Suspension ideas for my Lemons Festiva

[majo8]

for the accord we're talking about the 92-04ish rear struts (the long ones).

the 323 can be from the first or second gen (88-94)

the struts mentioned above can handle a 200-250 lb/inch spring easily

Are these parts direct replacements, or are any modifications necessary to make them fit?

[FestYboy]

the 323s are a bolt in AFAIK
the hondas will likely need the collet in the bottom mount adjusted to slip into the stock bracket. (same goes for the Cavalier units)

[russian]

Actually I am also preparing a festiva for lemons - but my tiny experience shouts 'brakes, breaks, breaks!'

good news - if you are a great driver, you can be competitive even with the stock engine - like stock geo metro or stock ford fiesta mark 1

[alpaccino]

for the accord we're talking about the 92-04ish rear struts (the long ones).

the 323 can be from the first or second gen (88-94)

the struts mentioned above can handle a 200-250 lb/inch spring easily

Nice work, thanks alot

[Rectilinear]

What is the status on this project. I too am setting up a Festiva for Lemons. The cage is done so it's suspension and wheel time. I have the front end figured out and swapped to Rio units, but need to cut the springs yet. Looking to upgrade the rear in the next couple weeks and trying to decide exactly what to use.
Looks like the best bet is the Aspire rear beam with Civic or Accord struts/springs, amiright?

[fastivaB6TG25MR]

im using nissan maxima(92ish) rear shocks on my car. i just had to make 3.5" extenders that go on the top. ive been running these for a few years and like them alot.

[Rectilinear]

So I gather from what I have read....

Just about any rear strut assembly will work on the rear of a Festiva... Noted.

[89fastiva]

thats sick...wanna race?

[Festy46]

I know you said you want to keep the Festiva suspension, but I would strongly recommend you go with the Aspire front (at least) swap. The Festiva steering knuckles have a weak spot when subjected to race pounding conditions. The picture below shows where they break and as you can see they break in exactly the same place every time. Swapping to Aspire suspension not only gives you a heavier steering knuckle, but bigger brakes and full wheel support. If you look at the Festiva hub, it has 4 "spokes" where the wheel attaches. The stock 12" Festiva wheel is specially made with reinforcements where it contacts the "spokes" on the the hub. Any other wheel will not have this extra reinforcement. When we ran 13" wheels on the Festiva hubs, we used a steel plate (like a spacer plate) between the spoked hub and the 13" wheel for support. We went to one track where the tech guys made us remove the plates before we could race there. In only a 20 lap race (without the plates), the non stock wheels bolted directly to the spoked hubs started to "work" on the bolt holes and would have eventually either broke the wheel studs or the wheel if it were a long race. As far as the rear beam, we have broken the Festiva beam completely in half in the middle.

[Rectilinear]

^^^That is scary!

You did what to the rear beam?! Split it in half?

Aspire rear beam....Aspire rear beam...Aspire rear beam....

[alpaccino]

^^^That is scary!

You did what to the rear beam?! Split it in half?

Aspire rear beam....Aspire rear beam...Aspire rear beam....

Yeah boss, this is really scary!!!!

[russian]

majo8, how is your project going? Seems like we have at least two festivas already running 2012 Lemons.

[Rectilinear]

I'll tell you from experience from this past weekend, Rio and Aspire parts do the trick on the track. I couldn't believe how well it handled the corners. I never touched the brakes until 100ft out of the corner and when I did, they scrubbed off speed like nobody's business.
Only issues we had were the worn out Festy inner tie rods and the Rio wheel bearings....