Aspire sway bar direct swap to festiva?

[Bert]

so will mounting the aspire sway bar on stock festy mounts move the wheels or is that only if you use the aspire mounts?

When I did the swap I don't recall having any issues with castor/camber due to installing an Aspire sway bar. But using Aspire LCAs was right out of the question because that was what threw everything off (castor/camber) for me. Use Festy LCAs and Aspire (or Rio, so I'm told) tie rods. By the way Rios don't have a "sway bar arrangement" that is remotely compatible with Festys.
That car has been on the road for 2 years now and I'm satisfied with the even tire wear I get.

[FastOrBust]

Whats the best way to pull one from an aspire? I was just at the junkyard and lost the battle, I only had about an hour after work before they closed. I dropped the cross member as far as I could before the weld let go on the inside, unbolted 3 of the 4 nuts on the brackets and the nuts holding it to the lca.

[Bert]

Whats the best way to pull one from an aspire? I was just at the junkyard and lost the battle, I only had about an hour after work before they closed. I dropped the cross member as far as I could before the weld let go on the inside, unbolted 3 of the 4 nuts on the brackets and the nuts holding it to the lca.

I would say you were mostly done already. You do not need (nor can you readily use) the frame brackets. Tapping the bar out of the lower control arms (LCAs) may be a PITA (pain in the anterior) or might go pretty quick with a BFH (bold flaming handkerchief). If in doubt get in there with a sawzall since the Aspire LCAs are of no use to you anyway.

[DriverOne]

Re: Aspire sway bar direct swap to festiva?

So let me get this straight; you need the UPPER brackets that the U-brackets mount to?

[FestYboy]

after reading all of this, i believe that's what they're saying, BUT, they must be modded to fit the festy.

[Bert]

So let me get this straight; you need the UPPER brackets that the U-brackets mount to?

Took me a month of Sundays to gingerly get the blasted Aspire brackets loose and off only to discover they were of no use. Entirely different bolt holes to the car. So; my car uses the Aspire covers over the Festy brackets. No muss and no fuss and it's been 2 years now.

[Hot_Wheels]

can you post a picture? im confused? i thought it was going to be all festiva brackets with energy suspension bushings?

[nitrofarm]

The mount brackets are not hard to mod , a couple bushings and drill one hole and they will bolt up.
When i built ironstiva back to a stock bp , cody wanted the aspire sway bar installed . i did so and the tires almost touching the inner fenders , i measured and they were pulled back 1/4 of an inch . I got to checking things and if you compare the brackets you can see the difference between festive and aspire .
I installede aspire brackets and alignment and caster came back to spec .

Took me a month of Sundays to gingerly get the blasted Aspire brackets loose and off only to discover they were of no use. Entirely different bolt holes to the car. So; my car uses the Aspire covers over the Festy brackets. No muss and no fuss and it's been 2 years now.

Sounds like shadtree has the answer.Install the the ENTIRE ASPIRE brackets & keep your Caster at factory spec.

[FastOrBust]

Well that was a PITA to remove from the aspire, I recommend dropping the front cross member before even bothering to touch any other bolts. I had to cut one of the the bolts to drop it and it was real easy to get out after that. I wish I wouldn't have wasted so much time and energy hammering to get it out of the LCA's. I'm hoping to install it later to see if the caster is changed or not without the aspire frame mounts.

[Bert]

Well that was a PITA to remove from the aspire, I recommend dropping the front cross member before even bothering to touch any other bolts. I had to cut one of the the bolts to drop it and it was real easy to get out after that. I wish I wouldn't have wasted so much time and energy hammering to get it out of the LCA's. I'm hoping to install it later to see if the caster is changed or not without the aspire frame mounts.

Sometimes you and me wish we'd lived in Arizona where cars and parts are not all rusted and seized once they're 15 years old. Nothing is every as easy or quick to do as everybody says. Anyway good luck!
You might want to consider putting the bar on upside down so as to avoid having to cut the rad hose and having to undo the tranny cross member. The concept seemed counter-intuitive to me (the bar now won't be dead perpendicular going through the LCAs) but other folks have done it and don't seem to have complaints. Get the bar in to the LCAs first and then use a jack or pry bar to help get the bar on up to the brackets.

[FastOrBust]

Re: Aspire sway bar direct swap to festiva?

Yea, you really can't put a time to anything, my mom asks me how long it'll take and doesn't understand its not as easy as unbolt, rebolt. But I gotta say that working on my Mazda 2 is cake work since everything is new and the parts I put on were made for the car so no modified is necessary, its nice.
Also my car is torn apart so its no big deal to drop the cross member, if it will go over the custom cross member. I'll probably just flip it though.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

[Huli]

Re: Aspire sway bar direct swap to festiva?

Where are you mounting the sway bar ends on the Festiva?
Picture please!

[Bert]

Where are you mounting the sway bar ends on the Festiva?
Picture please!

Huh? Through the Festy LCAs (lower control arms), of course.

[Huli]

Re: Aspire sway bar direct swap to festiva?

Oh!!! That sway bar!
Having never seen an Aspire suspension I was assuming they had the double swaybar like the KIA Rio.

My bad yo.

[FastOrBust]

What diameter is the aspire sway bar, are auto's a different diameter from manual's? I have 24mm poly bushings but they don't fit.