Kia swap questions

I am wondering if the 2wd Sportage has a 2wd front frame or is it like a pre runner having a 4wd frame with no front drive stuff?

I am wondering if I can use the frame clip basically.

From what I've seen, no reason to use the Kia frame, it's not boxed like the Mazda.

What I would like to use would be the geometry of it and not the actual frame. I would also like to use the steering box/rack and/or tie rods, drag links etc.

I would use the frame clip to make a tube frame with the same geometry if it's better than the Mazda. We all know the Mazda suspension is shit. I plan to make the frame, the arms etc but I would rather use whichever has better geometry.

I was on the mazdatrucking.com forum asking but no answer on the Kia frame yet.

Please keep opinions as to what is "sh*t" to yourself. The basic frame Mazda stuffed these motors into is fine for a lot of non-baggers / draggers, so we don't ALL KNOW millions of Mazda trucks are inherently defective. I know I got around just fine in my trucks while I fixed plenty of substandard tractor motors. Never had a problem in all those years with a frame. Not "shitt*y" at all.

So what are you trying to accomplish with your truck? I have seen these turned into drift, track, draggers, baggers, and many others with only drop spindles and maybe a ball joint drop. The only thing these trucks really need is a rack and pinion set up. When I have seen these trucks with over half a million miles. One of mine is approaching 360k.

Why keep it to myself? This is a forum to discuss things like this isn't it?

The fact is the upper arms have no rubber bushings, the upper balljoints are smaller than on any other minitruck made and the lower arms are the most basic there is. They were not a top of the line design. They are not good for anything but being on a utility truck.

Nowhere in my statement did I say anything about defective. However I have built close to 1000 sets of control arms for GM 63-87, 88-98, 99-06, 07-13, Colorado, Luv, Astro van, Ford F-150 97-03, Courier, 04-09, Dodge D-50, Dakota 81-87, 88 up, Ram 1500 94-01, 02-06, Mitsubishi Mighty Max, Toyota 79-83, 84-94, 95-00 Tacoma, Mazda B series, Nissan HB, Frontier, Isuzu, etc etc etc.

So I have studied front suspensions and geometry. The Mazda B series is the worst with the exception of the Luv and the D-50.

It's utilitarian at best. Yes it's tough but it could be much better. I used the Mazda B series geometry in my both last builds (one of which was a truck that weighed 7000lbs and I put 140,000 miles on it stretched) and may in this one as well. But I will not use factory arms and/or steering if I don't have to.

If you do a little research into frames and suspensions you will find the B series is sturdy and from a geometry standpoint it's not that good at all. It won't corner well, won't ride well and won't handle well. The only thing it does well is stop and last forever.

So if you don't mind I will call it shit, because that's my opinion of it. I did not say I didn't like it. I do, I like it very much but it needs an upgrade. Like someone upgrades a stock engine with a better carb, header, cam etc or are you against those mods as well? Changing out the factory carb for a Weber is the same thing as me changing out the arms for better ones. Ones without struts. A shaped triangulated lower arms. Upper arms with poly bushings and better, large balljoints. something better than torsion bars.

I am building a full on custom truck. The frame being "fine" is not acceptable. I want better than that. Like when someone buys and installs a bed liner. Because the bed is not "fine" with just bare metal.

I plan to drive this truck. Not really into dragging. It tears up too much hard work. But I want better handling and ride.

I am trying to have a truck that rides and handles better than stock. Bagging your truck does not make you a bagger, occasionally dragging your truck does not make you a dragger anymore than wrecking your truck makes you a demolishon derby driver.

90% of all 18 wheelers these days run air bag suspension, as do many high end cars like Mercedes, Lincoln etc. None of those would be a bagger would they? Maybe just read the build thread without pre judging me as a bagger or dragger. If you look at my other trucks in the build thread you will see I am neither.

I started a build thread to show exactly what I am doing start to finish.

The current plan is to use the factory Mazda locations and add triangulated lower arms, upper arms with larger balljoints like maybe an S-10 upper balljoint, drill the lowers for an up facing balljoint.

The thing many Mazda guys do is add drop spindles. The bad thing these do is change the lower balljoint to lower it to where it comes in from the bottom. This changes the distance between the upper and lower balljoints. The control arm mounts should be adjusted to match this or you get some issues that come up. Those issues are the toe changing as the suspension goes up or down.

Swapping in a steering rack is tricky because you have to get the tie rod ends on the rack to match the distance on the factory Mazda drag links/tie rods. If not then you get the same toe change.

I used a Tacoma rack on my RHD Mazda and just flipped it over. The width was slightly different so I did have some toe change but it was not until the suspension topped out or bottomed out.

There is a Mustang II universal rack that has very long threaded ends so you can cut it off where you want and add tie rod ends to match the ones you have. That's probably what I will do.

However I could still use the Mazda power steering box if it works out better for what I decide to do.

I was also thinking that maybe the Sportage frame might have some better geometry. This is yet to be determined.

I like the idea of using factory dimensions and parts but some factory parts will have to go. As stated above the arms will be replaced with tube versions.

More to come on this. Anyone that has any info on the Sportage frame/suspension please comment. thanks.