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Old 01-24-2015, 02:39 AM   #6
mr48chev
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Toppenish, WA
Posts: 15,838
Re: IFS front clip swaps.

There are who knows how many MII based kits out there including at least two crossmembers that bolt on and use either stock MII suspension pieces or tube A arms.
www.industrialchassis.com turns out a really nice crossmeber that uses Dodge Dakota pieces that give you a truck that drives great while being able to do truck stuff if you want to. It also is a lot better fit than the S-10 swap.

The S-10 swap started because it was cheap ten years ago. You drug an S-10 standard cab long bed pickup with a dead engine home for free or maybe 100 bucks at the most and then rolled the body off and set yours on.
Then someone started selling kits to mount them for 1500 and now guys advocate going out and buying a running and driving truck for a couple of thousand bucks and taking the body off. I don't see an advantage or cost saving in doing that and it becomes a thing of doing it because the "cool guys" did it.

I'm one of the bunch who advocates using the stock frame (if it is in real good condition) and adding independent front suspension. It's a lot simpler to line up body parts and to me if just flat makes for a better truck

I had my truck subframed in the past when that was the hot lick thing to do and it drove great but I doubt if I would ever do another one that way. There are just better ways now.
I and some other guys are putting Jag XJ 6 suspensions under the front of our trucks and they fit well, don't cost all that much to begin with and drive great when done. I've found out that they can be hard to find if you don't live close to a major city though as I can't find parts in the local wrecking yards.

Look at all the options and then decide but don't fall into the "everyone else does it" trap on any change you make.
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