Kia Rio front struts

[WmWatt]

1. Should the bearings on Kia Rio struts be greased or left dry?
Doesn't look like they have had grease on them previously.

2. From what I've seen from searching the site Kia Rio struts are
a direct replacement for the struts which were put on the Festiva
at the factory except washers are needed to isolate the bearings
so they don't rub. Is that correct?

3. Is there anything else that needs to be done to install the Kia Rio struts?
Do the top arts need to be swapped? The threads aren't clear on that point.

Thanks a bunch.

PS How do I edit a spelling mistake in the thread title?

[WmWatt]

I see I posted about this last summer. Memory sucks. Just found a bunch more threads on the subject by searching on "Kia Rio strut mounts".

[F3BZ]

there's tons of info on this swap so i'm just going to address what you call washers that keep the bearings from rubbing. those washers are called pre-load shims. they come in various thicknesses and are installed between the 2 inner faces of the inboard and outboard bearings. that spacer keeps the bearing from being pressed too tightly or too loosely against the bearing races in the knuckle. unlike the rear spindle nut where you usually can adjust the spindle nut by "feel" to get the correct pre-load, the front spindle nut is torqued up to 174 Lb-ft, but because the pre-load spacer keeps those bearings a fixed distance apart, you can torque all you want and those bearings will not be pressed any tighter to the races. you should have the bearing pre-load checked whenever you install new bearings. there are 21 different thicknesses available for the festiva and a similar amount for the rio. without the proper tools it would be advisable to have this done by a kia dealer. as a performance tip, ask them to set it up at the "looser" end of the lb-in specs. this will give you the least rotational friction while still being within factory specs.

[WmWatt]

F3BZ: You have described the front wheel bearings. I was referring the bearings in the top of the Kia Rio struts (shock absorber assemblies). When you take the Kia Rio tops and the Festiva bottoms there has to be a large washer inserted between them so ther bearings can rotate. People do this to get the ease of steering they get from the bearings. Bert has posted info on how to do it.

[WmWatt]

Okay, I took the Festiva to my favourite mechanic this morning, after cleaning the driveway following a spring blizzard. He put it up on the lift and showed me a loose sway bar bushing which would account for the knocking felt through the floorboards, and a loose tie rid end which would account for the noise in the RF wheel. Then he took it for a test drive and said it performs fine on smooth pavement, and that I should avoid potholes until I replace the tie rods ends and sway bar bushings. Charged me $20 for his time. And I get to spend more time relaxing under the Festiva when the weather warms up a bit.

[zoom zoom]

Figured I would throw this in here for you, I don't know if it applies to using a stock strut or not and I'm not trying to cause confusion but here it is..

New Tip: For those of you who are using VW mk2 struts and Kia rio strut mounts, and don't have access to a lathe to turn the shaft down to fit snugly in the bearing or make a sleeve I have a new trick to center and secure the strut into the bearing. Use 14x1.5mm tapered lug nuts with the taper side toward the bearing, torque to 50ft/lbs and then install the other nut over the lug nut as a lock nut. Here's a part number for open ended 14x1.5mm lug nuts. Dorman 611-110.1 98949.1. They are usually in stock at pep boys. If you want to add a nice performance look to the package you can also but some 14mm "tuner" lug nuts in funky colors off ebay. I don't endorse Chinese aluminum lug nuts to hold your wheels on, but these fasteners aren't under much load so I don't see a problem here. Make sure they are 14x1.5mm though.

[F3BZ]

ah yes. i see now where you say strut, not knuckle. i feel like a receiver who caught the ball but ran it through to the wrong end zone. oh well, i shoulda known that a guy with 1800 posts wouldn't be asking if wheel bearings needed grease.

[WmWatt]

Please delete