Do-it-yourself wheel alignment on a VAZ-2107: preparation, description, photo

It is not difficult to do a wheel alignment on a VAZ-2107 with your own hands, but you will have to adhere to a number of requirements and recommendations. Otherwise, the rubber will not last long. Camber is a term that defines the angle at which a car's wheel is mounted relative to the vertical. In cases where the top edge of the wheel protrudes outward, this is positive camber. If she looks inward, then negative. When adjusting on computerized stands, the angles are indicated with the prefixes “+” and “-”.

Basic adjustments

If the wheel camber is adjusted incorrectly on one side, then the car will drift sideways when driving. While driving in a straight line, take your hands off the steering wheel and watch where the car will “pull”. But before doing this, be sure to make sure that the tires have the same normal pressure. In case of problems, you need to do the wheel alignment yourself on the VAZ-2107.

Toe-in refers to how the front wheels are positioned relative to each other when driving on the road. But during adjustment, the angle relative to the normal position is measured. On sevens, the toe angle is positive; for front-wheel drive models it should be negative. This is necessary so that after starting off and while driving, the front wheels become level.

If you incorrectly set the wheel alignment yourself, the VAZ-2107 will very quickly “eat” the tires. Therefore, it is extremely important to monitor the angles of the front wheels, because the cost of the cheapest tire is approximately 2,000 rubles. And the adjustment procedure takes no more than an hour. After successful repairs, you will receive the car in perfect condition. The car will drive smoothly and will no longer pull to the side, which will increase safety and convenience.

Wheel alignment parameters

And 20-30 years ago, on the “classics”, do-it-yourself alignment was the norm. Moreover, equipment for wheel alignment does not require special knowledge and skills. We are talking about a ruler for adjusting the toe angle of the wheels.

But suddenly the unexpected happens. There is mobile Internet, but there is no workshop in the area that has equipment for wheel alignment. This is where our advice will come in handy.

It would be absolutely useful to undergo virtual training, in which we will describe wheel alignment as a manual. In addition, a video specially filmed by our volunteer helpers will help you do your wheel alignment correctly.

Before you perform the wheel alignment procedure yourself, of course you need to know the basic parameters, which are the starting point for successful wheel alignment.

Replacing a shock absorber, tuning the suspension, or some other minor repair of the chassis requires mandatory control adjustment of the wheel alignment angles.

Parameters for all wheels

Wheel camber is the angle between the vertical and the immediate plane of rotation of the wheel. Negative camber is when the top side of the wheel is directed inward to the vertical, and positive camber is when the top side of the wheel is directed outward.

Wheel toe is the angle between the plane of rotation of the wheel and the direction of movement. Toe is measured in degrees/minutes and millimeters.

Parameters for steered wheels

The longitudinal angle of inclination of the wheel turning axis (casters) is the angle between the projection of the wheel turning axis on the longitudinal plane and the vertical. This angle, if the wheel alignment is properly adjusted, ensures self-alignment of the wheels due to speed. For standard auto casters, 6° is considered the norm

The lateral inclination angle is the angle between the projection of the rotation axis onto the transverse plane and the vertical. It ensures self-alignment of the wheels due to the weight of the car.

When to adjust camber and toe

Before adjusting the installation angles, be sure to make sure that you have the following set of tools:

Calipers.
Open end and box type wrenches.
Ticks.
Strong thread.
Metal hooks or pushpins.
Wooden blocks - 2.2 cm and 6 mm thick.

This is the minimum set that will be required. The presence of WD-40 penetrating lubricant will not hurt, since the nuts and bolts are close to the road surface and dust and dirt constantly accumulate on them. Rust may occur, so you need to thoroughly clean the threaded connections before starting repair work on the car. All dirt accumulations must also be removed from the inside of the wheels.

When to make adjustments

Make sure that you really need to adjust the wheel alignment yourself on the VAZ-2107. You definitely need to make adjustments if the following symptoms are present:

The trajectory of movement changes, despite the fact that you hold the steering wheel straight. The car is still gradually moving to the side. But this needs to be checked when driving on a flat road, with the same tire pressure.
If there are visible deviations in the alignment of the front wheels. If such symptoms are present, the tires will wear unevenly and gasoline consumption will increase. Suspension and steering components often fail.

If you were involved in an accident in which components of the car's suspension or steering were damaged, you must do a wheel alignment on the VAZ-2107 yourself. Photos of the stages of the procedure are provided for clarity and understanding of the processes.
When repairing suspension or steering components, be sure to check the wheel alignment.

Briefly about adjusting camber

You can set the correct suspension geometry on an ordinary flat area, armed with primitive tools:

template defining caster angle;
plumb line;
caliper or ruler;
long fishing line with two hooks;
bars 28-37 mm thick;
set of open-end wrenches.

Having ensured the required caster angle by moving the washers from the far bolt to the near bolt securing the lower arm to the axle, you can begin adjusting the camber and toe of the VAZ 2107 wheels with your own hands in a strict sequence:

adjust the camber by adding/removing washers simultaneously from two bolts located in the lower arm mounting axis;
adjust the alignment by rotating the movable joints of the steering rods.

The alignment of the VAZ 2107 must be checked regularly or after an accident, when the first signs of deviation from the norm appear.

It is better for the adjustment to be carried out by service specialists, but this procedure can be done with your own hands. The main thing is to do everything as carefully and carefully as possible.

The described definition refers to the vertical angle of inclination of the VAZ 2107 wheel. If the top is tilted outward, there is positive camber. Accordingly, if the element is inclined inward, then such an angle has a “-” sign and is called negative camber.

The second part of the wording “wheel alignment” means that while the car is moving, alignment will occur. On front-wheel drive cars it is usually negative, and on rear-wheel drive cars it is positive. Such a device ensures that when moving, alignment occurs and the position is parallel.

Prerequisites

The most accurate verification is possible only in workshops at stands. But in the absence of such attributes, you can use the proven “old-fashioned” method. It is advisable to install the car on an inspection hole, since you will have to unscrew the nuts and bolts of the suspension, and without it it will be problematic to do this.

When carrying out work, carefully inspect the entire suspension, the condition of the silent blocks and ball joints, and the tie rod ends. If there is play in them, then setting the wheel angles will not bring any result, and all the work will be done in vain, the car will change its trajectory spontaneously.

Preparatory work

Do-it-yourself wheel alignment on the VAZ-2107 is not carried out on the rear wheels, since the hubs are installed in one position and cannot be shifted to the side. The procedure is done only on the front axle of the car. Moreover, this does not depend on whether the car has rear or front wheel drive. Before starting work, do the following:

To make the adjustment as accurate as possible, you need to load the machine. The load must weigh 320 kg and be distributed evenly across all four wheels. You can seat four people with approximately the same body weight in a car and throw a bag of cement into the trunk.
A prerequisite is a full tank of gasoline. The capacity of the fuel tank in the VAZ-2107 is 39 liters. Make sure the gasoline level is close to the maximum mark.
Tire pressure must be kept at a normal level - equalize it if necessary. Depending on the type of rubber, the pressure can fluctuate in the range of 1.8-2.5 Atm.

That's all, now you can do the wheel alignment on the VAZ-2107 with your own hands, the preparation for the procedure is completed.

Do-it-yourself wheel alignment on a VAZ

We do wheel alignment on a VAZ ourselves

Do-it-yourself wheel alignment on a VAZ is quite an affordable operation, so it is not at all necessary to contact a specialized diagnostic station, which will save money and make you happy.

All you need to adjust the wheel alignment is as flat a platform as possible, a matchbox, thread and keys.

First, check that the wheel is exactly in the middle when moving in a straight line and that the number of revolutions to the right and to the left coincides. Also check the tire pressure - it should be the same on all wheels.

Inspect the suspension - the fastening must be reliable. Measure the distance between the hubs on the right and left - it should be the same on both sides. It can be adjusted by decreasing or increasing the thickness of the washers on the braces.

Now we place the car on the platform in such a way that before stopping it will travel one revolution of the wheel and will not roll back. We attach a thread to a plumb line on the wing so that it passes through the center of the hub.

Next, use a regular ruler or caliper to measure the distance from the thread to the edge of the disk at the top and bottom. If it is not the same, then loosen the nut of the bolt with the eccentric on the stand and adjust the position of the wheel with the bolt. At the same time, do not forget to slightly loosen the tension of the second knuckle mounting bolt.

The worst thing is if you have less distance to the disk at the top than at the bottom. If on the contrary, then this is even preferable for stability, but only if it is greater at the top than at the bottom within 1-5 mm. We carry out the same operation with the second wheel. After we adjust it, tighten the lower fastenings of the struts and check everything again.

Controlling the camber angle on the front wheels

It should be noted that it is quite problematic to set the camber angles yourself, since there are many difficulties. But you can check how much the angle deviates from the normal position without much difficulty. To do this, you need to follow the following algorithm:

Place the car on a level surface and secure its position by placing chocks under the rear wheels.
Sit in the car and turn the steering wheel until it is level. The wheels must be parallel to the car body.
Press the shock absorbers 2-3 times until the car's suspension is in its normal position. The force should be approximately 40-50 kg. The operation is carried out on all four shock absorbers.
Take the thread and fix it on the top of the car's fender so that it passes clearly through the center of the wheel. To achieve a vertical position, tie a weight to the lower end. Measure from the top and bottom edges of the wheel to the thread. The difference in values is the wheel camber.

For example, the difference is 2 mm. This means the camber angle is 20 minutes (not degrees). Normally, the angle should be 4 degrees and 30 minutes. An upward deviation of no more than 20 minutes is permissible. But this is the case when the car is loaded with a mass of 320 kg. If there is no load, the angle should not deviate by more than 20 minutes. from 0 degrees and 5 minutes.

Checking wheel alignment

As can be seen from the above, you can quickly do a wheel alignment on a VAZ-2107 with your own hands. The procedure for carrying out the work is simple, just have a little patience, mastery will come with time.

Preparation for adjusting wheel alignment is the same as in the case of camber, the only differences are in the subsequent actions:

Align the wheels, place the machine on a level surface and place additional cargo on it. Only after the preparatory work has been completed can adjustments begin.
To check the alignment, you need to use a strong thread with hooks tied at the ends.
Fix the hooks on the front and rear wheels so that the thread passes clearly through the centers of both axles.
The rear wheels have a 44 mm narrower track than the front ones. Therefore, a block with a thickness of 22 mm must be attached to the front of the rear wheel. The thread is laid on top of this beam.
Turn the steering wheel so that the thread touches both sides of the front wheel tire.
Fasten the thread on the opposite side and install 22 and 6 mm thick bars under the back of the wheel.

Checking and adjusting wheel alignment on a VAZ 2107

Camber angles are measured in the following order:

Sit in the car and position the steering wheel so that the front wheels are straight (parallel to the axis of symmetry of the car).
Get out of the car and “pump” the rear and front suspension several times, pressing on the rear (front) bumper with a force of 50 kg.
Hang the thread with a weight, securing it at the top point of the wheel, and use a caliper to measure the distance from the thread to the top and bottom points of the rim.

To check alignment, you must perform the following steps:

Align the wheels and load the machine.
Stretch a thread with hooks, hooking it to the front edge of the front wheel rim and the rear edge of the rear wheel rim. The thread should be well tensioned and not sag.

Important: the track of the rear wheels is narrower than the front ones by 44 mm. Therefore, to properly install the toe, it is necessary to place a 22 mm thick block between the thread and the rear wheel.

Turn the steering wheel slightly, positioning the wheels so that the thread touches both sides of the tire.
Pull the thread along the other edge of the machine, using, in addition to the 22 mm bar, a 6 mm bar.
Check that the wheels have not changed position and the thread still touches the front wheel on the opposite side at two points.
Loosen the clamps holding the tie rod coupling.
Rotate the clutch using cobra pliers so that the thread touches both sides of the front wheel tire on the other side of the machine.
Tighten the coupling clamp. If necessary, perform the same operation with the second wheel.

When adjusting the wheel alignment of the VAZ 2107, it is necessary to take into account that adding a 6 mm block between the rear wheel and the thread corresponds to an increase in the wheel alignment by 1 mm. The total toe-in of the wheels should be 2-4 millimeters on an unloaded car and 3-5 when fully loaded.

Wheel alignment adjustment

If the wheel alignment is incorrect, adjustment will be required. To do this, follow these steps:

Loosen the tension on the tie rod end coupling clamps.
Using Cobra-type pliers, you need to rotate the coupling. Before starting the adjustment, be sure to clean all threaded connections from dirt and dust and treat them with penetrating lubricant.
Rotate the clutch until the gap between the thread and the front wheel tire is normalized.
After completing the work, be sure to tighten the threaded connections.
The adjustment on the second wheel is carried out in the same way.
The total toe-in of the wheels should be no more than 2 mm.