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IFS vs SAS

6K views 46 replies 18 participants last post by  hytenor 
#1 ·
From what I understand people choose to go for a SAS to get a more duriable and Lockable front Dif. "if this is inncorect, please enlighten me"

Well a few questions.....

Without Lifting the truck, which would have the better ground clearence, the Stock IFS or the swapped in soild axel?

Which setup is going to be heavier?

All the trucks I have seen that have done a SAS, have a sizeable lift, is that lift required, or do they just want it?

I know Hmmwv's are not Tacomas, but I do know that they have Independent front and rear Suspention which I belive have Locking Dif's. If a Hmmwv can locking difs with indepent suspention, why cant a Tacoma???
 
#2 ·
John Doe said:
(1)From what I understand people choose to go for a SAS to get a more duriable and Lockable front Dif. "if this is inncorect, please enlighten me" Well a few questions..... (2)Without Lifting the truck, which would have the better ground clearence, the Stock IFS or the swapped in soild axel? (3)Which setup is going to be heavier? (4)All the trucks I have seen that have done a SAS, have a sizeable lift, is that lift required, or do they just want it? (5)I know Hmmwv's are not Tacomas, but I do know that they have Independent front and rear Suspention which I belive have Locking Dif's. If a Hmmwv can locking difs with indepent suspention, why cant a Tacoma???
(1) People usually choose to SAS for a variety of reasons. It has much more available articulation, it allows for much larger lifts for larger tires than IFS would allow, it looks damn sexy, it allows them to go places IFS won't (or at least a lot easier and with a lot smaller chance of breaking something), etc. But being able to be locked isn't a reason. Lockers are available for the stock Taco front diff.

(2) I would assume the solid axle would provide more clearance, but I'm not positive, somebody could verify/refute. Nobody doing a SAS is going to do so without a lift, though, so that's kind of a trivial question.

(3) Solid axle would be heavier.

(4) Large tires require large lift. I guess if you don't want larger tires (usually 35"+) then there's not a need for much lift. But there's not much point in doing an SAS if you aren't gonna want at least 6"+ of lift and at least 35's.

(5) Tacomas can. ARB, Lockrite, and others off various lockers for the Tacoma front diff.
 
#3 ·
As far as Ground clearence difference, I was not thinking of body clearence, but clearence underneeth the truck between the wheels.

Thanks for the feed back.
 
#6 ·
John Doe said:
From what I understand people choose to go for a SAS to get a more duriable and Lockable front Dif. "if this is inncorect, please enlighten me"

Well a few questions.....

Without Lifting the truck, which would have the better ground clearence, the Stock IFS or the swapped in soild axel?

Which setup is going to be heavier?

All the trucks I have seen that have done a SAS, have a sizeable lift, is that lift required, or do they just want it?

I know Hmmwv's are not Tacomas, but I do know that they have Independent front and rear Suspention which I belive have Locking Dif's. If a Hmmwv can locking difs with indepent suspention, why cant a Tacoma???
Most people do axle swaps on Tacomas for articulation and stronger suspension/drivetrain components.

It's all about keeping all the tires firmly planted on the ground giving you traction. You also need lockers for this part.

Some people do axle swaps because it's the "in" thing to do and they have more money than brains. Whatever, you will see the well thought out rigs at the end of the trail in one piece because their owners know how to work on them.

As far as hummers go, the military versions are pretty cool. The H2 versions are gay mall runners hardly worthy of leaving the pavement.

Later,
....Mike
 
#7 ·
As far as hummers go, the military versions are pretty cool. The H2 versions are gay mall runners hardly worthy of leaving the pavement.
I completly agree. I dispise the H2's, I was mainly thinking of the military and the H1 versions.

Thanks for the feed back guys, you cleared up the info nicely
 
#10 ·
Dick Foster said:
Are you in the More Articulation camp or the More Money than Brains but Want to be Cool camp, Mike?
I see you got to Dean. I saw some pics of his truck with the air bumps under there! Baliiiiiiiiiiiiiiing! :D

If it turns out as well as your rig did, he is gonna have lots of fun out on the trail!

Later,
....Mike
 
#11 ·
John Doe said:
As far as Ground clearence difference, I was not thinking of body clearence, but clearence underneeth the truck between the wheels.

Thanks for the feed back.
For the clearance underneath, assuming both trucks are running the same size tire the IFS will actually have more clearance between the wheels. The solid axle has a pumpkin that hangs down below the center point of the wheel but the IFS diff is tucked up and the CV's angle down to the center of the wheel.
 
#12 ·
That there is what is called funtional bling.:D When I talked to him yesterday he was happier than a pig in mud. He still has a couple of issues to address before I'll get off of his chest though.

He may take it for a shake down in Hollister this weekend. You commin?

We gotta get that Meet and Greet setup up so you can come to the South Bay and get the money, too.;)

Now, answer the question that I asked you. :xdevil:
 
#13 ·
Dick Foster said:
Now, answer the question that I asked you. :xdevil:
I don't think there is much of anything on my rig that could be classified as bling, except the shower maybe. :D

When I said more money than brains, I wasn't talking specifically about any Tacoma, but rather the blinging rigs you sometimes run into out on the trail where the driver doesn't have any tools, spare parts, or the knowledge to fix the rig when it breaks.

Later,
....Mike
 
#16 ·
Those pictures showing the difference in Articulation between the IFS and SAS, they relly put things into perspective.


When I said more money than brains, I wasn't talking specifically about any Tacoma, but rather the blinging rigs you sometimes run into out on the trail where the driver doesn't have any tools, spare parts, or the knowledge to fix the rig when it breaks.
To some leval most people are like that at some point in time, though I would hope they grow/ learn there way out of it. I know I will be like that for a little, just not to an extreme leval.
 
#19 ·
IFS will do 99% of what 95% of people say it wont do. Ive learned this through the past 3-4 years ive been wheeling. Its all in building your rig correctly, and learning to drive and work on what you have. For example, this year at GSMTR i completed Lower 2 at tellico on an IFS taco with 36 inch swampers, and 6 inches of lift. Completed it with minimal trouble and no winching. Leaving many other rigs behind, most of which were overbuilt(1 ton axles, lockers, crawlers....yadda yadda yadda) and underdriven. Wheel what you have, then some more. Sometimes when Im on this board it disgusts me to see the people "sas'n" their rigs, that have no idea what real wheeling is in the first place. Its a fad in my opinion. Yes, there are more than a couple here who do wheel the piss out of their rigs, and use up every bit of articulation and traction their rigs can offer, and i respect those people.

my .02

Josh
 
#20 ·
Uneasy Rider said:
Those pics are sweet. Couldn't you mod out an IFS so it could articulate just as well? Or is cost the big factor there?
even with long-travel you can't get the amount of front articulation that a well build SA rig will have. But...you can get some darn good flex with a $4500 LT setup ;) ...ask Jesse at TLT.
 
#21 ·
Ted said:
This is your truck on IFS



This is the same truck after a solid axle swap.


Not to be an asshat but......if that truck was on the same spot of the rock in both pics, with the wheel turned the same way in both pics....it wouldnt be that much of a difference. Dont get me wrong, the sas im sure is stronger and articulates better, but find some more accurate pics :rolleyes:
 
#23 ·
FlatFatTaco said:
Not to be an asshat but......if that truck was on the same spot of the rock in both pics, with the wheel turned the same way in both pics....it wouldnt be that much of a difference. Dont get me wrong, the sas im sure is stronger and articulates better, but find some more accurate pics :rolleyes:
http://www.norcalttora.com/gallery/album94

look through this (rather huge) batch of pics from last summer's Ribicon trip. We had 6 IFS trucks make it but the rest were SA rigs. This should give you a good idea of the differences as you can compare different rigs on the same obstacles.
 
#24 · (Edited)
synovus said:
What lift(s) are you running? What other modifications?
OME 882/N91 combo up front. 2.5 AAL and 1.5 downey shackle in the rear. 3 inch BL. Custom sliders, front bumper(warn M8000 in bumper), rear bumper, shock relocate. Flat belly by budbuilt :welder: Lockrights in the front and rear. Trucks a 2000 Reg cab 2.7 automatic. 4.56 gears, 36x12.5 TSL radials(soon to be replaced by 37 mt/rs for DD purposes).

Josh
 
#25 · (Edited)
hytenor said:
http://www.norcalttora.com/gallery/album94

look through this (rather huge) batch of pics from last summer's Ribicon trip. We had 6 IFS trucks make it but the rest were SA rigs. This should give you a good idea of the differences as you can compare different rigs on the same obstacles.

Oh im not dissin at all! Im just saying that picture is wack because of the angle and position of the tire on the rock. I have a full width D44 in my possesion now im prepping for install in the not so distant future. (plan on running a tundra housing in the rear for the fullwidth effect ;) ) Anywho, i just think people should take IFS to its limits before swapping in a front axle, which happens to be the "new" or "cool" thing to do. IFS does have its weak points, but very few on this board will take it to those limits. Thats all i was getting at.

Joshua W. Walsh
 
#26 ·
SteveO said:
For the clearance underneath, assuming both trucks are running the same size tire the IFS will actually have more clearance between the wheels. The solid axle has a pumpkin that hangs down below the center point of the wheel but the IFS diff is tucked up and the CV's angle down to the center of the wheel.
This is half true, but as a tire goes up on a solid axle truck, the diff goes up. On an IFS truck as the tire goes up the diff gets closer and closer to the ground. So, a IFS can have better ground clearance for driving over small children without killing them, for going over rocks a solid axle has better clearance. I believe this is the primary reason next to articulation to do a SAS...
 
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