When I'm cruising the mall in my sammie I don't think I would notice the difference with ifs on the speed bumps would I? 

Actually that is where it shines. You can hit the speedbumps in the local mall parking lot much faster with in IFS set up and 8-10PSI in your 33's  It's really fun if the ricer/low rider you are racing id not paying attention and he too hits the speed bump at 40 mph 

Zig

Ya I like to pull the front tires off the ground on them, thats alot of fun also 

A comment regarding the pic from Heather.

We came up behind a group of much larger SAS rigs crossing when we came through the crack. And all of the Kicks, mostly IFS walked right through the exact lines the much larger SAS rigs took  With some of them having trouble 

Zig

And the ol-IFS kept them on the ground prety good 

We were trying to get a good 3 wheel line for a pick 

Nice pics.

Yah, I don't have ANYTHING against IFS rigs. A lot of you guys can cruise thorugh anything that an SFS can. It's all about the driver.

The primary reason an SFS will "flex" better is that as one wheel is compressed, it applies a force on the oposite to extend. With IFS, a wheel on a bump will not interact with the opposite wheel (hence independent), and so that oposite wheel is more likely to raise into the air.

In those first 2 pics of heathers, you can see that the RHS tire is hanging in the air (there is no "force" trying to cause it to extend downward other than the weight of the tire. In the SFS pics, the RHS whell is being forced down into the crevice and more likely to grab some traction .

Even travel wouldn't help the crack crossing above for IFS rigs much. There just isn't the needed forces to get that pik'd tire into the crack. (and travel is more difficult to achieve with an IFS on these things, it can be done, but not as easily as with a solid front axel.)

Good post.

Another thing here to note is about suspension travel. These IFS rigs just don't have the travel. I think they're what, 3-4" down and 3-4" up? So about 8" of travel? (with the exception of Mike's rig) And you're limited by CV angles. SFS is only limited by the amount of suspension droop. I think I've got about 24" or more of suspension travel in the front. I'll have to measure sometime. 

Plus, an IFS keeps the center differential closer to the ground in most cases. Because the arms move independantly, the center differential stays put. On a solid axle suspension, the differential is part of the axle, therefore, when one tire is lifted, the differential is lifted as well.

couple more pics:

(is that a kick with a SFS at the bottom?). 

Yep, mine. (it's in my sig too.)

But it looks like this now:



 

Quote from: Zukipilot on September 15, 2005, 11:12:43 AM

A comment regarding the pic from Heather.

We came up behind a group of much larger SAS rigs crossing when we came through the crack. And all of the Kicks, mostly IFS walked right through the exact lines the much larger SAS rigs took  With some of them having trouble 

Zig

And the ol-IFS kept them on the ground prety good 

We were trying to get a good 3 wheel line for a pick 

Nice pics.

Yah, I don't have ANYTHING against IFS rigs. A lot of you guys can cruise thorugh anything that an SFS can. It's all about the driver.

Yea that was basically my point  Like it was stated above, it all depends on how you drive and what you are driving through, over, or around 

Zig

Awesome truck!!

yea, it's ok for a SAS 

j/k

yea, it's ok for a SAS 

j/k

Yeah, it's "OK".

It would be "awesome" with coils. Maybe in the next revision. LOL.

There is another place IFS shines, in mud, deep mud.  with IFS you can see the center section of the diff up out of the way and not needing to come down when the wheels do.



For instance, when in a set of deep ruts(like some from 44 inch tires) you can drag the skid plate on the ruts and let the A arms droop all the way down so they can stay on the ground getting traction. 

I the same situation, a solid axle rig would drag the center of the axle on the rut and the tires would be left hanging in the air, not getting any traction.

i'm not sure if i expladed this well enough, if i didn't tell me and i'll go for round two.

stu

Finally another road racer.....I am not alone!

     But what I have learned since getting Zuked is that IFS/SAS is really a path you chose to follow. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages (sorta like a religion). Believers chose their path in the 4X4 world and follow it.
     I will say I can see how the SAS is easier to build in most ways, but myself (probly from my road race background) lean to the IFS side.
     Maybe someday when Buicks and Money are not issues I'll build a 4 wheel indenpendent off roader....till then I'll be an IFS guy and admire the hard work and ingeniuty the SAS guys devote to their chosen path.

Zag

hey

Finally another road racer.....I am not alone!

 But what I have learned since getting Zuked is that IFS/SAS is really a path you chose to follow. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages (sorta like a religion). Believers chose their path in the 4X4 world and follow it.
 I will say I can see how the SAS is easier to build in most ways, but myself (probly from my road race background) lean to the IFS side.
 Maybe someday when Buicks and Money are not issues I'll build a 4 wheel indenpendent off roader....till then I'll be an IFS guy and admire the hard work and ingeniuty the SAS guys devote to their chosen path.

Zag

i'm begging to think zag ,that your really starting to love that buick.. and just cant come to terms and let it go home to it's owner...lol

yooooouuuu funnie

dont forget, ifs lighter, better since most of us only have a 1.6.   I noticed when I wheel, extra person (180#) make a big difference as far as power needed.  With two extra people, she just plain bogs all the time.