Brakes or Swap?

[Advancedynamix]

I have found that overall diameter has a more drastic effect on acceleration and handling than wheel weight. My 15x7 enkei wheels are much heavier than my Team Dynamics 13x7 wheels, but the car accelerates faster and feels lighter with the 15x7 wheels because they have a 20.5 inch o.d. with the 165/45/15 tires and my 185/60/13 tires are almost a 22" o.d. Tire width and compound are also factors, but outer diameter is the biggest issue. This is true on my bone stock 89L and on Tweak. The 15" wheels with 165/45/15 tires feel very light and nimble on the car, and acceleration feels better than it did with the 12" wheels. The federal formoza tires are also available in a 14" rim diameter with a comparable outer diameter to these 15s. I think it's165/55/14 IIRC.

[falkenfighter]

155/65r14 is the same as the stock 12s in size

[nitrofarm]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-NEW-TIRES-155-65R14-75H-FEDERAL-FORMOZA-FD2-155-65-14-1556514-ALL-SEASON-/121253861556

Great tire size but can anyone find them cheaper? And falkenfighter federals run very wide, better make sure they dont rub your rear strut first.

[falkenfighter]

The 155s would be stretched slightly on miata wheels so rubbing wont be an issue. Tires easy has them in a snowtire for around $100 a tire and an achillies economist tire that looks hopeless in anything but dry pavement

[Bert]

155/65r14 is the same as the stock 12s in size

Not quite (3/4 inch larger in diameter) but they do look like they belong and they certainly don't rub anywhere. 155 is deceiving because they look to be a lot wider than 145-12s. At this very moment there are 20 clearance bin Nokian Hakkapeliittas 155/65-14s available at Frisby Tire in Ottawa. They roll and ride way better than anything I've got my hands on in the way of 12s.

[nitrofarm]

Not quite (3/4 inch larger in diameter) but they do look like they belong and they certainly don't rub anywhere. 155 is deceiving because they look to be a lot wider than 145-12s. At this very moment there are 20 clearance bin Nokian Hakkapeliittas 155/65-14s available at Frisby Tire in Ottawa. They roll and ride way better than anything I've got my hands on in the way of 12s.

Bert those Hakka's are a great tire,if they are cheap you should scoop a set for next year.

[jhli]

Can the festiva tie rod ends be used on the aspire swap? And also the festiva front brake hoses?

[Safety Guy]

Jhli asked, "Can the festiva tie rod ends be used on the aspire swap? And also the festiva front brake hoses?"

I'd only use the Festiva tie rod ends with Aspire knuckles temporarily until you can get the car to the shop to have the old tie rod ends taken off (I can never loosen them myself) and the proper ones put on. Better yet, do what I do and take the car in first to have the shop loosen and lightly retighten your Festiva tie rod ends. That way you can get them off easily and put on the proper Aspire or Escort ends. (Escort ends are cheaper. Use years from '91 to '95, and there's no difference between GT and regular ones.)

Festiva front hoses will work with Aspire calipers if you bend or break the little extensions off. They won't fit otherwise. The strut bracket hardware also wont' fit right and you'll need to zip tie those. Again, I'd only do this temporarily until you can get proper Aspire or early Rio front brake hoses to properly fit the Aspire calipers and strut brackets.

Karl

[Bert]

Bert those Hakka's are a great tire,if they are cheap you should scoop a set for next year.

I bought two at $58 each (cheap for Canada) to complement the two others that were mounted 3 years ago. Yes they are wonderful tires and whoever buys all my cars will get these included with the purchase. They have so far never been used and are mounted/balanced on Rio alloys.

[1990new]

I will be pulling strut assembly, steering knuckles and hubs with brakes from a 1991 Kia Rio next week that I plan to put on Trixie, my 89 automatic.
I noticed that there appears to be a sensor of some kind where the axle goes in the hub.
I've been studying the info on the Rio swap but have a question about the half shafts.
Are the same number of alxe splines and will my automatic festiva axles just slide righ into the Rio hubs? The Rio I'm pulling from is a 5 speed.

I'm also pulling the rear beam from a 97 Aspire to use on the rear.

[nitrofarm]

I will be pulling strut assembly, steering knuckles and hubs with brakes from a 1991 Kia Rio next week that I plan to put on Trixie, my 89 automatic.
I noticed that there appears to be a sensor of some kind where the axle goes in the hub.
I've been studying the info on the Rio swap but have a question about the half shafts.
Are the same number of alxe splines and will my automatic festiva axles just slide righ into the Rio hubs? The Rio I'm pulling from is a 5 speed.

I'm also pulling the rear beam from a 97 Aspire to use on the rear.

New go to post # 20 for the latest version of my Axle Cheat Sheet.
Then you'll see what axles have what splines. So to answer your questions your axles will fit fine and that ABS sensor ring just pops off with a punch & hammer.

[1990new]

Thanks for the link nitro.. I had not come across that one in my searches.

I'm copying and pasting information from the threads to create a suspension/transmission swap document that I hope will be helpful to me and others in the future.
When I post it, I will ask members who posted the original information to check it out and update it to correct misinformation or add new information.
The suspension, brakes, axle, steering and transmission swaps are related in a way that it is necessary to consider many combinations of the different parts you are
planning to use for the swap, and what modifications may be needed to make the swap work.
I think my swap will be pretty simple but I'm sure there are others that probably have/will be doing more complicated swaps.