Reproduced with kind permission of Richard Kimball Australia.
With additions and updates by myself DG.
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Disclaimer

These Answers are NOT necessarily as per the workshop manual and I am NOT a licensed mechanic !

They are only intended to give you some vague idea as to how to overcome a problem or to satisfy your curiosity.

I suggest you consult a licensed mechanic or official workshop manual before carrying out any work on your vehicle.


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1. I am planning on buying a Lada Niva. What should I look for.... ?

DG.Check out this very honest buyers guide4x4mart.co.uk
For a comprehensive check list click here

a. Normally check the same as for any vehicle.

b. The main problem areas for Niva are;

1. Rust

2. Gearbox

3. Gearbox / Transfer case alignment

4. Electrical Problems ( mainly loose fuses )

5. Cabin Heater shutoff valve.

There are other things listed in the comprehensive list but the above seem to be the most re-occuring problems mention on the group discussion lists.



2. What Kind of Fuel Consumption can I expect .........?

A. How long is a piece of string ????? This can vary so much that I'm hardly game to try to answer it ! about 10L per 100klms would be about average on the highway. Some get more, some get less. Off road ? well just take a few spare jerry cans ! It's better to measure in litres ( or gallons ) per hour !

3. What size tyres & wheels fit the Niva......................?

Niva comes with 16" wheels, 6.95 X16 tyres, unless fitted with special 15" wheels such as the Cossack, Toro and a few others. Every owner has a different opinion on which wheels are the best ! The Suzuki, F150 Ford, and some other 15" are OK, BUT you must be aware of the offset ! Personal experience tells me that the Suzuki Vitara wheels do fit and look OK but the offset is way wide ! makes steering very heavy and could be hard on wheel bearings. Also there is the LAW to consider ! Different laws for different countries. BWA make a very good 15" wheel if you can find them. If you go to 15" tyres look around till you find a tyre that is as close to the same circumference as the original 16" so as not to upset the reading of the speedometer and the gearing. Also so they don't rub on the wheel arches.



4. Do all Nivas vibrate...................................................?

A. NO !!!!! No Nivas should vibrate !!! However, due to poor alignment of the gearbox, transfer case and rear axle most DO give off varying degrees of vibration. This CAN be prevented or at least minimised !

5. How do I stop the vibrations ..........................................?

A. Hey ! I thought YOU could tell ME !! Here is a look at the correct alignment I'll add some methods of how to achieve it when I get time.

6. What sort of speeds can I expect from my Niva ...........?

A. Just ask each owner ! They each have the fastest Niva out there ! Officially ............. 137kph !!!!!!!

If it is worked out mathamatically a standard Niva with standard gear & tyres CANNOT go faster than 137 kph.

"My 1987 Niva with a close to dead 1.6 also managed to get up to 140+ on a good day, on a flat road. But, potholes, undulations in the road and inclines higher than 1 degree drop the speed drastically." Reece Hoffmann

" I have a 92 EFI Toro. It cruises well on 110 Km/h +, even on LPG. I've managed the top speed of 137 km/h with little effort." Roger Schulz;

Basically, you should be able to cruise comfortably at around 110kph ( 65-70 mph ) BUT, speed drops off fast with the slightest incline. These vehicles were built for OFF-ROAD work. If you want to travel fast, go look up Porsche !

7. Can I remove the Rubber Doughnut ( Intermediate Drive shaft ) without removing the transfer case................. ?

A The " Doughnut " and joint ( CV or Universal ) CAN be removed without taking off the transfer case. You need to fit a 6" hose clamp around the rubber ring before you undo the bolts ! Otherwise you can't slip the bolts out ! Mark exactly where the T/C is positioned ( spray some paint around it's housing ) so you can get it aligned correctly when you refit it ! Simply loosen the transfer case ( T/C ) mounting bolts then undo the four bolts that attach the joint to the transfer case, slide the T/C back just a little, then undo the three large bolts that hold the " doughnut " to the gearbox. If you have the hose clamp in place and tight, the bolts should slip out easily. The whole unit should now fall out !! Ha ha !! Remember ! it is mandatory to lose the skin off at least four knuckles while carrying out this job ! Before you put the coupling back in make sure that large nut at the end of the gearbox shaft is tight ! Then all you need to do is realign the T/C so you don't get vibrations ! Oh what fun !

8. Has anyone ever welded the spidergears together

in their Niva (for permanent off-road use only of course) to make a "it's locked all-right" diff?

A. "Yes you can weld up your rear diff and not worry about breaking the axles.....its the pinion gear that normally breaks first I quite often break front inner driveshafts on the spline in the diff this happens usually when one wheel is in the air spinning & suddenly gets contact with the ground giving the axle a big "shock" with your rear diff welded you can still drive on the road quite happily just be a bit more careful driving round sharp corners in the wet."

Simon, Auckland NZ

Warning !!! If you live in Australia and you have a crash, you can kiss your insurance goodbye if you do this !! Please let me know when you will be on the road..... so I can get OFF IT !!!!!!!

9. Which diesel Engine can I use in a Lada Niva .............. ??

A. It seems there are several different types of Diesel engine that can be fitted to a Niva with minimum fuss. Most popular in South America seems to be the VW 1600 from the MkII Golf. Toyota is also popular and Izuzu, even the old Peugeot 1905 indirect injection.

If you know of any others and the type numbers please let me know so I can list it here.



10. Can I fit a 2litre Twin cam engine to my Niva................... ?

DG. Yes ! Check out this site cloggy.net

He has recently fitted a Fiat engine and can show you what is involved.



11. Can I fit a Diff. Lock to my Niva .................????

I have been in DIRECT contact with Powertrax (the makers of the Lock-Right) over the past 18 Months. No other differential that they produce directly interchanges with Lada. They did agree that one COULD be produced for the Niva, but the only catch is a 100 unit minimum order would be needed to start production, and they would want 50% of the money UP FRONT before they would do it. The price would be between and US, depending on final production cost. Fiat 124 centre sections are a direct bolt in (I have tried this); Fiat offered a limited slip diff, if you can find one. A Locking Diff was available & manufactured in Australia, but This unit is no longer available. Try contacting the Aussies to find one.

Gavin Warren. Lada Owners Club Canada.



12. Can I fit Power Steering to my Niva............. ???

DG.Yes check out this site cloggy.net
A. Much the same as for the Diff Locks. Power steer units were made in Europe but were for the left hand drive. Some-one was going to produce them for RHD but the minimum order was 1500 units ! I believe several owners have fitted a Toyota unit without too much fuss. Not sure of the model it comes from at this stage ( can some-one let me know ? )

13. Can I put my Niva on higher springs ( about 4cm.)

DG.One persons experience.4x4mart.co.uk
DG.Also check Scorpion Racing for equipmentScorpion Racing

A." Ride hight can have a major effect on braking and steering stability. I have Monroe air shocks on the rear of my Niva ute. Used correctly when there's a fair weight on the rear they keep you from bottoming out. If you pump them up to 80-90 psi you can get about 3 - 4 inch lift. More than what I'd recommend as the shockers are pretty solid and not doing their job. A side effect of this extra height is that if you break hard the front dips and the car veers to the right. This is caused by the set up of the panhard rod in the rear axle. The ideal suspension setup is where the panhard rod is as nearly parallel to the rear axel. If you do not lengthen the support bracket on the panhard rod so that you keep this near horizontal position hard braking will cause the rear axle to lose alignment causing the Niva to veer to the right. The greater the lift the more misalignment occurs and more sudden the the veer. Having solid shockers didn't help me, but when I slammed on the brakes to avoid running into the rear of a suddenly stopped line of traffic my Niva entered a spin to the right onto the grass median strip. (The car behind me rearended the car in front of me). Other than having to go home to change my jeans I got off Scott free, but I haven't driven at speed with the shockers pumped up fully. Be careful with major suspension changes as they can build in unexpected consequences."

Paul. Melbourne

"From an engineering point of view, the only mechanical stress involved in raising the suspension will be on any universal joints as they will be working at a more acute angle than what they were designed for. This will also apply to the wishbones and any other 'moving part' that has an altered angle. The only reason (that I can see) for an increase in axle breakages is that, with the improved ground clearance, drivers are able to attempt terrain that would be otherwise inaccessible due to height restrictions......thereby putting all components of the drive train under greater stresses. My personal feelings are to leave 'lifting' the vehicle alone unless you have 'deep pockets' and 'bottomless bank balance'.Slightly improved ground clearance can be gained by looking at wheel and tyre size......for example, I have fitted 205R16 tyres to my Niva and gained (just) over 1 inch extra clearance without affecting any drive train angles."

Vern.



14. How deep can a Niva go.............??????

A. Well that depends a) on your Niva and b) on how wet you want to get.

a) "You can equip your Niva and make it go really deep (as I have done). You need a snorkel to the air intake, a valve on the exhaust or a second snorkel and really good sealing of in-hood electric's. I use gloves for that right now although I have made some plastic covers. Keep in mind that even cables need sealing. At the sparkplugs there are holes to let pressure come out. If you seal those the cables might pop out. I used a piece of tape with some silicon making something like a primitive one way valve. If you don't do all that you should know that you can get the exhaust in water as long as you have the motor running and you should never let water reach the intake. A common problem with offroaders is that the engine stops not from the depth of water but from the splash the entrance to water or a sudden stop-and-run causes. Cover the front and the hood with something waterproof, move with a steady speed creating a small (and I mean SMALL) wave in front of the car and you'll be ok. avoid turning around and manoeuvring in water. And now for the second part."

b) "How wet can you get?? Keep in mind that the Niva will never get a waterproof interior. This is good and bad. It is good because you get better traction when water comes in. But it is really bad as water can destroy anything and get you wet. There are some ways to seal various parts but water will be coming from everywhere. Anyway that doesn't limit the capability of the car but of the driver."

Jason.

"Just a few more things to add to Jason's comments. It pays to replace the breather caps on the diffs, transfer case and gearbox with hoses routed to places where the water will (or should) never reach. This is to prevent water from being sucked past the seals as the air in the warm gear housings contracts after being dunked in cold water. Before crossing deep water slacken off the fanbelt so it can slip. The reason for this is (not so important on a Niva with plastic fanblades) to prevent the fanblades from bending forward when submerged in water and contacting and possibly cutting through the radiator core. Also expect more frequent alternator and starter motor rebuilds as these units are not designed to be operated under water. Apart from that the real limit to how deep you can go is keeping the spark going to the plugs and keep water out of the airfilter.

Lada specifies a maximum fording depth of 0.5 meters on a stock standard Niva."

Pierre.



15. Can I fit a Larger Fuel Tank ............????

A. Several owners have successfully fitted larger tanks. One is from a Datsun 1600. The exhaust has to be re-routed to make up the space available and an external filler installed.

"There's a number of other Long range tanks in use in the club up to Brown Davis custom made tanks. One option I like is using a efi tank out of a Mazda 121 which has its own internal pressure pump. You hook the additional tank up to your existing one and when the main tank is empty you top it up from the rear tank by running the pump. This is a lot less complicated than getting the existing fuel pump to switch from tank to tank. You may wish to be careful on the size of the tank. Much more than 45lt that far to the rear of the Niva must have some serious balance and steering issues to be provided for."

Paul . Melbourne