Thread: Straight Front Axle or IFS

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I agree with almost everything said above so far. If straight axles were the absolute "cat's meow" in handling, they would be the hot setup for Formula One. Obviously, they aren't...

On the other hand, a straight axle can be made to handle pretty well. I think my coupe could hold its own against any stock Camaro, Firebird, or Mustang on a twisty course. A lot depends on the springs, shocks, radius rod configuration, etc. My coupe has a dropped axle up front suspended on adjustable torsion bars instead of a buggy spring. The rear is sitting on coil springs with NASCAR style weight-jackers. We drove this thing on a 2400 mile trip up through the midwest and back through the Carolinas in 2006. It was fun to drive in the hills of east Tennessee and North Carolina...

Bottom line is, if this is your first build a straight axle may be a lot easier to set up.

IFS looks fine on a highboy as long as you pinch he frame. Otherwise the IFS looks clunky, IMO. Compare the photo of my car at the Nats earlier this month and the orange flamed deuce posted previously. The orange deuce is a beautiful car, I've seen it, but it is not my taste in frame/front suspension design.

I have basically the same rear end setup that you have ... BUT my springs are in front of the rear end ... and mine is connected with 4 bars instead of a pair of trailing arms





It rides very good IMHO ... and handles well also.

Deuce,
Do you have any problems with the upper locating arms hitting the exhaust when the rear end drops? I have a set up similar yours in the 34 3 W I am re doing and have concerns over the upper arms hitting the exhaust. Also, are any of your locating arms adjustable? I am making all 4 of mine adjustable to make up for any inaccuracies in my measuring for axle location and pinion angle.

Jack.

All of my bars ( front and rear ) are adjustable. When I ran the exhaust, I removed the shocks and the coil springs and let the frame sit down as far as it would drop. Then I ran the tail pipes.

The pipes do not hit ... but are very close when in the no shock/no coil mode. With the springs in and the shocks on ... I have enough clearance. My battery box is on the right side ... thru the floor ... under the seat and it did rub on a good bump. I discovered that after I installed the body for the last time.

I did have to bend the exhaust a little on the right side where it interfered with the battery box.



The 32 sits pretty low ... but nothing hangs down past the running boards.