Raising spring height

[Bert]

I am much of the way through putting on FMS Aspire sport springs and Monroe Aspire shocks. The rear (with the new springs and shocks) sits too low for my liking. Can someone here suggest a cheap and convenient way to raise the car or springs about 3/4 inch? A rubber donut spacer at the top of the spring in the body pocket in the back sounds simple enough but where would you get them? And then there's the front. Sure as s&*t the front of the car will drop an inch too with new springs. The Monroe shocks have already been on since the Aspire swap last spring. Except for the 175/70-13 Motomaster tires not having enough grip on corners the rest of the car is rock steady (just like Austin Minis of old) for a change.

[FestYboy]

you should be able to get the spring dohnuts at any McAuto parts stores like this.

[Bert]

Thanks FestYboy. I was looking at those rubber donut spacers on various websites and couldn't figure out how they work. Now I see they're split and designed to slide in between the coils. They're cheap enough to try as an experiment. Back in the spring when I tried to buy HD Festiva springs from Roger (FMS) just about everything in the way of inventory springs was out of stock. Crossed my fingers and prayed Aspire sport springs would sit higher than the Festiva sport springs on the higher perch of the Aspire Monroe shocks. They don't, and I'm not personally possessed with aspirations of driving a low-rider

[FestYboy]

yeah the festy and aspire lowering springs are the same part. the dohnut can also be used at the top of the spring between the spring and tower seat (recomended for your issue) i used my set to add a higher progressive rate when loaded and keep the same ride hight.

[sc72]

Bert, you could take a pair of front springs [Festiva] and put them on the rear struts, that would raise the rear ride height and if thats to tall cut one coil off. If you want to see what that combo looks like, look at the last post in the What have you done to your Festiva today. The Blue car is mine and it has the Aspire rear struts with The Festiva front springs added. The car rides good now but if you carry a load it rides even better. After rereading your post, my way of raising the car would be more than 3/4 of an inch. Never mind.

[Safety Guy]

Bert, your wheels look good! I see you have the large centercaps that completely cover the centers, while I only have three little black plastic hole caps. Different look!

It's good to know that the FMS Festiva and Aspire sport springs are the same. Noted!

I'm wondering if Roger is winding down his operation or just going through a phase?

As for your rear spring height problem, maybe you could find a Rio at the 'yard and check out those rear springs. Someone else has noted that they will/may work, even though the Rio rear suspension is unlike the Festiva/Aspire. Worth a try.

As for using that rubber doughnut spring spacer to pad your rear spring, I'd be worried that it would create a wobbly unstable top spring seat. Not sure how that would feel. Worth a try, I suppose. If it works, it works.

At some point, we really need to see about getting a run of stiffer Festiva rear springs made for purchase. Maybe 20% stiffer springs would split the difference between those who want more rear load capacity and those who just want newer stock springs. Again I'll repeat my contention that both Festiva and Aspire rear springs are EXACTLY THE SAME SIZE AND RATE. (They will differ only in age and thus, sag. We should probably get some mass input as to spring length when out of the car to get a range.)

For those who don't mind cutting, front springs should not be a problem, though I have yet to cut a set of Rio front springs. My two sets of cut Aspire front springs have worked well enough. Not perfect though, but quite usable. In hindsight, I won't be cutting Aspire rear springs any more. Too low!

Karl

[Bert]

It's unfortunate that Roger has lost interest in making money or attracting customers. E-mails are never acknowledged or answered and virtually everything you order, when you do eventually get through by phone, is 'out of stock'. He posts a veritable wish list on the FMS website and with any order folks like me would likely purchase mundane (stuff that everyone stocks) things like bearings/brakes/ball joints as well. However being told clutch cable/shift kit/HD springs etc is 'out of stock' only drives me to quit pestering him and start shopping elsewhere.

[Aaronbrook37]

It's unfortunate that Roger has lost interest in making money or attracting customers. E-mails are never acknowledged or answered and virtually everything you order, when you do eventually get through by phone, is 'out of stock'. He posts a veritable wish list on the FMS website and with any order folks like me would likely purchase mundane (stuff that everyone stocks) things like bearings/brakes/ball joints as well. However being told clutch cable/shift kit/HD springs etc is 'out of stock' only drives me to quit pestering him and start shopping elsewhere.

RockAuto, this forum, ClubProtege, and Ebay have been my Festiva Motorsport since I got here four years ago. I haven't even tried to contact Roger for the exact reasons you state, Bert. His loss... welcome to capitalism.

[Safety Guy]

I just emailed this company in Detroit:

http://www.eatonsprings.com/index.html

They may be able to find something that works. Here is my email:

Hello. We who still drive Festivas (and Aspires) have our own forum at www.fordfestiva.com and thus are able to talk about our potential needs for our aging cars.

I am looking into whether or not you may have an answer to our rear spring needs. (From doing suspension swaps and having one set each of Festiva and Aspire springs rated, my guess is that the rears are the same between both vehicles.)

The ideal rear spring for us is probably one that would be about 15 percent stiffer than stock, since many of us are more performance oriented, or want to haul heavier loads without our rear wheels rubbing.

If you don't have any suitable springs in stock, I could mail you an old stock set to examine.

Based purely upon "scuttlebutt," some other car's rear springs to look at would be:

Toyota Tercel
Chevette
Pinto
Kia Rio ('01 to '05)

It is possible one of the above may work for our purposes.

We would appreciate any information and feedback!

Thank you,

Safety Guy, Fordfestiva.com