Is this an easy solution to handling trailer tongue weight on a stock Festiva?

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

In this thread:

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?50824-4GREEN-GRAB-BAG/page2

I found that attached photo along with this description in a post from F3BZ:

"the spring on the right is the rear spring for the 94 5 door pride. the one on the left is a stock 3 door festiva spring. all dimensions are the same except that the wire diameter for the 5 door spring is 1/2 mm larger in diameter (10mm). when plugged into a simple online spring rate calculator the 5 door spring is almost 25% higher force for each inch of compression. (97 lbs./in. vs 121 lbs./in.). part# KK153 28 011. $25.45 [from FourGreen]"

Would this be an alternative to an Aspire rear beam (for which I've never been able to determine if it can handle more weight than the stock Festy beam) and its different wheel bolt pattern?

[gergorian]

The only real difference between the Festiva beam and the Aspire beam as far as I know is that the Aspire has an integral "swaybar" if you will, to help reduce body roll. Other than that and the fact that the Aspire beams bolt pattern is 4x100 to the Festivas 4x114.3, I dont think one is stronger than the other but I could be wrong. As to your question on the springs, I would guess that the 5 door Pride spring would handle more load but you would get a stiffer ride when not towing anything.

[bhazard]

Well think of this...wouldn't you want real brakes on the car if you were using it to tow? Not to mention...real tires.

[scitzz]

Even before I did the Aspire swap, I grabbed a set of Festiva Front springs, and put them on the rear. No more problems with tongue weight, Class1 stuff at least. Ride is a little stiff, but the handling, oh my!

[Aaronbrook37]

Well think of this...wouldn't you want real brakes on the car if you were using it to tow? Not to mention...real tires.

Brad's got it right here. I'm willing to bet that a decent-sized trailer has better tires on it than my grey car's 145/80/12's.

[gestiva]

Why not install adjustable air shocks? With air shocks you can adjust the stiffness for normal driving, and easily add air to make the rear stiffer for hauling a trailer. In my build thread for my white BP festy, there is info and pics of the air shocks I used and when I hauled my trailer with a 450lb bike it handled like I wasnt towing anything... just a thought....


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[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

gergorian,

I'd really rather not mess with having to carry two different spare tires (plus one for the trailer, of course), making three.

bhazard,

I've never had any problem with stock brakes or 12" tires that are readily available in Seattle. Since cars don't rust in the NW, we still have quite a few Festies running around here, so little tires are readily available. On the particular car I'd be doing this to, I've run it across places like North Dakota indicating 85mph without the slightest bit of shaking.

gestiva,

I was thinking air shocks until I saw how this turned out (poorly):

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?50148-air-shocks-on-rear

scitzz,

I'll wander through the weeds tomorrow to see if I've got some front springs here. I know I have some up in Los Anchorage.

Anybody,

Does anybody know what's different between Festy front springs and Aspire 5-door rear springs?

[1chrisapple]

Alakan man hey i ended up using stock rear aspire springs uncut on mine and it handles just as much as the air shocks did plus no worries on one blowing out.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

Did you use the "5 door" Aspire rear springs, or "3 door." I don't know anything about Aspires -- do we even have 5 door versions in North America?

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

I found a pair of stock Festy front springs in the weeds -- still on the McPherson struts, so I know they're for the front.

So what would be better to put on the back to support my trailer -- Festiva front springs or Aspire rear springs (3- or 5-door)? Or how about Aspire front springs?

[TominMO]

Yes there are 5-door Aspires in the USA, and they probably use the same springs as the 3-doors. The two extra doors are just a convenience; functionally the two versions are the same.

[1chrisapple]

yea mine was 5door aspires. I tried the front festy spring and didn't like them at all they re to much I think. I always have about 150lbs of tools in my car and it sits perfect like that.sits alittle high empty but better than the festy springs where u cant haul anything. I have hauled my tools my wife my 2 kids and 1700lbs of scrap to the scrap yard and I would get rubbing only on big bumps but it wasn't bad. I really like mine I think for the effort it's the easiest swap.

[scitzz]

but better than the festy springs where u cant haul anything. I have hauled my tools my wife my 2 kids and 1700lbs of scrap to the scrap yard and I would get rubbing only on big bumps but it wasn't bad.

I beg to differ, I have hauled similar loads, and NEVER scraped. Does sit pretty high when empty, but you could cut coils to fix that. Me, I like the clearance on back roads.

[1chrisapple]

I meant better than stock festy springs not the fronts. the stock rears cant haul 150lbs hardly. but if u cut coils then u r back to rubbing.i've only had 4 diff. setups on the rear of mine so im speaking from trial and error.

[scitzz]

Gotcha :thumbs_up: