I may be incorrect, I do believe a Vette has IRS with traverse composite leaf springs.

As for the independant suspension debate - it all depends on what you use your vehicle for, independant suspension is better in all situations, unless you have serious weight on it (and no self leveling system) - as this increases the camber and gives poor tire wear and a small contact patch, or you off-road a lot, and independant suspension doesn't provide enough axle articulation, and also for simplicity sake (your backyard mechanic has a whole lot harder time fixing a coil spring double wishbone pushrod suspension system than he does a leaf sprung live axle. Independant suspension gives infinitely more tuning options - camber, toe in etc.
Mine sees serious off-road stuff, and weight, therefore live axle is the way to go for me.
I don't think a Hummer can be used as an example, as its suspension is worlds apart from that of a GM truck - if they put that (the Hummers suspension) in a HD truck, then it would be impressive.

 

i believe the vette does have IRS. IRS with the load leveling technology is far superior to a leaf spring. it is more complicated, but it's advantages can't be denied.

I was just using the hummer because it was the best example that I could think of for a well set-up heavy duty IS system. I would deffinately buy a GM with load handling IRS IFS, if it had a system built like that of the H1. You could have a soft ride, great handling, and pump the air bags up to tow. I personally don't like straight axils at all.

I realize this is a completely different market, but ATV's are almost all going to IS because they ride so good and do tons better in the mud. The only straight axil ATV's on the market anymore are concidered old school, or they are sport ATV's.

I know for a fact, unless you set a lot of weight extremely far forward in the truck bed, it is almost impossible to overload the front end on even a half ton truck. (only excepting being a big plow) most of your 5th wheels are setup to have almost all of the weight directly over the rear axil so that doesn't overload the front at all. then with a bumper pull trailer, most of the time you try to load the trailer level, or a little heavier on the front of the trailer, and that only lightens the fron of the pickup. so no, i don't see where you would even overload a halfton.

my whole point is that ford has most of the FTE people brainwashed into thinking that SA is the only way to make a heavyduty suspension, and it is not true. infact if you look at the front ford suspensions, most of the time the front leaf springs are bowed the wrong direction. like /\ instead of like \/.

 

I'm glad you've had good luck with your GM(s). What I don't understand, is why you would buy an '86 F-250, if you love GM(s) so much...just doesn't make any sense. You come on here, praising your GM vehicles, and bash your Ford. I don't know...I was under the impression that this was a Ford truck enthusiast site.
I bought my F250 because it was the only BIG BLOCK that IMO was worth owning, I have regetted not getting a 1 ton with the Dana 50 Front axle. IFS is alright but its not a solid axle. I like my F250 it has given me good service. I beleive you were asking me about major problems, I don't consider timing chains, rebuilt front ends, etc as major problems just items that wear out. My Ford has had more items wear out early than the Chevy I owned. I carried a Ford Factory Trained Technician Card for 10 years. So if you are taking my statements as Ford bashing I'm sorry, The facts are the facts, and sometimes I find guys on this site don't like that unless it favors Ford.

 

The TTB front end's had a reverse mounted leaf sprung front end. How is that bad? That was an IFS design anyways.

Kermmydog...that's fine. I'm glad you've had some good times with your GM. The '86 F-250's didn't have a Dana50 frontend? I'm pretty sure the '96 F-250 does.

 

oh i thought that they were sapose to go the other direction. i didn't realize that it was sapose to be that way. i don't think i call that TTB a version of IFS.

 

All TTB front ends are IFS. There was the coil over version, and the leaf sprung version. I consider it to be stronger than the older GM IFS fronts.

 

I remember an 87 having the Dana 50, In fact if I would of known that the guy that owned it was going to sell it I would have bought it, I was just too late. Now I'm just assuming that was around in 86 also. If it wasn't a Dana 50 in the 87 it was a straight axle, and factory. That I'm sure of.

 

Not to change the suject but would someone be kind enough to explain how I can put multiply Quotes one on post.
Thanks,
Craig