rear coil springs Kia Sportage.Could be a generic ?? though.

Hey folks,
Are these things bolted in place, or just compressed and expanded in place? Both mine are broke and I have new ones ready to put in along with new rear shocks. Just need to know how much time to set aside and if I can do it with simple tools in the driveway. Figure since I'm doing the shocks, I can just disconnect them and lift the vehicle high enough to set the new springs in place then lower and hook up the new shocks. Just don't want any surprises.

Thanks, Dave

Generically you disconnect the shocks and jack up the vehicle. The
axle will hang and the springs will be loose. Sometimes they have
a retainer on the top bolted to the mount.

Some vehicles the bushings are stiff and you may have to push
down on the axle.

Thanks! Top is loose, so I'll guess it'll be pretty easy.

Dave

I've got a Kia Sportage factory shop manual here for 1999. I've got three Sportages. Extremely well built vehicles and one of the last bargains to be found anymore. Mazda-clone engine, Gertrag trans, etc. Most makes sense but some is lost in translation.

To install rear springs, Mr.Kia says:
1. Install and hand tighten rear jounce stop to the body.
2.Position the upper coil spring seat around the rear jounce stop.
3.Postition the lower end of the shock absorber in the rear axle mounting bracket.
4.Loosely tighten the shock absorber lower bolt and nut.
5.Insert the lower retaining washer and lower plate rubber onto the top of the shop absorber.
6.Slowly raise the rear axle housing while installing the coil spring and the upper part of the rear shock absorber.
7.Insert the upper plate rubber and retaining washer onto the upper portion of the shock absorber and secure.
8. Lower the rear axle housing slowly. Install the shock absorber and coil spring.
9. Install the shock absorber upper nut and add the safety nut. Torque to 44 lb-ft.
10. Install the shock absorber lower bolt. Torque to 62 lb-ft.
11. Replace the wheels and install the lug nuts. Torque to 74 lb-ft.
12. Remove the safety stands, lower the vehicle, and drink some beer (I added that).

Thank You!!!
When I get to step 12, I'll have another one for you.


Dave

The early Sportages had a lot of problems. That's why they were dropped and a newer version came out a year or 2 later. I know someone who bought a brand new Sportage limited and had the transfer case completely lock up at 80 km/h. Luckily he was able to get it in the shallow ditch. It had less than 40,000 kms on it and the dealer tried to blame him for running the transfer case out of oil. It was still on warrantee! Because no one would give anything on trade for it, he ended up trading it in(at the same dealer) on a newer version that has had all the bugs worked out. He likes the new one much better. He got decent trade in for the old one since the dealer didn't want to admit that it had dropped so much in value after it was purchased. (it was a new dealer and they didn't like to honor warrantee claims) Good way to go out of business in a hurry. Dave

What are you calling early? The first year the Sportage was sold in the USA was 1995. I've got a 97, 98, and a 99. All with five-speed manual trans, four-door hardtops, and 4WD. All have well over 100K miles on them (that's the way I buy them). The 99 that I'm driving now - cost me $1200 when it had 120K mile on it. Ran perfect and came with four extra rims with brand new studded snows on them. It's the LX version with leather seats, power windows, AC, etc. Now has 190K miles and runs perfect. The original owner had full service records since he bought it new. It has been fixed once under warranty for a broken gear in the Gertrag transmission or transfercase when it had 40K miles on it. Other then that, no problems at all except for a tendency for electrical harness connectors to get corroded when driven in salt. This 99 was driven every day of the winter since new - in New York winter salt. Body held up fine, but the oil pan on the engine got a rust hole in it that I had to fix.

I have a dingy-type front-tow hitch on it and have used it twice to deliver trucks a 1000 miles away. I tow the Kia behind me with the hook-up, deliver the truck, and drive the Kia back. I've had some of it apart just to check it over and I'm impressed. It is built very heavy duty. My only complaint is that it does not have enough overdrive. At 75 MPH highway speeds, the engine turns near 3000 RPM in 5th gear. All my older Subarus are the same way. It could use much steeper axle gears. The Kia has 4.78 ratio axles and my Subarus have 4.33 ratio axles. Worse yet is my 1995 Chevy Trackers. They have 5.12 axle ratios and really spin in 5th gear. I want to put a 1.8 diesel into one of my Tractors, but it's a waste of time if I can't get the RPMs down. In California only, they put 4.30 axles into them instead of the 5.12s.

I guess I'm not sure what you're callling early and what you say was failing. I've heard there were several recalls from Gertrag to fix broken gears - but most of that was done under Kia warranty - so I'm told. I know mine was fixed that way.

(quoted from post at 05:45:06 04/10/10) I've got a 97, 98, and a 99. .

Click to expand...

I've got a 97 w/ 2.0 SOHC (90 HP). The 2.0 w/ DOHC say they are 130 HP. Is it as simple as changing out the heads and timing belt to get the extra HP? Or, is the extra HP really worth anything other than sounding good on paper?

Dave

Can't say for sure with the Kia, but I've got many Trackers with same deal. They came SOHC 8 valve version with trottle body injection, and DOHC 16 valve and port fuel injection. SOHC is 80 horse at 4000 RPM and the DOHC is 95 horse at 4000 RPM. Problem is I never rev to 4000 RPM and can't feel any difference with normal driving.
I do know that due to the different injection systems, converting one would be murder.

I've never had to do any engine work on any of my Kias yet and don't even know what injection systems they have. I do know the one I'm driving right now is rated 130 h.p. @ 5,400 RPM Torque - 135 lb.-ft @ 4,500 RPM
Gets a best around 25 MPG. Not bad for a cheap SUV. But my in-laws new four-cylinder AWD Escape has gotten 31 MPG with the 6 speed auto trans and five people plus one dog inside. That's pretty impressive.

Figured as much......... Mine's been a good little car too. Like it so well that we bought a 2006 Sorento (diesel) for the wife. Mine labors a little with a horse trailer but will do in a pinch, hers doesn't even know there is a trailer behind it. I do mostly short trips and start/stop driving on roads, gravel, and right of ways and average 15mpg. When I can run thru a tank of fuel w/ autobahn driving, it gets close to 25mpg.

Dave