Looking for chromoly axles(IFS)

[hedges7035]

I have a 88 chevrolet 1/2 ton truck. I am running 35'' TSL boggers. Everything under the truck is brand new. I mean everything. My 3rd time 4 wheelin and I already broke my front axle. I want to upgrade. However I am not ready to convert over to a solid front axle.

[georgia gabe]

Ok, first off prepare to be flamed... Now go to ck5.com and ask the ifs guys... All you are going to get is shit for a question like that on Pirate.
gabe

[GMCTruxrule]

What do you expect running 35 inch Boggers on IFS?
No, they don't make chromo axle shafts for IFS. No point in it.
And if they did, something else in your worthless IFS front end would be next to go.
There comes a time when you have to admit to yourself that some things just don't work.

SAS and be done with it.

[Grumpy_old_fart]

Truer words are rarely spoken as politely.

[aaronr10]

Another vote for a complete waste of money. Fred Williams (editor for Peterson's) put some bling front axle shafts in his "Red Sled" project truck after he popped a half shaft. Don't remember the brand but they were pretty much custom made with a slip in the shaft itself......anyway. After that upgrade he found the next weak link. The front diff housing blew apart, big pile ol' shit after that.
Point is: DO NOT WASTE ANYMORE MONEY ON YOUR IFS IF YOU PLAN ON WHEELING.

[hedges7035]

After tons of research and lots of phone calls, I have found the answer to my own question. Rockford CV in Rockford, IL will build a chromoly axle for an IFS. And I am sure it would not be difficult to break the diff. housing. However I have been infomed that they make a cast iron diff. for an IFS. So, where would my next weak part be?

[Grumpy_old_fart]

unit bearings, knuckles, steering,

[JohnnyU]

Originally Posted by hedges7035

After tons of research and lots of phone calls, I have found the answer to my own question. Rockford CV in Rockford, IL will build a chromoly axle for an IFS.

For how much?

I'm in the middle of swapping a HP 60 into my 1991. I'd be willing to bet you can swap in an axle and be done with it for less than you will have wrapped up in those fancy cv joints, replacement steering linkage, pitman/idler arms and balljoints (all of which will wear out every 20K miles or less with those tires and your undoubtedly wide rims).

Been there, done that. Solid axle is the only true solution.

[1BadK10]

Originally Posted by hedges7035

After tons of research and lots of phone calls, I have found the answer to my own question. Rockford CV in Rockford, IL will build a chromoly axle for an IFS. And I am sure it would not be difficult to break the diff. housing. However I have been infomed that they make a cast iron diff. for an IFS. So, where would my next weak part be?

by the time you get done you could have SAS'ed it and have extra money to spend on other important things also. there is to many moving parts on the IFS to go wrong.

[georgia gabe]

Ok, no one has said it yet so I will.... IFS SUCKS!!! Putting Chromo Axles in an IFS setup is like gold plating a Yugo, no matter what you do it will always suck balls.

[the_experience3006]

I'd want to know more information about the axles before I bought them, that's for sure. If they're making the shaft out of higher grade material it's not going to help you. I'd be willing to bet you aren't snapping the shafts...you're breaking the joints. Unless you're getting a bling-bling joint it's a waste. I'd be really pissed at myself if I bought expensive upgrade axleshafts that used a stock or mostly stock CV joint, the weak point in the first place.

If I were you I'd just go down to the parts store and buy two axleshafts for each side. Make sure you get them with a lifetime warranty. Now go wheeling. You'll probably get really good at changing out the shafts, but you'll always have a trail spare and you can bring in the dusted axle for free replacement. It's probably your best bet. Your other options include laying off the skinny pedal, getting smaller tires, or doing an SAS.

[ssyork]

Don't waste any more time or money into ifs like he said it SUCKS! Go find the cheapest shafts to keep it going and start spending $$ on a solid front. Put about 1500 offroad miles on mine since last july, love it wouldn't ever go back. It even rides better on the pavement.

[positrack@earthlink.]

IFSs are actually pretty well matched systems. There aren't really any particular weak links because EVERY PART is a weak link (tiny, expensive, non-servicable unit-bearings, ball joints, CV shafts, diff case). You never know for sure WHAT you'll break, only that you will break SOMETHING. What this means is blowing $$$ on fancy shafts is pointless unless you upgrade basically every other component in the system. It is not like a D44 for instance, where, if you swap in some cro-mo shafts and beefy joints, you'll have an axle capable of handling considerably more abuse. The only thing your fancy shafts will do for you is force you to break something else (which will likely let go at about 101% of what your stock shafts would have tolerated).

The Red Sled series was awesome. I've never been so anxious to get the next issue of a magazine. No matter how much $$$ they dumped into that worthless IFS, it would grenade in every update... Priceless.

BTW, see signature line.

[florida4x4]

For the love of heaven man SAS

[abig84]

Originally Posted by florida4x4

For the love of heaven man SAS

couldnt agree more

i been there and done what your going through. its not so much for me the problem with breaking cv joints. i ran 33 12.50s on a stock s10 and EVERY time you turned the wheel past a 1/2 turn youd break a cv joint. bringing the crappy autozone cv joints back every month wasnt that big of deal. its taking your truck far into the woods or on a offroad trip and lose your front axle within 20 minutes of being at the place. and having to dick around in 2wd the rest of the day

im doing a SFA right now on a 93 s10, had the axle and total price doing all the work myself im probably at about 6-700 bucks. maybe less. alot of other crap i bought was unrelated

[bigyellowjimmy]

Originally Posted by hedges7035

After tons of research and lots of phone calls, I have found the answer to my own question. Rockford CV in Rockford, IL will build a chromoly axle for an IFS. And I am sure it would not be difficult to break the diff. housing. However I have been infomed that they make a cast iron diff. for an IFS. So, where would my next weak part be?

you come on pirate to defend ifs?

Just go with a cast iron case, and chromoly shafts and enjoy the awesome flex and wheel travel

[Z383]

hedges take it from a guy who has been where u are. i have a 95 chevy z71 sas'd b4 i sas'd i had 3in bl an torsion bars cranked an 35in tsl truxes an i broke a few cv's. ur best bet is to go sas. but like u said ur not ready to do the swap yet what i did is go to autozone an spend $80 on a cv joint with a one yr or lifetime warrenty cnt remember exactly well i was only out that $80 once they replaced 3 cv's under warrenty for free. like the other ppl said dont put a lotta money into ur ifs if u get chromemolly axles an end up busting a knuckle ur fucked an stuck on the trail atleast with a broke cv u can limp home. other than that go SAS ASAP

[Gutter Runner]

You can't polish a turd....

[Cougar67]

Originally Posted by hedges7035

After tons of research and lots of phone calls, I have found the answer to my own question. Rockford CV in Rockford, IL will build a chromoly axle for an IFS. And I am sure it would not be difficult to break the diff. housing. However I have been infomed that they make a cast iron diff. for an IFS. So, where would my next weak part be?

Sounds like you got more money than you do brains

[sledheadak]

your only option to keep the ifs from breaking too often is to take the boggers off and put a set of bfg at's on the front.you wont have enough traction in the mud to break the front.

[Grumpy_old_fart]

i beg to differ.

the mildest of mud tires will break a cv joint.

I have video to prove it.

IFS is not meant for use offroad. it is weak, substandard, and to the point of being almost dangerous. I would never suggest it for a vehicle that would see even easy offroad duty.

I have been a witness to a set of front axles breaking less than 20 feet from the pavement, in slick mud, with little or no traction. the guy was running 33 inch cooper mud tires that had about 30% tread on them. both axles broke. he had to be towed back onto the gravel. he had the stock engine, stock gears, stock trans. nothing was changed except the lift (cheap 6 inch lift) and tires.

[goodnmuddy]

Just take your front drive shaft out.

[aaronr10]

Here's most of the problem with IFS. Most of the time it is the owner. Meaning the owner thinks it must be lifted to be offroad worthy. Most of the IFS lifts change the half shaft geometry beyond stock design. Hell most of the ones that I see with blown out cv's if fromt he inner tripod joint getting pulled out from hyperextension. The cheaper the lift the worse the problem. Also when the owner cranks up on the torsion bars to lift the vehicle beyond stock or beyond the advertised lift (i.e. changing a 4" lift into a 6" from cranking up the torsion bars) Rancho make the worst lifts I've ever seen. I've seen many IFS break, but in truely stock form (stock tires, stock lift, stock stock stock) they can do fire roads and wheeling required to go hunting. But I will say again.............DO NOT WASTE ANY MORE MONEY ON YOUR IFS IF YOU PLAN ON WHEELING. Plus, lifting an ifs does not give you anymore ground clearance becuase of all the drop down brackets.

[dragoonranch]

Originally Posted by aaronr10

But I will say again.............DO NOT WASTE ANY MORE MONEY ON YOUR IFS IF YOU PLAN ON WHEELING.

While I do agree with this, if there were more people that would do this and not mind spending a little coin on it, there would end up being a good aftermarket for it and then the cost of our 60's might not be as high.

[89_chevy_diesel]

Originally Posted by Gutter Runner

You can't polish a turd....

Yeah you can. You just end up with a shiny pile of shit when your done.