What is the advantage to a solid axle over IFS or

[Osiris]

fully independent? It seems you have the ability to have more clearance, clarence. Roger, Roger. But is there an issue with strength when wheelin' with indie suspensions? I saw Amgraham go down a steep rock and his front wheel practically hit his front door, is this where the limitations come in and that is why people convert to straigth axles?

Amgraham got hung up on a boulder with his rear axle and both wheels are off the ground. If there is 4 wheel indie suspension, then you could have more clearance.

Thanks,
O

[RustBucket]

I'm glad you're asking this question on this forum and not on Pirate4x4.

It's pretty much like this:
1) Straight axles are easier to lift
2) Straight axles are stronger
3) Straight axles allow you more flex up front, as they articulate in a rotational way rather than straight up and down like IFS.

I don't think there is a IRS kit anywhere, probably because there are only a handful of people interested in that sort of thing. Maybe someone else can speak up here, but I'm pretty confident that most IRS systems have been pretty weak.

[AxleIke]

The number one reason people swap to a solid axle is that it sounds cooler on the internet.

clearance is a better on a SA truck, since you can put bigger tires on a properly built solid axle. With the same size tire, it is a wash. Directly under the diff on the SA truck, you have a little less, but under the tube itself, you have more.

Stock SA is only BARELY stronger than stock IFS. The difference is that you can put chromo axles in a SA truck, and then have all the strength in the world.

The reasons to SAS: You wheel very difficult trails, or you have the time and money and want a cool project, or you simply want to run huge tires, or you just want to be able to use internet buzz words, like: "I have a SAS".

What makes me laugh really hard is when someone SAS's for strength, but puts on a stock axle housing with stock axle shafts. Joke is on them, since they have the same strength as me, but i can change my busted CV axle in half the time it takes them to change their birf.

[d0ubledown]

bragging rights...as ike said.


seriously...the main difference is strength & suspension droop. but it varies. a toy ifs isnt as good as a toy SA, but a toy ifs is strength for strength is much stronger than a front stock Y/TJ wrangler solid front D30 or 35 or whatever it is. ifs doesnt have the suspension travel a solid axle has...which is the main reason to swap. if you look at most front flex pix..the IFS body will be all tweaked, while the solid axle truck will be level. this is because when one solid axle tire gets lifted, the other one droops. not so much with IFS. the front corner tire tries to compress, but it just ends up lifting that whole side of the truck...

[fustercluck]

Because real men prefer to be rigid rather than flexile :hillbill:

Okay I'm teasing. Live axle vehicles, given the proper suspension and geometry modifications are more likely to maintain all four wheels in contact with the trail. If both IFS and SA have lockers, the advantage one over the other is not as great. but with open diffs, as soon as one wheel 'hangs' the driver losses the use of that axle for traction.

IFS rides better than SA on the road though.

[bamachem]

on a SA, if you stuff one wheel, due to the geometry of the springs and how the forces transfer thru the axle, you will actually increase the pressure that is applied to the opposite wheel on that axle. what happens (in very simplified terms) is that you get a pivot point at the spring perch of the stuffed side of the axle, and the pressure that's causing the wheel to stuff is transferred via the axle housing as a lever to the other wheel.

with ifs, if you stuff a wheel, then you decrease the pressure that is applied to the opposite wheel since there is no lever arm (solid axle housing) to transfer the forces to the other wheel and the spring that is being compressed simply takes more of the load.

[Osiris]

What about latteral movement - front to back. Are the A-arms and knuckles strong enough to handle that kind of stress of the whole car? I think Bamachem hit on this...thx.

Hey Fuster - :flipoff: I got two straight ones too!!!! :hillbill:


I have never jumped into the 4 wheel foray seriously. Just kept up with and worked on my Z-cars (Datsun/Nissan, not redneck Z-28 :D) They are down in SC and now I need another project so why not the DD 4Runner!

It would be fun for my son and I to do it together and if I have a 4 wheeler, you might as well jack that mother up and use it like you own it, brother!!!!

regarding Pirate4X4.com - I was there for a minute and 4X4wire or something, but it just seemed YotaTech.com was much better and then I found this place last week. These two definitely seem to be the best technically as far as advice and knowledge.

My upgrades will be the following:
Intake
4 wire Alternator power upgrade
Headers (powdercoated) - Downey the best? chime in...
lift (springs & shocks upfront) need advice...
(shackles or springs & shock for rear) need advice again...
wheels - stick with stock or look for another set??? chime in...
Tires - I have 31.5" (stock), maybe 33-36" would be good. This is my DD as well. Obviously I want to have tires to match the rim size. I think my stockers are 15"s.

Do they make 3" lifts using springs & shocks? That would get me 3+0.75= 3.75" under belly add'l clearance, but only 0.75 add'l under rear axle with 33's. If I get Cebby's skids & bellypan & low profile X-member that would add an add'l 2" clearance there. I don't know where the cut-off is before you start getting into too much special fabbing. Don't want to go there.

I'll do a 3.4 swap when this motor goes kablaamo, but hopefully that will be a long time away. :thumbup:

Appreciate your input.

Osiris

[fustercluck]

Hey Fuster - :flipoff: I got two straight ones too!!!! :hillbill:



I think a man can never have too many rigid ones...:hillbill:










I have never jumped into the 4 wheel foray seriously. Just kept up with and worked on my Z-cars (Datsun/Nissan, not redneck Z-28 :D) They are down in SC and now I need another project so why not the DD 4Runner!

It would be fun for my son and I to do it together and if I have a 4 wheeler, you might as well jack that mother up and use it like you own it, brother!!!!


It's fascinating how addictive this stuff can be. My boys and I work on these trucks together. They are still young, but I'll turn 'em into Yota gear heads before they reach their teens. It's good father and son time.




regarding Pirate4X4.com - I was there for a minute and 4X4wire or something, but it just seemed YotaTech.com was much better and then I found this place last week. These two definitely seem to be the best technically as far as advice and knowledge.

My upgrades will be the following:
Intake
4 wire Alternator power upgrade
Headers (powdercoated) - Downey the best? chime in...
lift (springs & shocks upfront) need advice...
(shackles or springs & shock for rear) need advice again...
wheels - stick with stock or look for another set??? chime in...
Tires - I have 31.5" (stock), maybe 33-36" would be good. This is my DD as well. Obviously I want to have tires to match the rim size. I think my stockers are 15"s.

Do they make 3" lifts using springs & shocks? That would get me 3+0.75= 3.75" under belly add'l clearance, but only 0.75 add'l under rear axle with 33's. If I get Cebby's skids & bellypan & low profile X-member that would add an add'l 2" clearance there. I don't know where the cut-off is before you start getting into too much special fabbing. Don't want to go there.

I'll do a 3.4 swap when this motor goes kablaamo, but hopefully that will be a long time away. :thumbup:

Appreciate your input.

Osiris


I just bolted a 3" lift to my runner with some lengthened shackles.

There is no 'special fabbing' cut off. The modifications run as far and wide as your imagination, experience and wallet will allow. :hillbill: