Front Bearing Spacers for Aspire

[Click_Here]

I went to replace the Front Wheel Bearings on my Aspire & the spacers were missing. I didn't have a choice but to slap the car back together for now & order some spacers.

I know that the Kia Rio spacers are the same size as the Festiva. However, I don't know if the Festiva is the same size as the Aspire.

Can someone verify that the spacer is the same between the Aspire & Festiva? I really need to order them this week.

Thanks.

[william]

There's many spacers There different thickness here's a link with great info. content://com.sec.android.app.sbrowser/readinglist/0922205241.mhtml
Ok I font think that's gunna work but there are 21 spacers and yiu can get them at the kia dealer I belive .
The Ford Festiva Mailing List is a Restricted Group with 1307 members.The Ford Festiva Mailing ListRestricted Group,*1307 members

Primary NavigationConversations*Photos*Files*Polls*Links*A bout

Back

View

Why Festiva/Aspire front wheel bearings fail.

bigsxyteddybear4u

Mar 23, 2007*

View Source

There is no being diplomatic about it you mechanic is an idiot (ok he*
didn't know better) and lied to you (he thought he was being*
truthful). If he did know anything about Festiva/Aspire front wheel*
bearings he would have told you they are not serviceable without*
proper tools (shims) that he does not have. He would have told you*
to obtain a new/used hub/axel complete assembly from a junk yard and*
swapped it out and give it a try. Ask him a simple question. Ask*
him if he has the 21 (really 42 cause you don't know what two you*
will need if you do both sides) shims it requires to preload the*
bearings before being installed? I am sure he will tell you no and*
give you some reason why that's all BS and (Ford's way to rip you*
off) but its not. Guess he doesn't know they still make the KIA*
pride today…LOL*

Must be time to write the definitive reason why Festiva/Aspire*
bearings fail.*

1. The bearings were not sealed and they didn't make them truly*
serviceable (poor design). You can remove a good hub and bearings*
and clean and semi-pack the bearing in the hub however this is only a*
half ass way to do it, but its better than letting it go until*
failure. Basically repack the hub with grease to keep water and*
contaminates out.*
2. You can replace the bearing without the Rotundra Spacer*
Selection Tool T87C-1104-Bl but only if: You can locate the exact*
same bearings/races, able to press those bearings and races into the*
exact same location (X2) and have your fingers crossed. You wont*
know until about 2500 miles have gone by if it was a success and you*
measured the torque on the nut before you took it off.*
3. Most shops order NAPA or ABC auto parts bearings, maybe grab*
a Mitchell manual and take a peek. They remove the axel nut (at this*
point your almost past the point of no return unless you get that nut*
back in the same spot again). Once the axel nut is off and the hub is*
off the car you can still be ok with the preload if you get the nut*
in the same spot but checked the original torque first. See this is*
where the problem is with also replacing just the axel shafts you*
don't know the original nut location/torque. Most shops bust the nut*
off and slip out the axel and pop in a new one and just jamb the nut*
back on. Bearing failure here we come!! Now you can do this trick if*
you need to replace only the axel shaft. Open the nut lock (chisel*
out the detent on the nut so you can move it) now put a torque wrench*
on the nut and see what its torqued too. Keep increasing the torque*
until the nut almost wants to move (loosen) and the wrench clicks.*
Now you know what that nut was torqued too on the old axel shaft.*
Install new axel and torque to that setting. Fingers crossed again!!*
4. Now Mr. ASE Super Tech busts the nut off, pulls the hub, prys*
the seals out, drops/presses out the bearings, and presses the races*
out. Good to go! We just press in new races, grease up the*
bearings, replace the seals and pop it on the car. Maybe he looks up*
(if he can find one someplace) a torque spec and spins on a nut to*
147ft lbs, gives you a whopping bill and you drive off all happy now*
that is fixed and quiet for three months or three thousand miles of*
warranty before it goes out again. Mr. ASE Super Tech thinks he*
really did it right since 99.9% of all cars are like this. But he*
was wrong and the Festiva/Aspire is the .01% of cars that you cant do*
this to.*
5. So now we talk about what HAS to happen and why. Every*
factory hub I have taken apart had the same shim number in it (odd*
huh? Think it was a number 8) But it seems the factory*
bearings/races/hub/axel were all made to a pretty exact tolerance to*
use the same shim. But since changing anything like a new bearing*
will give you a difference in tolerance that original shim most*
likely won't work. So with your 21 shims you use the spacer*
selection tool (bolt) for the hub and you add or subtract shims*
thickness (numbers 01-21 on the shims) until you can preload those*
bearing to the factory spec of 145lbs-ft. (Notice this where the*
failure problem comes from when you don't use the right shim. You are*
also given a spec to torque to 116-174lbs-ft for axel replacement but*
without the right shim in place you either have run out or are to*
tight. Bearing failure is eminent either way.) Note the two*
different torque specs??? 116-174lbs-ft is shown for axel replacement*
and 145lbs-ft is listed for bearing replacement. No wonder shops*
smoke these bearings!! Even Ford cant get it right!*

Ok so you say what can we do?? Well…try…if you can score all 21 shims*
you would be in total luck. Ford doesn't have them and can't get*
them. I try to collect as many as I can from any Festiva or Aspire*
I can get the hub off. So how does this all work? Like this…*
Rotundra Spacer Selection Tool T87C-1104-Bl is really nothing more*
than a bolt. It's a bolt, two washers and a nut. So here is what I*
plan to do next time. Take one of my spacers to a machine shop and*
have them make me a set of maybe 10 different sizes in the middle*
range. Say #7-15 or so and have two of each made using your old one*
as a guide (see chart).*

Now here is how it all works.*

1. On the bench with the new bearings and races in you tighten*
the bolt head of your "tool" in a vice and torque the nut (on your*
home made tool the "bolt"), in increments, to 36, 72, 108, and 145 lb-
ft. After tightening the nut to each specified increment, seat the*
bearings by rotating the front wheel knuckle.*
2. Remove the front wheel knuckle and Spacer Selection Tool T87C-
1104-B from the vise (your bolt).
3. Mount the front wheel knuckle in a vise, clamping the front*
wheel knuckle where the spring and shock mount to the front wheel*
knuckle.
4. NOTE: The torque wrench reading must be taken just as the*
tool (your bolt) starts to rotate.
5. Measure the amount of torque required to rotate the Spacer*
Selector Tool T87C-1104-B (your bolt), using an inch-pound torque*
wrench.
6. If the torque wrench indicates 2.2-10.4 lb-in, the front*
wheel outer bearing retainer washer is the correct thickness.
7. If the torque wrench indicates less than 2.2 lb-in, a*
thinner front wheel outer bearing retainer washer must be installed.*
8. If the torque wrench indicates more than 10.4 lb-in, a
thicker front wheel outer bearing retainer washer must be installed.*

Ok in summary here is what we are doing:*
1. Install races, bearings, seals
2. Put a bolt with washers through bearings and put bolt head in*
vice.
3. Tighten the nut in 4 steps to 145lbs-ft. FOOT POUNDS to*
preload bearing.
4. Put whole assembly in vice and measure bolt movement in INCH*
POUNDS (how hard it is to turn bolt)
5. Depending on reading, shim is ok, needs bigger or smaller*
shim.

Here are the shim sizes if you need a machine shop to make some.

Each front wheel outer bearing retainer washer is assigned a*
numerical code that identifies its thickness. The code is stamped*
into the outer diameter of the front wheel outer bearing retainer*
washer. The numbers range from 1-21, with one being the thinnest*
front wheel outer bearing retainer washer.

If the number stamped on the front wheel outer bearing retainer*
washer is not legible, measure the front wheel outer bearing retainer*
washer with a micrometer and compare it to the chart to determine*
which number it is.

Changing the front wheel outer bearing retainer washer thickness by*
one number, either higher or lower, will change bearing preload by*
(1.7-3.5 lb-in).

FRONT WHEEL OUTER BEARING RETAINER WASHER

Stamped mark Thikness*
1 6.285 mm (0.2474 inch)*
2 6.325 mm (0.2490 inch)*
3 6.365 mm (0.2506 inch)*
4 6.405 mm (0.2522 inch)*
5 6.445 mm (0.2538 inch)*
6 6.485 mm (0.2554 inch)*
7 6.525 mm (0.2570 inch)*
8 6.565 mm (0.2586 inch)*
9 6.605 mm (0.2602 inch)*
10 6.645 mm (0.2618 inch)*
11 6.685 mm (0.2634 inch)*
12 6.725 mm (0.2650 inch)*
13 6.765 mm (0.2666 inch)*
14 6.805 mm (0.2682 inch)*
15 6.845 mm (0.2698 inch)*
16 6.885 mm (0.2714 inch)*
17 6.925 mm (0.2730 inch)*
18 6.965 mm (0.2746 inch)*
19 7.005 mm (0.2762 inch)*
20 7.045 mm (0.2778 inch)*
21 7.085 mm (0.2794 inch)

25 more*

I copied and pasted this from the Web page hope it works.

[ricko1966]

Okay I am that super tech thats been doing this for over 30 years.With the proper shim in place your front bearing preload will not change if the front axle nut is not exactly 147ft lbs the spacer controls preload not the axle the axle musts holds everything sandwiched.Everyone seems to be scared of or confused by this bearing spacer bearing arrangement,but anyone who has rebuilt a gm or ford rear diff is familiar with this.The different spacers are to compensate for manufacturing differences in the hubs,housings and bearings,using the original hub,and housing with a quality bearing not some cheap pos 99 percent of the time you will be in spec. I am not going to say that an expierienced hand is absolutely as good as the factory tool for measuring turning resistance is as good as the factory tool but even working at the dealership I've never seen anyone use the tool.Its just by feel snug plus a little resistance to turn with one hand.If you are worried about having a spacer made or selecting a spacer do a mock assembly using a spacer made from a ring of solder or clay tighten to zero clearance measure your clay, subtract your preload and boom right shim 1st try.

[Click_Here]

Okay. I see where I was confused. I thought there was a spacer AND a shim, but apparently the spacer is also the shim.

Either way, I just verified that the inner & outer diameter is the same as well.

From all the other posts that I read last night on here & the Mazda forums, it seems like most people say go with the middle range spacer & then go from there....it's just that I need SOMETHING in between the bearings for right now because once the axle is torqued down, you can barely spin the wheel by hand.

[WmWatt]

I paint the spacer number on the hub so if it`s ever lost I know which one to use. The kit has 21 spacers but a dealership might sell them separately and not offer them as a set.