[Opiewho]

So if I understand correctly...the Forte shares a lot of components with the 2008-2010 Elantra. What are the chances that the independent rear suspension from the Elantra would bolt right up to the Forte? Anyone have any idea?

 

[noodile]

I'd say slim to none. Suspension isn't just about a couple of bolts. it's gonna need a lot of fabricating to get it done.

 

[Opiewho]

Hmmm, I come from the Subaru world and they are like Legos', you can pretty much mix and match parts between models and come up with some great setups...I was hoping that Kia and Hyundai were similar...

I converted a FWD Impreza to AWD and didn't fabricate a thing...everything lined up and bolted right in.

I wonder how my neighbor would react if I was crawling around under her Elantra sizing things up?

 

[(K)illed (I)n (A)ction]

the impreza and wrx share the same frame.... if the forte and elantra do then it should work. who knows if they do though. ask your neighbor to jack up his car and take a peek, im curious now

 

[hawxter996]

im guessing not since the forte is a newer platform.
the 2011 elentra loses the independent rear also.

 

[Settling_With_Power...]

Absolutely not. The Elantra is IRS while the Forte has a beam rear axle. It'd be like expecting an RX7 rear end to bolt up to a B2400 pickup. It'll happen if you're good with a welder and understand suspension design. If not, then just forget about it because it won't happen.

 

[Tebore]

im guessing not since the forte is a newer platform.
the 2011 elentra loses the independent rear also.

Actually the Forte is based on the last gen's Elantra not the 2011.

Bolt up an Elantra's IRS absolutely not. A transplant maybe, you'd be looking at welding on brackets from an Elantra. The Torsion beam isn't so bad. It just needs more tuning. The suspension on the elantra wasn't all that great anyway.

The Cobalt SS was also a Torsion beam but GM was able to tune it in to the best handling FWD car.

 

[Chester22]

I converted a FWD Impreza to AWD and didn't fabricate a thing...everything lined up and bolted right in.

HUH??? Aren't All Subaru's AWD...never heard of a FWD one

 

[Settling_With_Power...]

The Cobalt SS was also a Torsion beam but GM was able to tune it in to the best handling FWD car.

Don't forget all the solid axle VW's that kill it at autox's around the country every weekend...

 

[93'DET]

HUH??? Aren't All Subaru's AWD...never heard of a FWD one

Thats what I was thinking, hmmm :/

 

[Settling_With_Power...]

Older Subee's were offered with a FWD setup. I'm not sure when they switched to strictly AWD, though. I remember in high school, one of my friends had some piece of shit '85ish GL sedan. Being retarded kids, we all thought it was AWD 'till we were tits up in the middle of a snowy field. It was around that time that we began to think that maybe it was just FWD.

 

[gtman55]

As the owner of a large Elantra based site for the past 9 years, I can clear this up. The KIA Forte is based on the last generation Elantra (HD) platform. Some things were changed though. Where the HD Elantra has an indepedent rear suspension KIA went cheaper and uses a torsion beam instead. It won't be an easy switch. Ironically, the newest version of the Elantra (MD/UD) also now uses a torsion beam... go figure.

 

[Opiewho]

HUH??? Aren't All Subaru's AWD...never heard of a FWD one

Yeah, Subaru's were sold as FWD or AWD until 1995, In 1996 they went AWD (in the U.S.) with every model.

I swapped the entire drivetrain out of a '95 AWD Impreza into my FWD '93 rallycross car...it's a blast. I've also swapped an '06 STi drivetrain into a '07 Forester and a bunch of other mixes and matches in the Suby world to get the result I was after.

Here's the '93 at an event a little while back getting muddy: