The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop IFS with little drop

I'm working my way through all the post regarding IFS for my 56 TF. I would really like to minimize the drop to a couple of inches. I've looked at Fatman, TCI, Heidt and Jimmy Meyers IFS products and all seem great. It's a little confusing trying to land on one vendor.

What criteria did you folks use to evaluate one from another? I've heard from a Hot Rod shop localling that Heidt IFS are tough to align. Yet they seem to be a poplar IFS choice.

Enlighten me!!

That,s the reason i,ve never changed to IFS. I like the stock height or maybe just a slight lowering. All i,ve seen are way down on the ground. The one I would look into is the crossmember from a 71-72 pickup. You have to narrow it but the few i,ve seen are real good.

I can't agree on the Heidt's being hard to align. I've done a plenty of Mustang 2 and Pinto alignments, the stock control arms are a pain in the arse to get right. The Heidt's design eliminates the original slip shaft setup for a turnbuckle type. It looks much easier to get set right and more likely to stay right ot me. I will agree with Wrenchbender, I like the stock hight too. I don't know if the kit is availible anymore, but there used to be a kit that used the late '70s to mid '80s Chrysler rear drive front end. It was a tortion bar type, the bars run across the front instead of paralell with the frame. It would allow you to put the hight where you want by adjusting the bars. The only 2 drawbacks were the sloppy Crysler steering box and the brake on them were not too good either. But I would think that could be overcome with the parts that are availible now.

I spent over a year looking at different IFS systems. I decided to go with Progressive Automotives IFS. The reason I chose them is because they are a local company to me here in Ohio. Also they make everything after you order it and it is custom to your application. I also like the fact that I can get the boxing plates, x-members, IFS system, motor mounts, brake booster setup, and several different rearend setups all at one shop. Give Bob at Progressive a call and ask him about the ride height you want and see what he says.

The late Volare front ends are good, not to hard to install. The brakes are disc and large enough for most uses. The torsion bars are easy to adjust plus the front ends are cheap. Also AMC Pacers have a nice front suspension with rack and pinion steering. Also very easy to install.
do a search someone on this site has a kit.

Thanks for the responses. I just got off the phone with Fatman and their drop is at least 4 inches. I like their approach, but I'm really struggling with the drop.

I'll look at Progressive again and do some more homework on Volare and Pacers. First I have to get over the idea of having Pacer cadaver parts on my 56... :p

I just got off the phone with Jimmy Meyers Racing and their IFS is adjustable. The most conservative adjustment would drop the truck 2". If needed, I suppose one could change out he coils as well to keep it at or near stock height.
I like the technology, but the pricing needs some getting use to. I'm gonna have to sell my CFO on this purchase!

All those kits are a bunch of $ just get a donor truck and start welding. Modify that as you go along to obtain the drop you want. stock to a frame dragger. Lots of people here will give you advice on how to go about it.

It's been my experience that one needs the van front crossmember to fit the 55-59, the pickup is two narrow to fit up on the frame rails. The pickup does fit the 47-54 with 9/16" spacer on each side. 1/2" can be used but will suck the rails in a tad. The Pacer, which is BY FAR the easiest to install, has the exact same track width, a cheap kit is available from Chassis Engineering, and you get to keep ALL of your original frame so there's no fabbing core support, bumper mounts, etc. You can choose the heigth you want by how high or low you mount the pickup frame in Pacer crossmember. Too bad they're extinct. They no longer have rebuilt power racks, rotors, or ball joints for them. They will rebuild your rack, the brakes are of the ford design, and you can mig the pacer upper balljoint holes shut and redrill for monte carlo since the stud is the same taper and length. A threaded sleeve can be welded to the bottom A-frame and a chrysler ball joint used. I locate mine through shear bribery; I offer the fork lift operaters, not the owners, of crusher companies a $100 reward for calling me when they find a pacer. You then have to buy them from the salvage yard owner. They mostly unbolt so not hard to pull especially when the happy forklift guy holds them up in the air.

I also like the pacer IFS. I put it in my truck. I got mine by contacting a guy on ebay who was selling parts and asked him to ship the whole front end from canada. It was still super cheap. I got the rest of the parts needed to rebuild it all from ebay or autozone, etc. so it was still pretty inexpensive. I would guess that I have about $800 to $900 in the front end and it just bolts in and can unbolt right out. It also LOOKS like it was made for the truck... a real IFS not a tubular looking thing that is out of place on an old truck.

Check out my 55 second series project. I too did not want a slammed truck so I had a local hot rod builder notch my custom IFS 2" into the frame. I think you could put it wherever you want to achieve your desired height. Matt Droege
http://www.stovebolt.com/gallery/droege_matt_1955_03.htm

Matt,

Thanks for the information. I've had a call into Messler's for a week now with nary a response. I'm also looking at a local guy here in Colorado who builds an IFS that is similar to Heidt's. I've got to validate what he can do and land on a decision for my IFS. I'm getting closer.

I'm buying a '51 3600 and have been wondering about whether Pacer's or Volare's fit. I've read that some if not all MII kits wont work on the 3600 frame. Is this true?

Under the hearding "For What It's Worth". I just got off the phone with Industrial Chassis in Phoenix. They made a Dakota IFS that was heavier and well suited for rodders wanting realatively stock height IFS for TF trucks.

They stopped production and refocused their crew on turn-key solutions / builds. They are working to find a "well known" suiter to take over that IFS line and make improvements. He said give it 6 months and stay tuned as the potential buyer would layout an advertizing blitz around this particular IFS line.

Jim Messler is in the hospital for bypass surgery so that's why you haven't heard from him. He really runs the place by himself.

Hi fellas , I haven't logged in for quite awhile because I've been too busy to work on mine . I aquired a pacer ifs and want to install soon on my TF '58 GMC . question is are the frame widths the same on AD trucks compared to TF ones? from my measurements my TF seems wider which means I'd have to notch the outer frame rails to fit btwn the shock towers . Then weld the towers to the notched area and box the inner rail . Does that sound right ? :confused:

The TF is wider than the AD so a pacer might be dicier to use. Chassis Engineering makes the kit for the AD so you might give them a call to check on the TF. If you can't use the pacer you will have NO trouble selling it.

Since I'm in the same boat with IFS Q's...Will ANY year of Pacer work, or only certain years?
Thanks-Dano