Topic: IFS Front Axle - How Stout?

[vtblazer]

Hey guys, I'm new to the toy world so yeah...newb questions to follow no doubt.

I used to run old chevy iron on tons, so I have no clue the capabilities of the front axle in the '94 4runner I recently picked up.

Took the old K5 too far and ended up with a truck I couldn't drive on the road (twin cases on 42's...blah/blah) and I don't want the same for this one.
I want a decent driver that I can play with and/or wheel some if the opportunity comes up.

I'm thinking a max of 35's, so my question is can I get away with beefing up the stock axles with all the upgrades or do I go SAS right from the start??

Cool site, thx   

[Cheesemaker]

There are alot of members that rockcrawl with IFS.  It reacts differently than a straight axle, and they find it more challenging.  But they do have their weakness.  The half shafts tend to be the weak link for the front, but do fairly well surprisingly enough. 

[Nimyad]

You can beef them up pretty good but they're a little more expensive to build up. Once it's built though you'll have a really nice riding rig that can go most any places a solid axle can. The weak point will be the hubs and steering.

[Rocksurfer]

I loved my IFS trucks, with a proper build and good gussets on the steering you can just about go anywhere and still keep the streetabilities. I never had much issue with the half shafts and the weak link is the inner axle shaft on the short side, it is very short and has no torque flex at all. Even saying that I only broke one and was being a throttle jockey at the time and only had to replace two half shafts and they were just wore out. You will want to gusset the steering idler arm or carry a spare (they are a Toyota recall item) as is the steering rod. As a guess they've already been replaced by the recall. Never had a single hub issue as to their strength and I always carry a spare of my 85 haven't broken one on it either. 33's or 35's max on tires I've run both, if you have an auto it will be much easier on front end parts over a stick since some of the hp is soaked up in the trans.

And to show that you can here's a few pics of mine....

[tgmaul88]

they dont look to bad

[Snowtoy]

The front cv's are plenty strong, providing you wheel from a technical standpoint, and not a throttle down one.  I run a lunchbox locker in the front of my '91, and even w/35's the cv's have held up w/o issue, it was the same for a buddy who ran an ARB in the front of his rig w/35's.  I carry spare axles/hubs/steering components for my '91, but then again you would be carrying spares for a SA just the same.  The idler arm is the most wearable issue, I would recommend buying one w/a lifetime warranty like the ones by Moog.  Since going to Moog, I haven't bought a new one for the last 12yrs, replaced them a few times each though.  The Moog arm is bigger and doesn't bend as easily, but it can still be bent under hard use.  Knocking the toe out of alignment is relatively easy to do when wheeling, so be prepared to check/align the front end before heading home after a wheeling trip.

Even in its stock form an IFS Toyota is a pretty capable rig.  Here are a few shots from 1990 of my stock rig on Fordyce Creek trail.

[Prismo]

I wheeled the heck out of my ifs for almost 3 years until I bent the mounting brackets for the front diff running team trophy challenge in 2000, then I went solid. Never had one problem with the hubs, stay away from warn ifs hubs though they are very weak & worthless. Had 529's and a lockrite in the diff and a Rancho/Downey lift.

[zembalayan]

My dad and I are putting an ARB in the front his IFS differntial, which will add some strength over the stock carrier for sure.  Eventually, we are thinking of upgrading his front IFS suspension with a Blazeland.us longtravel kit, which uses longer T-100 half shafts and wides the from WMS to approx. 65"; it's cheaper and similar to the old Total Chaos kit that used aftermarket torsion bars.  I started out wheeling a heavy 3rd gen. 22RE Auto 4Runner, which I liked a whole bunch.  I think your going to like yours, and anyway why not take yours to the limits statring now and then consider upgrades if the IFS stops working for you?

[vtblazer [OP]]

Great input! Thx guys, makes me feel a lot better about the immediate needs of the front end.

I want to stick with the IFS for streetability, so I'll see how it goes for awhile.

I parked my 2010 Tundra for a bit and have been putting the miles on the runner, giving it the dependability shake down so to speak before trying it off road.

I'm sure there's good & not so good vendors to buy from, be great to know where to shop for parts, even better to know where 'not to'

Sweet pics Snowtoy, love the rocks!

Gotta start somewhere, here's my beginning point ~

[zembalayan]

Nice looking runner!

[vtblazer [OP]]

lol ~ for a '94 here in VT, it's pretty good yeah.

Rust in vehicles is crazy here, this runner was from Tenn. and only spent the last couple years here, so the rockers are great and so is the frame.

Fenders are toast but hey they're easy to fix, so no worries there.

[Snowtoy]

Fenders are toast but hey they're easy to fix, so no worries there.

Espescialy if you are planning to cut the fenders for clearance.

The Runner looks pretty clean, is it a 5-spd or Automatic?

[vtblazer [OP]]

Espescialy if you are planning to cut the fenders for clearance.

The Runner looks pretty clean, is it a 5-spd or Automatic?

I'm good with cutting for clearance, had to do that on my last ride too.
Had all the good on that one, 1-tons, doubler w/twin sticks, injected, fuel cell...blah/blah/blah...


The 94 I just picked up is an auto, looking into doing a doubler at some point.
I hear the Toy set up's are pretty easy and get really deep geared 

[Royota]

I've been driving an 88 pickup for a while with IFS and I like the way it handles but it definitely struggles offroad. I have blown a number of shocks and every time I get nicer and nicer ones but it doesn't make a difference I beat on it way harder than I'm supposed to haha 

the IFS is very capable and if it is adjusted right it can go nearly anywhere a solid axle can, but if you are looking to spend more than a few hundred beefing it up, you might as well just SAS the front and save the hassle of torsion bars and cv axles.