Junk yard superlift for IFS 4X4?...

[Explorsport 2000]

Just a brain teaser for you fabricators...I was just thinking how much easier it would be to fab another frame below the stock one to gain a 5"+ lift...I too am a fabricator and after looking at the available 4" cost to lift the truck, I was thinking it would be way easier to buy the front frame section from a junk yard and weld to the bottom of the existing frame...the lift would be the frames height, then lower the torsion bar mounts and get some re-arched rear springs...of course the mod to the steering would need to be addressed and the front drive shaft would also need some mods, but if you think about it...I'm sure this could be done for $600-800 bucks depending on your cost of a stripped frame and miscellaneous parts...a far cry from $2K+ to do the Superlift or Trailmaster kit...I'm sure you could do the SAS for about the same price, BUT...to me, the best off road ride is always from a IFS set-up

What say yee?...I'm seriously considering this mod myself, but to simply the lift, I may just use the entire front section and stop behind the Torsion adjusters and slant the frame at an angle towards the rear and tie it all together with some tie plates, similar to how a limousine frame is reinforced after the stretch...another advantage to this mod would be to move the entire front suspension forward a couple of inches would allow for even bigger tires and no cutting !! and if you really wanted more lift, I'm sure your imagination would find a way to make it work...it's crazy ideals like this that set the gears in motion

I would love to hear your thoughts

Dave

 

[trj360]

All that work and you may as well do a SAS. But if you really want to do this, I would just say take a good hard look at a comprehensive parts list and make sure it's all stuff you can make. I'm pretty sure there are a ton of little parts.

 

[Turdle]

Torsion bar drop brackets are a fabrication nightmare

then you need front and rear control arm brackets, diff drop brackets, bump stop drop brackets, Steering knuckles from superlift, and a bunch of other things-nuts bolts and special hardware.
These brackets must be bolt in, or you will not be able to service the vehicle


I seriously doubt you can do it for much savings over a full kit, definitely no savings over a used kit.

If you want to build it yourself, The SAS suggestion is your best bet IMO

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Why lift if you are worried about the ride? If you are just wanting clearance for larger tires a body lift combined with a TT & shackles will get you darn close to 5" for about $300.

 

[kert0307]

the drop brackets are the easy part. Your forgetting the Superlift cast steering knuckles...

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

I agree with the guys if your willing to fab an IFS kit yourself, why not save the trouble and SAS it. If your looking to use it offroad SAS is the way to go. Let us know what you do, either way it should be an interesting project.

 

[trj360]

Let us know what you do, either way it should be an interesting project.

Agreed - in my opinion an SAS would be a better option but I'm all for innovation and cool projects.

 

[car_candy]

Ive thought of ideas of doing something similar but would be a lot of work and engineering to make it happen. Instead of dropping everything which provides no additional clearance (only to fit larger tires). Why wouldn't someone try a setup like hummer, which is all independent suspension front and rear. here are some pics.

But basically the cv axle doesnt go right through the hub. It goes above it with a set of gears. That way you get to keep the IFS but still gain the ground clearance. You would actually have better clearance than a solid axle.

these are the best pics I could find.

Im not sure if anyone has thought of this but Im just throwing it out there.

 

[section525]

I think you'd end up in one of those "What not to do" threads.

 

[car_candy]

It definitely wouldn't be easy but I think after some custom upper and lower control arms, just use the hummer spindle, ditch the torsion bars and go with a coilover setup. You need to figure out the cv's too. Just thought it was a cool idea.

 

[Explorsport 2000]

I guess I need to explain my design a little further...when I say another frame, I mean another frame that already has all the attachment points for the front axle upper and lower control arms, steering rack and shock mounts...basically you will strip all your components off the truck and add the new frame under the factory frame and weld it to the stock frame...reattach your stock parts and the only mod would be to make a longer steering shaft, brake lines and such...I did just measure the frame height plus the room I would need to clear the upper A-arms that sit on top of the frame would give an incredible 10" lift...a new existing cross member would need to be fabricated to clear the new front drive shaft angle...so how is this all that hard?...I knew you guys would tell me to just do a SAS but what am I suppose to do about my ABS system...just drive it around with a ABS light on all the time?...didn't anyone play with logo's when they were a kid?...think of it that way...stack one frame on top of another and adjust the drive line and steering...so why does it sound like it would be hard?...the complete frame from the TB adjusters to the sway bar.

Dave

 

[Dan Whitaker]

I did just measure the frame height plus the room I would need to clear the upper A-arms that sit on top of the frame would give an incredible 10" lift

I don't wan't to be around you when you make a turn. Your COG is going to cause you to :roll:

 

[Dannyboy]

wow. okay, now that I said that, I totally understand what you are saying.

my first question in a long list of follow up questions regarding stacking 2 frames on top one another for 10" of lift is what size tire would you run? I know plenty of guys who run 35s and 36s on 5-6" of lift.

If you wanted to do something crazy on IFS why has no one looked at bringing the running gear over from a 1/2 ton like an F150 or Expedition?

 

[trj360]

Those axle things you are talking about are called portals, i'm pretty sure

 

[trj360]

Yep, here they are -
http://blogs.4wheeloffroad.com/6306757/4x4-truck-projects/dana-60-bolt-on-portal-axle/index.html

That would be a cool way to lift - bolt on portals.

 

[car_candy]

Yep, here they are -
http://blogs.4wheeloffroad.com/6306757/4x4-truck-projects/dana-60-bolt-on-portal-axle/index.html

That would be a cool way to lift - bolt on portals.

Yea that would be sick I wonder if they make anything for IFS. The one pictured is for the Dana 60 which is a solid, right? In any rate that would be cool, thanks for the info I had no idea what that setup was called.

 

[trj360]

Yea that would be sick I wonder if they make anything for IFS. The one pictured is for the Dana 60 which is a solid, right? In any rate that would be cool, thanks for the info I had no idea what that setup was called.

I bet they will cost more money than an entire explorer. I'm not even sure if these are out to a consumer market yet.

 

[IZwack]

I knew you guys would tell me to just do a SAS but what am I suppose to do about my ABS system...just drive it around with a ABS light on all the time?

If you're a fabricator, you should be able to find a way to make the ABS work - its not very difficult. Just simulate the tone rings down to the same teeth count. Hall effect sensors are pretty much universal.

But seriously, stacking chassis just sounds like taking a shortcut - or like a bandaid solution to a deeper problem. Why not go to the heart of the problem and fix it. If you dont like the IFS, then switch to a solid axle. If you dont like the position of the front axle but like the IFS, then fabricate some bracketry to make it what you want. I would expect someone to stack chassis maybe in a Junk Yard wars episode, but not for a vehicle that will see the street.

And forget about the H1 Portals, they are not 1:1 ratio - which opens a another giant can of worms.

 

[trj360]

If you dont like the position of the front axle but like the IFS, then fabricate some bracketry to make it what you want.

Just to throw some more ideas out there, how about moving the front axle assembly forward and doing lots of body trimming to fit a larger tire. Of course that would be a major problem for steering and stuff.

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

whats the overall goal for your project?...the idea of the F-150 IFS stuff sounded like an idea to throw around?...maybe with a full with rear end?