Who's got the best deal going for ifs on a budget 54 3100

[Strykerta]

Trying to decide who's got the the best bang for the buck currently? Any kits I should steer away from? Just wanting a basic ifs with 5x4.75 pattern.

[samples45]

Mustang two probably! Or find a c4 donar car somewhere.. that might be a cheaper route because you could get a rearend also!

[Strykerta]

I guess I should have stated it but yes I meant mustang 2. Just curious if a vendor is looking to make a sale. Was looking at the ccp and speedway kits but trying to find the right deal.

[samples45]

Oh i gotcha! Have you looked online at johnny law motors? I know they have them

[lv2tri2]

Originally Posted by samples45

Oh i gotcha! Have you looked online at johnny law motors? I know they have them

I hope you didn't go to Johnny Law

[mr48chev]

Johnny Law is the main outlet for Hoffman Group junk and their front end would be Helix junk. There is a ton of stuff out there on Hoffman group stuff. Not much of it good.

[dsraven]

I suggest to gather info from all vendors that interest you and then compare the specs. best not to cheap out on something that is going to be welded to your truck frame and become the foundation for the rest of the truck to sit on and keep you going down the road straight. check the thickness of the plate steel, the type of control arms and their tube thickness, what ball joints and tie rod ends come with and are they decent or junk, what size of brake rotors come with and brake pads/rotors/calipers etc (new or rebuilt), does it come with decent shock absorbers or no name stuff, are the installation directions clear, is there a sway bar and if so what type/size/mounting hardware style, for the lower control arm pivots do the steel tubes where the pivot bolts go through actually go all the way through the cross member or are they just short pieces welded on at each side of the cross member, is the steering rack rebuilt or new, are there gussets welded at the stress points, etc etc. some kits come with no name branded stuff that has loose fitting rubber seals on the ball joints and tie rods, cheap no name brake pads, no name rebuilt calipers, no brake hoses and on and on. this set up is going to be what keeps you between the ditches so buy the best kit you can afford but if you can't afford a good quality kit then wait until you can. you won't likely be impressed with the cheapest one available. I have seen some pretty poor quality stuff over the years. ask what brand name parts are included in the kit, then check the local parts store or online to see how those parts check out.

[dsraven]

more power and engine weight up front would indicate the need for a better quality MII kit as well. a big hp engine usually means the truck is going to be driven faster so will also need to be stable at higher speeds and also be able to stop the truck adequately from those higher speeds safely and within an acceptable stopping distance. what engine/driveline do you plan for your truck? if you don't know yet then it s best to overbuild the underpinnings because once thats welded in it becomes harder and more expensive to upgrade. check a good quality kit and compare the rest to that one. also check what the vendor has for a tech support system so when questions come up you can get answers in a timely fashion.
Heidts had a good tech article on understanding indepenent front suspension. it is good to read through some stuff before you pull the trigger on a kit because then you have an idea of how all the components work together to make the steering stable under all circumstances. look up the buzz word definitions, bump steer, anti dive, steering axis inclination, castor, camber, etc. there is some good literature out there if you spend a little time with a coffee and the internet.

[Rickysnickers]

I'm curious why are we are responding to a poster who hasn't been on since 2-2019....

[mr48chev]

Dang, that makes you feel like a fool.

I've said it before on the HAMB and wish it was on all forums in that after a set period only the original poster could reopen a thread that had been dead for more than say six months. Post your _______ threads are one thing but anytime someone either does the Google search looking for something and digs up an old thread to and posts a comment it beings that dead thread back to life.

This also why I have suggested posting your own new thread on a subject rather than digging up a long time dead thread to post your quiestion on. Old threads usually just get new answers or comments to the original post and not the last post. I'd rather answer the same simple question a dozen times rater than end up answering a long dead thread only to findout that I had answered it four years earlier and then discover that someone had asked their own question and restarted the dead thread.

[dsraven]

I responded because the post came up at the top of the list like a current thread. I dont really check the dates, I just trust the site would have most current posts ar the top. Somebody replied to the post so likely he is also curious.

[vintovka]

Budget 3100!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If it wasn't such a sad thought today i'd bust out laughing

[Rickysnickers]

I can laugh now, since Memorial Day has passed. I'm just squeezing shoes

[MARTINSR]

First question is do you really need to do this? I have found it's not needed. I am not racing my truck around a track. I am not towing a boat through the mountains.

It's just not needed.

Brian

[lv2tri2]

I have some of the Johnny Law junk. The part quality is on the same level as their service, you will regret any purchase.

[lv2tri2]

My purpose was to try to reduce purchasing mistakes. They seam continue regardless of the warnings.

[28TudorAZ]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

First question is do you really need to do this? I have found it's not needed. I am not racing my truck around a track. I am not towing a boat through the mountains.

It's just not needed.

Brian

You said the same thing to me 4 years ago about using an S10 frame. Yes I did need it. Truck has been done for 2 years now and drives like a dream and is running great. How is your truck coming along?

[Rickysnickers]

Originally Posted by 28TudorAZ

You said the same thing to me 4 years ago about using an S10 frame. Yes I did need it. Truck has been done for 2 years now and drives like a dream and is running great. How is your truck coming along?

I hoping that this isn't a snarky comment. If it is, keep it to yourself. We don't need or want them.

Brian, please do not respond to this post.

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

I hoping that this isn't a snarky comment. If it is, keep it to yourself. We don't need or want them.

Brian, please do not respond to this post.

Ricky, he said "I am not racing my truck around a track. I am not towing a boat through the mountains. It's just not needed"

That's snarky commentary in criticism of why someone may want to improve their truck by using extreme examples to discredit why the long-gone OP's choice was a foolish one. It wasn't necessary.

(Editing to say: The MII clip isn't NECESSARY. That's not bad advice, Brian. It's just that this whole hobby isn't necessary, or practical. People just wanna do stuff 'cause they wanna do it, and we should be okay with that. They're just old trucks, none of this matters, its all entertainment)

If someone walked up to you and your truck, Ricky, and said this to your face, how would you like it?

Someone called him out on it..in this case, someone Brian did the same thing to in the past. I understand keeping the peace, but lets do it fairly.

[Rickysnickers]

I wasn't aware of, nor was I a mod at the time when those comments were made, so I am playing fair. All, I'm asking to keep the comments positive and constructive.

[vintovka]

Back to OP's question i see that AD projects are popping up faster than ever including 54/55 -1 's. Most are baskets and partial resto's. Think inflation is settling in for good.