Aspire rear brake questions

[TominMO]

I'm planning on sticking a set of Aspire rear brakes on my Festiva rear beam, and have some questions about the process.

1. I know that the Aspire backing plate studs do not exactly line up with the holes for them in the Festiva rear beam. I understand that only two holes in the beam need to be ovaled out to mount up the Aspire brakes. Is this true, and if so, which two? How much ovaling? Does anyone have any pics of this?
2. Do the Festiva hard brake lines directly fit into the Aspire wheel cylinders, or do I need to re-bend them?
3. Can I use the Festiva parking brake cable setup with the connection into the Aspire brakes?

[FestYboy]

1 should be the upper bolt holes that need modded

2 they will fit the wheel cylinders but because the drum diameter is larger bending will be required

3 again because of the diameter change some refitting is in order for the cables but they should work.

[TominMO]

1 should be the upper bolt holes that need modded

2 they will fit the wheel cylinders but because the drum diameter is larger bending will be required

3 again because of the diameter change some refitting is in order for the cables but they should work.

Thanks Arty.

1. OK.
2 & 3. As I expected.

[Greywolf]

Question: Is there any advantage to fitting the entire Aspire rear beam to a Festiva?

~Or is that even do-able...

Do VW Golf suspension parts cross over, other than the shock struts?

Reason for these questions is that I'm kind of leary of wallowing out holes to fit parts like these, and I know on a GTI strut upgrade this is needed. But on front struts camber or something is set by a cam-bolt on the strut mounts.

Which brings up another question - are there shims that need to be considered to adjust the track and trail of the rears?

[skeeters_keeper]

Most people swap the whole aspire rear beam. But it's heavier and when lowered gives a worse angle. So in order to keep the stock beam but match the 4x100 front pattern you can either re-drill stock drums if you can find the drums that have a solid casting or you can slot the upper two holes on the stock beam and bolt in an aspire drum assy.

Tom:
1) top two, ~ 1/2 the hole diameter. I have exact measurements in a CAD drawing at the shop if you want them.
2) Charlie made some little doohickeys to lengthen the end of the cable. I'm sure there's more than one way to skin that cat, depending on what equipment you have available.

[william]

Ok so I have a question. I have a aspire rear beam that I'm taking the "Swaybar" out of to make it flex like a festiva beam . At my current height 21 7/8s from wheel opening to ground. my spindle is slightly higher then my mounting points which is not ideal.
Why can't we just use festiva mounts and the aspire beam with no bar? I've seen people do it when they forgot to get the mounts from the aspire.
I believe you have to cut the tab off the aspire beam that limits drop I believe this was used for crash standards.

[FestYboy]

That's what I remember as well.

[TominMO]

Most people swap the whole aspire rear beam. But it's heavier and when lowered gives a worse angle. So in order to keep the stock beam but match the 4x100 front pattern you can either re-drill stock drums if you can find the drums that have a solid casting or you can slot the upper two holes on the stock beam and bolt in an aspire drum assy.

Tom:
1) top two, ~ 1/2 the hole diameter. I have exact measurements in a CAD drawing at the shop if you want them.
2) Charlie made some little doohickeys to lengthen the end of the cable. I'm sure there's more than one way to skin that cat, depending on what equipment you have available.

1. File and fit, file and fit.....
2. Thanks; I'll figure it out. I'll try to find what he did, and then see if I can do it with simple big-box store stuff. He probably had a million-dollar CAD/CAM machine design the doohickey out of titanium or something. :-)

[TominMO]

Hey Arty, was that you who was wanting my front Capri brake setup when I switched to Aspire? I'm not planning on doing anything until spring BTW.

[TominMO]

1. File and fit, file and fit.....
2. Thanks; I'll figure it out. I'll try to find what he did, and then see if I can do it with simple big-box store stuff. He probably had a million-dollar CAD/CAM machine design the doohickey out of titanium or something. :-)

Found it. Post #46, 2nd pic. Seems he made the extenders to compensate for his camber adjusters/spacers, so maybe I won't even need extenders.

[navdoc101]

I used the Festy cable with the Aspire rear brakes. just had to losen the adjuster at the handle the readjust.
Brave had a way to do it also, I can't remember how he did it.

[TominMO]

I used the Festy cable with the Aspire rear brakes. just had to losen the adjuster at the handle the readjust.

That's what I figured, best case scenario.

[FestYboy]

Hey Arty, was that you who was wanting my front Capri brake setup when I switched to Aspire? I'm not planning on doing anything until spring BTW.

I always want Capri brakes.

[TominMO]

I always want Capri brakes.

OK, they're yours when I get 'em off.