Topic: SAS or IFS Lift?

[NorCalWheeler]

I'm 17 and I have a part time job, so saving money takes awhile. My truck is an 86 Pickup and a daily driver, but I want it to be good on the trails. So I wanted your opinion on which I should do.

[solar86yota]

May I ask why you are looking for lift? If you want to run bigger tires get a 2" body lift, or you could also run some add-a leafs out back and crank the t-bars in front.(Thats what i have Im running 32's) All of this combined would alow you to run 33's at least. Then, you can save you $$$ for an sas. BUT..if you have the money, go for an sas.

[jimbo74]

learn to wheel a stock truck first... you will be amazed @ what it can do, and also hone your driving skill... when you can afford to do the SAS later on, the truck will be a lot mroe capable, and you will be a lot better at driving

[KDXSR5]

learn to wheel a stock truck first... you will be amazed @ what it can do, and also hone your driving skill... when you can afford to do the SAS later on, the truck will be a lot mroe capable, and you will be a lot better at driving

This is what I am doing now. I am also 17. But I started with a solid axle truck.

You would be surprised what an ifs toy can do. Sure it may take more speed and wont look as graceful as a SA truck, but an IFS truck can do a lot.

[WHITE_TRASH]

If you have to ask don't do either.  Cut the fenders and weld the rear.  Have fun.

[jimbo74]

If you have to ask don't do either

or read the otehr 100 threads with this title

[KDXSR5]

If you have to ask don't do either.  Cut the fenders and weld the rear.  Have fun.

or read the otehr 100 threads with this title

good points!

[NorCalWheeler [OP]]

But would it still make sense to make an exo-cage & bumpers?

[jimbo74]

But would it still make sense to make an exo-cage & bumpers?

on a stock truck?

[KDXSR5]

armor is always good... please make sure you know what you are doing before trying to build an exo...

[BLACKDOG]

Bumpers, yes.  I wouldn't worry about an exo quite yet. 

[Hammerhead]

17 year old on a budget?

1) Put an Aussie Locker in the rear
2) Crank up torsion bars
3) Save up money for SAS



In your poll I voted SAS because lifting IFS is just polishing a turd...

[All_Set]

Lol. 

Is it 17 year old on a budget ?  Or "If money wasn't a factor" ? 

I'm confunckedafused.

I recommend you read though this thread.
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=459180

[NorCalWheeler [OP]]

I realize it was it's a stupid question but I jst wanted someone's opinion and some help on what I should do with my truck. I figured I'd just start a post instead of searching all over the forum for something like this. i don't personally know to many 4 wheelers know know what they're talking about and I just got into 4 wheeling in 07. So thanks to the people who can help me.

[KDXSR5]

hey man.. get some larger tires (like 31-33 max if you have stock 4.10s), cut body or crank torsion bars a little and do a shackle lift or both to clear them, throw in a rear locker, and don't be afraid of body damage! I have both front and rear bumpers, and I will have sliders soon, and after that I will not be afraid to hit the trails hard. All I care about keeping clean are my front fenders, cab, and door. The bed could get destroyed for all I care! I just hope I don't roll it, haha.

Get out there and have fun!

[BLACKDOG]

Best advice is to get as much experience as you can, with what you've got now.  The lower the truck, the smaller the tires, the less gear options, etc., the more finesse required to make it over obstacles.  It will make you a better driver in the long run, so that when you can afford to do a SAS, get duals, lock it up front and rear, you'll know your truck well, and be able to run obstacles very well.  There are people on here with very nice rigs, that go places many others get some serious body damage from, because they are simply better drivers.  I'm not knocking on anyone, because some people don't care about body damage, but the more skills you develop now, the better wheeler you'll be in the future

[TRACKER]

i agree with what these guys are saying .. wheel what you got first and have fun ..   i voted   ifs lift (the right way   like total chaos)  .  i like how bruceT  have his set up

[THK Matt]

wheel with what you have now.

Me personally, i dont see lifting an IFS with like a drop bracket style... or any type, for that matter... is worth it.
in this sport. i find an IFS worthless in my eyes. i push the limits of mine and i think its like wheeling a metro in your local mall parking lot.

I say save money, and just cut the pinch weld on your cab, trim the bottom part of the fenders and adjust your steering tops. and you run 35s on a stock 86-88 IFS truck, Im running 315/75R16s on a stock 87... no cranked front, no add-a-leafs, nothing... just trimmed fenders.
yeah it robs power and dogs it with stock 4.10 diffs.

so save for an SAS.

[unclejpl4x4]

I have 2 agree save the green backs for a sas..............

And wheel the truck stock for now IF you have to i would maybe do a 1" body lift and find the bigger stock toy wheels and rims. 

It's your first truck  you need 2 feel her out  and be one with the force.

[THK Matt]

yeah go star wars on its

[BLACKDOG]

 
IFS isn't that bad.  I've hamered mine pretty good, and drug it through some good trails.  It all depends on the driver's skill and knowledge of what he is doing.  Sure, I can't go some places SA rigs can, but I've also taken it through area where it has done better than SA rigs.  Sometimes articulation can be more harm then help.  In the long run, I'll put a SA under my truck, but I'm going to wait until I destroy the IFS first.

[88_Pathy]

I wheeled an IFS for 2 years and was very impressed with the way it performed. A rear locker ,33s, rock sliders and some strategic rock placement will get you places you thought to be impassable with your setup.

[Plekto]

Wheel it till it's broke.  Then change it.

Proper IFS is technically the best, but we're talking about off-road racing type setups that cost a fortune.

Stock is amazingly good, though.  Toyota didn't build junk.

SAS is doable yourself pretty easily, is inexpensive, and works about as well for crawling over rocks and such.

I'd first go for gears and lockers and such.  Just adding a locker and a dual transfer case alone makes a stock truck into a serious machine if you know what you are doing.

[NorCalWheeler [OP]]

Hows this sound to everyone, I have got fog lights in the front, a junk yard FlowMaster, a Cobra CB radio w/ a FireStick antenna, a WeatherGuard tool that sits in the bed, and 31x10.5x15 Pro Comp M/T on Pro Comp Rock Crawler rims. I was thinking so far, saving up for a rear locker and rock sliders, and I've designed bumpers but I need to make them . So please just full in the blanks.

[Rocksurfer]

So do I even need to chime in on this?

Yup.

Of course the ultimate would be to do an SAS and if you do an IFS lift you won't be too far off in cost with and SAS anyways. There are very quick and easy lifts you could do to an IFS truck that will allow you up to 33's, if you want bigger you'd have to do either an IFS lift or SAS your rig. To fit 33's on a budget get some flat bumpstops, crank in the torsion bars for about 2 inches, either completely replace the rear springs, put an add-a-leaf or shackles, now throw on a 2 inch bodylift and you'll fit 33's.

[NorCalWheeler [OP]]

How much do Add-a-leafs cost and where can you buy one and probably a stupid question, but if I did crank in the Torsion bar what would it do to the ride and is there a higher possiblity of it breaking and weakening other parts?

[Rocksurfer]

Cost of an add-a-leaf vary, usually anywhere from $50.00 to $200.00.

Ride doesn't change much if you don't top out to the stops.

It really doesn't weaken or create the possibility of breakage anymore than the stock setup, that said the stock setup isn't as strong as a straight axle but a Toyota IFS is not as weak as some would lead you to believe. I think you can break a stock birf as quick as any part of the IFS rig. Between all the straight axles and IFS axles I've run I only broke a front end part twice, Both on an IFS rig, one inner axle shaft and one upper a-arm.

[solar86yota]

A rear locker and rock sliders sound lke a great place to start to me! I think you have the right idea. Start small and as you gain knowledge/experience/skill , build your truck to match.

[Hammerhead]

VacaWheeler - Did you order your Aussie-locker yet?

[NorCalWheeler [OP]]

I've heard about Aussie-lockers here and there but not much. Why?