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Elite Member
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Utard
Posts: 12,983
Real Name: Kevin
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Elite Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Utard
Posts: 12,983
Real Name: Kevin
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All kinds of misconceptions, my head hurts. Lets put to bed a few myths.
All other things being equal, IFS handles better at speed because when it hits a bump, it's not as prone to throwing the entire truck into the air. If your suspension is configured right, this can be useful when crawling too - it might leave your diff a little lower than the solid axle, but it leaves your truck lower too.
A solid axle does not inherently have longer travel than IFS. For moderately increased travel it's easier to mod a stock solid axle than a stock IFS because the solid axle pivots in the middle of the truck where the IFS pivots at the control arms. But for extreme travel the IFS will win again precisely because it is independent of the other arm.
A solid axle is normally stronger than an IFS setup because it doesn't have to flex at the same angles or in as many places as an IFS. But with the right money, IFS can be made strong enough to survive KoH and other offroad races, and that's definitely strong enough for almost anybody on this board (also too much money for almost everybody on this board!).
The bottom line is, if you're not breaking CV shafts, IFS is probably superior for your application. If you ARE breaking CV shafts, see if you can correct the problem with a lighter throttle foot and better driving skills before you think about a swap to a solid axle.
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'My needle always settles between west and southwest. The future lies that way to me, and the earth seems more unexhausted and richer on that side.' - Thoreau, sort of.
The Grey Bastard, 1985 4Runner, driveway ornament.
Utah DesertRunners T4R, for all things wheeling and 4Runner in Utah.
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