Thread: Switching to IFS

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Originally Posted by luckyfasteddie

quite possibly all would have to be narrowed to fit snug against the frame

As soon as you start narrowing an IFS, you throw all the original geometry right out the window and you're on your own. Just so you know.

Want to do it properly? Get the book "Tune To Win" by Carroll Smith. It will teach you how to engineer your own IFS specifically for the track width you want to use.

[QUOTE=techinspector1;389606]As soon as you start narrowing an IFS, you throw all the original geometry right out the window and you're on your own. Just so you know./QUOTE]

Been looking in magazines , sent for some catalogs , and asking around . What do you mean when you say narrowing an IFS . I see cross members of different widths being advertised and some are narrower than others by having a different width crossmember .If I find a MII front end at a swap meet , can't it be narrowed by cutting a piece out of the crossmember ?

Yes!
But you'll have to get a different width rack to go with it, or the inner rack ball joints will be out to far and cause bumpsteer, how much depends on how much you narrow the center.
Plus you'll need to put the rack mounts back out to the same place they were for the stock type rack.

The original geometry won't change, only bumpsteer will!

There is many things on the internet written on MM II front ends and on suspensions. Street driven suspensions theory is basic.
Most aftermarket MM II's are a manufacturers interpret of factory MM II's factory spec's, some are close, some arn't.

Pat

Although I have no experience with Fat Man, they advertise that they have made IFS for many different chassis. With luck, they may already have a design that will fit yours.

The Carroll Smith book the Tech suggests is a very good primer and will give you a lot of good suggestions on what makes a chassis/suspension work. What it is NOT is a recipe on how to build one that will fit yours like a glove. The book that precedes it 'Prepare to Win' should be included as well. Then there is a third, 'Engineer to Win' to finish the series and I do need this one to finish my collection (Richard, you are costing me $$$$)

Originally Posted by IC2

Although I have no experience with Fat Man, they advertise that they have made IFS for many different chassis. With luck, they may already have a design that will fit yours.

The Carroll Smith book the Tech suggests is a very good primer and will give you a lot of good suggestions on what makes a chassis/suspension work. What it is NOT is a recipe on how to build one that will fit yours like a glove. The book that precedes it 'Prepare to Win' should be included as well. Then there is a third, 'Engineer to Win' to finish the series and I do need this one to finish my collection (Richard, you are costing me $$$$)

Overweight guy is the worst on the market LOL Great marketing but not so good if you have to drive one

Originally Posted by Phat

Overweight guy is the worst on the market LOL Great marketing but not so good if you have to drive one

Just to be clear, I'm not recommending them, just stating the fact that they have many choices. But with that said, I have looked at their product several times and as late as 6 June and really can't see anything really poorly designed - so is it the installer's fault/poor instructions or is there a deficiency.

I do have a TCI IFS on my TCI chassis - with the caster at 1.5* - and it tracks just fine tho I'll probably add another .5 or so.

Ratzilla's engine is in the back and I have added weight ( 700+ lbs ) to the front . I went to the local dump and weighed it on their scale . With me in it (235 lbs ) the gross weight is 3600 Lbs - yes 36 not 26 lbs . original Fiero if I remember right was 2600 with 1000 on front and 1600 on rear . mine is 1500 front and 2100 rear almost the same ratio as the Fiero . I have a coil over type spring set up in the rear using 450 Lb springs these are the heaviest springs TCI makes . I decided to work on the rear before making a drastic change up front . After doing some searching on coil springs , I decide to install some type of pad or cushion between the top of the spring and the spring perch .BMW among others uses them on their vehicles . Picked up some rubbeer spring stiffiner thingies at the Boys . Spent the aft modifing my spring top pockets to accept them , after some alteration . Will weld them together tomorrow and test em out . Who knows , start with the easy way first . $ 7.50 invested so far . Heidts tech told me 450 's should be enough .pic of old spring top and new spring top with pad installed.