dlbrunner

IFS has more clearance than sfa under the axle given the tire size is the same

86 flatbed

i have done some more searching, and it looks like i will be selling. i am going to look for one that is older and has a sa all ready. it is cheaper to lift them, and they seem to be easier to work on. thanks for all the help.

hanksyota

Lysmachia

That's right Henry. Keep yer mouth shut! LOL. HUH?

AxleIke

Cheaper to lift, yes. Steering will still be crappy, so you'll need to convert to hi steer if you want to run larger than stock tires and/or locker.

Actually, far harder to work on a SA or SAS truck than an IFS truck, with the exception of changing the oil.

tc

x2 and not only is it harder, it's considerably more frequent - there's A LOT more maintenance required on a SFA rig than an IFS rig IMHO.

GenXr

TC, did you ever wheel out at Richland Furnace between Athens and Chilicothe? That place is pretty fun. Lots of trails there to play on. I'm considering some LTBs for my Samurai.

Now what have you and Ike found on the SFA rigs that's harder to work on than IFS? I am sticking with my IFS and ask out of curiosity.

AxleIke

Axles, calipers, and seals.

In addition, you can change a broken IFS axle in 10-15 minutes on the trail. A birfield is the same strength, and takes quite a bit longer.

tc

Plus steering bolts have to constantly be retorqued.

86 flatbed

seeing how it is/will not be a daily driver i am not all that worried about sterring. i had an 87 when i was in highschool on 33x12.5s and there were no problems with turning. all i did was crank the torsion bars all the way up. they rubbed very little and that was rare. my dad had an 89 with 33x13.5s and a 2 inch body lift and it rarely rubbed. the only time i have problems with steering is when the hubs are locked and that is because the fronts are trying to turn at the same speed. every truck i have driven that has lock in front hubs has this symptom. could some one please elaborate what they mean by crappy steering.

tc

If you 'wheel hard on the early IFS with big tires, locked in front, and bad steering angles, you will likely bend tie rod adjusters, idler arms, pitman arms, steering relay rod, etc.

The solution is to keep the steering geometry stock by minimizing the amount of lift, which is easy to do by running a narrower tire.

AxleIke

x100......

nate V

Sorta hijack here but ....
has anyone ever had the outer bearings go out on the front pumpkin on an ifs application?? Checked my cv axles and excessive play is coming from the inner pass side axle .....any ideas BECIDES SAS.