plz help mechanic question

[pgtim]

just got my baby back after 9 years bought brand new off the lot in 93 my green festy...gave to my dad for those 9 years now its back home yay...question is had problem with wheel bearings in front turns out the last brake job the tech forgot to put back the bearing spacer and no one sells them anymore so if i were to just replace the whole spindle to eliviate the bearing issue what would you rplace them with aspire,mazda any input would be nice thanks.....T 93 festy L

[zoom zoom]

Aspire for sure, just stick with what is easiest. Capri if you really like 4x114 bolt pattern.

[TominMO]

Aspire. Better brakes than Festy, the disc comes off easily from the front, unlike the Festiva and the Capri, and the 4x100 bolt pattern gives you many more wheel choices. Also, with the Capri front brakes you need 14" wheels, to clear the brake caliper.

Of course your rear wheels will still be 4x114.3 unless you do the rear Aspire swap too, which is not hard. Until you do, you should carry spare tires for both front and rear bolt patterns. Or have an aftermarket aluminum wheel with both patterns.

[TorqueEffect]

Early Kia Rio will be a bolt on upgrade as well. 4x100 bolt pattern just like the Aspire, but you will still need an Aspire rear.

[TominMO]

Are the Rio brakes better than the Aspires? Larger discs or pads?

[pgtim]

so if I go with aspire or kia then what years am I looking for and would you buy new or just go to the junk yard.....

[TominMO]

JY. Any Aspire.

[TorqueEffect]

I don't really know what year Kia Rios it is possible to do the swap with, but I know for certain it is the early ones with the two bolt strut top. I don't really know what parts are better, the Rio or Aspire parts, but Rios are helluvallot more plentiful in junkyards than Aspires.

[Bert]

If it's strictly a hub (or better yet just a spacer: Kia still stocks them) you're looking for then stick with Festy parts. Aspire and Rio front hubs are not compatible with Festy knuckles. And if you go the Aspire or Rio knuckle/hub route be forewarned to also grab the calipers and tie rods plus two wheels and tires because the 4 x 100 bolt pattern is different from OEM Festy.

Lots of folks here have extra Festy front brake parts on hand (I can send you some except that shipping might be a killer) just so you can get back on the road in short order and then start seeking and gathering all of the necessary fixins to do a complete (front and rear) Aspire/Rio brake and suspension swap. 00-02 Rios are not rare (for front brakes) but getting your hands on an Aspire so as to get a Festy-compatible rear trailing arm is becoming more and more difficult every year.
But, with these type of front brakes you will get floating, vented and larger rotors which are a wonderful upgrade from the archaic set up Festys came with originally.

[pgtim]

what i am missing is the bearing preload spacer for the wheel bearing what your saying is that kias have those too.. i know they come in different sizes and thickness because of the preload what i was thinking is just trying to get a better hub without the preload just inner and outer berrings and be done with it...and yes i would buy new struts for the front and new pads and such what would you do....what would you rplace it with i would like too just keep the half shaft and rplace everything else spindle,shock strut caliper etc...

[Bert]

what i am missing is the bearing preload spacer for the wheel bearing what your saying is that kias have those too.. i know they come in different sizes and thickness because of the preload what i was thinking is just trying to get a better hub without the preload just inner and outer berrings and be done with it...and yes i would buy new struts for the front and new pads and such what would you do....what would you rplace it with i would like too just keep the half shaft and rplace everything else spindle,shock strut caliper etc...

The Achilles tendon of Festy/Aspire/Rio front hubs is the idiot pre-load bearing setup in them but no one yet has engineered a retro "quik-fit" slide-on hub like is found on newer cars. Yes Kia still stocks these spacers. Likely as not if you buy a middle of the spec range spacer or ask a competent (hope there are some) Kia tech to install the bearings (there is an official torque ritual that can determine which spacer you need) you might be back on the road soon. I have 'used' Festy hubs with intact bearings and spacers kicking around and likely as not they will be going out on garbage day one of these days. Apparently the spacers were matched to the hub at the time of manufacture.

[RhodeStiva]

or stay festiva if you like i have 2 spindles driver and passenger.

[Bert]

or stay festiva if you like i have 2 spindles driver and passenger.

Correct me if I'm wrong but Festy front wheels don't have spindles unless what you call a driveaxle poking through the hub qualifies as one

[zoom zoom]

The spindle is the cast piece the outter races get pressed into and the strut/lca/tie rod bolt to.

[Movin]

Bearings go over a spindle or into a knuckle.