In reply to mad_machine:
There are pictures of cars pulling the front wheels off the ground with IRS still on them.
In reply to mad_machine:
There are pictures of cars pulling the front wheels off the ground with IRS still on them.
They have to mod the IRS a lot to cope with the drag launches. Wheel hop is one problem, the other main problem is ripping the diff cover in half.
I've used C5 Corvette IRS in a number of custom builds with great results. I put 1 set in this all aluminum backbone chassis. The finished car is a light weight monster. Having fun.
OK. I have recently been down this road IRS parts sourcing my $2013 car. I plan on putting 650+hp to a slightly upgraded 8.8 Mark VIII IRS. I am familiar with Drag Racing Mustangs and Ford/Lincoln stuff is my friendly territory.
This is some FYI BS that may be interesting and help someone?, if not, meh, just ignore.
It took all day at the PullAPart and cost in the range of $140.00 total. If I hunt around for cores to return it may be less. I only wanted and paid for parts that I could use.
I began by pulling a 1998 Mark VIII IRS with subframe. Four bolts and it drops out. The Lincoln IRS has cool aluminum knuckles, aluminum lowers, and an aluminum 8.8 pumpkin, and aluminum bearing caps also (which may be my weak link???). I like all of the lightweight aluminum which you don't get with the Cougar and T-bird.
The 5 dollar H/Freight bolt cutter works great cutting emergency brake cables.
The M8 comes (Like ALL Mark VIII with an Open 3.07, thinish axles, 28 spline inner/outer axle stubs, and 5x4.25" bolt pattern which does not give you much choice in wheels.
The LSC M8 received better, but still Open, 3.27 gears.
Anyway, I gutted the Mark VIII pumpkin and scrounged a 2002+ Explorer 8.8 Posi, bigger 31 spline axle stubs, and 3.27 gears from a live axle P71 (which I really wanted the 3.27's). The Explorer 8.8 had 3.73 gears which I took to sell.
The axle stubs are held in with a Cclip sotra thingy and simply "pop out" with a little screwdriver force.
The Crown Vic also had a 28 spline Posi which I took home to sell.
The PAP had 3 IRS 2002+ Explorers. One was tagged Open 4.10's (4 10), one was Posi 3.73's (3 L 73), and the last was Open 3.55 (3 55) gears.
You need a 36mm deep well socket to pulI the nuts off the outer CV axles.
I also disgarded the M8 5x4.25" rotors and hubs. I have a HF hydraulic 12 ton gear puller and it popped out the 5X4.25" hubs from the sealed bearing in the spindles. The bearings are held in with 2 large C clips from the backside. You still need to press out the hub from the front side before you can get the bearing out from the backside.
To get around the 5x4.25" bolt pattern, I also sourced a set of 1996 Mustang rear rotors (5X4.5") and Mustang disc calipers. The Mustang rear rotors are on a live axle and I thought there may be some backspace/offset difference or the calipers would not bolt on, but nope, all is well.
I did notice the Mustang rotors are slightly bigger at 10.5". The Mark VIII are about 10.2". Eyeballing the calipers they looked slightly different. It is possible the M8 calipers would not clear the Mustang rotors. I do know for sure the Mustang rotors and calipers transfer to the M8 abutments.
I hear that a live axle Posi will not work in a IRS pumpkin. You need an IRS posi to transfer to the IRS M8.
Supercoupe passenger side axles are supposed to be thicker/stouter(?) unconfirmed.
The Explorer IRS also has a 5x4.5" wheel bolt pattern. It overall looks big and heavy. I took them but I don’t know yet if the Explorer hubs will fit the Cobra/M8 bearings.
The part number for Ford Motorsport IRS Mustang Cobra 5X4.5" Hubs is M-1109-A and the Hub Bearings is M-1215-A. This thread say the Hubs are $71 each.
http://www.markviii.org/htdocs/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=26&topic_id=4500
The Explorer outer stubs also look to have more spines than the Lincoln's. I might have to do some mixing and matching of CV axle parts. I also have a buddy who changed out his "dun blown up" 2004 Cobra IRS for a live axle. This would give me the correct axle parts (31 inner and 28 outer axles, and 5x4.5" bearing hubs). He is not using them and pilfering his junk may be the easy way to go. I think I will swing by his place on the way home.
This may no be the strongest IRS, but it is a combination of parts that I hope meets my goal and under $140. (or free if I return cores and sell the 3.73 gears and 28 spline posi.
Fingers crossed. The car will be very light weight and I will do plenty of breakage testing before the Challenge.
M8 subframe dropped at the PAP
What is this "independent rear suspension" witchcraft you speak of?!
Sky_Render wrote: What is this "independent rear suspension" witchcraft you speak of?!
Why, it's all the rage. All the cool cats are minimizing unsprung weight and allowing the wheels to be suspended independent of one another! Only squares are seen with solid axles these days, pops.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:Sky_Render wrote: What is this "independent rear suspension" witchcraft you speak of?!Why, it's all the rage. All the cool cats are minimizing unsprung weight and allowing the wheels to be suspended independent of one another! Only squares are seen with solid axles these days, pops.
Get off my lawn!
In reply to Gasoline:
Awesome post man, lots of good stuff there...Im working up an S10 autox toy punchlist in my head, and IRS swap is near the top of my list.
Ive printed your post - it will be assimilated. Resistance is futile
Why are you asking - intending to scavenge one for something else, or just academically interested?
I enjoyed working with my old TVR double tubular A arm set up quite a bit - very light and fairly adjustable.
I currently have several IRS cars. The 88 Fiero is decent (all prior years had totally different and inferior IRS). My old Lamborghini has a decent one, designed as if it were for the track back in the late 1960s but a dated design now. My Solstice is actually very good and very effective.
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