hypothetical: would you retrofit your S197 with 2015+ IRS (if it would fit?)
#25
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I wouldn't Retro fit but my 04' Termi broke first Time on strip with slicks....I didn't like being the guy holding up street legal night. That was in 2005 at Indianapolis Raceway park I think on an April or early May Tuesday night. The car went 3'. I will say our crappy roads and bridge transitions were much smoother than what I'm rolling with now but my 2011 car is in storage for winter and in 2 years I put 6K miles on it. Still smells new! So I don't mind the bumps. My DD is a lifted F150 and it rides like a caddy in comparison.
#26
Shelby GT350 Member
Thread Starter
So the first Camaros had breaking axle syndrome...but don't the '11 and '12 cars have much stronger axles?
It sounds like you guys are only worried about durability...I suspect Ford will know what they're doing with the newly designed IRS and it will handle the punishment just fine.
If not, I agree with you guys that fragility would be a deal breaker...
...but assuming that it is strong enough, would it change your mind?
It sounds like you guys are only worried about durability...I suspect Ford will know what they're doing with the newly designed IRS and it will handle the punishment just fine.
If not, I agree with you guys that fragility would be a deal breaker...
...but assuming that it is strong enough, would it change your mind?
#27
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So the first Camaros had breaking axle syndrome...but don't the '11 and '12 cars have much stronger axles?
It sounds like you guys are only worried about durability...I suspect Ford will know what they're doing with the newly designed IRS and it will handle the punishment just fine.
If not, I agree with you guys that fragility would be a deal breaker...
...but assuming that it is strong enough, would it change your mind?
It sounds like you guys are only worried about durability...I suspect Ford will know what they're doing with the newly designed IRS and it will handle the punishment just fine.
If not, I agree with you guys that fragility would be a deal breaker...
...but assuming that it is strong enough, would it change your mind?
#29
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Breaking news:
Due to the overwhelming choice by Mustang owners on this thread that SRA is preferred, Ford just announced it has cancelled IRS in the 2015 model.
Suck it Europe!
Due to the overwhelming choice by Mustang owners on this thread that SRA is preferred, Ford just announced it has cancelled IRS in the 2015 model.
Suck it Europe!
#32
Cobra Member
It seems the fastest street cars in the world have irs. Porsches, Ferraris, corvettes, and etc operate very effectively with irs. Because of this, i have a healthy respect for well designed irs systems. So, yes assuming good quality design i would consider the modification.
#35
factory five racing has there spec series for racing get what some of the options are .... IRS or straight axle.............
they found they could go faster and make a better handling car with a straight axle.....
i prefer proof in racing not what they sell for noobs on the street
they found they could go faster and make a better handling car with a straight axle.....
i prefer proof in racing not what they sell for noobs on the street
#36
Legacy TMS Member
I think the complexity of managing cost against weight, front/rear weight distribution, brake changes, stability/traction control programming, would dissuade me pretty quickly.
#37
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Guess I'm the minority in which I'd prefer the IRS. While the tried and true 8.8 gives the car that 'muscle car-vintage' feel sometimes I'm tired of the upsetting w. just a few cracks on the road.
Suppose I would replace the SRA w/ a '15+ IRS if the price was right (and my current SRA needed replacing) but like others have said by that point I would have just traded in for a 2015.
Suppose I would replace the SRA w/ a '15+ IRS if the price was right (and my current SRA needed replacing) but like others have said by that point I would have just traded in for a 2015.
#38
Ford needs to actually design an IRS before a chassis, not retrofit an IRS into an existing chassis. That's what made the 03-04 termis IRS suffer. Obviously if you bolt on and tune a car that came with 390 hp to 650-750 you'd need to upgrade some driveline components too.
#39
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The thing is that the s197 is really designed for IRS, the SRA was put in after an idiot bean counter. The s197 platform traces its roots to jag, if I'm not mistaken.
With this being said, yes if the price is reasonable. In the real world tuning an IRS or an SRA is not so different. Its all about maintaining geometry. For years tuners have made cars handle "Better" by limiting suspension travel. Same applies to SRA cars. But the fact of the matter is that you want as much suspension travel as possible while being able to control such travel. I have said it before, I don't care how much the body leans as long as my contact patch is maximized. You limit travel and your in a world of hurt when things go south and you cant recover it. If my mustang was a track only car, well probably the SRA would stay just to reduce the cost and R&D on developing it. But IRS's have been around for so long that yes you can have one handle massive power. Ask the Charger guys who invest in 1K+ axles and are set for 1000+hp. The freaking truck axle needs to go.
So count me in if the cost of it is less than 3k. You have no idea how much time I have spent underneath my old mustang examining the tub and looking at the dimensions. A real IRS would fit in there with room to spare. They will probably put in the same pumpkin that is in the old explorer. That is a 8.8 unit, throw some good axles on it with cast control arms and a center cage made of the same, it would not weigh anymore than the SRA and be just as strong.
With this being said, yes if the price is reasonable. In the real world tuning an IRS or an SRA is not so different. Its all about maintaining geometry. For years tuners have made cars handle "Better" by limiting suspension travel. Same applies to SRA cars. But the fact of the matter is that you want as much suspension travel as possible while being able to control such travel. I have said it before, I don't care how much the body leans as long as my contact patch is maximized. You limit travel and your in a world of hurt when things go south and you cant recover it. If my mustang was a track only car, well probably the SRA would stay just to reduce the cost and R&D on developing it. But IRS's have been around for so long that yes you can have one handle massive power. Ask the Charger guys who invest in 1K+ axles and are set for 1000+hp. The freaking truck axle needs to go.
So count me in if the cost of it is less than 3k. You have no idea how much time I have spent underneath my old mustang examining the tub and looking at the dimensions. A real IRS would fit in there with room to spare. They will probably put in the same pumpkin that is in the old explorer. That is a 8.8 unit, throw some good axles on it with cast control arms and a center cage made of the same, it would not weigh anymore than the SRA and be just as strong.
#40
The thing is that the s197 is really designed for IRS, the SRA was put in after an idiot bean counter. The s197 platform traces its roots to jag, if I'm not mistaken.
With this being said, yes if the price is reasonable. In the real world tuning an IRS or an SRA is not so different. Its all about maintaining geometry. For years tuners have made cars handle "Better" by limiting suspension travel. Same applies to SRA cars. But the fact of the matter is that you want as much suspension travel as possible while being able to control such travel. I have said it before, I don't care how much the body leans as long as my contact patch is maximized. You limit travel and your in a world of hurt when things go south and you cant recover it. If my mustang was a track only car, well probably the SRA would stay just to reduce the cost and R&D on developing it. But IRS's have been around for so long that yes you can have one handle massive power. Ask the Charger guys who invest in 1K+ axles and are set for 1000+hp. The freaking truck axle needs to go.
So count me in if the cost of it is less than 3k. You have no idea how much time I have spent underneath my old mustang examining the tub and looking at the dimensions. A real IRS would fit in there with room to spare. They will probably put in the same pumpkin that is in the old explorer. That is a 8.8 unit, throw some good axles on it with cast control arms and a center cage made of the same, it would not weigh anymore than the SRA and be just as strong.
With this being said, yes if the price is reasonable. In the real world tuning an IRS or an SRA is not so different. Its all about maintaining geometry. For years tuners have made cars handle "Better" by limiting suspension travel. Same applies to SRA cars. But the fact of the matter is that you want as much suspension travel as possible while being able to control such travel. I have said it before, I don't care how much the body leans as long as my contact patch is maximized. You limit travel and your in a world of hurt when things go south and you cant recover it. If my mustang was a track only car, well probably the SRA would stay just to reduce the cost and R&D on developing it. But IRS's have been around for so long that yes you can have one handle massive power. Ask the Charger guys who invest in 1K+ axles and are set for 1000+hp. The freaking truck axle needs to go.
So count me in if the cost of it is less than 3k. You have no idea how much time I have spent underneath my old mustang examining the tub and looking at the dimensions. A real IRS would fit in there with room to spare. They will probably put in the same pumpkin that is in the old explorer. That is a 8.8 unit, throw some good axles on it with cast control arms and a center cage made of the same, it would not weigh anymore than the SRA and be just as strong.
It's a real stretch to say the S197 was "designed for IRS" because all that's left of the basic root platform that had IRS is floorpans, front rails, trans tunnel and the gas tank area, iirc. front suspension is totally different, rear pan totally different, body panel structure totally different.