Talk me out of a Scotts Hot Rod IFS...

[Ryan7839]

Hey fellas,

I'm working on a 36' Buick coupe. I'm currently planning on ordering up a SHR IFS kit, but the alternative options are endless.

Does anyone have any first hand experience with a similar car/setup?

I'm open to all recommendations!

Thanks!

[dontlifttoshift]

Gross.

Need more info to advise on alternatives. Budget for front suspension. Plans for rear suspension. Intended use of car.

[Ryan7839]

lol understood.

I plan to use the car as a cruiser, with the intent to put many miles on it. I doubt it will ever see a true road track. I would like to enjoy the car as much as possible on the mountain road cruises that we frequently participate it. My goal is a pro-street appearance, with pro-touring handling, if that makes sense.

My budget for the front is $4k-$5k, all in ideally. I'm hoping that this would include everything hubs to frame rails. The frame will be a custom 2x4 fabricated by a local builder. "show" is just as important as "go" for my taste on building this specific car. I have other Friday night tire-burners. I want to do this one right the first time.

I'm planning to run the Dobbertin C5 IRS setup.

Power plant is a twin turbo LS based engine with a target cruising tune of ~750rwhp, through a 4L80.

Let me know what other details are needed! I'm ready to order! Wheels just came in!

[dhutton]

Art Morrison has some nice front clip options. IRS too.

750 rwhp in a 36 Buick? That'll be fun....

Don

[dontlifttoshift]

At that point, I would run a vette cradle on the front, too.......or buy a Morrison bikini clip that uses the vette components. You will want hub to hub measurements around 59ish" .....I think. I thought they were the same underneath from 36 to 40something. Use a tape measure to confirm.

Seriously, don't use a Scotts or anything based on a MII spindle. With the Corvette IRS I would want to use vette hubs in the front as well because reasons and I would start paring down the options like that. Any camaro clip from the aftermarket would work but I think the bikini clip with vette parts is a cost effective solution to get pretty good stuff for relatively little money.

[Ryan7839]

@dontlifttoshift

Can you elaborate on "or anything based on a MII spindle". It seems like a very high percentage of cars are built on this platform?

[dontlifttoshift]

Some of it personal preference. I don't like packing bearings and I definitely don't like the tiny bearings that are in MII hub.

The spindle is small in every dimension compared to everything else. A 36 Buick is not small in any dimension. When you scale up, it is hard to get everything to the Goldilocks "just right". Not impossible, just hard. Really, the only reason to run that spindle is if you wanted 15" wheels. That's out the window with the IRS you are running so why go there on the front?

The MII came to be popular not because it was the best suspension, it was the best suspension that was easy to fit. Even 25 years ago, I would talk you out of a MII and into a Camaro clip for that car. 36 Ford or Chevy? MII.

For reference, I cut my teeth in this industry installing Heidts MII crossmembers in anything and everything. I can assemble those thing in my sleep.

[Ryan7839]

Terrific response. Thank you sir!