I think it rather depends on what you want to do. I've read all the posts, and you all look a lot at rockcrawling. So you need strength, articulation, etc. A SAS for this application will work perfect.
However, there are different ways to wheel. See racing, desert routes, etc... I see that a daily driver with a SAS would be unconfortable and doesn't handle well. I see that desert cars with two solid axles are uncomfortable and don't handle well. Purpose built rallye raid cars are all 4wis for the much superior handlng. And they break, but as much as would be expected with any race car. Other rallye raid cars, such as Toyota HDJ 80 or Mercedes G never do really well, they are normally surpassed by IFS cars (Toyota HDJ 100, etc...)
So I think each person has it's own needs, so you might not need it. I know I don't.

Well then you should probably give me a DWP  
drinking while posting :-/ I duno
la la la de de da  

Well then you should probably give me a DWP  
drinking while posting :-/ I duno
la la la de de da  

Rossy ocifer, I dron't dink!

Why do people keep saying that IFS cant rockcrawl?! ???Please stop comparing trail rigs to professional rockcrawlering rigs. Im sick of hearing Red bull or Walker Evans tried and failed. I can guarantee that both of their rigs could have kicked all our asses on the trail. Also dont think that Straight axle rock buggies dont cost a ton too.

Also Im hearing things like the axles are too small.... so are sami axles, thats why we put bigger ones in. Why cant you do this with IFS? I will admit that it takes more iimagination but that doesnt mean it doesnt work.

IFS

Also IFS



Mike

IFS compared to straight axle on the same obstical in upper heldorado.

woo hoo, go mike! 100% agree with you.

with an IFS, limit front travel to safe operating angles, and lock front and rear with crawler gears. this would make a very capable rig.

hey mike, who's kick is that orange one? i love the paint work on it. is it a 2 colour chameleon? nice.

I still wouldn't mind having a Toyota IFS front drivetrain set up in a Trackick, but that takes a lot of skill, time, and money... setting up an SAS with leafs is much simpler than doing a custom IFS swap/buildup with enough lift to clear 35"+ tires. Plus there's always the fact that for the money, most of the time, solid axles are stronger.

As everyone's already said, it's mostly about personal preference.

BTW, I still love your rig, Mike, and would love to build something similar in the future, just to have a super-lightweight trail machine. Your rig is definately on my list of all time favorite rigs </asskissing>

That's some real lousy flex for a SFA (no offense intended to the rig owner). A good flexy SFA rig wouldn't pik a tire as bad as that.

Don't get me wrong, I have IFS still, it's capable, but I pik tire more than I should, and the body roll can get hairy. It's just the nature of my beast. Dunno if/when I'll SAS the trac. May never do it, and just live with what I got.

(I'm starting to think a true buggy may be in my future).

....

So its really quite simple.
Some people have pushed their technological limits of the Suzuki Sidekick IFS design and needed it for something more.

Some people have over come some of those technological limits by designing their own majorly improved IFS systems and are doing great things with them.

Those of us who haven't gotten there and need a solution now, turn to SAS.



~Nate

At least in my experience.

See, it is simple.

An ultra flexy straight axle trucklet
is way too squirrely for the road,
almost to the point of being unsafe,
at least in the sammy I drove it was,
kind of like driving a boat

Wild

That's some real lousy flex for a SFA (no offense intended to the rig owner). A good flexy SFA rig wouldn't pik a tire as bad as that.

Don't get me wrong, I have IFS still, it's capable, but I pik tire more than I should, and the body roll can get hairy. It's just the nature of my beast. Dunno if/when I'll SAS the trac. May never do it, and just live with what I got.

(I'm starting to think a true buggy may be in my future).

I still dissagree




If you getting body roll its something to do with your spring rate or angles. I get a lot of body roll but I like it that way. The rockstar has almost no bodyroll.

Mike

I still dissagree

That doesn't look like its even ramping a 1000 yet...

woo hoo, go mike! 100% agree with you.

with an IFS, limit front travel to safe operating angles, and lock front and rear with crawler gears. this would make a very capable rig.

hey mike, who's kick is that orange one? i love the paint work on it. is it a 2 colour chameleon? nice.

The orange one is mine... actually the black one is too, just before I painted it. I dont know whats in the paint. A guy who works at the bodyshop next door made a custom color for it. It does look very different in different types of light.

Mike

That doesn't look like its even ramping a 1000 yet...

its on a 30 degree ramp though. It flexes very well. Its got a spidertrax Quarter eliptical rear and OME springs in the front. This pic was taken at Zukimelt 3 years ago. Not many rigs flexed any further than that. I only went 720 on that ramp.

Mike

its on a 30 degree ramp though. It flexes very well. Its got a spidertrax Quarter eliptical rear and OME springs in the front. This pic was taken at Zukimelt 3 years ago. Not many rigs flexed any further than that. I only went 720 on that ramp.

Mike

After looking at the ramp more.  It does seem a bit steeper than what I'm used to.