1991 capri XR2 front brake swap.

[TominMO]

ok, yeah, if you have that much differance in spring length i can see you're point, BUT, i'm using an uncompressed strut assembly with either factory or FMS springs installed. in either case the length is the same because of strut travel (the spring is always slightly compressed, even when unloaded).

then on to the jacking issue you describe. so far as i can tell, the spring doesn't care (look at fox body mustangs for an example). yes you may be stressing the strut to one side durring install, but once you're back on the ground, that stress goes away because there's no stress on the LBJ. and really, how often are you having your car sit in an uncompressed state?

again, the binding is only durring install process. once together, there's nolonger any binding in the LBJ area. shaving that 2mm you speak of won't get you anywhere because the knuckle never touches the LCA, the LBJ just runs out of travel.
as for the need for the aspire LCAs, you need them for length to keep the axles from binding in the trans. the XR2 knuckles sit in further than festy knuckles when attached to the festy LCAs so you need to lengthen the LCAs (aspire units) to make up the differance. i tryed using festy LCAs, and it was horrible! install was a nightmare and steering was impossible. swapped in the aspire units and it was like nothing ever happened other than a slight camber gain which was what i was after to begin with for auto-x. aligned the car with 2.1-2.3* of camber on either side. 3 years later and still no wear issues. just have to make sure you're toe is good.

Shaving the knuckle below the LBJ is intended basically to increase the travel of the ball joint, and relieve stress from being shoved up against the knuckle. Since an increase in camber is also reported, due probably to that travel restriction from the design of the XR2 knuckle when it is mounted to the Festiva, shaving the knuckle should rectify that too. Maybe none of these issues are as important as I think, but still it doesn't seem right to have to force parts to work together with a jack. My reasoning is: just alter the design a tiny bit, and they should work together very well, with no issues.

[Aaronbrook37]

I would completely agree with you, Tom. I look forward to seeing what you come with!

[marty!]

Bringing another dormant thread back to life hear.

Couple of questions.

With the Capri knuckle and Aspire LCAs will I have to worry about my axles "popping" out as others have mentioned?

I will be using the G5M-R trans and axles from the same XR2 that is donating the brakes. From reading this thread and others that I searched it's not clear to me what trans/axles people are running when commenting on a Capri brake swap.

Also when swapping to Aspire LCAs do I also need to get a Aspire swaybar or will the Festy one work?

Thanks in advance.

[FestYboy]

three years of beating on this swap and NO axle problems (aside from my tearing the left outer boot durring a test fit 3 years ago).

logic would dictate that if the G5MR and capri axles are used with the factory knuckles and brakes, the total length of drivetrain is the same as a factory festy drivetrain, BUT if you swap the capri brakes onto a factory festy you have to use aspire LCAs. therefore, if you use the G5MR with the capri brakes, you still have to use aspire LCAs.

also, i used the festy sway bar with no fitment issues.

[TominMO]

With the Capri knuckle and Aspire LCAs will I have to worry about my axles "popping" out as others have mentioned?

I will be using the G5M-R trans and axles from the same XR2 that is donating the brakes. From reading this thread and others that I searched it's not clear to me what trans/axles people are running when commenting on a Capri brake swap.

Also when swapping to Aspire LCAs do I also need to get a Aspire swaybar or will the Festy one work?

Update: Greg installed the XR2 knuckles just before FM4. He did grind a little off the bottom of the knuckles, to reduce the angle a bit so that the LCA would fit better, and we would end up with less of a camber issue. There is still too much positive camber tho, which I can at least partially correct by rotating the upper strut mount. I have stock Festy springs and am using the Festy 5-speed and axles. After driving it about 3000 miles or more, no axle popout has occurred. I have the Aspire swaybar, but don't see why the Festy one would not work as well.

[FestYboy]

tom, you're using the aspire LCAs? you should have NEGATIVE camber if that's the case.

[TominMO]

tom, you're using the aspire LCAs? you should have NEGATIVE camber if that's the case.

Yes, Aspire LCAs. I might have the terminology backwards. My tires lean in at the top and (obviously) out at the bottom. I thot that was positive.

Edit: right, just checked the terminology via Google. I have negative camber. So now I'm wondering why I had to use the Aspire LCAs at all. Seems like with the Festy LCAs I would have camber more near stock. I'm thinking that people have gone to Aspire LCAs because they couldn't get the lower strut bolts in with Festiva ones. But since Greg ground off some of the angle on the lower part of the knuckle, thereby giving the LCA more range of motion vertically, maybe Festy LCAs would now work.

[FestYboy]

nope the reason you need the aspire LCAs is because with the festy LCAs, you bind the axles in the diff (you wind up crushing the spider gears together) even with the car on the ground.

and the camber you see os only about 2.5* on each side wich isn't bad and i have yet to see any detrimental tire wear because of it. once i aligned it and gave it .05* toe in, i let it go and havn't touched it since.

[TominMO]

nope the reason you need the aspire LCAs is because with the festy LCAs, you bind the axles in the diff (you wind up crushing the spider gears together) even with the car on the ground.

and the camber you see os only about 2.5* on each side wich isn't bad and i have yet to see any detrimental tire wear because of it. once i aligned it and gave it .05* toe in, i let it go and havn't touched it since.

Yeah I kinda like the NEGATIVE camber; it corners real nice.

[firebush357]

Wow... I just checked the price for Aspire LCAs and they are $88 each on RockAuto!

[chrisofna]

Since it's been ressurected...

Been running the Capri XR2 front brakes for a while and love them with one caveat: I wish I had the ability to run 13 inch wheels. I might swap them out for BF 323 front spindles which are the same other than the brake setup being smaller. I read that first year NA Capris have the same brakes.