IRS vs. SRA????

EPIK

EPIK

Member
Jul 3, 2004
796
1
16
LEFT COAST
#1
So I have been getting tired of the super stiff, rough ride quality of my Mach 1 lately. I have a full MM suspension including the k member, coilovers, panhard bar etc... I also have a torque arm which I planned on installing eventually, but lately I have been toying around with the idea of trading out my SRA for an IRS setup. I have driven in & rode in quite a few Cobra's & I fell in love with how smooth the IRS rides over bumps, it feels nothing like a SRA mustang. Even when dumped, it still rides relatively smooth, & doesnt bounce you all over the place like an SRA.

The mach will never be a full time drag car, & since I have a notchback that will see more drag strip duty, I would like the Mach to be more of a smooth riding, but relatively fast street/strip car. The downside of the IRS is the wheel hop & the weight gain. The extra weight doesn't hurt much on a 450+ rwhp blown Cobra, but on a 315rwhp mach 1, the extra weight could possibly make my car feel MUCH slower, not to mention, I won't be able to do very well at the drag strip if i plan on taking it out.

I love the idea of having a built & full torque arm/panhard bar rear suspension on the mach, but the ride quality is killing me & I have yet to even install the torque arm. I am afraid that it might make the car ride even worse on the street. I want to be able to drive this car on road trips with some comfort, but still want to be able to run at the track from time to time....

So basically my question for you guys is, would you rather have a solid axle setup with a torque arm/panhard bar, or an IRS??? The car will see 80% street duty, & 20% track duty....

Any info from someone actually running a torque arm setup would be especially helpful....:nice:
 
#2
I also want to do a PHB/TA setup on my Stang, but an IRS would be sweet. From the sounds of it you would probably be happier with the IRS. The wheel hop can be fixed by swapping bushings. The PHB/TA setup however would be titts. I have never ridden in a Stang with that setup so I do not know how they ride. For me I want to keep more to the "GTness" and I'm sticking with the SRA. I'll eventually have a Termi to satisfy my IRS wants though:nice: I think you should go with the IRS setup and sell me your PHB/TA:D
 
#3
02nightmaregt said:
I also want to do a PHB/TA setup on my Stang, but an IRS would be sweet. From the sounds of it you would probably be happier with the IRS. The wheel hop can be fixed by swapping bushings. The PHB/TA setup however would be titts. I have never ridden in a Stang with that setup so I do not know how they ride. For me I want to keep more to the "GTness" and I'm sticking with the SRA. I'll eventually have a Termi to satisfy my IRS wants though:nice: I think you should go with the IRS setup and sell me your PHB/TA:D
Click to expand...

I know all around, I would be happier with the IRS setup, UNTIL i try to hit it from a dig, but man oh man is IRS sooooo nice on the street. But, the TA is the final piece to my SRA puzzle, I really wan't to see how it feels.... IDK what to do really, I just know i want better ride quality.... One of the main culprits to my poor ride quality is the stance of my car, its about 2 1/2" lower than stock. If I raised my car up about an inch, it would ride A LOT better, but it just wouldn't look the same, & IMO, the stance makes my car what it is...
 
#4
ya i have contemplated swappin my SRA for a IRS setup with some coilovers. since mine is gonna be a street car it would be nice to have the ride quality of the IRS, especially after riding in my brothers 04' cobra. if i did i would just throw some 3.73's or 4.10's in it. would make a great street car.
 
#6
I think a big factor, is going to be the price of the swap. I would bet that you could find an 03-04 cobra owner that is willing to do a strait up trade. Wheel hop is caused by a number of factors, bushings can eliminate it in some instances, but I would not worry about it.
 
#7
crazystang25 said:
ya i have contemplated swappin my SRA for a IRS setup with some coilovers. since mine is gonna be a street car it would be nice to have the ride quality of the IRS, especially after riding in my brothers 04' cobra. if i did i would just throw some 3.73's or 4.10's in it. would make a great street car.
Click to expand...

4.10's would be a must if I did an IRS swap...

crazystang25 said:
how much xtra is the irs supposed to weigh over the SRA.
Click to expand...

I have heard anywhere from 75-125lbs, but have never heard a solid answer...

Winters98GT said:
I think a big factor, is going to be the price of the swap. I would bet that you could find an 03-04 cobra owner that is willing to do a strait up trade. Wheel hop is caused by a number of factors, bushings can eliminate it in some instances, but I would not worry about it.
Click to expand...

Well, if I did do a swap, it would be a straight across trade with an 01-04 Cobra owner, exhaust, shocks, springs etc...
 
#8
I am in the process of doing the swap to a irs myself soon. I already bought a 04 irs from a guy in napa and am getting the final pieces for it now. I too wanted the ride quality because my stang will probably never see a strip but a few times in its life. For me it was more important to have a more comfortable car on road trips and cruises.

Keep in mind that there are fast irs strip cars out there. A lot of the wheel hop can be cured with upgraded bushings from either MM or Full Tilt Boogie (Full Tilt gets my vote here). Honestly it sounds like you would be happier with a irs for your car and if you can do a swap straight across with someone I would go for it, trust me if I could have done that I would be driving a irs gt right now.

I would say you could drive my car when its done to make you final decision but it wont be done till Feb at the earliest and it sounds like you have already riden in a few too. I wish the car could be done sooner but I am changing superchargers from a Vortech to a KB and need to get some other things done in the process so its going to be a while.

I hope this helps you out a little especially since you helped me out about a month ago. If I can ever get in on a cruise with you beers on me.
 
#11
I have an IRS out of an 04 cobra sitting at home. We yanked that garbage out and put in a straight axle with coilover. The ride quality is the same and the traction is 100x better. The IRS is very heavy. We had to leave the wheels on it and roll it out because the two of us couldn't lift it. I can lift my straight by myself.
 
#12
^That much of a difference? I didn't know that nor have I ever heard of a Mustang owner wanting to swap out their SRA for an IRS setup. I used to want a solid axle for my 99 Cobra but I changed my mind.

Op if I were you I'd be gettin ready for an IRS swap. It'll be that much better on the street plus you won't be takin it to the track much.
 
#15
Thanks for all the input guys. I think after giving it some thought, I am gonna stay with the SRA for now & finally get the torque arm welded up.... If I still don't like it, I will think of doing an IRS swap at that point.
 
#18
oxfordgt said:
The IRS is very heavy. We had to leave the wheels on it and roll it out because the two of us couldn't lift it. I can lift my straight by myself.
Click to expand...


:scratch:. So you couldn't lift the IRS with a friend? I say :bs: because my brother and I lifted my IRS into the back of my truck with out a problem and he is one of those bean poll guys who has a hard time with a bag of cement.

What I am saying here is yes the IRS is heavier then a solid 8.8 but its not that bad. Plus it helps out the balance of the car.
 
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