Aspire/Festiva Front Bearing/Shim Question

[Levitan]

I really hate asking some questions because somebody is going to tell me to use the search button...it is your friend. I did. I can't find my answer.

Does doing the Aspire swap eliminate the bearing/shim/rotor problem like in the Festiva front hubs? Eliminating the 21 piece shim kit and all the specialty tools needed?

Thanks in advance!!!

[elcamino1]

Yes problem solved!

[Levitan]

Thank you, Sir!!!

[Pocket_Rocket]

Are you sure about that elcamino1? My car (Festy with Aspire swap) was at the shop today to have the front bearings replaced, and while the bearings are not pressed in the rotor, they are in the spindle, and my mechanic said there was a shim in there when he took it appart...

[wcbarker]

It's not a shim it is just a spacer to keep the bearings from rubbing together.

[FB71]

It's a select-fit shim to set bearing preload. Aspire hubs are built the same way Festy hubs are. The only exception is that the rotor is floating composite (slips onto the hub from the outside) and not bolted to the back of the hub.

[Safety Guy]

I could be wrong, but it's my understanding that if you do it yourself, just use the shims that were with the old bearings with the new set of bearings.

Or is it possible that the new bearings are of a different width and would need a correspondingly sized shim which would need to be procured?

Karl

[jasonpaulbauer]

Both the Aspire and Festiva have similar hubs that include the preload shim/spacer.

Safety Guy is correct... You can typically reuse the old spacer with the new bearings.

Typical manufacturing tolerances verify this as well.... Bearings are made to high dimensional tolerances. It is the hub that is likely less precise, therefore it makes sense that the spacer/shim matches the hub.

[Safety Guy]

Ahh, makes sense. Thanks Jason!

Karl

[stefan]

good to know. I've been meaning to do mine but I was afraid