KIA RIO brake parts?

[RhodeStiva]

What parts do you need for the kia rio brake swap?
And can you swap the rear also?

[jake88maro]

as far as i know you need the entire front knuckle, hub, rotor, and brake assembly. also IIRC they share the same calipers as the aspire, dont quote me on that but im pretty sure thats what ive read. i myself am going to put the rio knuckles, drilled and slotted rotors and escort gt calipers on my BP car and plan to swap EGT rear disk as well as the EGT complete master cylinder and proportioning valve. essentially a complete EGT braking system. This may solve the proportioning valve issue that we have with out festy's since they come with stock rear drums obviously.

[Safety Guy]

Rio rear brakes and suspension is completely different and doesn't swap without a complete redesign and much work.

Early Rio front parts should swap over to Festiva and Aspire. The early Rio rotors and calipers are essentially the same as auto Aspire. Pads are the same between Aspire and Rio. The Rio knuckles use the same bearing set as Aspire and Festiva.

Later Rio (after late 2002) knuckles, rotors and calipers, as well as pads were upgraded and represent the latest EXPERIMENTAL swap opportunities.

I have not worked with the later Rio stuff, but plan to do so next year. I'm not sure how many others have successfully used them. Maybe one, I think?

I have used these from early Rios:

-struts
-strut mounts
-calipers

I have these on Aqua right now and they work fine. Others have done early Rio stuff as well. I think Rectilinear has done the full knuckle swap.

As always, BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU ARE WORKING WITH PARTS SWAPS OF NEW OR UNKNOWN RELIABILITY AND FITMENT.

So far I consider later Rio stuff "new and unknown." Theoretically they might/should work. In reality, we need more documentation!

Karl

[RhodeStiva]

thanks for info. i was wondering because i have no aspires near me right now but plenty RIO in JY.

[rbrown]

I am doing the 2003 swap now.

I really need to get myself a build page.

[PhoenixSHO]

2003-05

Knuckles , hub, brake swapped.

Still untested , but the knuckles are really the same.

http://www.shospeed.com/pics/HPIM0186.JPG

[Safety Guy]

So those are the bigger 10" diameter rotors and corresponding calipers/pads, right Phoenix?

Karl

[PhoenixSHO]

Correct , 03-05 uses 10 inch vented. And when you make the spindle swap , you NEED the rio calipers/pads and rotors. Its mandatory.

[Safety Guy]

And once you go to the 10" Rio front rotors, you'll probably have to run 14" wheels, do you think?

Thanks,

Karl

[PhoenixSHO]

Thats something thats untested , since I got 16" installed (shogun).

[jake88maro]

i guess my real question is, is this a better swap than the 01-02 rio front hub swap? are these calipers bigger? and i think i read that the older rio calipers are smaller?

[PhoenixSHO]

Look on rockauto , all the rotor dimensions are there. smaller.

Plus with 01 , you are still stuck with stupid wheel bolts , instead of studs and nuts.

[Bert]

Look on rockauto , all the rotor dimensions are there. smaller.

Plus with 01 , you are still stuck with stupid wheel bolts , instead of studs and nuts.

That problem is not insurmountable but I do agree with you. VW wheels, for instance, are a direct fit over Assfire/Rio stuff but the hole size of the rims is slightly bigger (1/16 inch) and therefore require much fussing and cursing in order to get the first bolt aligned and started. Studs would be so much easier. As an improv I have a 'spin-in' temporary and headless guide bolt for putting on wheels. Works for me and that 'guide' bolt is stored in with the lug wrench .

[TorqueEffect]

Going to revive this old thread.

So what is the word on the brake swap off a 03-05 Rio? Does it work? What is all required?

If they require 14" wheels then I think I will skip and just do the 01'-02' swap instead.

[1988lx]

I will testify that the 03-05 spindles/rotors/calipers is a direct fit using aspire/escort GT tie-rod ends

PROS
-the '04 parts I used fit very well and I believe the 10" rotors provide a little more heat/warp resistance as well as slightly more stopping power over the 1997 aspire swap previously on the festy
-the swap also changes those stupid bolts to LUG STUDS which I feel is one of the best upgrades of this swap!
-the car had 45,000 miles, so those bearings HOPEFULLY will last quite a long time!
CONS
-the swap is heavier than the usual aspire/early rio swap (I don't have exact weights, maybe a pound heavier per side)
-YOU CANNOT USE 13" ASPIRE STEEL WHEELS (I'm running 14" 7 spoke alloys from a 1994 escort LX with 175/65/14 tires)
-I also had too much positive camber (top of tire tips outward looking at the side of the car), this was easily corrected using a pair of camber bolts (one per side) during my alignment

I did this swap for the spindles, as I believe they will be easier to modify for racing/extreme use.

At the end of the day, if I was doing it again, I would buy the least expensive of the two swaps (Aspire/Early Rio OR Late Rio)....unless you "have to have" those lug studs and true 10" rotors....OR your going for maximum braking power (look out for my version of an "ultimate brake upgrade" at the end of this year)

PM me if you have any questions about this swap, as it is a really simple job!