aspire brake swap link - is this forbidden at all?

[jawbraeka]

http://www.clubprotege.com/wil/howto/aspirebrakes.htm

here is a link for the aspire brake swap as i wasn't able to find a comprehensive one at all.. this seemed to be the ticket.

i'm going to also copy and paste it here for prosperity sakes (and in-case the link fails as well)

I will say this in case anyone in the forum actually wrote this, i do apologize immensely as it wouldn't go without saying "WHY isn't in this forum already?" and add a slap to that also.

I take no props for this guide, just passing it to the forum as information needed as i find that i will be doing this and i'm sure there are going to be other noobs that want to know how it's done as well and "pop their proverbial cherries".

I will also assume that this will apply to the Gen2 Festiva's / Avella's as well, but won't guarantee it.


Aspire Brake EZ how-to
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was confused reading all the other threads on the Aspire brake upgrade. I had to resort to calling one guy who did the swap to get the info I needed.

So...here is my how-to for how to do this swap the right way, the first time, and for as little money as possible.

What you need from the Junkyard / Auto parts store

From Junkyard:
-Drivers hub/spindle assembly
-Passengers hub/spindle assembly
-Both Aspire calipers
-Both Aspire Tie-rod ends
-Both Aspire Rotors
-Aspire Trailing arm with Drums/Hub assembly attached and metal and rubber brakelines in place
-Aspire e-brake cables
-(4) 4x100mm 13" Wheels with tires from Aspire

From Parts Store:
-New Aspire brakepads: $13 for crappy, $40 for performance
-New Aspire shoes: $12 + $5 core for crappy, not sure about performance
-(Optional) New Aspire Brake Rotors, $40 each
-(Optional) New Aspire Tie-rod ends: $40 each
-(Optional) New Aspire Calipers: $60-80 each
-(Optional) but maybe necessary) New Wheel bearings w/seals: $25 for both sides.
-(Optional) New Aspire Drums: $50 each
-(Optional) New Aspire brake cables: $30 each

Optional Performance Parts you might as well add while your doing this swap:
-Performance Brakepads & Shoes of any kind
-Cross-drilled or slotted brake rotors
-Stainlesss Steel braided brakelines from Festiva Motorsports
-(4) 13-15" Wheels with performance tires (will make the biggest difference in EVERY performance aspect of your car, braking, acceleration, handling)
-Performance control-arm bushings from Festiva Motorsports
-Performance trailing-arm bushings from Festiva Motorsports

How to pull the Parts from an Aspire
Tools needed:
-Breaker bar, with 29mm socket
-Cheater Pipe of some kind, no longer than 1.5 feet.
-1/2"-3/8" Drive ratchet with 12mm, 14mm and 17mm sockets (preferably 6-point)
-Small philips head screwdriver
-Tie-Rod end puller (rent for free at autozone for $15 deposit)
-Regular hammer
-Rubber hammer
-Sledge hammer (optional)
-Stake of medium size
-Flat head screwdriver
-3-6" extension for whatever ratchet you are using
-14mm and 17mm open/closed end wrench
-Can of Rust-Eater

Procedure to remove the goods:
1: Locate a worthy Aspire. I personally was looking for a lower mileage, newer one. The best I found was a 95' model with 87k miles, the car was rust free
2:Before you jack it up, you want to loosen the lugnuts (16, 14mm) Use your cheater pipe to do this with whatever ratched you have.
3: Now unstake the axle nuts with the hammer and stake, and get the breaker bar out with the 29mm socket and break it loose. If the car is already jacked up, you can do this if you get a buddy to slam on the brakes while you loosen it. This nut will basically be the factor that will completely hinder you taking the front spindles off, so if you can't get it off, try another car until you get one
4: With the axle nut loosened, jack the car up and remove the wheels.
5: next remove the 2 strut bolts on the front (2x17mm) you'll need to use the 17mm open/closed end wrench to hold the other end while loosening. You'll most likely need to use Rust-Eater on there, and to hammer the bolts out with the philips screwdriver. If the bolts aren't fucked up, save them b/c these bolts LOVE to seize up all the time, requiring you to drill them out, so having spares is a good thing to have.
6: With those removed, you should be able to pull the axle out, but you don't have to do that yet. The next thing you do is seperate the hub from the balljoint. Using the 14mm wrench and socket loosen and remove the lower bolt. After that, hammer in the tie-rod end seperator and start to pry the hub off the balljoint. Using the cheater pipe might help do this.
7: with the hub seperated, now you can remove the tie-rod end. Use your flat head screwdriver to pry out the cotter-pin and then use your 17mm socket to loosen and remove the nut holding it to the hub. Using the sledge hammer, whack the tie rod end out of the hub.
8: Now all you need to do is remove the brakeline (1 x 12mm) and axle. You'll need to whack the retaining clip for the brakeline off the strut, this is easily done with the flathead screwdriver and hammer. Now you have the hub!
9: to remove the tie-rod end, you'll need to use the 17mm wrench to loosen the locknut and then spin the tie rod end off of the tie-rod. I personally couldn't even get the damn thing off, so i did'nt even bother to get it.
10: now for the axle beam. You'll need to remove the wheels in the back, of course. first step is to remove the lower strut bolts (2 x 14mm). After you do this, the beam should drop down completely
11: Now you have to remove the E-brake cable from the e-brake itself. You might have to get inside the car to do this, or get under the car to remove it properly
12: to remove the rubber brakelines, you'll need to whack the retaining clip off and turn the nut until they are free.
13: To remove the rest of the trailin arm, you'll have to remove the 2 17mm bolts that it pivots on. This is easier using the Rust-Eater and breaker bar, if you have a 17mm socket for it.

Optional steps:
14: If you don't want the rotors, or even the caliper, you can remove the caliper using a 14mm ratchet and removing the two bolts holding it on. After you remove the caliper, you can remove the rotor after drilling out, or unscrewing the two screws holding it in place. I found these screws to be absolutely impossible to just "unscrew" and I had to drill them out with my electric drill when I got home.
My Junkyard charged me $12 for each caliper, $11 for each rotor, $16 for each spindle/hub, $12 for each drum/hub assembly, $8 for the axle beam, and $10 for the e-brake cable....total price: $120

please keep reading.

[jawbraeka]

Installing the Brakes on a Festiva

You'll need the same tools as you did for removal, with a few pointers:

1: You will destroy the balljoint boot using the tie-rod end seperator to remove your old hub. You can buy urethane boots from most autoparts stores, which are made by Energy Suspension, for about $3 each. They are super durable, and can be used for both, your tie-rod ends, and balljoints.
2: Getting your old tie-rod end off is going to be a pain in the ass. To remove it properly, you'll need an adjustable wrench and a 17mm open end wrench. Turn the wrench clockwise from where you are facing to remove the locking nut. Mark where the nut was situated before putting on the new tie-rod end on. It is a good idea to get an alignment after doing this just to make sure the track is straight.

3: Replacing the brake pad procedure:
-Remove the caliper off the hub/spindle (2x14mm). You will have to whack it off with the rubber mallet.
-Remove the metal wire clip that is situated inside the two pin's holes.
-After you remove that clip, you can start pulling out the two pins which hold the pads in place...you might need to use pliers to turn them back and forth to get them out.
-After removing them, the middle clip, and pads w/shims should fall out of the caliper.
-Now you'll need a set of large pliers to press the piston all the way inside of the caliper.
-Another thing you should be sure to do, is to whack the two adjusters (things with rubber boots, that the two 14mm bolts went through) to make sure they freely move back and forth. If they are stiff, make sure you whack them as far towards teh piston as possible, since you'll need room for the new, thick pads to clear the rotor.
-Installing new pads is a bit tricky, but you basically just slip the pins in through their holes until they are in. Make sure you reuse the middle wire-clip and you MUST use the other wire-clip that goes through the holes on the retaining pins.

4: Replacing the shoes:
-You'll need to remove the metal cover first, using a screwdriver and hammer.
-After that, you should be able to pull out the bearings, and see the 21mm (or maybe its 19mm, i forgot). I believe this bolt is reverse threaded, so you'll want to turn it clockwise to loosen and remove it.
-The drum should come off easily now, exposing the shoes and springs inside the hub
-Removing the shoes is easier than installing them, just make sure you install them exactly how they look when you start. I don't really know the procedure for this since I didn't install new shoes (yet) since I couldn't find any from the parts store, but it isn't very difficult. While you have the shoe off, be sure to clean the brake dust build up off of the drum and hub assemblies as much as you can. Use brake cleaner or something similar.

5: Getting the axle beam on is somewhat of a challenge. You'll definitely need a friend to help you with it.

End Results?
Frickin' Amazing. This is seriously the best thing you can do to your Festiva for the money. I'd even say its better to do over a motor swap. Why?

On top of that, the axle beam has an integrated swaybar, that REALLY FRICKIN HELPS the car rotate...way more than i was expecting. I thought that a 1/2" bar wouldn't do much of anything, but i was dead wrong. The car still understeer's but it isn't nearly as horrible as it was before. It's about on par with my stock Protege in terms of how well it rotates.

Overall Amount of money I spent on all of this stuff: $380....less than my motor swap, and such a drastic change in the performance of the car, that I've had to recommend this over anything else!

[Bert]

" End Results?
Frickin' Amazing. This is seriously the best thing you can do to your Festiva for the money. I'd even say its better to do over a motor swap. Why?
On top of that, the axle beam has an integrated swaybar, that REALLY FRICKIN HELPS the car rotate...way more than i was expecting. I thought that a 1/2" bar wouldn't do much of anything, but i was dead wrong. The car still understeer's but it isn't nearly as horrible as it was before. It's about on par with my stock Protege in terms of how well it rotates.
Overall Amount of money I spent on all of this stuff: $380....less than my motor swap, and such a drastic change in the performance of the car, that I've had to recommend this over anything else![/QUOTE]

It was this very statement that initiated my quest for swapping over to Aspire suspension 3 years ago.

[Mandalore]

thanks for taking the time to make sure the article lives on!

[hasteranger]

why do you need the tie rod ends? I just swapped mine for a aspire brakes and I took the tie rod ends off and compared them and they were identical.
Also, some notes;
1) you don't need a "tie rod puller." Pull the cotter pin, take off the nut, and then hammer the crap out of the spindle around the tie rod until the tie rod pops loose. Seriously. If it doesn't come out, keep hammering. I like something like a 24 ounce ball peen hammer. wont hurt the spindle. Never hammer on the tie rod end itself. Easy to damage them..
2) Instead of "having a friend hold the brakes' to brake loose the axle nut, just undo it through the center of the wheel. Definitely the easiest way to do it unassisted. May have to pull the cap in the center of the wheel first, but half the ones I've seen are straight through to the axle nut. You will definitely need a breaker bar.
3) don't use a phillips screwdriver for hammer bolts out. Use a punch. Works way better cause thats what its designed for. Also works well for getting the stake off on the axle nut. Also works well for starting the strut to spindle bolts when installing them back on your festiva.
4) the screws holding the rotors on normally need to be broken use with an impact driver. Harbor freight sells a cheap on that works well. You put it over the screw and hit it with a hammer.
5) You don't need the tie rod tool for the ball joint either! The aspire/festiva use a small bolt that passes through the spindle and the ball joint, locking them together. Once you remove this, the ball joint is free! I had a couple come off easy just by pulling, and I had a couple that were stuck and I tapped upwards on the spindle with a brass hammer and they came off in a few whacks. As you noticed, you will destroy dustboots with a tie rod separator. I'd only use one of those as a last resort. If its very stubborn spray some lubricant down into the spindle and use a pry bar to separate the spindle where it is slotted while tapped up from the bottom.
I understand the reasons for upgrading the rear beam but I also believe the hubs will unbolt if you just want to keep stock axle/track width etc and switch to the 4x100 bolt pattern.

Good write up, thanks for taking the time. Now all it needs is pics. lol

[fastivaca]

Re: aspire brake swap link - is this forbidden at all?

Taper in the hole for the tie rod is different between the Festiva and Aspire.

Sent from somewhere west of here via Tapatalk!

[jawbraeka]

why do you need the tie rod ends? I just swapped mine for a aspire brakes and I took the tie rod ends off and compared them and they were identical.
Also, some notes;
1) you don't need a "tie rod puller." Pull the cotter pin, take off the nut, and then hammer the crap out of the spindle around the tie rod until the tie rod pops loose. Seriously. If it doesn't come out, keep hammering. I like something like a 24 ounce ball peen hammer. wont hurt the spindle. Never hammer on the tie rod end itself. Easy to damage them..
2) Instead of "having a friend hold the brakes' to brake loose the axle nut, just undo it through the center of the wheel. Definitely the easiest way to do it unassisted. May have to pull the cap in the center of the wheel first, but half the ones I've seen are straight through to the axle nut. You will definitely need a breaker bar.
3) don't use a phillips screwdriver for hammer bolts out. Use a punch. Works way better cause thats what its designed for. Also works well for getting the stake off on the axle nut. Also works well for starting the strut to spindle bolts when installing them back on your festiva.
4) the screws holding the rotors on normally need to be broken use with an impact driver. Harbor freight sells a cheap on that works well. You put it over the screw and hit it with a hammer.
5) You don't need the tie rod tool for the ball joint either! The aspire/festiva use a small bolt that passes through the spindle and the ball joint, locking them together. Once you remove this, the ball joint is free! I had a couple come off easy just by pulling, and I had a couple that were stuck and I tapped upwards on the spindle with a brass hammer and they came off in a few whacks. As you noticed, you will destroy dustboots with a tie rod separator. I'd only use one of those as a last resort. If its very stubborn spray some lubricant down into the spindle and use a pry bar to separate the spindle where it is slotted while tapped up from the bottom.
I understand the reasons for upgrading the rear beam but I also believe the hubs will unbolt if you just want to keep stock axle/track width etc and switch to the 4x100 bolt pattern.

Good write up, thanks for taking the time. Now all it needs is pics. lol

i didn't write this up at all, just passing on information i found on the web and thought, preserve for future generations... and also just allow people to make comments and so forth.

i'm glad you enjoyed it.

[hasteranger]

The ones on the aspire I had fit the festiva and vice versa, measured out identical as well. If there is a difference in taper it was undetectable as well as inconsequential, as I was able to tighten down the nut and they fit in tightly with no play, on both cars.
Not sure if mine was the exception to the rule or what. 88 festiva and 93 aspire.

[Biff]

I am a firm believer that the Aspire swap I did on the last Festiva I owned saved my life, having stabbed the brakes when a car turned right out in front of me one morning going to work! This swap is nice, from master cylinder to new lines, a must!

[jawbraeka]

anyone got pics of a complete brake swap, including the lines and brake master cylinder as well?

if you do please feel free to add them here with a short explanation of what each photo is and any pointers involved with that segment.

[hasteranger]

I didn't take any pics, I thought about it but its hard when youre trying to get things done on a deadlight... especially when you consider its hard to keep hands clean or use a camera with dirty hands!

[jawbraeka]

I didn't take any pics, I thought about it but its hard when youre trying to get things done on a deadlight... especially when you consider its hard to keep hands clean or use a camera with dirty hands!

yeah i hear that.. if you have a mate there that doesn't, next time see if they will happily take some snaps for you, just check the shot first and then say "take that shot", take a few and pick the best one.

[hasteranger]

so out of curiousity is the aspire rear beam that much wider than the festiva? I have the beam but I did not get the e brake (it was cut) and I let my aspire e brake cable go with the car, since I had to unload it off the trailer and it had no other brakes. I planned on reusing my festiva e brake cable and adjusting it to fit.