My buddy says that IRS sucks and solid axels are far better. is he right? his rides a 98 camaro, :confused:


[Modified by colin84vette, 7:53 AM 11/30/2002]

 

All depends on the intended purpose. For drag racing, solid axle is the way to go.

 

Yea, what Mojo sauid. If, however, you want to have some fun in the twisties that solid axle would make a good boat anchor. :D

 

Sounds like your buddy is just a little jealous. Honestly a if we're talking stock for stock your IRS is stronger than his solid axle in that F-body. The stock f-body solid axle is about as strong as a wet paper bag, if he doesn't believe that throw him a set of drag slicks and tell him to launch at 4000 rpm's. You can then count the chunks of his ring and pinion.

The IRS has a lot of places to break, but as such GM made it out of some pretty good components. I've launched on mine at 4000 rpm's with a healthy clutch and sticky tires and it made the engine just bog down. That same launch with my mods on an f-body rear would have sheared the teeth clean off the pinion. Overall, a straight axle is better for drag racing because it's less complicated and has better characteristics for straight line performance, but it has to be a good straight axle. A big nasty ford 9" or a GM Moser 12 bolt is excellent, the F-body stocker might as well be a boat anchor anyway.

Again I like the f-body but the rear end was never made for racing at all. Ask your friend why he thinks the solid axle is better? GM designed the vette as a sports car which includes a lot more than just drag racing. A sports car has to handle and a vette will do that. They've had IRS since 1963 if it sucked reall bad you'd think they might have ditched it by now wouldn't you think?

 

I agree with everything here... the nature of a live axle, its purpose, ect...

but we forget one thing - COST - a live axle is much cheaper to make.

A buddy of mine has a 95 Z28, and he has blown 2 rears out of it. now, all things being equal, he does tow a sail boat with it... but it still does not explain how 2 diffs have exploded... literally. once, the input shaft worked so loose that the seal blew out spewing gear oil over the exhaust pipe. he said the smoke show was stunning!

 

Bogus, tell your buddy to get one of these



He won't toast that one.

 

:lol:

In addition to what everyone has said, there are several modifications that can be done to enhance one aspect or another of the C4 IRS.

 

Not in all situations. They may be stronger, but they also lift the right tire up off the ground by nature. In comparison cars like the corvette just squat and go.

 

Ford chose to put a solid axle in their new '03 Mustang Mach 1. They used an IRS in the Cobra. The Mach 1 is supposed to be aimed more for straight line runs.

 

Very true, but a Dana 60 or Ford 9", even a MOPAR 8 3/4 will outlast any Corvette rear in the drag racing world.

BTW, I love the way our cars squat and go except for Keith Brownlee who uses the rear bumper for a wheelie bar!

 

I agree Scorp. A buddy here gets 1.36 shorts out of his stock style IRS, Dana 44 using a 15" 325 BFG drag radial. Not broken yet! (knock wood). He runs a sbc with nitrous. I would have waved the BS flag when he told me, but he was in front of me at the track and he beat my 1.40 shorts on my slick. :yesnod:

 

:eek: :eek: How did he manage that!?

 

12 bolt? or a Ford 9" conversion?

we have talked about the Ford 9" conversion... and I will suggest that when he blows the current one out. at $1000.00 per, it does get expensive.

his first one blew on I95 north, just at the North/South Carolina border.

I ended up taking him down to pick up the Z28 and the aforementioned boat at a Roland Pontiac GMC in Roland, NC. They did a very nice job!

This was a on-my-way kinda thing. I was on my way to Fla anyhow... seemed to be sensable. had a nice drive, too.

 

IRS is much better.....Too many exotics have the IRS as well. I don't see Ferrari's with solid axles?? Kind of hard with a transaxle, but you get the point.

 

That's a Moser 12 bolt with 4.10 gears with an Eaton posi and 33 spline axles. I know the axles have like a 10 year unlimited warranty on them, they essentially dare you to break them.

Costs about $2200 fully setup for the ABS brakes and everything. It's a completely drop in replacement and you won't break it. I'm sure you can get any gear ratio you want too, my friend just chose 4.10 for his car.

I'd go this route over a Ford 9" any day if just for the ease of use.

 

:eek: :eek: How did he manage that!?

I wish I knew.

 

If you want I'll trade you a solid axle for your irs rig :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

Where did he Buy the Axel from? I want to know

 

To be honest with you I'm not real sure. You can get it from http://www.racenet.net but I don't think that's where he got his from. The price is comprable wherever you get it.

 

Julio from Cartek has an IRS Dana 60 in his '85.

There's a guy at the track with a MOPAR 8 3/4 in his T/A

I have a MOPAR 8 3/4 that I can use when the time comes since currently it's sitting under my MOPAR which isn't running.

Wheelsup from the forum has a FORD 9" under his car