All I have on my 89 pickup is a 3" body lift right now but when i do the suspension lift i have a couple of options. i will just go with the solid axle swap. but i kind of like the downey IFS lift. but i have a question about it. im looking for tire articulation and i know you dont get much with the IFS. but what about the downey? anybody know or have experience with it?

 

Which Downey suspension?

 

which one? the front IFS lift. i guess they just came out with it. can be seen at downey-offroad.com

 

The grand-slam?


Probably the best lift for 3rd gen trucks.

I've seen a few in action.... they work beautifully... Plus, it makes your truck part porsche.

 

The Downey IFS kit is the best to get! Keeps your diff in the stock location, upgrades you cv's, and excellent engineering!

 

Most downey products seem to have good reviews and work really well, but watch thier rear leaf springs. Might check to see if they've improved the design within the last year or so, or changed manufacturer. I've had problems warping, bending, and deforming them (2 sets).



Customer service was good, just never could get a set to work (they did try though!) Ended up going 63" chevies.

 

I have only read about their grand slam suspension but it looks like one of the best IFS lifts on the market.

My experience with them and their products has been very good.

 

Spoke with one of the guys last time I was there picking up a part, and he said they have a coil-over version in development.

 

what do you guys think about this compared to the straight axle swap? my buddy is gonna give me an 85 straight axle. so costs might be around the same. what do you guys think about articualtion and flex with the downey compared to the straight axle?

 

solid axle and IFS suspensions each have their pros and cons, but as technology advances IFS is getting better than solid axle in many ways.

People swear by solid axles, but I have seen the IFS do things that those solid axle guys didn't think the IFS was possible of.

Just like how back in the day those that were all about carbs and thought EFI was a joke...

 

Agreed, IFS and SFAs have their pros and cons. One thing thus far, SFA setups are recognizably stronger than IFS setups. Personally, I'm a solid axle person, for strength and sheer articulation reasons. You can get articulation out of IFS suspensions, but last I checked the better bang for the buck was solid axle.

However with solid axles you will generally sacrifice a little in ride quality, but for a devoted trail rig it wouldnt matter.

 

As with all lifts the first question is what type of wheeling do you want to do and to what level. Solid axles will out flex IFS in slow speed trail wheeling situations. It's an issue of statics and can be modeled as a simply supported beam. IFS, however, is going to out perform the SFA in high speed wheeling situations. There is simply less mass to move up and down which means the suspension can better accommodate uneven terrain at speed.

The first question to ask though is one's willingness to acquire body damage. If you are not willing to accept body damage, you do not need a solid axle up front.

Now you might be heading for hard core trails eventually an that's cool. In that case, just do the SAS and be done with it. But at least be sure of that before you do something irreversible.

Franl

 

i do a lot of rock crawling but nothing crazy. old loggin roads. i live in new hampshire and all there is up here is rocks. all i have is 3" body so obviously i dont do anything hard core yet. when i do the lift i will probly be going down to PA alot and the IFS would be a better ride. i would prefer the SAS. just for articulation. alot to think about i guess

 

Well I have personally seen the long travel kits flying through the air and on the rocks and they are very versatile. A kit like that with a locker and you are wheeling some serious trails.

Frank

 

if i did go with the IFS lift...what do you think about the superlift 4"?

 

is the superlift IFS kit still around?

There are three basic ways to get IFS lift
a) torsion bar crank
b) drop bracket lift (trailmaster, superlift, ...)
c) LT arms

Do some searching on the "downey arms" lift.....

Also - WHY do you want "lft" - what type of wheeling
Some lifts work better for certain types of uses

 

if your looking for the best (not cheapest) bolt on IFS set up ..check out Total Chaos. www.chaosfab.com Have had their Gen 3 kit for 3 years with No problems 12" of travel 4x4. much better than torsion set up and very...very fun in the whoops at 50 Mph.... but still goes EVERYWHERE a lifted/big tire truck will go.

 

I would skip the bracket lift if this truck is going to wheel. Sure they cost less but the LT kits function soooo much better. I had a Trailmaster 4" for years and I ended up remanufacturing significant parts of it. It also was prone to shifting and therefore required frequent alignments.

The one piece bracket types like Superlift are better but sheesh, for all that height, you get no extra suspension travel unless you modify the kit.

Frank

 

I have also looked at the Downey and Total Chaos lifts, they are very expensive though, SFA swap would definitely be the cheaper way to go and would also definitely seem to be the stronger way to go......just hate to lose the road manners of IFS.

 

I've been looking around for LT kits even though a change in location might change that idea but I would rather go with the TC or JD kits. They're both proven kits, and with the JD Fab kit offering a more build as you go mentality.

The Downey kit intrigues me, and my experience with Downey has been pleasant with the couple of items I've purchased from them but $800 just for the axles is the killer for me. The TC and JD kit's allow for the use of T-100 axles which can be picked for like $70 at Autozone with a lim. lifetime warranty. I don't know that I'll ever break a CV but the peace of mind is nice as far as price is concerned. I wonder how much custom extended axle shafts for stock joints would cost, or how much they would limit travel since the 930 CVs are rated for a higher angle?