That's a bold statement. Which performs better at high speeds through extremely rough terrain?

 

That easy, a true IFS would be first and a solid axle second and a TTB llast because what you are forgeting is that the TTB can very its front wheel track by as much as 10 inches or more when suspension flexs in center pivot which effects traction and sterring stabilty as the tiresare dragged along the surface sideway with each major flexing. Then there is the radical camber changes too that can play havoc with direction stabilty too. One reason explorers rolled so easy with a tire failure was the high CG with soft springs and radical camber changes in front axle with body tilt all added up to a very unstable condition.

 

i disagree.... look at what a lot of prerunners are using. if you look under the fords its a modified version of the ttb.

i would use solid axle last b/c they wont soak up near the harsh ride that a IFS or TTB setup will

although i have to say worse than a solid axle would be a TTB with leaf springs! now THAT was a mistake!

-cutts-

 

The problem with the TTB is its primative swing axle design that causes radical tread width and chamber changes which can greately effect stabity and traction. Check out the tire wear on a TTB with a lift and big tires and see how they are chewed up. Some Ford prerunner with 2wd on older twin I beam do well because the much longer axle pivot radius lessens track width changes and chamber changes as compared too TTB. With a true IFS with unequal control arm length, you woill se little cahnge in track width as suspension flex and more constant geometry and a solid axle can do well if you use a good 4 link design to limit unsprung weight while providing good suspension travel.

 

Wow, I dont post in the offroad forum, rarely if ever, as I have little to contribute.

but this time I do..... anyone who knows me personally and has been to my house knows of the alley behind my house..... I own one TTB truck, an 82 and one SA truck, a 73. There is no comparison, in the 82 I can BLAST through that alley, Im talking 25 MPH if I want, that TTB soaks it up like you wouldnt believe. My 73, I poke through the alley because the first time I tried it like that I got a headache from hitting my head on the ceiling.

Im not gonna sit in the offroad forum and preach about the TTB, because obviously this isnt the place for it, but for high speed shock absorbtion, youve got your TTB and SA bass ackwards sno-man, I dont care what book your reading out of, throw it away.

and FWIW we have ZERO problems with uneven tire wear on the 82

 

And of course the spring rate on the 73 has no effect on this right. THat TTB has marshmellow springs on it for a soft street ride and the 73 is built stiff and you could hang a plow on the front of it that would set you TTB truck on its nose and have the front tires badliy bowed out at bottom from chamber shift. You conparision need to include like spring rates too or it is not valid.

 

I'm not saying the TTB is the end all of front ends, but to say a solid axle will out perform a TTB in at high speeds through the rough is, well nevermind.
Anyone that follows desert racing knows that the FAST solid axle desert racers can be counted on one hand and that the fast TTB trucks are probably in the hundreds. Yes the TTB has it's issues, and if you sit down and really look at the geometry and how it cycles, it's amazing it even goes down the road straight. BUT, the simple fact is that a properly set up TTB will blow your mind through 3 foot whoops and washes.

 

If used as a soft riding street truck that has basically stock tires and does not do much serious off roading, the TTB is a fine compromise but to say the off road racers run them because they are great is not a good point because if i raced I would set a truck up differently than a one truck does all. I do not wnat to replace tires often and have other quirks just for a slight precieve edge that has more to do with front suspension design and spring rate for good solid axle performance racing. You fogoot to mention that when you ramp off and land hard the the front end of truck gets a LOT closer to the gronund with a TTB which unlike a solid axle does not have a fixed and easily preditable axle clearance.

 

Desert racers use TTB front ends because they flat out work and can be built to withstand severe punishment. I didn't forget to mention anything. You didn't ask me to cover every aspect of the TTB front end. I've had TTB trucks in the air many times and never had a problem with any part of the front suspension contacting the ground on landing. And yes, I've stuffed the suspension hard enough to have it completely bottomed on the bump stops.

Here's an interesting piece of info: Curt Leduc (a Baja 1000 Champion) has owned and raced some of, if not THE fastest solid axle trucks ever. He preruns the the Baja 1000 and many other races in what???? a TTB BRONCO!!!

That's weird, you'd think that a man that can build mind-twisting fast solid axles would just build another one to prerun in. I wonder why he doesn't? Maybe you can tell me.

 

A TTB front axle under a diesel with a snow plow and leaf springs is the biggest joke I ever saw.
Granted I do not jump my truck, I do have 33" tires on it and I have had it in the mud a lot.
After spending 800 dollars on an alignment I actually got 25 thousand miles out of a set of tires.
Also I usually spent about 300 a year on ball joints and tierod ends.
I can not tell you how many stub axles and U joints I broke on the 44 IFS HD.
The heavy duty class 44 means the rotor has 8 lugs, everything else is the same as the axle under a Bronco.

I replaced it with a Dana 60 and the truck has never rode as nice as it does now.
It corners just as fast as it did, the tire wear is way better and the dorky looking negative camber is gone.

Also after 300 thousand miles under the diesel when I pulled the 44 TTB out it was cracked almost in half on one side of the piviot point.

I do not know if the 44 or 50 TTB axles have the same applications in the 150 class trucks as they do in the 250 class.

In the 250 trucks,
The 44 IFS was under all regular cab trucks.
The 50 IFS was under all extended cab and crew cab trucks.

Even though I have seen the spec sheets from Dana that says the IFS front axle was used in the 350 trucks I have personally never seen one. I have looked at and owned a lot of Ford trucks in my life, my grandfather owned the Ford dealership in my home town till he died in the early 90's.

 

Man, you guys have been arguing about this since sometime in October, personally I'll take either one, and for the time being I'll stick with the TTB seeing a I cant afford a healthy D60.

 

the HD regular cabF250's also got the D50. there is an 87 sitting in my yard now with one.

 

LOL, this argument will never end. I'm sure in a few months another thread will start and people will go back and forth for months...again.

I say...whatever floats yer boat!!!

 

And SnoMan if you're saying that the solid axle is better you should wire the $$$$ for me to buy the best of the best.