4x4 ? need some advice

[mach1]

So Im just about to get around to putting a new motor and carb in my 86 trooper. I will be taking her to my buddies desert house out by the saltin sea(california). behind his house are some good trails some hard some easy and he will be taking me on them. my questions is would a IFS(independent front suspention)work fine for off roading or would a solid front axle be better. i would like to spend as little time fabbing and wrenching and more time driving. if i go with the IFS i would get this set up (http://www.independent4x.com/item.html?UCIDs=839915%7C1016330&PRID=1140056). If i went solid axle i wopuld try using front and rear axles from a wagoneer(dana 44's) but unsure about the steering, drive shaft and front wheels) any suggestions comments. could i stick with the IFS im told having more moving parts means more things can break or go bad but i will get a smoother ride.

[jdanna]

So Im just about to get around to putting a new motor and carb in my 86 trooper. I will be taking her to my buddies desert house out by the saltin sea(california). behind his house are some good trails some hard some easy and he will be taking me on them. my questions is would a IFS(independent front suspention)work fine for off roading or would a solid front axle be better. i would like to spend as little time fabbing and wrenching and more time driving. if i go with the IFS i would get this set up (http://www.independent4x.com/item.html?UCIDs=839915%7C1016330&PRID=1140056). If i went solid axle i wopuld try using front and rear axles from a wagoneer(dana 44's) but unsure about the steering, drive shaft and front wheels) any suggestions comments. could i stick with the IFS im told having more moving parts means more things can break or go bad but i will get a smoother ride.

SAS is always better then an IFS.
that being said,  for many trails it isnt worth the trouble.
my 04 tacoma is bone stock, no lift, and IFS, and it has gone over some shaZam! you wouldnt beleive that it could go over.
having a locking rear diff helps a lot. toyota really hit the nail on the head with the TRD package.

dont even bother lifting it, just take it out and wheel it. that lift kit is going to make it ride like a turd on the street. shackle lifts  suck for on road use.
and you arent going to get much more articulation out of that kit - just a bit more height, which doesnt actually matter as much as you would think - picking a good line and having a rear locker helps a lot more then an extra 3" does.

[ledfingers]

depends on what kind of offroading you're doing.

trails without huge rocks? either way.
rock crawling? personally i'd go independent, but thats just what i know.
high speed baja stuff? independent.

think of it like this, with SAS if the right wheel moves up, the whole axel has to tilt, which means the left wheel is going to tilt with it. independent you can get a lot more flex because one wheel moving doesn't effect the other. But to be perfectly honest, if this is a street AND play car, keep the ride comfortable, don't waste money on a lift and go for the cheaper option. it really only makes a difference when you get serious about it. go easy and cheap.

rear lockers, however, do make a huge difference.

[mach1]

i was  going to lock the rear but i need to make up my mind on which one. I guess the lift is more for show, im sure i dont need it my friend takes a bone stock YJ (or CJ) out their and has no problems. thanks for the advice. i will be getting nwe ball joints,CV axle boots and shock as far as i know they are the original ones and maybe new rear spring but just to get rid of the sag.

[Jake D]

For nearly all off road situations, a live from axle is better than IFS.  More articulation.  Why do you think that every Jeep made (before the Liberty) has a solid front axle, and why is every vehicle made with a solid front axle highly desired by off roaders?  I've owned a wheeled Jeeps, so SAS is all I know.  But unless you are building a baja or a stadium race truck, SAS is better.  Every rock crawler used on serious trails uses a live front axle for the same reason: articulation equals traction. 

[jdanna]

For nearly all off road situations, a live from axle is better than IFS.  More articulation.  Why do you think that every Jeep made (before the Liberty) has a solid front axle, and why is every vehicle made with a solid front axle highly desired by off roaders?  I've owned a wheeled Jeeps, so SAS is all I know.  But unless you are building a baja or a stadium race truck, SAS is better.  Every rock crawler used on serious trails uses a live front axle for the same reason: articulation equals traction. 

thats totally true, but for regular ol back woods wheelin, an IFS is fine
my IFS tacoma is just as good as any stock SAS wrangler (not counting the $30K+ rubicons) because of the rear locker
and ive seen the IFS liberties do some shaZam! you wouldnt beleive

[Jake D]

And I would agree with that.  But it bears mentioning that live front axles are far superior.  Having said that, I wheeled a $30k Rubicon over some pretty nasty stuff in Colorado last fall and never engaged either locker. 

The Tacomas with the lockers are pretty trail worthy.  Usually, they will be limited by approach/departure angles, wheel base (ie., high centering), or turning radius issues long before articulation becomes a problem.

It is tough to beat a Jeep with 33's and lockers however.