Aspire/Festiva suspension swap

[Bert]

I just competed the 'fabled' 4 hour (only) Aspire/Festiva suspension swap. Tires (175/70-13) didn't rub or anything and the car now handles like a go kart. But, an axle seal let go as I left the driveway and peed out transmission fluid right from the get go. I have this nagging feeling that 'swappers' haven't been telling the whole truth. The Festiva steering rack is probably too short and there is only 1/2 to 5/8 inch of thread left on the tie rods (which were swapped to Aspire) when I did the wheel alignment. That I can live with, but driveshafts that are too short I can't. Anyone out there that has pulled off this stunt (sucessfully) and can respond please tell me I don't have to switch to Aspire half-shafts. What once was a $100 car is eating me out of house and home with 'oh way the way, extras'.

[fastivaca]

Did you use the Festiva orAspire lower control arms?

[Festy46]

I kept the Festiva steering rack and put Escort outer tie rod ends on the Festiva inner tie rods. I used the Festiva CV axles. Worked fine for me.

[fastivaca]

Festiva axles, Festiva lower control arms, Festiva steering rack and inner tie rods, Aspire outer tie rods on mine with no issues.

Ian

[Bert]

Great! No consensus. The Aspire parts moved everything (Festiva-origin) out about 3/8 inch and I went ahead and did it all: Aspire sway bar, control arms, tie rods etc. So now I'm left with Festiva half shafts that are probably too short. Aspire half shafts or a swap to that steering rack too? Maybe the SOB that wrote this whole 'simple 4 hour operation' up on the Web should fess up and admit he'd only heard 'it could be done'.
On a positive note; oversize tires and a tight suspension have not thwarted this experiment but the inordinate amount of time spent on it has been phenomenal. The engine swap to B6 or B8 is gonna happen, because of all this. A Goshdarned housewife's car with lots of power!

[Festy46]

Swap your control arms back to Festiva's and all your problems are solved.

[Pu241]

Great! No consensus.

The responses to your post seem to be congruent to me.
Aspire and Escort tie rod ends are interchangeable.

The Aspire parts moved everything (Festiva-origin) out about 3/8 inch and I went ahead and did it all: Aspire sway bar, control arms, tie rods etc. So now I'm left with Festiva half shafts that are probably too short. Aspire half shafts or a swap to that steering rack too? Maybe the SOB that wrote this whole 'simple 4 hour operation' up on the Web should fess up and admit he'd only heard 'it could be done'.

You used the Aspire LCA's, so yes the axles are now too short.
Never seen anyone swap an Aspire steering rack into a Festiva for this upgrade.
A link to the procedure your talking about might be nice.
I don't see a write-up on this site the purports this can be done in 4 hours.

[GenevaDirt]

Great! No consensus. The Aspire parts moved everything (Festiva-origin) out about 3/8 inch and I went ahead and did it all: Aspire sway bar, control arms, tie rods etc. So now I'm left with Festiva half shafts that are probably too short. Aspire half shafts or a swap to that steering rack too? Maybe the SOB that wrote this whole 'simple 4 hour operation' up on the Web should fess up and admit he'd only heard 'it could be done'.
On a positive note; oversize tires and a tight suspension have not thwarted this experiment but the inordinate amount of time spent on it has been phenomenal. The engine swap to B6 or B8 is gonna happen, because of all this. A Goshdarned housewife's car with lots of power!

well sorry to say above poster is right...you keep the Festy control arms. As you mentioned the Aspire ones push everything out to far and your axle pops out.

[GenevaDirt]

ha....John beat me to the post

[yelo festiva]

no problem with mine, 90 lx 380,000 miles

Yelo has the famous aspire swap and succesfully I might add. I actually have a 97 aspire steering rack also. I put that in years ago before the brake swap. It works fine with festy tie rods and escort tie rod ends. The only thing aspire on the front is the knuckles and rotors and calipers. I also am using festy m/c.

[Pu241]

Yelo has the famous aspire swap and succesfully I might add. I actually have a 97 aspire steering rack also. I put that in years ago before the brake swap.

You wouldn't happen to know if the power steering setup from and Aspire will fit a Festiva would you?

[Bert]

The donor 5 door auto Aspire had power steering, and ABS brakes but I wasn't inclined to make a career of switching a Festiva over with all that convoluted stuff. I used the Aspire control arms because the vastly thicker Aspire sway bar was also installed. I will have a closer look at how straight up the wheels currently are (Festiva control arms are much shorter) and post some pictures tonight. I guess I'll spring for Aspire axles since the donor car has already gone to the wrecking yard. This has been a time consuming stunt.
If I understand right the low mileage Aspire B3 (1997), that came with the car, should produce about 10 more horsepower than a Festiva EFI B3. Unless a clean B6 or B8 comes along cheap that will become the next project.

[fastivaca]

The Aspire sway bar will work with the Festiva lower control arms. I have one in my car.

[neanderpaul]

The Aspire sway bar will work with the Festiva lower control arms. I have one in my car.

X2

[Aaronbrook37]

The Aspire sway bar will work with the Festiva lower control arms. I have one in my car.

X2

X3