Thanks to the design features of the domestic car, you can modify the UAZ-Patriot yourself in various directions. The main criterion is the imagination and financial capabilities of the owner. When upgrading an SUV, they focus on comprehensive equipment of the vehicle or simply improve traction capabilities and interior comfort. By its design, the car belongs to the class of vehicles equipped with continuous sprung axles, a reinforced frame with dependent suspension.
general information
Do-it-yourself modifications to the UAZ-Patriot are often required if the car enthusiast is not satisfied with the factory layout. It is quite enough for a trip outside the city, to the country, or along certain off-road areas. Despite fairly good performance, the comfort and dynamics of the car suffer from the implemented design solutions.
To fully unlock the potential of an SUV, many owners resort to upgrading it in one way or another. Fortunately, most implementations can be done with your own hands. Often work begins with upgrading the interior, the equipment of which looks rather unprepossessing, and the sound insulation leaves much to be desired. Developers can optionally offer hydraulic power steering, air conditioning, and heated mirrors. This is not always enough.
Increased vehicle cross-country ability
Despite the fact that the Patriot is called an SUV, it is not suitable for off-road use. To participate in competitions or just ride through forests and swamps, almost all systems need to be redesigned.
Recommended works:
- installing a differential lock in the rear axle;
- strengthening bumpers, purchasing a winch;
- protection of the body from scratches and other damage;
- suspension modification;
- replacing or tuning the gearbox.
The new UAZ Patriot 2021 model year can be used as a city car or as an SUV. In the basic configuration it is rather weak and requires improvements. There are many ideas on the Internet for improving the appearance and technical part. You can improve it yourself or hire specialists. Complex work, such as chip tuning, is recommended to be done by professionals. A pumped-up car can participate in off-road competitions.
Improvements to the UAZ-Patriot interior: where to start
The external contents of the car in question can be radically transformed. Among the popular and effective improvements:
- Installation of a sports steering wheel.
- Replacement of seats with improved analogues.
- Installation of an informative gearshift lever.
- Equipping the car with a GPS navigator, convenient holders and switches.
- DVR mount.
The main issue is the implementation of complete noise insulation. This will require some work, since it is necessary to disassemble the interior part with the removal of the seats and the front panel. But then the result will pleasantly surprise you.
Vibroplast or its analogues are suitable as the first layer of sound insulation. The next row is a noise absorber type B-100 or Fibermat. These are some of the best materials that are not so easy to find on the open market. Analogues on the market are cheaper, but give a very weak effect that is almost unnoticeable.
Tidying up
1. Adjust and lubricate the door locks. 2. Lubricate the door hinges. 3. Lubricate the rubber door seals with silicone. 4. Check the tightness of the door seals. 5. Lubricate and tighten the electric door window opening mechanisms. 6. Treat the door alarm buttons with anticorrosive. 7. Tighten the seat fastenings. 8. Treat the outer parts of the doors from the bottom and end with anticorrosive. 9. Treat the thresholds at the doors with anticorrosive. 10. Check and adjust the pedal fastenings. 11. Secure the headliner.
Dashboard tuning
After installing enhanced noise insulation, you can begin to modify the UAZ-Patriot stove and instrument panel with your own hands. In the first case, a more powerful heater is used, the characteristics of which allow it to be combined with the existing on-board system. To improve the interior of an SUV, sets of wooden trims are used, which are equipped with the dashboard and door cards. The steering wheel is sometimes covered with natural specialized leather. All these “little things” will allow you to get real pleasure from driving a vehicle.
Improving the instrument panel will improve the readability of standard instruments and indicators. From the set of materials and tools you will need:
- Six LED elements with 850 Ohm resistors.
- Special color film.
- Screwdriver, knife, tweezers.
Initially, the standard dashboard is removed, then the green filters are dismantled. At this point, a system check will be required after the last item has been removed. Having grabbed the prepared film with tweezers, it is placed carefully so that the edges extend beyond the scale sectors by 10-15 mm. The cross-section is checked again and the LEDs are installed. In order for the unit to work properly and be completed, the top row of light bulbs is ground off, filled with adhesive and equipped with LEDs.
Model description
The UAZ Patriot SUV is an all-wheel drive, comfortable, and also quite roomy vehicle, with a high load capacity, which is excellent for off-road driving.
The car can be equipped with:
- Power steering;
- Central locking;
- Electronic mirror drive;
- Central locking;
- Additional seats and other options.
The dashboard is made of soft polymer, the instruments are informative and look beautiful, and the transmission is located in a convenient place.
Compared to the previous UAZ family, this model received an increased wheelbase and improved cross-country ability; it is much more stable and has a softer ride.
Depending on the year of manufacture and configuration, the SUV can be equipped with a ZMZ gasoline engine or an IVECO F1A diesel engine, which are paired with a five-speed Dymos manual transmission.
Installation of external body kit
The exterior of an SUV is often improved with the help of an external body kit or the installation of wider rims. They will not increase the vehicle's cross-country ability, but will contribute to the appearance of uniqueness and aggressiveness. For those owners who prioritize improving cross-country ability, experts recommend adding leaves to the springs. Another piece of advice in this direction is choosing the right tires.
One of the most vulnerable parts that requires DIY modification in the UAZ-Patriot is the front bumper. This element often becomes a moral limiter for cross-country ability. The driver is simply afraid of damaging the part when overcoming uneven roads or wading through water. This problem can be solved by installing a shockproof reinforced frame, as well as by covering parts of the body with an armored film that protects against chips, scratches and mechanical influences.
Installation of new optics
Patriot optics need improvement. You can see in the photo what the car will look like after such tuning. To make the UAZ headlights have a more attractive appearance, you will need a DRL kit, a hair dryer and black spray paint. First, the standard optics are dismantled. The glass is separated from the headlight. A nozzle in the shape of a narrow spout is put on a construction hair dryer. Using this tool, heat the perimeter of the headlight seam until the sealant becomes plastic. Remove the glass with a screwdriver.
Tuning optics
The next stage is painting the reflector; for this it is dismantled. The side light socket and the turn signal are disconnected. Experts distinguish 2 methods of painting headlights:
- finishing of all optics;
- painting of all elements except wells.
To paint the headlights using the 2nd method, you will need to protect the wells from the paint substance. To do this, use masking tape. First, the surface of the headlight is degreased and primed. Painting and drying is carried out several times. Such modification of the optics will allow you to get a good matte shade.
The next step is to install the DRLs. Power is taken from the dimensions (“plus” – gray cable, “minus” – brown). Upon completion of the work, the headlights are assembled and installed in place.
Further do-it-yourself modification of the first generation UAZ-Patriot
For external tuning, you can also use the following techniques:
- Application of 3D airbrush.
- Installation of hatch and winch.
- Repainting the vehicle in an exotic or rare color scheme.
- Window tinting.
In addition, the fuel tanks hanging along the sides are covered with metal sheets, which are mounted on the threshold clamps. This will make it possible to protect the tanks from stones or other obstacles found on the road that can damage the elements. Among other useful do-it-yourself improvements to the UAZ-Patriot, the following can be noted:
- Installation of self-locking differentials in the axle structure.
- Replacement of drum brakes on the driving wheels with disc analogues.
- Installation of protection on the transmission and transfer case assembly.
- Additional arrangement of steering rods, which also often suffer when driving off-road.
Suspension modifications
The UAZ Patriot is equipped with a good suspension, which has its drawbacks. For an SUV, significant ground clearance, large wheels and a powerful engine are important. All these parameters are available on the UAZ Patriot, but to an insignificant extent, so let’s look at the principles of modifying the SUV.
The suspension is an important element of the car, which first of all experiences all the negative effects of overcoming off-road conditions. What needs to be done to upgrade the suspension? Let's look further.
Engine upgrade methods
The engine of the domestic UAZ Patriot car is also subject to modernization. We will consider further what exactly needs to be improved in the engine design.
Transmission
The SUV's transmission also needs useful improvements. To do this, the first step is to modify the design of the rear axle, replacing it with a reinforced version. It is also necessary to install gears with a reduced gear ratio, thereby increasing the vehicle's cross-country ability. The gearbox on the UAZ 3163 SUV is not intended for use in harsh off-road conditions, so it is recommended to replace it with a model from the Gazelle car. This is quite simple to do, since its design is almost similar to the UAZ one.
It is also necessary to pay attention to the clutch, replacing it with an improved one. It is recommended to install a ceramic clutch, which is the most expensive today. But this particular clutch works flawlessly, so you can forget for a long time about the problems of clutch malfunction.
Instead of standard crosspieces, reinforced products must be installed on cardan shafts. The crosspiece is the part that first fails when overcoming serious types of obstacles, especially if the engine has been replaced with a more powerful one.
Don't forget about the salon
Before making useful modifications to the interior of an SUV, you should find out for what purposes it is used. If the UAZ 3163 is used in urban areas, then comfort is indispensable. On models up to 2012. you can’t say anything about the comfort of the interior, but on models from 2013 onwards. The interior of the cabin is already much nicer, but it also needs modernization.
If the Patriot is used in off-road conditions, then comfort is out of the question, but in this case it is important to pay attention to safety. Comfort can be achieved by quieting the interior. Such useful improvements will allow you to forget about the noise outside and enjoy only driving the car. How and what you can use to reduce noise in a car’s interior is described in the material from the “Interior” section.
The standard seat upholstery of a UAZ Patriot car can be replaced with leather, which will cost a decent price. Finishing will also be required for the torpedo, which is made of plastic. To do this, it is not necessary to replace it with another one, but simply cover it with special suede or other types of materials. After this, you can feel like you’re not driving a domestic car, but a foreign one.
For an SUV operating in off-road conditions, all these modifications to the interior are not necessary, and, most importantly, provide for additional equipment of the interior with elements that increase the safety of the vehicle.
Do not forget about such elements as a winch, as well as steel bumpers. A winch will always come in handy when wading, but steel bumpers will protect the interior from damage. At this stage, we can summarize and note that such useful improvements will improve the car not only technically, but also visually. After all, upgrading the interior is very important for the perception of the driver’s eyes, which allows him to feel comfortable and safe.
Source
Improved engine performance
In its standard version, the domestic SUV is equipped with a 2.8-liter gasoline engine with a capacity of 130 horsepower. The easiest way to change engine parameters is by installing a turbine or compressor, which will improve power by 20-25%. Another option is to modify the cooling system of the UAZ-Patriot. It is carried out by replacing connecting elements with higher quality analogues. The compressor will also increase the efficiency of the specified system and the entire power unit.
Chip tuning is another opportunity to optimize the operation of the engine and related components. To carry it out you need a special program and a regular computer or laptop. According to experts, such modernization will not lead to improved efficiency. This means that increasing traction or dynamics will require more fuel consumption.
Other possible improvements to the power unit:
- Modification of the UAZ-Patriot air filter by replacing it with an element with zero resistance. This will allow the engine to breathe easier and gain speed more actively.
- Replacing standard gaskets with cork options, preventing the possibility of oil leakage at the most inopportune moment.
- Installation of camshafts with increased lift. This solution is aimed at maintaining the required filling of the cylinders at high speeds. At low temperatures, the unit will function slightly wave-like.
- Installation of titanium poppet valves.
- Introduction of a radiator with a larger working area and a fan with increased power into the design.
Chassis modernization
In this direction, it is recommended to install reinforced axles on an SUV, which will allow you to easily overcome all kinds of obstacles. This design differs from standard elements in the presence of side gearboxes. This feature raises the unit by 40 millimeters relative to the wheel axle, simultaneously increasing the vehicle's ground clearance. Changed gear ratios complement the car with improved traction and less active speed dynamics.
Replacing hard factory tires with versions with soft sidewalls can improve the smoothness of movement somewhat. This is especially true when driving on broken domestic roads. This indicator is also influenced by the presence of improved shock absorbers or pneumatic cylinders. Users note: the smaller the unsprung block, the smoother the ride. That is, reducing only the weight of the disk by installing forged analogues with a smaller radius shows quite decent results.
Salon
The modernization of the interior includes many different improvements. For example:
- Install the covers. To make them look organic, use options with imitation veneer, carbon, leather or aluminum. A salon with too many overlays looks ridiculous.
- Buy seat covers or reupholster the interior. The most drastic measures are a complete replacement of the interior. To save money, just buy covers.
- Isolate the interior from extraneous sounds. It is better to soundproof the wheel arches, floor, door panels and ceiling. Rest assured, this will not affect the appearance in any way, but will make being in the car more comfortable.
- Replace the instrument panel. This is a particularly relevant point for the old generation; the new panel will make the interior design more modern, and you will receive more information about the condition of the vehicle.
- Cover the steering wheel with leather. Choose the color of the material based on the shades of the interior and exterior.
These are the simplest and most budget-friendly options for tuning the interior of a UAZ Patriot pickup truck with your own hands. You can look at more options on the Internet - there are enough photo examples there.
Other tuning options
If the above transformations are not enough for you, you can install additional light elements on the front bumper of the SUV. Below are some more useful tips:
- Improvement of the UAZ-Patriot filter.
- The snorkel is located above the air intakes, which makes it possible to ford without fear of getting a water hammer.
- Installation of halogen headlights.
- Installation of a special expeditionary roof rack on a car.
- Mounting rear additional optics, making it easier to navigate and maneuver in the dark.
To make it more convenient to put things on the top trunk, it is advisable to mount a ladder on the rear door of the vehicle. The fastenings should be pre-strengthened. The rear of the car can be sheathed with aluminum protection, and clamps can be fitted for transporting special tools.
Invisible but useful improvements
1. Noise and vibration insulation. 2. Audio preparation. 3. Rear view camera. Surveillance cameras around the perimeter of the car. 4. Additional stove. 5. Autonomous heater. 6. Splitter for 12V sockets. 7. Inverter 12V/220V. 8. Rest for resting the driver’s left leg. 9. Alarm system with auto start and pager. 10. Additional anti-theft measures. 11. Door closers. 12. Opening and closing the trunk door by pressing a button (servo drive). Electric tailgate. 13. Opening and closing the hood by pressing a button (servo drive). 14. Glass closers. 15. Replacing the windshield with heated glass. 16. Box (organizer) for tools and things. 17. Door locks are anti-noise. 18. Replacing the interior lights with fluorescent ones. 19. Additional buttons for rear beet lifters. 20. Refinement of the exhaust system to reduce noise in the cabin. 21. Lowering side window of the trunk with electric drive. 22. Power sliding rear door window. 23. Central locking with remote control. 24. Engine start system with a button. 25. Automatic headlight angle correction. 26. Car air ionizer.
