Features of replacing the VAZ-2107 driveshaft crosspiece: 3 important tips for choosing a part

In the age of advanced technology, more and more cars have front-wheel drive, which does not use a driveshaft with hinges. Nevertheless, many companies continue to make rear-wheel drive cars, using the old classic drive-wheel drive scheme. Along with Mercedes and BMW, our VAZs continue the tradition. Therefore, car owners are interested in how to replace the VAZ-2107 driveshaft crosspiece themselves.

Node device

Before you begin dismantling it yourself, you need to at least in general understand the structure of the entire unit, then repairs can be done according to all the rules. Cardan shaft device:

Front part (short). Through an elastic coupling, which softens jerks and shocks when changing gears, it is connected to the input shaft of the gearbox (gearbox).
The back is longer. It is connected to the rear axle gearbox using a flange.

To the eternal question, how many crosspieces are there on this car, there is a very clear answer: two.

Structurally, everything is done exactly this way due to the fact that the gearbox and the rear axle gearbox are not located in the same axis, that is, they are offset relative to each other. From this it is absolutely clear that the driveshaft cannot be solid, since this is structurally impossible.

The design also provides a suspension device - an additional support consisting of a rubber cushion enclosed in a steel cage and a bearing in the center of the structure.

This is the brief structure of this node.

Basic faults

Any component or mechanism sooner or later wears out and requires complete or partial replacement (repair). The most common driveshaft malfunctions:

wear of the suspension device bearing;
wear of the rubber cushion;
wear of crosspieces.

The latter malfunction occurs for various reasons. The most likely of them:

Aggressive driving style.
Poor quality of crosspieces.
Unsatisfactory maintenance of crosspieces, which consists of timely lubrication, if provided for by the design. If they are maintenance-free, they fail earlier due to a lack of lubrication.
Bad roads.
Constant driving through deep puddles.

The signal to replace these parts is increased noise while driving, vibration and extraneous sounds emanating from under the car.

Cardan shaft

The driveshaft in the VAZ 2107 is needed to transmit torque from the engine (gearbox) to the axle of the rear wheels of the car. Since the car experiences various vibrations during a trip, the driveshaft is made of two parts connected through a cross with bearings. Thus, the shaft can freely bend at the connection in any direction.

The design of the driveshaft has a number of other features. In general, the most common parts that fail are the crosspiece in the driveshaft, bearings and rubber elements.

Rubber elements fail

Before you begin replacing the driveshaft crosspiece on a VAZ 2107, you must remove the shaft itself. The procedure is simple, but you must be careful when reassembling, i.e. when disassembling is done, it is necessary to make marks so that the parts fit exactly as they were before disassembly, otherwise the alignment may be disturbed, which will be very difficult to correct.

It is also worth noting that in view of the possible poor quality of manufacturing of new parts, during repairs you should not change everything at once, but it is better to do everything gradually, otherwise it will be difficult to identify the cause of a new defect if one arises.

Spare part selection

In order to repair this unit less often, you need to purchase good quality spare parts. The correct choice of crosspiece determines how often it will need to be replaced. Choice of cross:

It is advisable to make purchases in specialized stores and markets where there are quality certificates and traders value their reputation. It is better to never buy anything from random sellers who trade in spontaneous markets from time to time. In addition, a normal retail outlet provides a guarantee that allows you to return the product within 14 days if there is something wrong with it.
The spare part should be from a well-known brand that has been proven over the years, and not of some dubious quality.
The crosspiece should be purchased equipped with a grease fitting (grease fitting), through which you can always renew the lubricant in the bearings using a supercharger (“syringe”) - both manual and electric. This part will last longer.

And another effective way to check. The crosspiece taken out of the package should be placed on a piece of glass - a glass counter is quite suitable, or on the same side-view mirror (removed, of course). Holding your fingers opposite the axis of the cross, you need to try to swing them on this surface. Next, you need to do the same with other axes. Then turn the part and do the same operation again. During the inspection process there should be no knocks on the glass surface, which will indicate the absence of deformation of the part.

You should buy two parts at once, because after replacing one, the replacement of the other will very soon follow. Many people immediately change the bearing of the suspension device, so as not to have to repeat what they have done before, that is, disassemble everything, wasting time and their own nerves.

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Preparing for work

You can't do any job without the right tool. You should prepare:

Wrench No. 13. It is better with a head and a ratchet to unscrew the hanging device, and for a flange connection, a spanner or open-end wrench is best suited.
Hammer - preferably bronze or copper.
A flat blade screwdriver.
Pliers.
A special puller, if, of course, there is one. Whether to buy it on purpose or not is up to each car owner. You can use a punch.
A product like WD-40. In the absence of such, you can also use kerosene, for example, together with an oil can (medical syringe) and a brush.

And, of course, it is better to carry out the work on a lift, overpass or inspection ditch - it will be both more convenient and safer.

If work is carried out on the first two structures, then you need to fix the wheels by placing blocks under them, which will prevent unwanted rolling of the car forward or backward. You must always remember safety precautions before removing the crosspiece from the VAZ-2107 cardan or performing any other work under the car.

Preparing for replacement

When you buy a new crosspiece for a VAZ 2107, you should not save, as they say - the miser pays twice. Therefore, it is better to purchase an original part than to change the crosspieces every six months.

The crosspiece is made of steel, which undergoes heat treatment. This provides it with a special hardness of the thorns. Thus, the quality of the material from which it is made plays a very important role and its service life depends on this. How many kilometers can a car travel without replacing the crosspieces? It is calculated that on average approximately 500 thousand km!

Removal of worn parts

Replacing them does not present any particular difficulties, and it is not at all necessary to take your “seven” to a service station in order to perform such a simple operation.

Replacing crosspieces on a VAZ-2107 is impossible without dismantling the driveshaft.

This does not require any special training, great skills or special tools - everything is very simply done in a garage. Operating procedure:

Unscrew the mounting of the suspension device - 2 bolts using a key No. 13. Before unscrewing, it is advisable to treat the threaded connections with WD-40 or kerosene, and after two minutes, unscrew them. This will make the disassembly process easier, and will also preserve the threads on the bolts and nuts.
Unscrew the bolts and nuts (4 pairs) of the flange connection, first using a rust remover. Here it is preferable to use a spanner due to the small gaps between the flange and the nut (bolt).
The side that goes into the coupling can be easily removed - just pull the already unscrewed cardan towards you - there is a splined connection without any other type of fastener.
The already removed driveshaft must be cleaned of dirt and dust - it is better and more correct to work clean. In addition, dirt can get into the bearings, which obviously will not improve their performance.
You should make sure that the coupling is intact and the splines are in working condition - it would be wrong to change the crosspiece on a VAZ-2107 without making sure that the assembly as a whole is in good working order. This is done by visual inspection and preliminary check of the connection of the coupling hub with the splined part of the shaft. By rocking the driveshaft in different directions, you need to make sure that there is no too much play.
Before replacement, marks should be made on the universal joint. This is necessary in order to avoid imbalance after replacing parts - the shaft is carefully balanced by welding plates at the manufacturer, and changing the position will force you to re-assemble the connection, which, of course, is not part of the car owner’s plans.
Before replacing the crosspiece on a VAZ-2107, you need to remove the retaining rings that secure the bearing caps - there are four of them. On each neck of the cross there is an annular groove into which a locking ring snaps into place. They are best removed using special pliers with pointed ends, which must be inserted into the holes of the locking ring - there are two of them in each stopper. If the stopper is difficult to remove, then you also need to use a thin screwdriver with a flat blade.

Such a tool can be either universal (working for both compression and expansion) or single-acting. However, many craftsmen manage to do this with a simple screwdriver or an awl, which is undesirable for safety reasons.

After all the rings have been removed, you can remove the crosspiece on the VAZ-2107. This is done like this:

Holding the universal joint with one hand, you need to knock out the cross cap with a hammer, striking it lightly. You need to beat until it drops to the point where it comes out of the universal joint completely.
Having turned the driveshaft over, you now need to apply light blows to its body as close as possible to the crosspiece, which will allow you to remove the other, opposite cap.
Thus, the hinge is disconnected, and all that remains is to remove the cross after knocking off the last two caps. To do this, you need to use two fingers, holding the cross with the shaft suspended, and apply light blows to it, first knocking out one cap. After removing the cross, the remaining cap is knocked out with a punch.

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Replacing the cross

After you have carried out diagnostics and determined that you will need to replace the crosspieces of the VAZ 2107. You will need to prepare something to carry out the work.

Spare parts

Replacing the VAZ 2107 universal joint crosspiece begins with the purchase of high-quality spare parts. Do not buy cheap, low-quality Chinese products. In the end it will cost much more. We will give some advice on this matter.

Crosspiece for VAZ 2107

Replacing the crosspiece on a VAZ 2107 also involves replacing the bearing. When purchasing, you should pay attention to the smoothness of its movement. Also check the elasticity of the rubber. The bearing should move without obstacles; if you feel snags, then put this element aside and take another one.
The rubber in this design must be quite elastic. The fact is that when moving through it, all the vibrations will be transmitted to the body, so with its rigid form you will feel it all. Moreover, such tires will not last long. It will fail quite quickly;
Replacing the crosspiece of a VAZ 2107 with your own hands is best done with ordinary VAZ elements. Just before buying, you should look at what was mentioned above.

Attention: When making a purchase, do not forget to purchase retaining rings. Old ones, as a rule, fail and become deformed. Don't skimp on this.

Preparing the tool

Everyone understands that in a VAZ 2107, replacing the cardan shaft crosspiece is done with the availability of a certain tool, which can probably be found in any garage. So:

Find and set aside open-end wrenches for diameters 13 and 12;
Prepare a set of socket wrenches, especially needed for 13 and 27;
You will need a hammer with a copper or aluminum handle;
To remove the circlips, you will need pliers;
To replace the bearing you will need a puller and a flange.

Installing new items

Now that the hinge is disassembled, you can begin installing the new part. To do this, you need to remove the new cross from the packaging and carefully remove the caps from it, so that its needle bearings do not fall apart. Further:

Check the presence of grease in the bearings.
The new part must be inserted into the hinge and the first cap must be placed on one of the axles (necks). Carefully press it into place, holding the two axes located at an angle of 90° relative to the cap with two fingers of the other hand. Then snap the retaining ring into the groove on the axle. For this purpose, it is better to use new rings - they are included with the new part.
Turning the cardan 180°, insert the second cap, slightly lifting it and pushing it out a little from the first cap. Using a drift (if you don’t have one, you can use a socket wrench head of the appropriate size) the bearing is put in place and locked with a ring.
Now you can put the flange (mating part) in place and install the third bearing, proceeding in exactly the same way as in the previous cases, not forgetting to install the retaining ring. In order to correctly install the next bearing, you need to support the cap located opposite it with something, for example, the same head.
The last thing to install is the bearing with a grease nipple. Here you need to be especially careful not to damage the oiler when pressing. First of all, you need to unscrew it yourself to allow excess grease to exit the bearing through the hole. The oiler can be unscrewed with any available wrench No. 7 or 8. If the retaining ring does not fit all the way, the bearing should be seated by first placing the same head on the opposite side, driving it in using the same equipment. Screw the grease nipple into place.

All these operations must be repeated with the second cross - there are no differences as such.

Installation of the cardan shaft is carried out in the reverse order of dismantling. To do this you need to do:

insert the splined part into place, holding the driveshaft with your shoulder (it will be better if someone else helps you do this);
screw the hanging device into its regular place;
attach the flange to the gearbox.

Don’t forget about the retaining rings to avoid early failure of the propeller shaft joints! And you also need to carefully, but without fanaticism, tighten all the bolts and nuts. In addition, we must not forget about aligning the marks on the hinge joint.

Now you need to check the car while driving for the absence of vibrations and noise under it.

Replacing the VAZ 2107 driveshaft crosspiece.

Without removing the driveshaft, the crosspiece cannot be replaced. To remove the cardan, unscrew two bolts 13 for securing the outboard bearing.

After which, just in case, we make marks on the connection of the cardan with the shank of the rear axle and after that, unscrew the four nuts securing the cardan to the shank.

If they do not unscrew, then cut them off with a grinder or chisel. Now you can remove the cardan by pulling it towards the bridge.

The first thing we do on the removed cardan is to put marks on all its parts so that after assembly there is no beating or vibration.

We put marks on the shaft

How to remove the crosspiece from the VAZ 2107 cardan.

Now the moment has come for which the cardan was removed. Now, in order to remove the cross from the cardan of the VAZ 2107, 2106 and other cars of the classic family, we pull out the locking rings.

We take a mandrel of a suitable size, the extension from the tool kit also works well, and drive in the cross until it stops.

We knock down the cap that has come out and drive the cross into the resulting hole in the opposite direction and knock down the second cap. Now, at a certain angle, the cross is removed and the two halves of the shaft are separated.

We perform the same actions with the remaining two caps. That's it, now you know how to remove the cross from the cardan of the VAZ 2107! Let's install a new one!

How to replace the crosspiece on the VAZ 2107 cardan.

Before replacing the crosspiece on the VAZ 2107 cardan, you need to remove the caps from it and check for the presence of lubricant in them. If it is not there, lubricate it with lithol or lubricant for joints. Also clean the mounting holes of the crosspiece caps.

Conclusion

It must be remembered that work done correctly, as well as high-quality spare parts, will help the car owner forget about this unit for a long time. And don’t forget about timely lubrication of the bearings through a grease nipple - then the next repair will not have to be done soon.

Of course, taking on this work yourself or entrusting it to service station mechanics is the job of every car owner. But, taking into account that the owners of VAZs (especially “classics”), as a rule, are not rich people, there is a reason to do this work yourself, thus saving a decent amount.

Good luck on the roads and safe driving!