Twin I-Beams vs. A-arms
#31
12-13-2015, 08:35 PM
Senior User
#32
12-24-2015, 02:14 AM
Fleet Mechanic
The 'Twin-I-Beams' on Super Duty trucks and E series vans have been cast iron for many years. That is the reason you are not supposed to apply heat and bend them like you did in the old days. The cast I-beams use ball joints and eccentric sleeves for alignment adjustment. Radius arms are pressed steel now as well.
#33
11-01-2021, 10:35 PM
Ford got rid of the TTB because people couldn't keep tires on the front of their trucks. It would wear a set out twice as fast as the A-arm setup. I had one, and it was a pain. Had to rotate tires twice a month seemed like. Then I bought a GM with the A-arm setup. Even though the truck was GM junk, the A-arm setup immediately got my attention. Smoother ride, easier on tires, helped in braking, and I tortured it off-road and never had a minutes trouble. Suspension is definitely one area that GM had a HUGE advantage in for almost a decade.
I have a 1996 Ranger (2 wd long wb) with 376000km on it. How many sets of tires has it gone through? 3 1/2 sets of summers - 2 of them OEM size 14 inchers and 1 1/2 sets of 16 inchers - 1 set of rear snows and one full set of 16 inch snow tires about 3/4 gone. The current summer tires are 8 years old with about 80% tread still left. My Aeroscares were harder on tires - as was my Taurus. At about 370000km I replaced all 4 ball joints and the front shocks (all original up until then). The ride (on the 225/70 and 235/70 16s) is pretty good and it handles very well on smooth roads - corners well on off ramps etc - and is only a little hairy on rough roads. (It does have both front and rear sway bars)
A whole lot better than the live axle (single I beam) on my old '57 Fargo - on leaf springs - like no bump steer -
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civicmindeddogooder
1961 - 1966 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
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