I'm a relatively new wheeler. I picked up an '88 Yota 4runner with the 22RE, 5-speed, blah, blah, blah (all stock, including the rusted out fender wells). I read the article on the Super Duty vs. Clampy, and I was hootin' and hollerin'. My question is this: What are the pros and cons between IFS and a solid front axle for this truck. Can I convert my truck to a solid front for under $1k? I've seen a few lifts for my truck in the mag for around $674. How much for a lift if I do convert to a solid front. I'd like to see more articles on these trucks for upgrades and accessories. Thanks for the great magazine and keep up the good work!  

Hey i also have a 4runner but i have a 1993. my runner has an ifs front end too. i heard that if you want to lift it high and for cheaper you need a solid front axle. i am also a newby to 4byin. i love it.  its great. i dont think that its required to put a new solid axle. on it...im keepin my IFS and installin a 3 in. body lift with 33X12.50 Swamper m/t so i think it should b ok. let me know what you hear. thank you very much Harrisa1,

Chris C.

guess what, I actually own Clampy, and here tonight, since you've been checking out our site I'll tell you what I did.

I'm currently working on the actual story about how and why I put an IFS suspension on the old Clampster.  You see I too have heard all the rumors that IFS is lousy and I wanted to see for myself. 

If you want to go fast, and are willing to keep the tire size small then an IFS lift may be perfect for you.  I went with a Kit from Total Chaos, and I used Sway away shocks and torsion bars.  Let me say that in the dunes, and on rough rutted roads the truck works great, at least the front half.  I only did the front suspension of the truck, and now the rear is so bad, since it's still stock, the the truck does endo's when it hits big ruts.  I am contemplating changing the springs and shocks in the rear.  To duplicate what I did to Clampy isn't very cheap (about $3000 including fenders, shocks, suspension, and torsions bars) but I really wanted the suspension to work, and work well.  There are cheaper IFS kits, but I don't think they are engineered to really be jumped the way we planned on.

Also I only run 31-inch tires since I wasn't ready to do a full gear change, but I can have tons of fun with the truck even with a tired 4 cylinder engine running little tires.  Plus with the fiberglass fender I installed I should be able to clear 33-inch tires in case I want to do that down the road.

Now when you look at an IFS suspension versus a solid axle suspension you notice that the IFS is more complicated. More pivots, and more stuff to break.  Also if you are into rock crawling then you will want the articulation that a solid axle offers.  but unless you can fabricate and scrounge all types of used parts I doubt you can do a solid axle swap for under $2200.  Maybe even more.  All Pro Off Road does offer a solid axle kit, so they would be a good source if that is the direction you want to go.

Now you may also have seen lift kits for under $1000 in the magazine, and they are most likely perfectly good products.  However they probably won't jump like a true prerunner suspension (total Chaos) or rock crawl like a solid axle swap (All Pro).   But they will give you height for larger tires.  If you just want to wheel I would recomend, trimming your fenders till 31's or 32's fit, and go hit the trails.  Figure out if you like going fast, or crawling, and save up till you can afford exactly what you want.  As for mud, either will work well, but the solid axle will probably hold up to bigger tires than all the cv's and ball joints in an IFS set up.

Good luck, and congrats for getting into wheeling.

if you have more questions I can try to help, and let me know what you like or dislike about the magazine

fred.williams@primedia.com

total Chaos

http://chaosfab.com/

All Pro

http://www.allprooffroad.com/solid3.html

you guys should checkout northwest offroads catalog all they sell are yota specific parts...  

Hats off and bottoms up to Mr Williams for takeing time to post his well written comments here. Thanxs .  

i heard a rumor, haven't seen it myself... but a company out of bellingham washington, i think it is northwest offroad has a solid axel conversion kit and up to a 5 inch lift all around for about 1200.  that's a pretty good deal.  but like i said i don't really know for certain, nor how good the lift might be. 

as for the benis of it....i am still on the fence myself... i have a 92 pickup w/ a 22re and have had now problems w/ the ifs and 31s.  i went through some stuff and left my buddy w/ his 35 inch tires and 6 inch lift in the dust due to the lower center of gravity.   i'm a big beliver in fender cutting to fit the larger tires.  one of my favorite plusses in an ifs is the abilty to run a skid plate.  its saved my butt a time or two.