wreedCTD

http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums...howtopic=24311

96_12V

I personally find such conversation cheery, and quite un-informed in general. Perhaps it's helpful to see what sort of suspension a "real" work truck has...independant, just like this one...



So if they can make this work with an independant suspension, why not an F-450?

Rednecktastic

Solid axle = easier to lift.

Little03

Solid axle is cheaper to fix.

johnny5.9

I, for one, don't understand why everyone thinks the SFA is so much stronger. In my area the the number of IFS gm trucks with plows on at least matches if not exceeds the Superduties. And lots of guys with SFA needed to do frontend work. When correctly set up with tierod sleeves and and a center link brace the IFS puts up with a lot of abuse and delvers more comfort and control while doing it. I would like to see them up the front FAWR though. With the diesel it doesn't leave much room to hang a plow. This is the year 2008 not 1995, with proper design, there's no reason you need to have a SFA to be heavy duty that's what engineers get paid alot of money for.

DBLR

Your Key word was when, "When correctly set up with tie rod sleeves and and a center link brace" The problem is non of them come set up that way from the factory as it cost to much $$ to make a truck with a IFS set up properly.

dodgeguy71

I like my SFA, the Cat truck above, has Huge Ginormous nitrogen filled cylinders for shocks and their engineers built it right, heavy duty. Our engineers tend to build things on the light side(cheap) and drop in a 1150 pound engine. So if they are goin IFS it's probably cause the bean counter said, hey, if we do this we can save XX dollars per unit sold, not cause it's better.

Lil Dog

IFS is great for on-road driving but do little for off-road.

With the solid axle, when you hit the big holes, the entire axle takes up the clearance between the ground and the tires. That is that the distance between the suspension and ground is fixed, doesn't change. With IFS you need huge skid pans as when the suspension soaks up the bumps, the entire rig drops to its belly and drags on the ground. Many Chevies get stuck up here because they launch it into the bogs and the skid plate just sinks in and you drag bottom.

Ever tried to turn a bow-tie around? you need 2 blocks because of their design.

for the 300T rock trucks, they grade the roads 3x per day just so they can have the clearance and no large holes. Not a comparison.

johnny5.9

How does IFS design make for a big turning radius? I have never found I need two blocks to turn around and I work in dense urban settings. The worst turning radius I drove was a 99 PSD. SFA and leaf springs= huge turning radius. The IFS actually gives plenty of clearance to turn.

Lil Dog

I don't understand it either! But I have my biz partner with an 02 DA crew SWB and I can turn my truck around in the middle of the street. He has to 3 point it.

With CV joints and a-arms, that thing should turn just about 90° to the frame but it doesn't ... I don't know what to say, someone didn't do the math for the steering system on that truck.. ????