Adaptation of the Solaris chassis to Russian roads. Test drive Hyundai Solaris with new suspension. Transmission and brakes

Mando? Well, then everything is clear,” - out of the corner of my ear I hear the conversation of colleagues at the next table. Indeed, the name of the Korean supplier of these components, so resonant to the Russian ear, fully reflected the quality of the suspension of the first Solaris. On a bad road, the back of the car bounced like a ball, and any road unevenness was transmitted into the cabin with a loud knock.

On bumps, the back of the car shook, and every pothole made a loud knock. On the highway, in order to move on a given course at high speed, you literally had to grip the steering wheel. According to reviews on specialized online forums, owners began to pay attention to the poor performance of the suspension immediately after the purchase: it forced many to file complaints with the Russian representative office of the company. After angry feedback from owners, Hyundai made changes to the design, reworking not only the rear but also the front suspension.

In general, its design has not changed (MacPherson struts, semi-independent, spring suspension at the rear). The soft springs were replaced with stiffer and more energy-intensive ones, the rear and front Mando shock absorbers were replaced with new ones with greater resistance. True, the manufacturer has not changed.

We are heading 100 km from Moscow, to the Kaluga region - away from smooth roads. On broken regional highways, you can better understand how the handling of the Solaris has changed on the highway.

The fact that the suspension was made stiffer clearly benefited the Korean car. The rocking has disappeared, the car has become more stable on a straight line, does not yaw in the ruts, and small irregularities and potholes in the asphalt no longer bother the driver and passengers. Steering reactions became clear and adequate. In short, in a large city or on a highway in the Moscow region, driving a Solaris is a pleasure.

Even weak sound insulation does not interfere with singing the praises of the new springs (there is no sound insulation in the wheel arches at all, because of this, driving at high speeds resembles an airliner on takeoff). However, here Hyundai can understand: the use of more expensive material will lead to an increase in price.

We were able to test the suspension on an average Russian road in the vicinity of the town of Borovsk. Unlike the highway of the same name near Moscow, on which some drivers like to squeeze all the juice out of the car, in the city of Old Believers and the young Tsiolkovsky, the road surface seems to be repaired only for major holidays.

It turned out that Solaris plumps its whole body into large holes, causing everything in the cabin that is poorly secured to rattle and bounce, including the driver and passengers. If such a route runs from home to work, it is better not to take coffee and drinks in glasses with you.

Once on a road with a lot of bumps, the steering wheel lost adequate feedback, and it became more difficult to understand where the front wheels were going. To move on a given course at high speed, you literally have to grip the steering wheel. When riding like this, your arms get tired after just a few kilometers. The conclusion that can be drawn from this is to control the speed on the highway within reason.

In all other respects (design, interior, equipment) Solaris remained the same as a year ago.

But if Hyundai managed to solve the suspension problem, it is not yet possible to achieve adequate engine and four-speed automatic operation from the Solaris. Even in the case of the more powerful 1.6-liter Gamma engine with 123 hp. With. when you sharply press the gas pedal, the engine “goes into its own” (on the highway this happened approximately in the middle of a standard truck). The driver is deprived of the necessary acceleration and sluggishly, strainingly bypasses the slow-moving vehicle.

What, then, can we expect from the less powerful 1.4-liter 107-horsepower engine?

Since the start of sales of the first Solaris in February 2011, the model has firmly won the status of the best-selling foreign car.

Over the course of a year and a half, the car has risen in price by a total of 66 thousand rubles (from 379 thousand to 445 thousand rubles). In the basic version, the buyer is offered power steering, front electric windows and central locking. There is no ABS or brake force distribution system here, and the stabilization system and six airbags (including side curtains) are offered only in the Comfort version (for an additional charge of 25 thousand rubles) and Family, with base prices from 523 thousand and 624 thousand rubles accordingly, the stabilization system is only partially disabled - only the traction control system can be deactivated.

The direct competitor of Solaris, Kia Rio, which appeared on the Russian market in September 2011, costs 34,900 more in the basic configuration. At the same time, technically the cars are completely identical. True, Kia already has ABS with a brake force distribution system in its database.

Carry out the check in the engine compartment and from below the car mounted on an inspection ditch or supports (with the front wheels hanging out). To prevent accidental starting of the engine, remove the key from the ignition switch.

During each maintenance and repair, it is necessary to check the condition of the protective covers of the suspension ball joints; there should be no mechanical damage on the covers.

Find out if there are any cracks or traces of contact with road obstacles or the body on the suspension parts, deformation of the arms, braces, stabilizer bars and their struts, body front parts in the places where the suspension units and parts are attached.

Check the condition of the rubber-to-metal joints, rubber cushions, suspension ball joints and the condition of the upper supports of the telescopic suspension struts.

Rubber-metal hinges and rubber cushions must be replaced in case of ruptures and one-sided bulging of rubber, as well as when their end surfaces are trimmed.

Suspensions on rubber parts are not allowed:

signs of rubber aging;
mechanical damage;

Pay special attention to mechanical damage (deformations, cracks, traces of contact with road obstacles, etc.) of suspension elements, especially levers.

1. In the engine compartment, remove the cap of the shock absorber strut upper mounting nut...

2. ...and check the tightness of the shock absorber strut upper mounting nut.

3. Check the condition of the protective covers of the ball joints. If the covers are damaged, replace them.

4. Check the ball joints for play. To do this, insert a mounting blade between the steering knuckle and the suspension arm and, leaning on the lever, try to swing the steering knuckle.

5. If the ball joints are in good condition, rock the wheels in a vertical plane and make sure there is no play in the bearings. If there is play, replace the bearings.

HELPFUL ADVICE

When the front wheel is suspended, it is difficult to discern play in the wheel bearings and ball joints. Ask an assistant to press the brake pedal: if you feel play in this case, then the ball joints are faulty.

6. Check for play in the silent blocks securing the lever to the front suspension cross member.

7. To do this, insert a mounting spudger or a large screwdriver between the lever and the cross member near the front silent block and try to rock the lever.

8. Check the rear silent block in the same way. If there is significant play even in one of the silent blocks, replace the front suspension arm.

9. Check the tightness of the upper...

10. ...and the lower nuts of the ball joint pins of the anti-roll bar struts.

11. Check for play in the ball joints of the anti-roll bar struts. Replace the rack whose hinges have noticeable play.

What is the rear suspension of the Hyundai Solaris? The question is quite interesting. To understand the principle of its operation, you need to understand the device. This article is devoted to this issue. After familiarizing yourself with it, you may learn how to disassemble the car suspension yourself.

Components

The rear suspension allows the car to move smoothly and softens road imperfections. It must be admitted that the design of the front suspension is more complicated than the rear one, however, in this case, you also need to figure it out. Its design is as follows:

The main element is the beam.
Lever attachment.
A device that acts as a stopper for a spring during compression.
Shock absorber.
Lever arm.
Hub assembly.
Pad located underneath the spring.
The spring itself.
Lining located on top.
Buffer washer.
Thrust element.

The Hyundai Solaris uses a semi-independent suspension, with an elastic beam type, as well as a spring suspension with installed shock absorbers.

The levers are equipped with edges on which the wheel axles, individual brake elements and support clamps are directly attached. In front, the levers have welded bushings in which silent blocks are located, which act as a connecting part between the body and the beam. As for elastic parts, in this case their role is played by springs.

In the Solaris suspension, it is worth highlighting the fact that the spring rests directly through the gaskets of the rubber sample. Another characteristic feature of this car is the smaller diameter of the lower turn compared to the uppermost one.

In any suspension, springs are usually divided by class, depending on the stiffness parameters. To determine the class, the specific color of the part is used. Naturally, on both sides you need to use springs of the same class and the same model. During replacement, it is not recommended to install elements different from those that were installed previously. The role of the limiter during compression is performed by the buffers listed in the list under No. 3. They are installed in the middle of the upper support.

Shock absorbers have special eyes both below and above. Hinges made of rubber and metal are pressed into them. Inside the hinge there is a bushing through which a bolt is inserted, allowing you to attach the shock absorber to the body. The front suspension of the Hyundai Solaris is equipped with a bearing located in the hub unit. The advantage is that there is no need to regularly add lubricant to it. If the device fails, it is simply replaced.

The rear wheels are always in one position, which is provided for by the design - there is no way to regulate them. They are only checked with specialized equipment in order to identify discrepancies with the norm. In a situation where the difference with the nominal values is too large, you will have to perform diagnostics of the working elements.

Additional Information

Based on the data provided, one can guess that dismantling and installing individual suspension parts in a Hyundai should not cause difficulties. The main thing is to have the proper equipment.

Today many craftsmen are engaged modification of the suspension. Such work involves installing new parts of higher quality. They often install reinforced springs, based on the fact that domestic roads cannot boast of high quality.

Upgrading the Solaris suspension at home is of interest to many car owners. How to do it yourself, what tools are needed for this and what spare parts to use will be discussed in detail in this material.

Almost every owner of a Hyundai Solaris, after using the car for some time, asks the question: how to upgrade the suspension? This is not difficult to do, but it is important to approach the task responsibly and competently. Problems with the Hyundai Solaris chassis usually arise when driving over uneven surfaces, of which there are a lot in our country. Changes in the suspension can be different and they usually depend on the capabilities and requirements of the owner for his own car.

Existing problems

On all forums dedicated to Hyundai Solaris, car owners discuss design flaws in the rear suspension. The automaker assures that after

Hyundai Solaris suspension

In recent models, the wishes of motorists have been taken into account and everything has been corrected, however, models of early years of production require certain changes. Owners make especially many complaints about the yaw of the car when driving at speeds over 80 km/h. Experts determined that this was due to an unsuccessful mounting design for the rear shock absorbers.

We all realize that a car that is ideal in every sense does not exist, but everyone wants to have a car with a minimum number of shortcomings. After a certain operating period, the wheel bearings may become weak, and the steering rack may also begin to hum. Subsequently, the steering wheel will begin to beat, and the tips will wear out faster. To avoid the problem, certain elements need to be modified.

How do deficiencies manifest themselves?

Many owners of Korean cars are starting to modernize the suspension of the Hyundai Solaris in order to increase stability at high speeds. Especially a lot of complaints are caused by the yaw of the rear axle, pulling to the sides in a side wind or when driving towards heavy vehicles. All this is a consequence of a design flaw that can be corrected with your own hands. The problem is related to an incorrectly selected installation angle of the rear shock absorber struts.

Cause of problems

Shock absorbers are installed at a certain angle, which causes an inevitable increase in loads and inertia forces. Installing shock absorbers strictly vertically will reduce suspension travel, but will reduce loads and inertial moments. These simple modifications usually involve car owners upgrading the Solaris suspension.

How to modify the Hyundai Solaris suspension?

It is necessary to move the shock absorber mounts by making new fasteners for the assembly. They are made so as to obtain four points for attaching the lower point of the shock absorber. This will allow you to select the optimal suspension geometry for specific operating conditions. Note that such a modernization of the Hyundai Solaris suspension increases the chances of breaking through the suspension. This can be eliminated by installing other springs.

Initially, to avoid breakdown, car owners made inserts from dense rubber, inserting them between the coils of standard springs, but this solution was not very effective. After experimenting with springs of different brands from other cars, optimal results were achieved using springs from VAZ 2108 and 2110. They should be slightly shortened by cutting off approximately 2.7 parts of the coil and bending the outer part of the cut coil.

This upgrade produces good results, but it is important to install lower spring bumpers to act as a center for the springs. installation of standard barrel-shaped coil springs for Hyundai Solaris significantly improves the technical characteristics of the chassis. Depending on the required ground clearance, you can trim the springs a little more or less.

Although Russian roads are getting better over the years, they are far from perfect. Especially rural off-road conditions do not always contribute to the long life of a car’s suspension. Sometimes reliable components of Korean cars, which have already undergone several modifications by the manufacturer, fail.

Not every driver knows that there can be a knock in the Hyundai Solaris suspension, but having a little experience will allow you to figure out how to sort out the device and restore its functionality with your own hands. In some cases, a video will help to refine it.

Most often, levers and shock absorbers require “care”; this is a typical problem even for a modernized unit of new generation cars. When knocking noises occur, it is necessary to repair or modify the Hyundai Solaris suspension and replace the lever, which is easy to do in the garage.

To do this you need:

secure the rear set of wheels with anti-roll bars;
loosen the front wheel nuts, lift them and fix them on the stand, then remove the wheels;
unscrew the ball stud nut;
disconnect the lever from the steering knuckle, remove the front bolt nut;
remove the bolt from the silent block;
remove the remaining part of the fasteners and remove the faulty lever;
replace the part and repeat all steps in reverse order.

After repair, it is advisable to check the wheel alignment angle at a service point; the cost of the service is low, and will have a significant impact on traffic safety. If, after changing the lever, the creaking and knocking does not stop, it is necessary to repair the front suspension shock absorber.

The first stage of work is similar to replacing the lever:

open the hood and remove the shock absorber fastening nuts;
remove the front wheel;
remove the stabilizer pin;
withdraw your fist, remove the stand and compress the spring using a clamp;
replace the pre-pumped shock absorber;
fix the springs in their seats and reassemble in reverse order.

The shock absorbers must be replaced in pairs, after which a wheel alignment must be performed. The parts used can only be original.

Rear suspension

The rear suspension of the Hyundai Solaris can also be restored quite quickly with your own hands; some drivers also modernize it themselves. Tuning or improvement does not always change the driving performance of the car; this is often due to the installed parts.

It is better to purchase replacement parts using the corresponding article numbers, which can be found using the car’s VIN code in specialized services. To repair the stabilizer bar of the Hyundai Solaris rear suspension or replace it, you will need a standard set of tools.

The Hyundai plant has already changed the suspension in its models several times, and most often the necessary modernization is associated only with replacing the springs.

By studying the rear suspension diagram of the Hyundai Solaris, you can establish that the springs have their own classes and are marked with paint. When replacing, you need to install only identical parts, and of the same class that were installed previously.

Some people use parts produced by VAZ when replacing them, but in this case it is impossible to guarantee high-quality suspension service. The replacement process is no different from similar operations performed for the front suspension.

If shock absorbers, levers or springs can be replaced independently, then if the bearings fail, you will have to change the entire assembly and this is best done at a service station, where the technicians know exactly what kind of rear suspension the Hyundai Solaris has, its control values, advantages and disadvantages, and will be able to Replace parts with jewelry precision.

We are learning to understand each other. But for this we need to talk, share. The time of isolation is passing. The time is coming to communicate and express yourself in life! We are who we are. But you can't stand still forever. We need to be better! overcome yourself! Believe in yourself! Set high standards for yourself and achieve your goals! This is the only way to improve your life and the lives of your loved ones!

Don't look at what's going on around you. Look inside yourself! try to understand yourself! Try to understand what motivates you and if you don’t like what motivates you, change it. Set yourself up so that you are the engine of your life and not your environment. Then you will become a person and you will be respected.

A noble goal is to work on yourself! After all, by working on yourself, you change the world around you. To make things better, we must strive for better. Not to desire, but to dream, not to indulge, but to love. Find your place in life and benefit society, benefit the people around you.

and the no less popular Kia Rio.

Korean cars that have swept our market like a wave. These brands have become popular in a very short period of time. And these are not simple words. The motto of these cars is, first of all, innovative design, certainly beautiful harmonious shapes. Exterior and interior that revived the entire range of passenger cars, setting a high bar. And as time passes, we see how successful designs are being implemented on other brands in one form or another, there is a trace. So the move was right. But the basic platform on both Solaris and Rio turned out to be not so successful. And the three-fold modernization did not correct the main problems of the suspension. And therefore, when buying a car for more than half a million, I would like to have a car with adequate suspension. Unfortunately, Russia has two problems. I won’t talk about the first one, but the second one is our roads. And here the joy of the purchase passes quickly. But the car is good. Is it possible to customize it for yourself? Why not? Of course it is possible and necessary. After all, we buy various little things for beauty or convenience, sometimes paying a lot of money for it. Why can’t you improve your car in terms of its behavior on the road? Isn't that the most important thing?

Need stability on the highway? No problem. Shouldn't there be any swing? This is solvable. Is the suspension flimsy and breaks? And there is a solution. Small things hammering the fifth point? This can be solved and noise from road unevenness can be reduced. This can all be solved. And your humble servant decided this for himself. I studied and studied this with interest for almost three years. And he came up with a certain concept in which it is possible to improve the suspension of this platform, not in mock-up slang in words, but in real deeds, with real developments and tests. Testing time and reviews from owners of those who decided to redo the suspension. More than three years have passed. The year is 2015. Has the problem been resolved at the plant so far? Formally yes! The stern rocking was removed and the suspension was strengthened. But there is no need to delude yourself about this. The problem is still not resolved. Why do I say that the previous changes had little result and the latest reincarnation completely worsened the results. And this is not an unfounded statement, but the result of working with correspondence. Real reviews from owners on websites, letters that I receive in large numbers have similar complaints about the suspension. The main thing is insufficient stability at speeds of more than 100 km/h. Control is not clear enough when performing maneuvers. Unpredictability of car behavior on uneven surfaces. Weak suspension to breakdown. There is a thread about this on the forum I think that my Hyundai Solaris has a bad suspension! http://solaris-club.net/forum/showthread.php?t=6178 and for the sake of fairness I will say that there is another topicI think my Solaris has a good suspension! http://solaris-club.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5498 But there are 127 entries in the first topic and 123 in the second, but views in the first are 56 thousand. In the second, 36 thousand. This suggests that this problem is more likely to exist than not. Moreover, not everyone wants to simply and truthfully write about their car because so much money was given away. And in terms of the number of views, the first one is one and a half times higher. This indicates that there is a problem. Another proof that there is a problem Interest in the topic On the website "Нуundai Solari-Club Russia"Adaptation of the Solaris chassis to Russian roads http://solaris-club.net/forum/showthread.php?t=6394 over 3000 posts and over 450,000 views! And also a topic on the website "Kia Rio-Club Russia"I'm redoing the suspension http://kia-rio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2508.Of course, you can ignore the problem and you can have what you have.But don’t you want to have the best if there is such an opportunity?

And so let's start with what happened. It all started with Solaris from the first batch produced in 2010-2012. The car is very good, beautiful, reliable and simple, inexpensive to maintain.
I have a car from this lot. Even during the purchase and transfer, I noticed that the stern of the Solaris gallops on uneven surfaces and sways especially unpleasantly on the waves. But the car is new, rose-colored glasses and this is the first foreign car. It was significantly different in the flow of cars with its flowing lines; now many manufacturers have, to one degree or another, picked up this design. But Solaris is the first fairly inexpensive car with a beautiful design. But let me return to the essence of the problem. Even at the very beginning on the forums http://solaris-club.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=10 They began to express their indignation at the suspension, at the beginning I even defended the suspension. But life put everything in its place. When spring came and the road revealed its charms, the first thing I experienced was the weakness of the suspension to breakdown and the front and rear suspensions easily broke through at low speeds. Therefore, we had to constantly control the speed of movement. If for some reason the speed was a little higher, then a strong breakdown followed, especially in the front suspension. Another fact became clear: the stern of the car rocked on the waves. One day, while entering a turn on a wave, I felt the stern slip into a skid. The car spun to the outside of the bend. then he threw it sharply in the other direction and so on up to three times. And the speed was no more than 80 km/h. After this incident, I became afraid to drive fast if there were waves and bumps on the roads. It was interesting to see how classic vases look! overtake easily. And front-wheel drive vehicles generally made overtaking effortless. Less than two months after the purchase, disappointment set in. How can you buy a car for a decent amount of 500 thousand. With an excellent and quite powerful engine, good dynamics and declared speed at 190km h
in reality this is probably under ideal road conditions. So, it turned out that another very unpleasant drawback of the suspension was the inability to keep the car in a straight line in a crosswind; when encountering trucks, the car was thrown along the highway, and I had to constantly steer. At the same time, the speed dropped sharply, it was just really scary and unsafe to drive. At the same time, the forum literally exploded with indignation about the suspension. Neither the plant nor the OD. no one has given a real sober answer to this question. There was no recall company, but most of all, the motto that the Solaris suspension was adapted to Russian roads sounded like a mockery. Many owners quickly sold their cars second-hand in an attempt to hide the real reason for the sale. Many have simply resigned themselves to this problem. I also almost sold the car, but it was my dream and therefore I decided to change the suspension and its operation myself.

When I looked underneath the car I was very surprised. Why did the designers pile the bottom of the shock absorbers towards the beam, moving them away from the wheel axis?
This suspension is compact and its shock absorbers do not occupy a niche in the trunk. But is this good? When the lever arm, spring, and wheel hub mass create inertia capable of swinging the lever.
How will the shock absorber work at this angle?

Z factory shock absorber position, stock position. The photo shows that the wheel axle is far behind the lower shock absorber mount.
As a consequence of this, buildup occurs.

So I started searching for and solving problems with the Solaris suspension. Development, testing of different shock absorber mounting designs, selection and production of springs. Installation of additional bumpers. And finally, installing the stabilizer on the rear suspension. All this took two and a half years. I reflected on all the modernization in a topic on the Hyundai-Solaris Club Russia forum. In the first topic "I am upgrading the Solaris suspension" http://solaris-club.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4183 the rating of the topic was very high, then when the problem only affected the rear suspension, this topic was closed and a new one was started: Adaptation of the Hyundai-Solaris chassis to Russian roadshttp://solaris-club.net/forum/showthread.php?t=6394 where I fully disclosed the progress of research to improve the suspension. I had a great desire to solve the problem and correct the design flaw. And I succeeded.
First, I thoroughly studied the parameters of the factory stock suspension.

And so let's start with the fact that I first changed the angle of the shock absorbers, setting them in a vertical position, and solved the problem of the stern rocking. It stopped.
Next, I repeatedly changed the design of the mounts and created mounts with adjustment for changing the stiffness and length of suspension travel.

Brackets with variable geometry in 4 positions. 1.Comfort 2.Normal 3.Sport 4.Super sport

Justification for moving the lower part of the shock absorbers.
When the shock absorber has a deviation from the vertical position, the load on it increases in direct proportion and the inertial force of movement of the shoulder mass increases in direct proportion.
This is a physical quantity caused by the geometric location of the shock absorber itself. A lot depends on this. If the shock absorber is installed vertically, the suspension travel will decrease, but the inertia forces of the mass and the load on the shock absorber will decrease. The mount, which has 4 positions, gives the car owner the choice to set the required suspension stiffness, thereby customizing the car for themselves. As the angle changes, the behavior of the car on the road, highway and country road changes.
The kinematics of the suspension with inclined shock absorbers, especially from the center of the wheel axis, creates mass on the shoulder, and when moving, mass inertia is created. A shock absorber cannot adequately dampen vibrations unless it is fully clamped. In this case, the load on the silent blocks increases. In fact, shock absorbers dampen a shoulder break by turning out the silent blocks.
The straight shock absorber has a longer stroke, but it completely holds the arm by its edge where the center of the axle is. The shock absorber is easier to hold and compensates for any vibrations, small or large. It works correctly, to a great length. Example Modernized Niva. In front of her was a field whose shock absorbers were tilted, it was jumping quite a bit. On the new car, the shock absorbers are vertical and they have a long stroke, the car really stopped jumping over uneven surfaces, the galloping effect disappeared. The compact suspensions of the Hyundai Hyundai Solaris, Kia Rio, Kia Venga, Kia Cerato previous, Hyundai Elantra new, have similar rear beams and inclined shock absorbers, they all have to varying degrees the effect of galloping, swaying the stern, this is especially evident when loaded condition. Changing the angle changes the car's behavior on the road. Why do you think many have changed shock absorbers more than once! On rigid and semi-rigid ones, in the end the shock absorbers were moved to a more vertical position, because the law of physics works here. It is better to hold the bucket in your hand than on a stick in front of you. Even if you are strong. Then, when carrying a bucket on a stick, it will swing, twisting your arm. In our case, silent blocks. Carrying a bucket in your hand, there is nothing to turn out, here everything depends on the strength of the rapist, that is, on the resistance force of the shock absorber. It's a simple law. The one who performs it spends less energy. Failure to comply with the kinematics geometry promises overstressing of the components and poor performance of the suspension.

Justification for replacing springs.

Stock factory springs in the form in which they are installed on the car (let's start with the front ones) have a barrel shape and only 4.7 turns, of which 3 turns are fully functional. And although the designers made full use of the shape of the springs by forcing them to work along their entire length, this turned out to be extremely insufficient. And this problem has not been solved to this day! The spring has stretched coils located far apart from each other. When such a suspension is compressed, the spring rod is subjected to excessive twisting, excessive overstressing of the metal, resulting in lower ductility and, at the same time, elasticity during compression. Such springs very quickly lose their load-resistance properties. they sit down just as quickly, reducing the already small ground clearance.

Front spring 2010-2011

Front spring 2014-2016

The spring itself has a length of 4.7 vics and a rod thickness of 12 mm
Such a spring holds the body, but under an instantaneous load, such as hitting an obstacle, it easily bends like an old spring sofa, hence the breakdown of the suspension, the inability to hold the body normally elastically on uneven surfaces and when exposed to air currents. Thanks to research and testing, I was able to obtain two types of springs capable of performing their functions well within this suspension. These are the springs of the “Carrier”, “Universal”, “Cross”, “Nature”, “Sport-DS” sets "Rural option"made from standard rear springs 06 models of Oryol and VAZ production. Having a length from 5.3 to 6.75 turns, depending on the clearance at the request of the customer.

These springs have a cylindrical shape, a rod thickness of 13 mm and with a quantity of 6 turns, they have 5 working turns.
Cylindrical springs along the entire length have equal loading characteristics on the coils, in contrast to barrel-shaped springs, which were invented to save metal.
Barrels have a small diameter at the base and a large diameter at the center. This type of spring works mainly due to its central part. Where the coil decreases in diameter, the spring works much less with equal load per coil. In turn, this is a barrel-shaped spring that is more vulnerable to load and coils of small diameter sag faster over time, reducing ground clearance; another such spring is capable of breaking off on a small coil.
In this case, the cylindrical spring compares favorably in its performance with the stock one; it has a larger number of working turns; when compressed, the resistance increases in direct proportion to the load, preventing breakdown of the suspension. Such a spring with a slightly smaller diameter quickly calms down without phantom vibrations. Therefore, there will be no buildup.
By adding a normal pillow with a bandage to the design instead of the stock rubber band, we get a very good result. Softness + better sound insulation.

And the rack itself with such a spring looks beautiful, the spring sits evenly without distortions and works correctly.

Factory stock rear suspension springs have 6.25 coils of which 4.75 are working coils. The rod thickness is 10.5 mm on 2012 models after the February upgrade to 11 mm. with the same number of turns. Why are there few turns? There is little space for the spring itself due to the compactness of the suspension, to prevent the coils from touching. But is this really an excuse for the end consumer? Especially the first 10.5 mm springs are very weak. Even when the car is lightly loaded, rear suspension breakdowns are a constant occurrence. And if you load it to the maximum, the car will simply knock endlessly with the bump stops, while you can only move very slowly.

Rear springs 2010-2011

Rear springs 2014-2016

Of course, the number of working turns of 4.75 is extremely insufficient. as well as the thickness of the rod itself. The performance of the spring is very similar to the front spring. It is not elastic enough, and with a larger thickness of the rod, it is not flexible enough. Studying these indicators, I came to the conclusion that the best thing that can be installed is prepared VAZ 08 springs with rubber bands from the 06 front suspension on the top and 08 cushions on the bottom. And also in the “Carrier” kit, the rear spring of the VAZ 2106, produced by VAZ, is used. The number of spring turns is from 8 to 8.8 with 6.6-7 working turns. The spring is cylindrical with a smaller diameter than the stock one. but it installs just tightly. It works silently. Has progressive characteristics. At low speed the suspension is very soft. But with an increase in stroke and greater compression of the spring, its resistance sharply increases, thereby preventing the suspension from breaking through. Also, when loading, the depreciation readings remain high. Both an empty and loaded car are equally comfortable. At speed, small things are overcome in flight and large obstacles do not penetrate the suspension; only a slight push that does not affect handling. With these springs, the suspension has less tendency to bounce.

Prepared rear suspension springs without lifting.
The thickness of the rod is 11.2 mm; the number of turns is from 8 to 8.8, depending on the rise.
After installing brackets with adjustable shock absorber stiffness, as well as replacing springs, the car is transformed, the suspension becomes elastic but not rigid in its concept.

Another very important improvement in stability is provided by the stabilizer mounted on the rear beam. At the moment, I have developed a complete design of such a thing; I make it from the front stabilizer of a VAZ 2108-2110, it is attached with clamps to the beam with the ends to special fastenings twisted to the spring cup. The stabilizer significantly improves the vehicle's stability on the road when turning and maneuvering. Resistance to side winds and oncoming freight transport increases sharply.

The stabilizer is secured via a rubber bracket. Fastening to the beam using a clamp and rubber bushing.
If the car is equipped with a full set of modernization, it is the king of the road, summer winter autumn, it will never let you down.

Factory upgrade

With the emergence of problems with the rocking of the stern of Solaris, the designers installed stiffer shock absorbers on the rear of the car. The first shock absorbers, the softest, are designated L-000; the second shock absorbers are designated L-001; they are marked with a yellow mark; the shock absorbers are 10% stiffer in compression. This was after the August 2011 modernization.

The rear suspension began to sway less on the waves, but still the vibrations remained as well as the suspension breakdown, and the stability improved only slightly. The same shock absorbers began to be installed on the first Kia Rio models. Moreover, emphasizing that with the KIA-Rio there will be no problems with the suspension. Kia is not Solaris. Although this is not true, the base is absolutely the same. And the problem came to light a little later when the owners tried the car on the move. During tests in the magazine "Behind the Wheel" they complained about the lack of intelligibility of the controls. But it is so, except for the rear shock absorbers, nothing has changed in the design. After further complaints from the consumer, another attempt was made to modernize the suspension of the Solaris and now the Kia Rio. This Modernization is usually called after the February one. As I predicted, the designers took the simple path. The rear shock absorbers were tightened, making them more rigid in compression and tension. Such shock absorbers received the designation L-002 and began to have a green mark on them.

The front shock absorbers were also set to be stiffer in compression. If the first racks had a groove with a groove on which the cushion was placed and did not rotate, then the later racks had a regular thread installed and the cushions simply had a regular hole. Another difference is that if the stand of the first releases was attached to the top with a plate with a thin rubber band that did not touch the body, then the February version already had a thicker rubber band that pressed the plate to the body, holding the stand tightly. In the first versions there was a gap, and when there was a jump or a deep hole, the stand clattered while hanging on the plate. On the other hand, a plate that was not tightly pressed allowed less vibration to be transferred from the engine and transmission to the body. It also had quieter operation of the suspension in normal aisles. The new suspension has become stiffer and noisier than the first two. They also installed rear springs with a larger rod thickness of 11 mm instead of 10.5 on the first models. Considering that the same number of turns remained, the pendant became oak. If the first Solaris could be easily swung by hand, then after February it was simply impossible to push through the rear of the car; even at first the owners boasted about this. But a passenger car is not a UAZ. Rear suspension breakdowns have decreased, the car has become more stable due to greater rigidity. The shock absorbers began to dampen all vibrations. But the fact is that “Solaris and Kia” are fairly light cars, when driving over small uneven surfaces, the suspension practically does not work; depreciation is due to rubber.
Although on the highway at high speed the car began to stand up an order of magnitude better, to the detriment of comfort. There was also added noise from the suspension because now the shock absorbers began to work in compression, resisting the forward shocks on the body. After some time, it turned out that the front suspension was breaking through in almost the same way as on the first models. In windy weather, it is difficult to keep a light vehicle on a given trajectory.

And of course, the experts presented the suspension at its best on the training ground where the tractor will hold the road perfectly at speed. aligned waves, no joints, no small irregularities from which the interior is filled with roar and the fifth point reads the small things. This is especially true on the highway.

Drive along a patched road where there are potholes and bumps, and your rose-colored glasses will quickly come off. The suspension should handle small things well. keeping the lever from breaking down on serious obstacles. a car of this category with such a suspension deserves the best! And I have proven this more than once. By my example and by those who followed my advice. Solaris was labeled as weak in the car's suspension. And an explanation like, what do you want for that kind of money? And everyone fell for it? Doesn't this car deserve better! Is it not possible to bring to mind the chassis in the form in which it already exists? I will say, you can do more than that. And those who have already done this do not worry about it much. No matter how many essentially necessary bells and whistles they put on a car, paying huge sums without changing the essence. After all, a car is, first of all, a movement; this movement must be confident, accurate and predictable. It should give pleasure, so that the owner feels completely confident behind the wheel, so that the car is not a Gorgon jellyfish dancing along the road and is not a stool that shakes out the guts. The car must completely obey the driver, then and only then will it be a safe car. Merging into one with the car, the driver feels the road with his hands, choosing the desired trajectory. Maneuvers, overtaking, rearrangements, everything must take place in flight. So that when performing a maneuver, the driver clearly senses the situation, and at the right moment makes the necessary decision so that his actions do not lead to loss of control. Stability, comfort, load capacity. Here are the main indicators.

07/14/2014 More than three years have passed and things are still there. Another attempt at improvement. The front suspension of Solaris and Kia Rio is now equipped with “Reinforced” springs. What is the difference between such modernization? It seemed that an additional 1 mm of rod should make the suspension more dense and resistant to the realities of our roads. Instead of the standard 12 mm and later 12.2 mm, the spring rod became thicker, namely 13 mm. But the shape of the spring remained the same, moreover, the spring was made lower. It is 10 mm lower than the first sample and still has the same 3.5 working turns. But the declared ground clearance of 160mm was preserved.

On the right is a spring from 2011. On the left is a spring from 2014. I removed the cambric at the bottom of the spring. That's the difference.

By strengthening the spring they made it shorter. What's the secret? The suspension parameters remain the same. If the spring of the previous version was more charged at a higher voltage, now, due to the shorter spring, the suspension has the same travel, only it has also become stiffer. The ancestor now reads small things well. The installed cambric at the bottom of the spring, a spring ringing damper, makes the suspension somewhat quieter, but comfort suffers greatly from the rigidity. And the suspension breakdowns remained as they were. After all, miracles do not happen in this suspension stroke; it is impossible to make the suspension both stable and comfortable. Well, if you don’t raise it, thereby adding one and a half to two centimeters of ground clearance, which is so lacking when hitting an obstacle. At one time, your humble servant cut up more than a couple of springs. And I did the same in the stock version with a spring 13 mm thick rod. The suspension is breaking through. The declared 160mm actually leaves 80mm of compression for the suspension)))) And then bang! And at speed, even with the car not loaded, this is a direct breakdown with a blow to the entire body. Just a little bit of 20mm is missing, and then even if there is a breakdown, it will be on a serious obstacle and it will only be a touch and not a blow with a sledgehammer. That’s why all the kits that I offer have a degree of suspension travel reserve for breakdown. from 15 to 28 mm. In this kinematics with these stands, this is the best option. So if you change something, you need to completely rework the suspension kinematics and use struts with a large stroke. But it is not easy and it requires investment. The latest improvement is a step back. A shorter spring does not solve the problem, and stability worsens because when the strut is decompressed, the top turns out empty, hence the roll when turning, and in windy weather the straightness is unstable. Well, let's improve the suspension ourselves. Moreover, this is not difficult to do. Otherwise, both Solaris and Kia Rio are very good cars, many components last quite a long time, but more on that in another section. Something like that.

Is there an alternative? Yes she is! And it is time-tested by many months of testing.

We have already written about where Hyundai cars came from. But let’s repeat it in part - what if one of our readers spent the last 6 years in a lethargic sleep and now doesn’t know what Solaris is.

There was a time when thousands of inexpensive, but very decent cars ran en masse onto the streets of the cities of our country. At first they were looked at with suspicion: they still knew little about the “Koreans,” so they waited warily for these Accents to begin to fall apart.

But time passed, completely different cars fell apart, and the Accents still continued to drive on the roads. Our car enthusiasts began to look at the Korean auto industry a little more optimistically, and the fact that the bulk of Russian Accents were assembled in Taganrog gave hope that a decent car could be assembled in Russia.

In a word, the road for Hyundai products was open for us. But the Koreans did not take the easy route: they offered us a third-generation Accent under the name Verna, but this car was not just not to our taste, but rather beyond our means. So everyone would have forgotten about the good new Korean cars, but the plant in Taganrog successfully riveted Accents until 2012, and back in September 2010, a new product of the company was shown at the St. Petersburg Hyundai plant, which became known to us under the name Solaris. Its mass production began in 2011.

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Why Solaris? It is no secret that in many other countries it is known as the fourth generation Accent.

It's all about marketing and psychology. We are used to calling cars by their own names, so the Accent for us will always remain the Accent of the second generation. In some other countries, Solaris is called Verna, but in our country this was the name of the third generation Accent, sales of which failed. Selling a new car under a “failed” name would be simply stupid. For all these reasons, a competition was announced, as a result of which the new model, which entered the assembly line of the plant in the northern capital, received the name Solaris (this word can be translated as “sun” or “sunny” - St. Petersburg residents appreciated the joke).

Since the beginning of production, the model has undergone some changes. In 2013, the range of available options was expanded, and in 2014 a full restyling was carried out.

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Our car today is a restyled one, produced in 2014, with a 1.6-liter engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. Its mileage is 39 thousand kilometers, which is very little for this reliable car. Therefore, for help in the form of additional information, we turned to ROLF Lakhta Hyundai, where service station specialist Alexey Gromov very generously shared with us the intricacies of servicing this car.

Engine

Hyundai does not pamper its customers with a wide range of available engines. For Solaris there are only two options: Gamma series engines with a volume of 1.4 or 1.6 liters (107 and 123 hp, respectively). Let's take a look at the cost of basic maintenance operations and see how tolerant Solaris is of the direct hands of a thrifty owner.

As usual, you can change the engine oil yourself. The dealer fills with the recommended Shell Helix 5W40 oil. To replace, you will need 3.3 liters; the cost of oil at an official service center is 750 rubles per liter. Of course, you can fill in another oil with the same characteristics, the main thing is not to get a fake. An original oil filter costs 450 rubles, and there is hardly any point in looking for an analogue - the quality may be questionable, and you won’t be able to win much on the difference in price.

It is impossible to get the filter from above, so you will have to somehow crawl under the car. If there is neither the opportunity nor the desire to bother with a replacement, then the service center only asks 500-600 rubles for it. But if we decide to carry out maintenance ourselves, then while the oil is draining, we will change the air filter.

The cost of an original filter ranges from 600 to 800 rubles. Replacing it is a matter of a couple of minutes: unscrew the latches, pull out the old one, insert the new one - that's it, ready! So why does this operation cost as much as 430 rubles in the service? And all because doing so is wrong. In my opinion, I still need to blow out all the air ducts. Pay attention to the inside of the filter housing cover. A pipe is visible through it - the entire path from the body to the cylinders needs to be blown out. But under no circumstances should you blow, but on the contrary, “suck out” all the dirt and dust from there. This is an important procedure that everyone forgets about.

The next job available to everyone is replacing spark plugs. To do this, you will have to unscrew four bolts and remove the plastic cover, under which you will find the ignition coils - four pieces, one for each of the spark plugs. I think there is nothing to explain further: we remove the coils, change the spark plugs (1,700 rubles for an NGK set). What should we pay attention to here?

It happens that low-quality fuel gets into the tank of the car. This can lead to malfunctions of the spark plug, after which sometimes the ignition coil also “dies”. Surprisingly, the service station master says that on a car under warranty, the coils and even spark plugs will be replaced free of charge, even if the cause of their failure was bad gasoline. This doesn’t happen often, but it does happen, so don’t think that if you have an inexpensive Korean car, then you can fill it with all sorts of flammable rubbish: you should still approach the choice of gas station responsibly.

Solaris is the very case when. But this was not always the case: in 2013, a wave of warranty chain replacements swept across the country. Since then there has been a lull, and the engines are fulfilling their warranty of 180 thousand mileage without problems. Of course, this does not mean that the chain can not be changed at all. On long runs, it’s still worth listening to it, and if necessary, bring 37 thousand rubles to the service center and leave here with a new timing chain.

By the way, about the maximum mileage. All sorts of people have already dubbed Solaris a “disposable aluminum pan”, which falls apart exactly at the 180,001st kilometer. Let's not argue: aluminum engines do not have repair sizes for pistons, and with high mileage they are really not cheap. But there are two more points. Firstly, for “Internet experts” this may be a surprising discovery, but aluminum engines did not appear yesterday - Toyota has been using them for more than 15 years (series of engines ZZ, NZ, AZ, and so on). Yes, just imagine, since the beginning of the 2000s, most Toyotas, including right-hand drive ones, no longer have any “eternal” cast-iron engines.

Secondly, ROLF masters service out-of-warranty Solaris with high mileage - there are cars that have crossed the 300,000th and even 400,000th mark without capital. It is clear that this is rather a pleasant exception to the rule, and the result is achievable with a quiet ride and attentive service. But the hysteria about “disposability”, you will agree, is somewhat unfounded.

An unpretentious car, oddly enough, is capable of ruining itself precisely with its reliability. If previously you had to constantly check the level of oil consumed by the engine, add coolant that is leaking out to nowhere, or monitor the brake fluid level, then Solaris allows you to relax. The oil dipstick is removed less and less often, and the level of other fluids is not checked at all. Especially those that are not in plain sight.

In our case we are talking about antifreeze. The expansion tank was hidden in such a way that it can only be found by setting this goal; it is not in front of your eyes: it sits in ambush in front of the engine. It is a little more difficult to see the antifreeze level and the corresponding marks on the tank than the back side of the Moon, so the master shows a simple but reliable method: remove the cap with the pipe and see which part of it is wet from the coolant. If it is immersed in antifreeze less than a third, it means the coolant level is insufficient.

In general, the Solaris cooling system does not get enough attention quite often, so if you don’t want to have your car serviced at an official service center (although it’s not that expensive), then look at it more often. And at least after a mileage of 90 thousand kilometers, rinse it thoroughly. Carefully inspect the radiator - even though it is located behind the air conditioner evaporator, it is quite possible to damage it with stones from the road. Actually, the air conditioner radiator also requires attention, but many Solaris owners are such relaxed people that they only tense up if they get hot, and if the engine suffers from the same thing, they don’t see it until the very end.

Otherwise, Solaris engines are absolutely reliable. Moreover, the resource does not depend on the volume - both 1.4- and 1.6-liter units do not raise questions about their operation and durability.

Chassis

Everyone remembers how unsuccessfully Solaris debuted with a rear beam of increased “jumping”, which caused problems with handling, especially at high speeds. But a lot of time has passed since then, and Korean manufacturers have always been very attentive to quality and claims from consumers. Now the owner of Solaris does not have to complain - the chassis copes with its job quite well and does not fall apart on our roads.

Of course, you have to change the stabilizer struts - they have long become consumables. But again, most of the cars that need replacement were produced before 2014; younger Solaris do not yet suffer from the disease of the stabilizer struts. But just in case, we inform you: the cost of the part is 800 rubles, replacement – 2-2.5 thousand.

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The next detail that requires attention does not relate to the chassis, but let’s remember about it while the car is on the lift: the steering rack of the first Solaris was also not reliable. Then the manufacturer even carried out a recall campaign, changing the drive shaft. There is no reason for the owners of new Solaris to worry; today this childhood disease has been cured.

For a mileage of about one hundred thousand, replacement of the silent blocks of the front control arms is usually required. They are located horizontally here, the cost of the part is 4,300 rubles, the work will cost 1,000 rubles. I think that investing this amount once every 100 thousand kilometers should not affect the love for the car.

Transmission and brakes

Our car has a Hyundai six-speed automatic transmission - the same as on the i30. Following the disastrous trend, Koreans believe that the fluid in the box can not be changed throughout its entire service life, that is, for 180 thousand kilometers. The machine can really reach this milestone without replacement, but the cost of major repairs will be an unpleasant surprise. If you plan to throw the car in the trash at the end of the warranty, then you can follow the manufacturer’s recommendations (as, alas, most owners do). But if you want to keep your original automatic transmission up to 300-400 thousand mileage, then the oil in it is changed every 60 thousand.

And if you are looking for a used car, ask the previous owner about changing the oil in the automatic transmission. If he turns out to be overly trusting of the manufacturer, then special attention will need to be paid to checking the automatic transmission.

A liter of liquid will cost 2,500 rubles. Since it is changed using the displacement method, a complete replacement will require eight liters, and they will ask for 4,300 rubles for the work. Yes, an automatic is a convenient thing, but it will cost more to operate than a manual.

All Solaris brakes are disc. Replacing pads at a service center will cost 1,500, together with discs – 2,500 rubles. The cost of original pads is 3,200 for front pads and 4,600 for rear pads. Is it possible to change them yourself? Yes. There is only one subtlety.

If the front brake mechanisms do not require special attention, then the rear brakes very often have the same problem - the calipers become sour. The pads no longer adhere to the entire surface, and wear appears on the discs almost immediately. If you want to extend their service life, then when replacing the rear pads you should definitely lubricate the guides thoroughly, and during operation it is sometimes useful to look at the rear discs: if the guides are wedged, then this will be immediately noticeable from the marks of the brake pads on the discs. By the way, when replacing it yourself, you should not try to press in the pistons of the rear calipers - they must be screwed in. The front pads are changed simply, without any dances with a tambourine and screwing in the pistons.

Body and interior

Does it make sense to talk about how Solaris drives? Probably not. Among your friends there will definitely be an owner of such a car - you can ask him. Solaris drives, and that's enough. Moreover, you can safely overtake with a 1.4-liter engine. Well, we'll see what happens to the body here.

You should not try to ram snowdrifts in winter: the front bumper in the PTF area is quite weak, it is easy to get a crack. On used cars, monitor the condition of the upper edge around the windshield: there is no galvanization on the roof, and chips appear often, especially if you drive a lot on the highway.

Now Solaris are at most five years old, so there are no leaky cars yet, and it is unlikely that there will be any. Blooming chips on actively used variants, however, are found - on the windshield frame and on the hood, less often - on the bottom of the body.

Modern automotive trends are still reflected in the design of this “Korean”, and in a bad way. We are talking about replacing lamps in headlights.

If your arms are flexible enough, long and have three elbows, then you can replace the headlight bulbs. But there is a lot of fuss with the dimensions, and only with the left one (on the driver’s side). On the right, the lamp can be replaced if you crawl under the car, but on the left, you cannot do without removing the bumper - access to the lamp is blocked by the receiver body.

For assistance in preparing the material, we express our gratitude to the ROLF Lakhta Hyundai company and personally to service station specialist Alexey Gromov (St. Petersburg, Savushkina St., 103, lit. B)

and the no less popular Kia Rio.

Need stability on the highway? No problem. Shouldn't there be any swing? This is solvable. Is the suspension flimsy and breaks? And there is a solution. Small things hammering the fifth point? This can be solved and noise from road unevenness can be reduced. This can all be solved. And your humble servant decided this for himself. I studied and studied this with interest for almost three years. And he came up with a certain concept in which it is possible to improve the suspension of this platform, not in mock-up slang in words, but in real deeds, with real developments and tests. Testing time and reviews from owners of those who decided to redo the suspension. More than three years have passed. The year is 2015. Has the problem been resolved at the plant so far? Formally yes! The stern rocking was removed and the suspension was strengthened. But there is no need to delude yourself about this. The problem is still not resolved. Why do I say that the previous changes had little result and the latest reincarnation completely worsened the results. And this is not an unfounded statement, but the result of working with correspondence. Real reviews from owners on websites, letters that I receive in large numbers have similar complaints about the suspension. The main thing is insufficient stability at speeds of more than 100 km/h. Control is not clear enough when performing maneuvers. Unpredictability of car behavior on uneven surfaces. Weak suspension to breakdown. There is a thread about this on the forumI think that my Hyundai Solaris has a bad suspension! http://solaris-club.net/forum/showthread.php?t=6178 and for the sake of fairness I will say that there is another topicI think my Solaris has a good suspension! http://solaris-club.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5498 But there are 127 entries in the first topic and 123 in the second, but views in the first are 56 thousand. In the second, 36 thousand. This suggests that this problem is more likely to exist than not. Moreover, not everyone wants to simply and truthfully write about their car because so much money was given away. And in terms of the number of views, the first one is one and a half times higher. This indicates that there is a problem. Another proof that there is a problem Interest in the topic On the website "Нуundai Solari-Club Russia"Adaptation of the Solaris chassis to Russian roads http://solaris-club.net/forum/showthread.php?t=6394 over 3000 posts and over 450,000 views! And also a topic on the website "Kia Rio-Club Russia"I'm redoing the suspension http://kia-rio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2508.Of course, you can ignore the problem and you can have what you have.But don’t you want to have the best if there is such an opportunity?

And so let's start with what happened. It all started with Solaris from the first batch produced in 2010-2012. The car is very good, beautiful, reliable and simple, inexpensive to maintain.
I have a car from this lot. Even during the purchase and transfer, I noticed that the stern of the Solaris gallops on uneven surfaces and sways especially unpleasantly on the waves. But the car is new, rose-colored glasses and this is the first foreign car. It was significantly different in the flow of cars with its flowing lines; now many manufacturers have, to one degree or another, picked up this design. But Solaris is the first fairly inexpensive car with a beautiful design. But let me return to the essence of the problem. Even at the very beginning on the forumshttp://solaris-club.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=10 They began to express their indignation at the suspension, at the beginning I even defended the suspension. But life put everything in its place. When spring came and the road revealed its charms, the first thing I experienced was the weakness of the suspension to breakdown and the front and rear suspensions easily broke through at low speeds. Therefore, we had to constantly control the speed of movement. If for some reason the speed was a little higher, then a strong breakdown followed, especially in the front suspension. Another fact became clear: the stern of the car rocked on the waves. One day, while entering a turn on a wave, I felt the stern slip into a skid. The car spun to the outside of the bend. then he threw it sharply in the other direction and so on up to three times. And the speed was no more than 80 km/h. After this incident, I became afraid to drive fast if there were waves and bumps on the roads. It was interesting to see how classic vases look! overtake easily. And front-wheel drive vehicles generally made overtaking effortless. Less than two months after the purchase, disappointment set in. How can you buy a car for a decent amount of 500 thousand. With an excellent and quite powerful engine, good dynamics and declared speed at 190km h
in reality this is probably under ideal road conditions. So, it turned out that another very unpleasant drawback of the suspension was the inability to keep the car in a straight line in a crosswind; when encountering trucks, the car was thrown along the highway, and I had to constantly steer. At the same time, the speed dropped sharply, it was just really scary and unsafe to drive. At the same time, the forum literally exploded with indignation about the suspension. Neither the plant nor the OD. no one has given a real sober answer to this question. There was no recall company, but most of all, the motto that the Solaris suspension was adapted to Russian roads sounded like a mockery. Many owners quickly sold their cars second-hand in an attempt to hide the real reason for the sale. Many have simply resigned themselves to this problem. I also almost sold the car, but it was my dream and therefore I decided to change the suspension and its operation myself.

Z factory shock absorber position, stock position. The photo shows that the wheel axle is far behind the lower shock absorber mount.
As a consequence of this, buildup occurs.

So I started searching for and solving problems with the Solaris suspension. Development, testing of different shock absorber mounting designs, selection and production of springs. Installation of additional bumpers. And finally, installing the stabilizer on the rear suspension. All this took two and a half years. I reflected on all the modernization in a topic on the Hyundai-Solaris Club Russia forum. In the first topic "I am upgrading the Solaris suspension"http://solaris-club.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4183 the rating of the topic was very high, then when the problem only affected the rear suspension, this topic was closed and a new one was started: Adaptation of the Hyundai-Solaris chassis to Russian roadshttp://solaris-club.net/forum/showthread.php?t=6394 where I fully disclosed the progress of research to improve the suspension. I had a great desire to solve the problem and correct the design flaw. And I succeeded.
First, I thoroughly studied the parameters of the factory stock suspension.

Brackets with variable geometry in 4 positions. 1.Comfort 2.Normal 3.Sport 4.Super sport

Justification for replacing springs.

Front spring 2010-2011

Front spring 2014-2016

The spring itself has a length of 4.7 vics and a rod thickness of 12 mm
Such a spring holds the body, but under an instantaneous load, such as hitting an obstacle, it easily bends like an old spring sofa, hence the breakdown of the suspension, the inability to hold the body normally elastically on uneven surfaces and when exposed to air currents. Thanks to research and testing, I was able to obtain two types of springs capable of performing their functions well within this suspension. These are kit springs"Carrier", "Universal", "Cross", "Nature", "Sport-DS" "Rural option"made from standard rear springs 06 models of Oryol and VAZ production. Having a length from 5.3 to 6.75 turns, depending on the clearance at the request of the customer.

And the rack itself with such a spring looks beautiful, the spring sits evenly without distortions and works correctly.

Factory stock rear suspension springs have 6.25 turns of which 4.75 are working turns. The rod thickness is 10.5 mm on 2012 models after the February upgrade to 11 mm. with the same number of turns. Why are there few turns? There is little space for the spring itself due to the compactness of the suspension, to prevent the coils from touching. But is this really an excuse for the end consumer? Especially the first 10.5 mm springs are very weak. Even when the car is lightly loaded, rear suspension breakdowns are a constant occurrence. And if you load it to the maximum, the car will simply knock endlessly with the bump stops, while you can only move very slowly.

Rear springs 2010-2011

Rear springs 2014-2016

Prepared rear suspension springs without lifting. The thickness of the rod is 11.2 mm; the number of turns is from 8 to 8.8, depending on the rise.
The thickness of the rod is 11.2 mm; the number of turns is from 8 to 8.8, depending on the rise.
The car is pleasant to drive and is not afraid of the road. The average speed increases and the control voltage decreases. This is especially noticeable on a long journey.

Factory upgrade

The rear suspension began to sway less on the waves, but still the vibrations remained as well as the suspension breakdown, and the stability improved only slightly. The same shock absorbers began to be installed on the first Kia Rio models. Moreover, emphasizing that with the KIA-Rio there will be no problems with the suspension. Kia is not Solaris. Although this is not true, the base is absolutely the same. And the problem came to light a little later when the owners tried the car on the move. During tests in the magazine "Behind the Wheel" they complained about the lack of intelligibility of the controls. But it is so, except for the rear shock absorbers, nothing has changed in the design.After further complaints from the consumer, another attempt was made to modernize the suspension of the Solaris and now the Kia Rio. This Modernization is usually called after the February one. As I predicted, the designers took the simple path. The rear shock absorbers were tightened, making them more rigid in compression and tension. Such shock absorbers received the designation L-002 and began to have a green mark on them.

07/14/2014 More than three years have passed And nothing has changed. Another attempt at improvement. The front suspension of Solaris and Kia Rio is now equipped with “Reinforced” springs. What is the difference between such modernization? It seemed that an additional 1 mm of rod should make the suspension more dense and resistant to the realities of our roads. Instead of the standard 12 mm and later 12.2 mm, the spring rod became thicker, namely 13 mm. But the shape of the spring remained the same, moreover, the spring was made lower. It is 10 mm lower than the first sample and still has the same 3.5 working turns. But the declared ground clearance of 160mm was preserved.