2nd Gen Escort outer tie rod end on Aspire suspension swap?

[Safety Guy]

Today I went to A-Zone to get a few things. While there I priced some parts, including '95 Aspire tie rod ends compared with the same '95 Escort part. I recall Yvan saying you could use Escort tie rod ends and save some money (if you bought new) on the Aspire suspension swap for the Festiva.

I bought one and compared it the best I could. It fit fine in some Aspire knuckles I have lying around and I then pulled the Mutt (it has the Aspire swap) out and turned the wheel all the way to the left. I compared best I could and the dimensions looked fine.

Has anyone confirmed this?

Yvan, can you confirm it?

It looks "doable."

And now for the savings comparing the same year ('95):

A "Duralast" Aspire outer tie rod end was Autozone priced at $55.99 each.

A"Duralast" Escort tie rod end was $19.99!

A cheaper "Valucraft" end was even lower: $9.99.

If this substitute works, one who buys new outer tie rod ends can save around $36 a sided for a total of $72.00!

If one wants the cheaper part, there'll be an additional savings of about $20.00.

I'd just like some confirmation that it has indeed been done successfully before I really recommend it. This '95 Escort outer tie rod end part number is "Duralast ES 3048R." It comes with a castle nut and cotter pin, and a little bag of penetrant.

The only thing I didn't see was a grease fitting on this particular part. I think Yvan had said there was one on his.

Confirmation please? If this works it'll be a nice savings and should be mentioned in any description of the swap.

Karl

[Safety Guy]

Yesterday as I did my knuckles, I had access to the tie rod ends (although I didn't take them off). I took out the Escort tie rod end and compared it with the Festiva's. It was the same length, as would be the Aspire tie rod end, and the stud that extends down looked like an Aspire's (as far as I could tell). The new castle nut fit onto my Festiva's tie rod end stud (same threading).

I think this'll work and I plan to do it on my next suspension swap.

Karl

[Gro Harlem]

the escort brakes are te same as the assfires anyways...i'm sure the tie-rods are pretty much the same too...did the legnths differ at all?

just getting an alignment will fix any inconsistency's, which you should do anyways after messing with the hubs or tie-rod ends.

swapping on some 10.2" brakes is pretty much as simple as sourcing some from an escort and bolting them on, parts for those brakes are just as cheap

[CryptokiD]

i guess ill be the only one here to actually offer you thanks for posting this info.

"thanks"...

[Safety Guy]

Yer welcome Crypto.

Wil, the lengths were the same from my eyeballing them in side by side and mirror image (top to top) comparisons. However, I didn't measure them with anything.

If there is a length difference, it would be less than half a millimeter. An alignment would, as you point out, correct any problems. The only possible difference to worry about would be threading onto the tie rod, but I would hope the diameter and thread pitch would be standardized if everything else is the same.


Am I to take it that 2nd gen Escort rotors are the same as Aspire rotors in diameter and fitment on the hub? (Keeping in mind the thickness differences between Aspire auto and manual rotors.)

In one brake pad fitment guide on an ebay site, Escorts were lumped into a 1991 to 1993 group. Is there a change in the '94s and later? I would doubt it.

I should get me some dial calipers and measuring sticks and go to the 'yard to check out various year Escorts, Aspires, Kia Rios, etc. for front brake component compatability and so forth.

Karl

[Smoore]

Is the taper the same or is there no taper at all?

Were the ball joint sitin the spindle

[oxbrain]

wow, you just saved me $70 on tierod ends. I had been looking for a junkyard aspire with no luck, now I know I can just go buy em. Thanks

[Safety Guy]

Smoore, I'm not sure what you mean by "taper."

Okay, when I posted before I had actually fit it into one of the Festy knuckles Matt had given me (I had mistakenly said "Aspire knuckle"). Now I just went out and tried it in one of the Aspire strut assemblies I have.

Pushing back the rubber boot on the underside, I see the "taper."

Setting it into the knuckle arm hole, it fits down very snugly and the provided castle nut should tighten it up perfectly.

I'm still relatively new at this and I'm not a mechanic, so I could possibly be wrong, but I did do the Aspire conversion with the Aspire tie rod ends before, and this definitely looks like it will work.

Oxbrain, if I were you (or anyone else who tries this), save your receipts until you can fit it in yourself just to make sure.

When you do, please come back here and confirm for us.

However, I'm as sure as I can be that it will work fine.

Karl

[Smoore]

Safety Guy thanks for the info and everyone else here

going to do the tierod ends and the bellows soon