So what is better/reliable?
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:monkey:TDunk
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IMO, the solid axle is alot more durable and easier to fix. IFS will give you alot better ride and are pretty stout as long as you get a 3/4 or 1 ton. Ford seems to have a good 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. I see very little dirveline problems with those trucks.
DarylB
ArboristSite Operative
Both are equally "reliable" if you use them correctly and avoid abusive driving. For the hardcore off-roader you cant beat a solid. For the occasionaly 4 wheeler and proper 4wd usage your personal preference should be just fine. Just remember, when you play you pay - regardless of what's under the front end!
clearance
Addicted to ArboristSite
Chevy/GMC trucks turned from the best trucks into culls when then went to the weak, complicated and useless i.f.s. front ends. The injection and plastic didn't help either. This was in '88, '92 for the 1 ton crews, blazers and suburbans. They ride better, sure, but they are trucks, not cars. Just my opinion now, but I have owned 70s Chevies and they are tough, simple and strong trucks, not like the weak cousins that replaced them.
hanniedog
Addicted to ArboristSite
The solid axle is easier to repair and will stand up to heavy use better than a indepedent system. Just like anything mechanical the more moving parts there are problems are more likely to occur.
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I like the ride the IFS gives you..............but let's face it trucks of the 70's and eraly 80's with the solid front axle were stellar trucks. Almost anyone could work on them................not so now!!!
ShoerFast
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It would impress the h311 out of me if there ever were anything tuffer then the old-school "Full-time" Power Wagons and Old School Jeep Trucks, Binder (international) made some good Old-Iron also.
One of the best things for the time, Ford and Chevy had real trucks on the road, but they were not anywhere near the best, of course IMO.
One of the best things for the time, Ford and Chevy had real trucks on the road, but they were not anywhere near the best, of course IMO.
NYH1
Tacticle Chainsaw Operator.
I was reading a magazine article a few months ago that tested the Toyota FJ Cruiser against the Jeep Wrangler. They gave the nod to the Jeep for serious off-road use because it had a solid front axle.
I have a 2007 1/2 ton Dodge with the IFS front end. It won't see to much off road use. Pretty much just getting in and out off hunting camp, which is on a seasonal road and doesn't get maintained at all. Some times there is a lot of mud and/or snow. The rest of the 4x4 use it will see will be just driving around town. We average 120 inches of snow a year. That snowfall can be doubled a 1/2 hour north of me. I've been known to go up there from time to time (shot 4 deer up there!:biggrinbounce2: ) so 4x4 is a must for me.
My friend always use to get 1/2 ton Dodge's, when they went to the IFS front ends he stepped up to a 3/4 ton. He does a lot of hunting, fishing and trapping as well as work that requires his truck to see a lot off road use. He won't own a truck with IFS. If I was in his situation I would do the same.
My family and I had some really bad luck with Ford's in the 90's, which was pretty much all we bought. So between the bad luck and me getting really good discounts on Chrysler products we pretty much go with Dodge and Jeep now.
I haven't looked at Ford trucks since I got my 2000 Ranger (last Ford we owned) so I'm not to familiar with them anymore. I know their 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks had IFS front ends. Two guys I use to work with had 1996 F-250's. When they would lift their plows off the ground there front tires looked like this /-----\ (looking at the truck from the front) . Are they still like this or did they change this. I know in 1997 Ford junked the Borgwarner transfer cases and went back to using NVG transfer cases in their heavy duty F-250's and all F-350's . A few years after that all F-250's came with NVG T-cases and starting 2009 or 2010 the F-150's will be using NVG T-cases again.
So who has what? I know what Dodge is using. What about the other two?
Dodge
1/2 ton= IFS
3/4 and 1 ton= solid front axle
GM
1/2, 3/4 and 1 ton= IFS
Ford
1/2 ton= IFS
3/4= ???
1 ton= ???
I have a 2007 1/2 ton Dodge with the IFS front end. It won't see to much off road use. Pretty much just getting in and out off hunting camp, which is on a seasonal road and doesn't get maintained at all. Some times there is a lot of mud and/or snow. The rest of the 4x4 use it will see will be just driving around town. We average 120 inches of snow a year. That snowfall can be doubled a 1/2 hour north of me. I've been known to go up there from time to time (shot 4 deer up there!:biggrinbounce2: ) so 4x4 is a must for me.
My friend always use to get 1/2 ton Dodge's, when they went to the IFS front ends he stepped up to a 3/4 ton. He does a lot of hunting, fishing and trapping as well as work that requires his truck to see a lot off road use. He won't own a truck with IFS. If I was in his situation I would do the same.
My family and I had some really bad luck with Ford's in the 90's, which was pretty much all we bought. So between the bad luck and me getting really good discounts on Chrysler products we pretty much go with Dodge and Jeep now.
I haven't looked at Ford trucks since I got my 2000 Ranger (last Ford we owned) so I'm not to familiar with them anymore. I know their 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks had IFS front ends. Two guys I use to work with had 1996 F-250's. When they would lift their plows off the ground there front tires looked like this /-----\ (looking at the truck from the front) . Are they still like this or did they change this. I know in 1997 Ford junked the Borgwarner transfer cases and went back to using NVG transfer cases in their heavy duty F-250's and all F-350's . A few years after that all F-250's came with NVG T-cases and starting 2009 or 2010 the F-150's will be using NVG T-cases again.
So who has what? I know what Dodge is using. What about the other two?
Dodge
1/2 ton= IFS
3/4 and 1 ton= solid front axle
GM
1/2, 3/4 and 1 ton= IFS
Ford
1/2 ton= IFS
3/4= ???
1 ton= ???
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clearance
Addicted to ArboristSite
Best front axles
Dana 60s, the big three all used them at some time, same with the best transfer case, the New Process 205. Cast iron, gear drive, manual hubs, gear oil, if it wasn't broke, why did they "fix" it?
Dana 60s, the big three all used them at some time, same with the best transfer case, the New Process 205. Cast iron, gear drive, manual hubs, gear oil, if it wasn't broke, why did they "fix" it?
Treeman587
ArboristSite Operative
Do Not Buy A Freakin Pos Chevy!!!!!!!!!
Whats wrong in this pic HMMMMMM/
Whats wrong in this pic HMMMMMM/
Treeman587
ArboristSite Operative
Ford is solid axle on 3/4 and 1 ton since '99. But before that the 250 had twin I beam which is way stronger than the a-arm setup chevy has.
Chevy has not built a truck since '88
If it isnt available with an eight foot bed, its not a truck
If you cant pull out the rear drive shaft and drive it home it is not 4WD
Sorry I always get on a rant when it comes to trucks.
Oh and all these fags driving around in Honda ridgelines thinking they own a truck you are wrong, It is an AWD El Camino
Chevy has not built a truck since '88
If it isnt available with an eight foot bed, its not a truck
If you cant pull out the rear drive shaft and drive it home it is not 4WD
Sorry I always get on a rant when it comes to trucks.
Oh and all these fags driving around in Honda ridgelines thinking they own a truck you are wrong, It is an AWD El Camino
chowdozer
Addicted to ArboristSite
2000 Kodiak
300 hp Cat, 54,000 GVW
Ford doesn't build anything comparable.
300 hp Cat, 54,000 GVW
Ford doesn't build anything comparable.
NYH1
Tacticle Chainsaw Operator.
Looks like something is broke in that picture.
NYH1
Tacticle Chainsaw Operator.
Treeman587, I worked at a repair shop part time after my regular job from early 95 to Nov. 97. I pretty much just helped out, the owners did most of the work. To be honest we didn't do a whole lot of work on Chevy/GMC front ends, they seemed to hold up pretty well. We did more work on Ford front ends. These were mostly snow plow applications.
Treeman587
ArboristSite Operative
Hey, 200 posts.
I can see where that would actually be valid NYH1. As most people you see driving chevys are older men and women who buy them for the ride comfort, who rarely use the 4WD. As where most Ford and Dodge owners are younger. And most of the Fords around here are Power Strokes that are lifted. I am at the truck pulls all the time and see it, Not that a Ford or Dodge never breaks though. Hell at the hunt club this spring one of the guys was going about 5 mph in 4wd and that CV shaft they use just exploded. Not come apart, Broke the collar out and everything. Not to mention a chevy Z71 only has about 6 inches of ground clearance. A 2WD Dodge 1500 sits as high as a Z71. I did my time in the shops as well, at a Chevy dealer. When a Ford breaks the front end it is usually a hub, slap a set of warns on there and you are good to go. When a Chevy does it, well then it can be a number of things. That little collar that slides over the shaft to engage it, a hub, a CV shaft. Solid axles are simple and stout.
Oh and that picture of the Kodiak, If you look real hard you will discover Fords HD trucks aren't under Ford anymore. That is their marketing. How about an L9000 Tandem. Ford actually has an entire company devoted to HD trucks.
I will put it to ya like this. The front end of my Dumptruck is a sollid axle for a reason, It is strong and dependable, I want the same for my pickup, Yeah my 2005 Power Stroke Lariat 4X4
Sorry yall, I warned ya trucks get me on a rant
I can see where that would actually be valid NYH1. As most people you see driving chevys are older men and women who buy them for the ride comfort, who rarely use the 4WD. As where most Ford and Dodge owners are younger. And most of the Fords around here are Power Strokes that are lifted. I am at the truck pulls all the time and see it, Not that a Ford or Dodge never breaks though. Hell at the hunt club this spring one of the guys was going about 5 mph in 4wd and that CV shaft they use just exploded. Not come apart, Broke the collar out and everything. Not to mention a chevy Z71 only has about 6 inches of ground clearance. A 2WD Dodge 1500 sits as high as a Z71. I did my time in the shops as well, at a Chevy dealer. When a Ford breaks the front end it is usually a hub, slap a set of warns on there and you are good to go. When a Chevy does it, well then it can be a number of things. That little collar that slides over the shaft to engage it, a hub, a CV shaft. Solid axles are simple and stout.
Oh and that picture of the Kodiak, If you look real hard you will discover Fords HD trucks aren't under Ford anymore. That is their marketing. How about an L9000 Tandem. Ford actually has an entire company devoted to HD trucks.
I will put it to ya like this. The front end of my Dumptruck is a sollid axle for a reason, It is strong and dependable, I want the same for my pickup, Yeah my 2005 Power Stroke Lariat 4X4
Sorry yall, I warned ya trucks get me on a rant
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spacemule
The Peanut Gallery
Wow! I'm amazed by your intelligence! How can you manage to come up with such brilliant things to say? What other gems do you have in store for us?
NYH1
Tacticle Chainsaw Operator.
That couldn't be farther from the truth in this area. The plow truck of choice is a 3/4 ton Chevy/GMC or a Ford followed by Dodge. They all have their good and bad points. We worked on Ford and Dodge more then we worked on Chevy/GMC. Plowing snow will tear a truck up bad. Back when I worked on trucks 95-97, we did more preventive maintenance on the Chevy/GMC and more work on the Ford and Dodge. Chevy/GMC seemed to hold up better then the other two and they were ran just as hard.
Treeman587
ArboristSite Operative
You definately know more about plows than me, I can promise you that. We get an inch of snow and the world is ending around here. Do yall plow in 4WD?
Most of our 4WD usage around here is on the beach in sugar sand and in deep bottomless mud. Oh and hookin to the sled to see who has put the most rediculous amount of money into their trucks. We have diesels runnin around on the street with 600 HP and over 1000 lb/ft of torque.
Most of our 4WD usage around here is on the beach in sugar sand and in deep bottomless mud. Oh and hookin to the sled to see who has put the most rediculous amount of money into their trucks. We have diesels runnin around on the street with 600 HP and over 1000 lb/ft of torque.
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Treeman587
ArboristSite Operative
spacemule
The Peanut Gallery
Nope. I was simply enthralled by your intelligent diatribe.
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