Festiva Handling..

[Mysticle31]

So, what is everyone doing to make their festivas handle? I'm speaking in handling for the street, so no lowering.. need all the travel I can muster, and maintain proper geometry. (I come from the VW Shine crowd)

You all run stiffer springs, Coilovers (even with the redused travil, worth it?), Iron in the rear beam, Chassis Stiffening?

I've always liked a nice firm ride, and real controlled body lean.

[Gforcefd]

you named it

You answered your own question:-) The Gr-2 struts are the big thing for festys, alittle stiffer. The aspire brake swap has a integrated rear sway bar to help body roll. And if you get the festiva lowering spring, drops it like an inch, it helps alot.

[Silv3rBull3t]

Even lowered an inch you can go and do everything you wanted to before, the Festiva has so much wheel travel to begin with it almost puts it at a better geometry angle. In fact, stock the Festiva has almost a full positive degree of camber (NOT IDEAL) so lowering it does help and the ride is not much worse at all just a little firmer. -Kyle

[89fester]

When people say they are running Aspire springs, are they running all 4 corners and just cutting the front ones down?

Thanks
89 L

[Guest]

Yeah it feels real top heavy at stock height.. I've lowered mine like 2" FMS springs, GR-2 Struts, camber bolts, 13" wheels instead of the stock 12", 185 x 60 Falken tires, pipe in the rear axel and new bushings all around. It's still a little too stiff for bad roads, but the lower center of gravity makes all the difference. What my black car lacks in power is more than made up in the corners.. So far I have done 2 this way. The BP one is a little different because of all the weight in the front, so I still have some work to do to offset that.

[89fester]

What rims are you running with the 185/60's?

89 L

[Guest]

Konig Reigns

[Mysticle31]

I remember my old VR6 MK2 Jetta, I was running 300lb front springs and 200lb rears with a peace of angle 3/4" iron welded in the rear beam and the front of the car was lowered maybe .5 inch and the rear was made level with the front if not a little lower. And I had Teflon Spherical Bearings in the control arms.

Ever since I had that car, I've been against lowering. I'd like to firm everything up and still keep proper suspension geometry, and have good ground clearance... Definitely want to find a way to press bearings in the festy too.

Perhaps my answer lies in coilovers and finding a local shop that might be able to tune them?

I'm really attracted to this low cost vehicle, 40MPG almost while having a fun car is.. insane.

[89fester]

I grabbed the springs from the Aspire I got my brakes from. As far as I can tell from the messages I have read, the rear springs are basically the same as a Festiva, except for age.

And the fronts are longer and have a higher spring rate? Cutting 1.5 coils off gives stock ride height when using a Festiva strut? So has anyone cut off more coils and used the Aspire spring as a lowering/stiffer spring?

Thanks
89 L