Thread: IFS exlained

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The Jan 04 issue of Rod & Customes Has a good article on IFS for streetrods. If you are thinking of installing one on your project it might help explain how they work......I love them.
Don

Hey Don, me too. Wouldn't run anything else. If you get the quality parts and do a proper installation, the ride and handling are superb.

Hey Don, just got mine today. You're right, it's a good article.

What's your opinion on their comments about the Camaro/Nova clip on the Chevy frame? I think there'd be a lot of people surprised at that one. Me included. I didn't have those kinds of issues with my '41 and it'd been clipped for quite a few years, and to my knowledge, it's still goin' strong 13 years later.

I put a Nova clip on a 41 Chevy for my son about ten years ago. It worked great and still does. If there are problems with this setup we haven't noticed them yet.
I guess I'll have to buy the magazine to find out what's wrong. I'm just not sure if I have room for one more car magazine.
AL

Sorry Al. In the article they were describing frame contruction difference between Ford and Chev. While Ford used open channel with X member, Chev chose to gain rigidity by making a box section rail. GM's thought was that they could build in compliance, thus improving ride quality, by having rails that "twisted" along their length. The article's contention is that the Camaro/Nova is way more rigid than the rest of the frame and that the difference in torsional movement "always" (sic) caused the fram to crack just behind the point where the two parts were joined.

I don't own my '41 anymore so can't check it for sure, but I've heard it's still on the road. That's about 20 years of service now with the clip. We had fish plates at the joint that were about a foot long. I'm just curious what Don's mech. engr. thoughts are.

I didn't think the boxed Chevy frame would flex as much as the old Ford frames did. But the 50 Studebaker had the same type of boxed frame as the Chevy and that twisted a lot when you jacked up a rear corner
My son still has his 41 Chevy but it's been off the road for a while. He thought it would be fun to catch some air at a railroad crossing that was about a foot higher than the road. He did it all the time on his motorcycle. It didn't go so well for the Chevy. The driveshaft was a little too short and didn't slide back in when he came down. it snapped the transmission off at the bellhousing and broke the spring perches off the rear axle and rotated the axle 90 degrees. It's been out behind my garage since. He fixed the axle but used the engine in a Camaro that he sold. The frame came through it ok. I just checked it for cracks and didn't find any.
We used 1/4 inch plate about a foot long on the top and bottom and 8 in long on the sides to stagger the welds. It wasn't a very difficult job but if we were doing it again we wouldn't do it. The Nova parts are already obsolete and are expensive now if you can find them. We would use a Fiero IFS front crossmember attached to the stock frame. Then 20 years or so down the road it can be replaced with something up to date and still have a solid original frame.
What do you think Don?
AL

The camaro works great - NO cracks but, I TIG weld it in place.I've used this IFS more than anyother one.....Don