Crab on VAZ 2114: operation and replacement

Very often, on cars produced by AvtoVAZ, a malfunction occurs such as a breakdown or even complete destruction of the front suspension brace fastening. The crab on the VAZ 2114 is no exception (this is what many drivers call this fastener). The main reason for such frequent breakdowns is the material from which the crab is made, namely various aluminum alloys (like silumin).

If, while driving, a car touches high protruding elements - stones or bricks, with its brace fastening, then in most cases this leads to the destruction of the latter.

It would seem, why did the designers choose this particular material, since crab 2114 could have been made of steel? The answer here is quite simple - this element is made fragile specifically in order to save other, more important and expensive elements of the car suspension when it collapses.

Is it possible to drive with a faulty crab?

In most cases, driving with a faulty brace fastening is impossible. This is caused by the fact that the wheel on the damaged side becomes simply uncontrollable, and movement even at a minimum speed turns out to be extremely difficult.

If the crab is completely broken, you should stop driving the car until it is repaired, and if the breakdown occurs far from home, then call a tow truck.

Sometimes a slightly different situation happens - it seems that the mount is not damaged, and the car is driven normally, but at the same time a knocking sound is periodically heard from one of the wheels (especially clearly when going over uneven surfaces).

This may be caused by the fact that the fit of the fasteners on the crab itself has worn out (due to the fact that it is made of fragile material) and backlashes have appeared.

This is very easy to check - you just need to put the car on an overpass or hang it on jacks, and then inspect the mount. If it turns out that backlashes have indeed appeared, then the crab should be immediately replaced with a new one.

Driving a car with a worn-out crab that has strong play can lead to its spontaneous destruction even without colliding with an obstacle (which is extremely dangerous, as it can happen when driving at high speed).

How to replace a crab on a VAZ 2115 with your own hands - step-by-step instructions

We drive into the pit, put the car on the handbrake, install wheel chocks, and jack up the front end.
We dismantle the protection and remove the front bumper.
Using a “24” wrench, unscrew the rod nut.

After this, you need to unscrew the three bolts securing the crab to the platform and remove it

We install the new crab in place and fasten it with bolts.

Further assembly is performed in reverse order. Before tightening, we lubricate the fastening bolts with graphite or, in extreme cases, with polish, this will make your life easier in the future.

That's all I wanted to say! As you can see, there is nothing difficult in this work. Now you know what a crab is, why it breaks and how to replace it if it malfunctions. Thank you for your attention and see you again at VAZ Repair.

How to replace the “Crab” with a VAZ 2115 yourself

Specialized fastenings in the VAZ 2115 car, more popularly known as “crab”, quite often require replacement or repair in cars of this brand. The mechanism is a kind of bracket for fastening the extension. The original name comes from its shape. The product consists of a bracket with holes for bolts, which is why this mount looks like a crab.

Today, such a mechanism can only be found in cars of several brands. Quite often, various situations happen with VAZ 2115 cars, resulting in deformation or breakage of the element. Experienced professionals who repeatedly deal with the repair of these car brands recommend that owners treat the car with care so as not to damage the specialized bracket. However, given the state of our roads, this is quite difficult to do.

Emergency situations and their solutions

Quite often, quite experienced owners of a VAZ 2115 car install a “crab” made of titanium alloys. This solution is highly durable and guarantees a high level of safety at various speeds under conditions of high loads. If damage or cracks occur, it is recommended to move slowly or call a tow truck to deliver the vehicle to a service center.

If the crab is completely torn off, it is necessary to call a tow truck and go directly to the service station so that experienced professionals can weld or completely replace such a spare part. An important condition for operating a vehicle in various situations is the level of damage that determines the ability of the vehicle to move independently.

Features of performing repairs and self-replacement of the crab on a VAZ 2115

In order to begin independently replacing this part or repairing it, you must have the following tools and materials:

Standard set of sockets or spanners;
Specialized liquid VD-40;
A reinforced pipe, which may become necessary if the fasteners, that is, the bolts on the bracket, are too oxidized.

If the owner wants to carry out independent repairs, then it is necessary to have a specialized welding machine and some experience in using such a unit.

Step-by-step instruction

Experienced service center professionals have created successive steps that will help the owner of a VAZ 2115 independently replace the “crab”:

place the vehicle on the pit;
turn on the handbrake;
install wheel chocks;
use a jack to raise the front of the car;
dismantle the protection;
remove the front bumper;
unscrew the rod nut;

unscrew several mounting bolts;

dismantle the mechanism;
install a new element (or a restored old one);
tighten the bolts;

carry out installation according to the previous principle, but in reverse order.

Recommendations from experts

It is recommended: before finally securing the bracket bolts, they must be lubricated with a specialized product so that they do not oxidize, and in the future this part can be replaced without any problems.

It is important to note that a faulty bracket may not always completely immobilize the vehicle. Thus, if any errors are observed in the functioning of this mechanism, it is important to carry out independent diagnostics or contact experienced specialists.

During the operation of the car, play appears repeatedly, which indicates negative changes that have occurred with the bracket. In such a situation, it is important to inspect the vehicle and, if necessary, replace the faulty mechanism.

Replacing the crab for VAZ 2108, VAZ 2109, VAZ 21099

Welcome! Crab - thanks to it, the brace is attached to the body of the car, crab this name generally came from the people, in fact it is an ordinary bracket for attaching the brace, but it got its name because it is made in the shape of a crab (This bracket has holes for bolts, they are very similar to a claw crab), only two families of front-wheel drive cars are equipped with these brackets (the Samara family and the Samara 2 family, but they were removed on the tenth family) and therefore on these cars (and on dozens too), you need to drive much more carefully, twist the crabs are made not of titanium alloy, but of ordinary aluminum, and if a large stone hits them while driving at high speed, for example, you can immediately stop and check the crab, if it is damaged (a small crack), then get into the car and carefully drive to at home, if it is completely torn off, then in this case call a tow truck and take the car either home or directly to the service station (It depends on how the crab was torn off, if you do not know how to handle welding, and the crab along with the platform was torn off, then you can immediately go to the service center, if the platform remains in place but the crab has also fallen off, then first look at the threads where the bolts are screwed in; if it is all torn off, then also go straight to the service center, because in this case the platform will need to be changed).

What influences price formation?

The cost of the “crab,” like any other component, depends on the cost of its production and the markup set by the seller. However, the costs of each enterprise, car dealership or online resource are calculated differently. Based on this, even identical fasteners do not have a fixed cost. For example, a set of “crabs” of the “Sevi Expert” brand can cost either 587 or 924 rubles. Intermediate options range around 650 rubles. Then everything depends on the availability of goods in the warehouse and delivery time.

It is no secret that the final amount in the check is influenced by the manufacturing technology of spare parts. Catalogs are full of names of various manufacturing companies. Each, in pursuit of a client, tries to maintain the ratio of price and quality.

What to consider when choosing a new crab?

As stated previously, all front brace brackets are designed to be frangible to ensure the safety of more critical parts when impacted by obstacles.

At the same time, all crabs currently on the market can be divided into the following groups according to the materials from which they are made:

While the first two types of crabs work on the same principle (they break apart in an accident and differ only in their weight and strength), steel crabs work somewhat differently. They are made of a powerful metal base with a welded steel strip that serves as a traction mount.

The fragile element in this case is the weld - if damaged, it bursts and the entire bracket is divided into two parts.

This design is more reliable (for example, it will not burst while tightening the bolts, which sometimes happens with low-quality crabs), but you should understand that it will “work” only with a strong impact. A collision with insufficient energy to fracture a weld may well be sufficient to damage other suspension components.

To begin with, we will describe the location and functional purpose of the so-called “crab” on the VAZ 2114. “Crab” is the front suspension beam mounting bracket. The resemblance to a marine arthropod is given by four mounting holes for bolts.

Faulty crabs are a common problem with Lada Samara of the first and second generations. The brackets are made of a rather fragile material - silumin, so during prolonged use or increased load on the chassis they simply collapse. The destruction can be complete or partial (when one of the four fastenings comes off).

Even if one of the four sides is torn off, it is unsafe to continue to operate the car: the increased load on the bracket will lead to the threads from the remaining fasteners being subsequently torn off.

It happens that a car enthusiast notices that the fastening of the VAZ 2114 crabs has just begun to collapse - in this case, a crack appears on the bracket area. The crack can be welded, but this will be a temporary measure that will slightly extend the service life of the fastener.

If a breakdown occurs while driving, this can lead to loss of control over the car, so it is better to periodically check the integrity of the brackets of their platforms: “crabs” do not fail instantly, this is preceded by long-term wear with all visual manifestations (unless, of course, it is not This is a manufacturing defect).

IMPORTANT! The main danger of increased wear of the front suspension beam mount is that the breakdown has no “symptoms”: the driver can lose control at one moment, even if there were no prerequisites for this.

We buy spare parts

When, having unscrewed the bracket, you discover that a crack has formed on the platform, do not rush to replace the platform, the crack can be welded. Sometimes, however, it becomes necessary to replace not only the bracket, the bolts on the crab VAZ 2109 and the platform to which it was attached also suffered ( and it happens that both platforms or both brackets, left and right):

Then in the car store we purchase a reinforced plate to which nuts are welded to attach the “crab”
When choosing, special attention should be paid to the quality of the welded nuts, since your safety when driving your car depends on this.
If there is no particular choice, and the nuts were welded to the plate with one welding point (or two), then you need to independently weld all the nuts in a circle in order to strengthen their fastening to the plate
Be sure to purchase new bolts for the VAZ 2109 crabs so that microcracks or other defects do not surface later
When choosing traction brackets, you should carefully choose not only the material from which it is made, but do not forget about the thickness
The best option for installation would be a silumin bracket with maximum rib thickness
Since it is stronger than the factory one, however, it will not damage the “TV” or the spacer during a strong impact
The cast iron bracket is stronger than the silumin one, however, cast iron is also fragile and cracks when impacted, and besides, it can damage the spacer and the “TV”; the instructions do not solve this issue for you
It is worth paying special attention to the strength of the rubber cushion and its clip - the more powerful they are, the longer the part will work
We recommend choosing a crab that has a polyurethane cushion
You should not take an inexpensive one (the low price is alarming), or without packaging, we remind you about possible counterfeits!
And don’t forget that there are right-handed and left-handed brackets and platforms; when replacing, this is of great importance

What does this threaten?

As a result of a breakdown, the wheel begins to move backwards or forwards. Further use of the car is simply impossible. If this happens far from populated areas, you can only call a tow truck. Most often, two types of failure occur - complete destruction or separation of one bolt, together with a nut, and the threads of the remaining two nuts are stripped. There are also two ways to deal with such a breakdown: perform the entire repair procedure yourself or seek help from a specialized automobile workshop.

Tools and materials

Tools you will need:

Spanners (take a full set at once);
Socket wrenches;
Vise;
Chisel;
Hammer;
Puller;
Silent blocks.

There are several important nuances:

to take silent blocks from repair kits intended for models 2108-2112 . You will simply waste your money because they are not suitable for the fourteenth VAZ model.

The easiest way to purchase a puller is at auto parts stores. But you can ask your friends for it.

You can make a device for pressing in a new silent block yourself. To do this you will need a 170mm M12 bolt, a bushing, a washer and a high nut. But if you have the opportunity to use a full-fledged, real tool, do just that.

Where can I buy?

Usually the “crabs” come in a set along with the bolts that are used to attach them to your iron friend. Most often, car enthusiasts purchase them in nearby stores. Agree, waiting a week for a purchase to be delivered will bring little joy to any driver. However, if the order is ready to be delivered within 24 hours, then there is no point in traveling around the city in search of the right product, which cannot always be found on the counter. It will be enough to make a few mouse clicks to order the one you like on the Internet.

This instruction will be useful not only to owners of “fourteeners”. In fact, the entire “family”, including “eights” and “nines”, is tailored to the same “crabs”, as indicated by the markings on the packaging.

How to replace a crab on a VAZ 2109

The first thing you need to do is secure the car (put it on the handbrake, support it with wheel chocks).

Next, proceed in the following sequence:

Raise the front part of the car with a jack and install supports;
remove the bumper and engine protection;
remove the stretch or move it to the side;
unscrew the VAZ 2109 crab mount (nuts that remained after the impact);
remove the washers (be sure to count how many washers were used and remember how they were installed);
Before installing a new crab, install the required number of adjusting washers;
tighten the mounting nuts.

Let's get started

The brace bracket began to be called a “crab” because of the four existing holes for bolts, giving it some resemblance to a claw. You can determine if a crab is broken by the characteristic “crack” that appears in the front of your car. You can look at its condition and determine the scale of the destruction without even lifting the car. We choose the first solution - replacing the crabs on a VAZ 2109 yourself, it’s much cheaper and not presents particular difficulties:

First, we purchase a new crab and a set of bolts for it; on old ones, the threads may be torn off
First, we roll the car onto a pit or overpass
Then you need to put the car on the “handbrake” (parking brake) and support the rear wheels with “shoes” (or wooden blocks to prevent it from rolling away)
Raise the front of the car with a jack
Remove the bottom protection and bumper
During work, you need to remove the stretcher, if you don’t remove it, then you need to make sure that it does not interfere with you

Bolts securing the crab to the platform

First, unscrew the remaining mounting bolts, if they did not come out of the “crab” when the car hit
Remove the spacer washers one by one
We recommend that you immediately count the number of washers removed from each hole and remember the order in which they were installed
When screwing on the new “crab”, first do not forget to put all the removed adjusting washers in their places; install the washers in the reverse order
Then we screw in the bolts of the crab VAZ 2109, securing the brace bracket in place
We tighten them with force, but without fanaticism, so as not to tear them off
This completes the replacement of the crab for the VAZ 2109, but it doesn’t always turn out to get off so easy
It happens that the platform breaks along with the stretching bracket

Replacement of pads

If welding the platform does not make sense (the thread of the nut or the nut itself is broken, the bolt securing the VAZ 2109 crab is broken), then a grinder and welding will be needed here.

Tip: When starting to replace the site, be sure to close the radiator, and if welding is performed from the passenger seat, then also close the generator from sparks. There is no need to remove them; this is an additional and unnecessary waste of time and money (if the repair is carried out at a service station).

Let's move on to actions:

Attach the plate and mark the places for future cuts
Using a grinder, remove the old platform, rusty metal and clean the areas around the cuts; when welding, it is important that the metal is clean
Before performing welding work, you need to remove both terminals from the battery
Weld the plate firmly
The quality of the seams is important here; it must be good, since the part operates under conditions of increased loads, so it makes sense to entrust this work to an experienced welder

The bracket is screwed to the overcooked platform, although the quality of the seams leaves much to be desired, and they were clearly too lazy to clean them

To prevent your car from looking like in the photo, after completing the welding work, you should clean the seams and, to increase protection against rust, coat the surfaces with anti-rust (for example, Tamak) and cover with primer
Attach the stretcher (if you removed it), screw the bracket into place, tightening each bolt of the VAZ 2109 crab (again, carefully, do not break the bolts) Then attach the bumper (see Removing the front bumper of the VAZ) and the lower protection
In the future, when operating the car, it is recommended to check the brackets after each strong impact.
It is recommended not to drive with a broken (split, cracked) “crab” unless absolutely necessary (this is dangerous for the health and life of people around you and for you too). Faulty (damaged, cracked) “crabs” discovered in time should certainly be replaced with new ones as soon as possible
This measure will help save your money, as well as your health and life. Replacing the brackets is complete, everything is simple and completely doable on your own.

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