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IFS questions

743 views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  tanman2003 
#1 ·
So I am in the marked for a truck to lift and turn into a toy, looked at jeeps so far but didnt really feel like replacing the dana 35, plus 4runners are a little more cushy on the inside. Thus you can see I know very little bout IFS and why its so bad. I have searched and looked on the neewbie posts but havent found a good description of IFS problmes
-Would anyone care to elaborate on the problems with it?
-Most of my wheeling will be weekends on ruts, trails and mud pits, few rocks to be crawled in Va.
-I would like to be running 35's eventualy so its not gona be huge.
-Also any thoughs / experience on the Superlift 4" IFS lift
-Anyone running this lift with a 2" Body lift? Any problmes?
Thanks, sorry for so many questions
 
#3 ·
Unless you are getting into real hard wheeling ifs will be fine. I ran it on the rocks but like it was mentioned the shafts are weak, no travel and everything tends to wear out really fast steering wise. But for a weekend warrior you would be fine w/ ifs. I was running 33's w/ a 3" b/l and a welded front end.
 
#5 ·
To run 33" tires just put a 1" Roger Brown body lift and some 1.5 bj spacers. Put a locker in the rear and 4.88s and it will take you many places and the IFS/Steering will be reliable.
If you want 35s, thats getting to the limit of the IFS components/steering. As tanman suggested put a 3" BL and then bj spacers. Or a smaller BL and Bjs then trim the fenders.
good luck...I would stick with 33s for the IFS. just lock it up.
 
#6 ·
from what you wanna do I dont think it would be worth it to switch over. And I call bullshit on the money issue, you can lift IFS for 6-700 and to hang an axle right youre well over a thousand. Ive been running my ifs for awhile now and havent had anyproblems with cv shafts but my buddy i wheel with is popping the centersections like theyre going out of style (on the same trails Im not breaking on, but hes a bit heavier up front than i am) but he isnt breaking the cvs either.
 
#7 ·
Cut the fenders, put on 33-35 inch tires, weld or lock the rear, and go have lots of fun for not much money! My 4Runner with that combo goes many, many places, it's just not a "big dog".

Learn how to replace CV-joints before putting a locker in the front. Or SAS it at that point.
 
#8 ·
I tried the IFS route for a while, I finally gave up after bending the mounting brackets for the diff on the frame. There was just too much leverage for the weak brackets. 35's will definately start ruining things after a while. I got 2 years out of mine before I gave up & went solid front.
 
#9 ·
i ran 33s on my 94 with a downey control arm kit for awhile. regeared to 4.88s and locked the rear and 4.7s in the t-case. in the year that was on i went through tons of ft end parts. i never broke any cvs but i never locked the ft end.

i also wheeled mine hard every other weekend. in the end i bent the control arm brackets and bent the ft diff mounts. i wheeled mine harder than most people and pretty often. if your sticking to mild trails you shouldnt have any problems.

i would stay away from any lift that requires dropping the diff but thats just me.

since you are in VA check for clus that make runs to paragon ad RC in PA. i know quite a few that make the drive.
 
#10 ·
I ran an 88 Toyota pickup for a few years with 33" tires, 4" IFS lift. I actually did wheel it "moderately" hard ... I never broke a shaft or diff. It had a lockrite locker in the front. I don't tihnk I had the engine power to break axles and diffs (factory engine).

But I did break steering parts including a broken idler arm at the bushing, and snapped my center link. I also broke several lift brackets. Eventually, I had to brace to the lift brackets to the frame (all 4 of them) to prevent them from flexing and breaking.

I'm in a solid front axle truck now and I miss the on-road drivability of IFS thats for sure. Other than that there are so many stock solid front axle trucks out there for cheap theres no reason to settle for IFS if it's not exactly what you want.
 
#11 ·
Yup, I run 33's on my ifs, I put on an idler arm gusset, 26mm torsion bars, shaved my bumpstops (not that it matters Ill pick up a wheel before I flex). I have only blown 1 cv. I recomend you learn how to not piss of the cv's and run an open diff and you should be fine. I go places my buddies cant and they have locked up cruisers. However, I will be doing a solid axle eventually with 35's.
 
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