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Why Go Solid Axel

stravalata

Member
Joined
June 18, 2003
Messages
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City, State
Whiting,Nj
Year, Model & Trim Level
94 XLT
What would be better for my explorer the stock IFS or a solid axel? And why?
 



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I will wait for 410Fortune to reply first..........................
 






Basically, if it's gonna still be mostly a street machine and not go really hardcore, leave it as is.

However, if you go hardcore wheeling often, SAS gives you better offroad performance.
 






Originally posted by Robb
I will wait for 410Fortune to reply first..........................


well ya did:p

also, are you really gunan offroad this? hard core? or just everyother weekend... what kinda offroading? Rock crawling? or just the occasional mus hole, what size tires you wanna run?

PEACE
 






#1- you have a 94 so dont you have TTB? not IFS so you can actually get a 5.5" superlift if you want (someone feel free to correct me on this.. ive never researched for a 94)

#2- SAS depends on what you use it for. I wheel quite a bit but a SAS is nowhere near close to the future (dont know if that sentence makes sense). One thing i love about our explorers over jeeps is the solid feel and ON STREET manouverability.. you lose that with the SAS however you gain a few feet of flex!

what you want to use your X for?
 






Technically the TTB is IFS. In reality it's kinda halfway between a solid axle and true IFS.
 






To do this....ahahahahahahaahah

Mvc-874s.jpg
 






ggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr................a ttb IS an IFS.
 






There's a lot of info in my Dead Link Removed

What are your intentions for your truck? How do you want it to perform, look, flex, mechanical ability, reliability, size of tires, gears, lockers, etc.?

BTW the TTB is still considered IFS. The front wheels are independant of each other.
Edit: Dang, about four people responded about the IFS while I was typing...
 






Exactly.

Decide what YOU want from the truck first, then decide how to get there.

I like the TTB for what I use my truck for, and my TTB is custom built for off road use. It flexes as well or better than many SAS rigs, but then there are SAS rigs I will never be able to "out flex" off road.

If its a second gen truck with the IFS, your options (as of right now) are very limited for going off road, if its a TTB then you have some simple upgrade options that could very well be all you ever need.

My friend Joe said it best I think, he said, "when I find something I cant climb with the TTB I will consider the SAS" Joe has a very capable TTB Explorer.

There are many people that think the TTB is crap in any form, usually they have gotten frustrated with it because of time and $$ spent only to have it brake, or bend, or to get shown up off road, then once they do the SAS on their fist gen they kick themselves, because the end result is so impressive and on a TTB equipped truck a simple solid axle swap is just that, fairly simple and cheap. So they think I wasted all that time and $$$ on the crappy TTB. Then they preach and preach to people like me (die hard TTB finaitic) about how the TTB is a waste of time and $$. Usually I can follow them on the trail all day long...

I am personally VERY impressed with the capability and the ride of my TTB on and off road, but it has taken alot of work and alot of $$ to get where I am at. If I could go back it would be difficult to choose between the two.

Sometimes it holds me back off road (Ground clearance) and sometimes it gives me the advantage, so its a toss up.
If my truck was IFS (second gen) I would rip that stuff out and go solid axle in a heart beat.

TTB:
-crappy ground clearance
-drop brackets are considered weak
-D35 spindles have poor wheel bearing spacing for running large tires
-bump steer
-Minimal flex without custom beams

Solid axle swap:
none of the above and in most cases can be installed for less $$ then you will spend on TTB lift parts and custom parts.

we can talk about it all day long if you want, but these guys already nailed it. It all depends on what you want to use the truck for and what recources you have available to you.

I am gonna make some t shirts for the TTB haters,

hahah TTB 4 EVER!!

(flame suit on)
 






Yes a TTB is an IFS, but on this forum when you say IFS, we all know what you mean.


Also AHHJAWS, my truck can do that, I may even go up a little further hahahaha
 






dang, foot in mouth much for me?

i guess what i meant by "my version" of ifs is the limit of lift options available.. we have like 1 kit out there that has actually come down in price and is around $1500 now for a 4" i believe?

oh well, thanks for setting me straight guys ;)
 






Originally posted by 410Fortune
Also AHHJAWS, my truck can do that, I may even go up a little further hahahaha
I hate to ask for a poser shot or anything.............but let's see it!! I want to see this TTB flexed out.:D
 






Originally posted by 410Fortune
Yes a TTB is an IFS, but on this forum when you say IFS, we all know what you mean.


Also AHHJAWS, my truck can do that, I may even go up a little further hahahaha

No fair. lol:p

Oh well. Your setup is sweet too. But I like having the 2nd SAS explorer in CO.
 






Right now I have a 4 inch lift and 31x11.5
i want to run 33x12.5 and do so gear work
and maybe a locker of some sort. I'm kinda new at
this and still learning. I don't really care about how it rides, i Just want it to be strong
 






If you just want to run 33s and an ocasional off-roader then a simple bolt on lift kit will work for you just fine. It's when you want to get into large tires, serious off-road, high horse power, and huge amounts of flex then you would want to consider a SAS or serious mods to the TTB (just for you Jamie).

With what you have, just sounds like all you need is gears.

I'm not a hater of the TTB. I do like some pros but it wasn't the best option for me. The money investment is a whole nother issue. For what I wanted, the TTB just wouldn't work and I'm extremely happy with where my truck is today.

Wouldn't it be a fun to have a flex off?
 






a Flex off! hahaha oh man I know many of the SAS rigs I would LOSE too...

It definatley takes more work to a TTB to get the same amount of flex you can get from a simple solid axle swap.
Now keep in mind a solid axle swap is only SIMPLE on a first gen, and even then its still pretty involved.

Wristed arm is the key to getting flex on a coil, radius arm, drag link, sytle solid axle, from what I have seen.
The leaf spring swaps felx well, and of course there is always the extreme (more involved) 3-4 link setups that REALLY flex :) but those are not so easy to get under a Explorer..........

so it would ONLY be fair to have a "JUMP OFF" right after. :)

Here's the only real flex pic I have, it doesnt show much but you can kinda see it stuffs and droops really well....


2893slaughter.jpg


I have some pictures I will post later of Brett's 2 door Ex with a VERY similar setup to mine on a ramp...he maxed out the ramp, only difference between my truck and his: I have Skyjacker arms, he has Duff. I have Skyjacker coils he has Superlift. I'll post those from home.....
 






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