So it's been a while since I've made a post on here and I've done a thing or two to the Kia since my last post. Lets see I've named my girl.. She may look like a guy but her personality says girl. Her name is "Killa".

I pulled this street sweeper back to the mall. The estimated cost to repair (motor swap) was too great so left it in our small parking lot for over two weeks. We eventually drug it back. It was a heavy thing. Had to make three yanks with the tow stap to get it out of the hole. It was parked in the low spot of our parking lot in the picture.

I've trimmed the front bumper down quite a bit for improved offroading entry angle. I modified my sway bar setup. The extensions that Everett provided were good but over the years the threads stripped out so they kept coming apart. Tried welding them but the weld melted the driver side end link. They have a plastic of some sort inside that holds the ball end of the joint. Whoops, lol. So I replaced that end and then instead of putting the end link extensions on, I lowered the sway bar all together so I don't need extensions anymore. I used some spare steel I found in the shop. I believe it's a conduit box plate.. or was. I cut it in half and gave it two 90' bends and drilled the holes for the bolt to slide through it. Cleaned off the frame below the old sway bar frame mount bracket and welded my new custom ones on, painted them black and put the sway bar back in. Oh btw, a free way to stiffen your sway bar: So there's a little play between the rubber of the frame link bushings and the holes they sit in (eyeloops as I call them). Put the eyeloops in a vice and compress them onto the rubber bushing a little. May be able to do this with a big hammer also. I can definitely feel a difference from doing this! It corners much better. Drives like a car and still off roads with the Jeeps (=

On a side note. If you plan on doing this mod be warned that your sway bar does install above your front skid plate and that you are dropping the bar lower. I didn't think of this when I did it and not the sway bar is beneath the skid plate. Something some offroaders may not approve of for the obvious reason that you may catch your sway bar on things. It has about a 1/2 inch of clearance to the skid plate so there's no interference and it doesn't drop down too low in my opinion. I believe it is tucked up high enough not to be disturbed for the kind of off-roading I do. I don't rock climb really and that's my concern with it. Anyway another thing to consider is that if you don't mount it low enough you may have conflicting dimensions with your skid plate. it's got to be low enough to clear it. I got lucky. I didn't have my skid plate on while I was holding the bar in place making my mental measurements. But I do like the idea that if I want I can simply unbolt the sway bar now and the skid plate is no longer in the way. The sway bar drop mod was already done in the picture of her pullin the sweeper and as you can see it's still tucked up high. Anyway, best wishes to all.





Oh, also went offroading. Got pics of that too. Did better than a few of the Jeeps even (=

Hi Sportage Panichmech, Did you consider helicoils to replace the threads.

love the new mods.

cheers, Chris <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Didn't know you had stripped them. I would have sent you some new ones.
I do like your mod.
Sportage looks good.
Everet <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

The problem I had with the extensions were that they weren't deep enough to sink both the bolts. It was my fault cause I could have simply used washers to shorten the depth each bolt needed but I was lazy. I already broke my new driver side sway bar end link. I left the sway bar connected during my latest off roading event. Next time I will take off the end link but I wanted to see how strong the welds were. Strong enough, lol. Will post a video soon of when I broke it on youtube. You can hear the clunk and everyone saying, what was that? haha <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

My 'Killa' takin' on the Crevice! (=

Well driven <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

How much easier would that have been with a front locker <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />

Just putting it out there <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />. Now we have two suppliers for difflocks there is no excuse <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Cheers, Chris <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

You're right Chris! No excuse! I will have to save up money and get it! I want!!