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Aspire sway bar in a Festiva

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  • Aspire sway bar in a Festiva

    Just installed the Aspire front sway bar in my Festiva. Nothing unusual in the install... contact with the front transmission mount and interference with the lower rad hose.

    A couple of ideas to throw out in the way of solutions...

    If a 1/8" or 3/16" plate were added between the sway bar bushing and the frame this would drop the sway enough (I think) to clear the transmission mount without hitting the crossmember. It would have to be shaped to follow the contour of the bushing where is meets the frame. I don't see any issues with alignment etc. The other idea I had would be to add a plate or a couple of washers between the transmission mount itself and the crossmember, effectively lifting the engine up a bit at the front.

    Does the Aspire radiator fit in the Festiva? I'm assuming that the lower rad hose outlet is designed/located so that the hose clears the sway bar. I seem to recall that Roger did the Aspire rad in the "project" Festiva he used to have on his site with one of the rad supports needing relocation.

    I've only driven the car to work today with the sway bar in but already noticed a big improvement in handling. I'm going to work on the back end soon. I think I'm going to try the same thing Tim DeRonne did on his race car a few years ago which was adding a 1 1/2" dia. steel tube in the Festiva rear axle beam. I think I might still have some photos around somewhere, I'll see if I can find them.

    Your comments and suggestions welcome.
    Ian
    Calgary AB, Canada
    93 L B6T: June 2016 FOTM
    59 Austin Healey "Bugeye" Sprite

    "It's infinitely better to fail with courage than to sit idle with fear...." Chip Gaines (pg 167 of Capital Gaines, Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff)

    Link to the "Road Trip Starting Points" page of my Econobox Café blog

  • #2
    Ian wrote:

    "I seem to recall that Roger did the Aspire rad in the 'project' Festiva he used to have on his site with one of the rad supports needing relocation."

    That's what I remember.

    Karl
    '93GL "Prettystiva" ticking B3 and 5 speed, backup DD; full swaps in spring!
    '91L "AquaMutt" my '91L; B6 swap/5 speed & Aspire brakes, DD/work car
    '92L "Twinstiva" 5sp, salvage titled, waiting for repairs...
    '93GL "Luxstiva," '94 B6 engine & ATX; needs overhauled
    '89L "Muttstiva," now a storage bin, future trailer project

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    • #3
      I picked up an Aspire radiator today. It's wider than the Festiva and the lower outlet points over to the passenger side rather than straight down so that it clears the sway bar. I'll check out the mounting a bit later to see what mods are necessary. I'm also going to see if there's an easy way to modify the Festiva outlet without compromising the cooling system.
      Ian
      Calgary AB, Canada
      93 L B6T: June 2016 FOTM
      59 Austin Healey "Bugeye" Sprite

      "It's infinitely better to fail with courage than to sit idle with fear...." Chip Gaines (pg 167 of Capital Gaines, Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff)

      Link to the "Road Trip Starting Points" page of my Econobox Café blog

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      • #4
        I just solved my trans mount clearence issue with the Aspire sway bar. I took out the mount, notched on the witness mark with an air hammer, put the mount on a V-block in a hydraulic press and pushed that side of the mount in about 3/8". Now with the car on a rack and the suspension at full drop, I still have over 1/8" of clearence. I am just hoping I didnt kill the rubber bond to the metal.
        186,000 miles per second is not just a good idea, it's the law

        1990 yellow L+ (l8ly)
        1990 yellow L+ (sunryz)
        1992 aqua L (agua)
        1993 blue L (aurora)

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        • #5
          That reminds me... I solved the radiator issue while keeping the stock one. When I picked up the Aspire rad I also got the brackets that hold it at the top. When I got home I noticed that the shape was different in that the was less of a drop from the surface where the bracket mounts to the rad support to the hole that the rad post pokes through. The Aspire ones aren't straight like the Festiva's are but I had an idea. I also brought home the "donuts" that go at the bottom of the radiator.

          What I did was to cut the fat part off the Aspire "donuts" and used the smaller part as a spacer between the stock Festiva "donut" and the mounting hole. I then straightened out the Aspire brackets and used them instead of the Festiva ones. This effectively raised the radiator up about 1/2". This combined with shortening the lower rad hose at the radiator end all but lifted the hose off the sway bar. I'll try and get pictures sometime this weekend and get them posted.

          What I'm going to try for the mount interference is placing about an 1/8" spacer between the mount and the crossmember. This will lift the front of the engine a bit but I can't see it causing any problems.

          Hope that helps.
          Ian
          Calgary AB, Canada
          93 L B6T: June 2016 FOTM
          59 Austin Healey "Bugeye" Sprite

          "It's infinitely better to fail with courage than to sit idle with fear...." Chip Gaines (pg 167 of Capital Gaines, Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff)

          Link to the "Road Trip Starting Points" page of my Econobox Café blog

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          • #6
            Here's the photos

            Stock Festiva bracket:


            __________________________________________________ ______

            Stock Aspire bracket:


            __________________________________________________ ______

            Bracket comparison:


            __________________________________________________ _______

            Modified Aspire bracket:


            __________________________________________________ _______

            Stock bottom "donut":


            __________________________________________________ ________

            Modified bottom "donut":


            Install one of the larger rings onto each of the legs on the bottom of the radiator then install the stock "donut". The leg is long enough to go through both pieces.

            __________________________________________________ ________

            I've been running with this setup for quite a while and have had no issues.

            Hope it helps.
            Ian
            Calgary AB, Canada
            93 L B6T: June 2016 FOTM
            59 Austin Healey "Bugeye" Sprite

            "It's infinitely better to fail with courage than to sit idle with fear...." Chip Gaines (pg 167 of Capital Gaines, Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff)

            Link to the "Road Trip Starting Points" page of my Econobox Café blog

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            • #7
              Here's a photo of the resulting clearance between the lower rad hose and the sway bar.

              Ian
              Calgary AB, Canada
              93 L B6T: June 2016 FOTM
              59 Austin Healey "Bugeye" Sprite

              "It's infinitely better to fail with courage than to sit idle with fear...." Chip Gaines (pg 167 of Capital Gaines, Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff)

              Link to the "Road Trip Starting Points" page of my Econobox Café blog

              Comment


              • #8
                I don't think i would have the clearance to install an aspire sway bar :lol:

                1988 323 Station Wagon - KLG4 swapped
                1988 323 GT - B6T Powered
                2008 Ford Escape - Rollover Survivor

                1990 Festiva - First Ever Completed KLZE swap (SOLD)

                If no one from the future stops you from doing it, how bad of a decision can it really be?

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                • #9
                  Is the bar installed Right side up or up side down with your method?
                  Slainte!

                  -Mike

                  91 Festiva L 1.3l 5spd

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                  • #10
                    ^^ Thats right side up.
                    -93' L BP swap/e-series, coilovers, RIO front swap, redrilled festy drums, Miata 14" 7 spokes.
                    -88' Mazda 323 SE, work in progress..
                    -85' Nissan Sentra 5 spd.

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                    • #11
                      Thanks just making sure. Haven't installed mine yet. Trying to see what others have done.
                      Slainte!

                      -Mike

                      91 Festiva L 1.3l 5spd

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                      • #12
                        Will it even go in upside down?

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by speedoholic View Post
                          Will it even go in upside down?
                          yup....seen one at Ohiostiva that way....not sure what the benefit is, maybe clearance.
                          "FLTG4LIFE" @FINALLEVEL , "PBH"
                          89L Silver EFI auto
                          91GL Green Auto DD
                          There ain't no rest for the wicked
                          until we close our eyes for good.
                          I will sleep when I die!
                          I'm a little hunk of tin, nobody knows what shape I'm in. I've got four wheels and a running board, I'm not a Chevy, I'M A FORD!

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                          • #14
                            That's been what I've been trying to find out. It seems that you can do it both ways, but each have their respective issues.
                            Slainte!

                            -Mike

                            91 Festiva L 1.3l 5spd

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                            • #15
                              When I put mine in, I looked at installing it upside down, but it seemed more work than just installing it right side up. I do have minor rubbing with the front trans mount, but ignore it. The lower rad hose I solved by adding part of another lower rad rubber mount to both lower mounts, to raise the radiator itself; and cutting the lower rad hose near the rad itself to help with clearance, both of which festivaca explained. Kept the Festiva upper rad mounts tho.
                              Last edited by TominMO; 07-26-2010, 02:38 PM.
                              90 Festy (Larry)--B6M (Matt D. modified B6 head), header, 5-speed, Capri XR2 front brakes, many other little mods
                              09 Kia Rondo--a Festy on steroids!

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