I’ll submit this picture for my main argument FOR a SAS. Good luck doing that in an IFS truck without breaking something.
I consider the front 3-link on a SAS to be the “long travel” of the SAS world. I can fly down most trails with ease. I think that’s the main thing people miss when doing a SAS. They try to do it “budget” and end up with some crappy TrailGear front leaf springs that make the trail ride feel like re-entry to the earth’s atmosphere in a VW Bug. That being said I spent an ENORMOUS amount of money on my SAS with the Diamond axle and the stage three 3-link kit. But I’d say it was comparably priced to a proper full LT system. Once it was properly tuned, it eats trails for breakfast and cruises the highway like a Cadillac. I can do 75+ down the highway just fine after having blown through a trail at 25-35. (I once did Mosquito in less than 45 minutes.)
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I’ve seen plenty of well built IFS trucks do just fine over a lot of crappy stuff. And I’ve also seen a lot of CV axles explode like frag grenades.
What
@Squishy! said about my old IFS system was true. I had a HORRIBLE drop bracket lift, stock control arms, and worn out bushings. That system was absolutely obnoxious. It was literally impossible to align it and it burned up tires. It would blow CV axles just sitting there while you looked at it. So it really made me loath IFS, especially when I saw SAS trucks doing things with ease that were literally killing my truck. For me, I had no choice but to go to a SAS. Some of the frame was already removed for the drop bracket. So bigger and better was my only option.
I totally agree that for most folks, who want a reliable adventure rig to take the kids out to some cool places, a well modified IFS is a good solid choice. There’s nothing wrong with that.
But if you want to be able to roll out and drive to the trail head, wheel Holy Cross, then drive to Leadville for dinner, then wake up and Baja over Haggerman to Basalt the next morning, then cruise back over Independence and all the way back to Denver... The 3-link SAS is where it’s at. Very capable all around. Way over built for most stuff but perfect for those special trails that demand the next level gear. Also, not a trailer queen. I think it’s a win-win-win.
On this most recent Ghost Town Run, we didn’t really do anything where I needed my truck’s full crawler potential. But it was pleasant to drive on the long highway sections, the dirt roads, and the bumpy trails. I really like feeling WAY overbuilt for most things. Then when I really need it, I know it’s there.
That being said, it’s definitely not for everyone and I can respect that.
My story is one of “cheaping out” trying to have a “cool lifted truck“ only to find that I had made a huge mistake that forced me to spend the money to do it right in the end. So the moral of that story is, keep it mild or spend the money and do it wild. But if you do it big, do it right.