense of inner peace.