irs ? please help

[25tolife]

is the 85 XJS independent rear suspension worth messing with? it's a dana rear end i believe. Can i get different gears for it? how is it on handling?
are inboard rear disc good or bad on a cobra? i can get the whole set up, hubs and all.

this rear end is out of a jag i believe.

being a dana it should handle over 500hp, running 3.73s, rights
Any other thoughts?

also i can get a center section out of an explorer w/ 3.73 posi. is this piece worth messing with. thanks

are the dana's out of the ol' corvettes worth it or not?

can the gear be changed in the explorer or vettes rearend.

your help is greatly appriciated

[25tolife]

this is a lot of work huh

[ffindling]

There are a lot of IRS options you can go
with. It basically boils down to what you
want and how much you are willing to spend for it. Jag IRS assemblies are popular and if they are properly built, 500 hp is not a problem assuming you are not
going to drag race the car with sticky slicks. Jag rears with the exception of E-type rears have to be narrowed for most Cobra applications. It's not a job
for novices, but there are shops who can
do it for you. Some Cobra manufacturers
will narrow customer supplied Jag rears
for their customers. So if you buy a package from them, they'll narrow/overhaul a Jag rear you send them as part of the deal.
Vette rears have been used in Cobra
builds, but like Jag rears they usually have
to be narrowed as well. Hunter sells Cobra kits based on C4 Vette suspension. Corvette suspensions have the advantage of being relatively
cheap and plentiful.
8.8" T-Bird IRS is another option, like
Vette stuff, cheap and plentiful and a
much more modern design to boot. It
has to be narrowed as well, but there
are shops who can do this.
Then there are custom shops who build complete IRS assemblies most of
which follow the Jag model. Not cheap
by any means, but they are for the most part real works of art. They can
supply them with either inboard or outboard brakes, pin drive hubs, leading or trailing links or watts linkages for extra bracing of the uprights. They can build them in just about any width you want. A lot of these custom setups are based on 9"
Ford centers. Nice stuff, you just have to be prepared to fork over for it.
You could also create your very own
custom IRS system if you wanted. Lay
down a design using parts of your own
choosing or design. There are a number
of suspension gurus here who would be only too glad to help.

...Fred

[25tolife]

to be honest i want to go with the Dana rear section. the one they are now putting in superformance. my goal is to put 1000hp to the ground, via turbocharging. this will be no dragger but for circuit

i just have never messed with irs, but i am not the type just to sit back.

any suggestions on hubs, flanges etc?

and i dont mean to sound retarded but here we go,

what is that piece called again? the axle runs through it and its out by the wheel, and the lower and upper a-arms attach to it? any suggestions on that? here is a picture on the link

http://www.jblmotor.com/images/REARAXLE.jpg

thanks all

[lovehamr]

1000 HP for road racing in a 90" wheel base car? To answer your question; the piece you're referring to has been called an "upright" or "hub carrier" in various publications. Good luck.
Steve

[ffindling]

Take a look at the IRS assembly from RCC Specialty Products of Ft. Worth, TX.
It uses a 9" Ford center with Toronado half shafts and uprights. The Toronado stuff has a reputation for being pretty
stout. Dana 44's shouldn't be underestimated, they're a staple in the
extreme 4X4/rock crawler hobby and a
lot of people are using big
inch motors with supercharging, etc..
Of course, if you are seeking to build a
road course rocket, I don't think you need
anywhere near 1000 hp to accomplish that. A JBL or perhaps the new CE offering
with a healthy 351W type motor, the proper gearing, and some sticky tires
will be as fast as anything else out there,
if not faster and without weight, complexity, and hassle that high-boost
turbocharger installations bring. You might want to talk to some people that
have done intercooled turbo installations in Cobras, a few have been done, and get their take on the
subject.

....Fred