Long travel questions

[Islander]

First off, let me say this is just and exercise in design.  I don't have the funds or the time to actually build this right now, with the new child on the way and such.

I'm trying to think of the best diff / axle combo to run in my S10 truggy.  But here's the twist.  I need it for the front.  I was going to run 2WD, and that would be cool, if I had an area to really run the thing and air it out, but the local race course for trucks is 4WD only, and I don't want to build a street queen. 

I want to run long travel IFS, which adds a bunch of issues, and I know that running a solid axle would be the easiest solution, but it's been done, a lot.  What would be a good, narrow, front IFS diff that would be strong and light.  I would want it to be narrow, so I wouldn't have to widen the front to full size widths.  I'm trying to go only 4" wider per side. 

I know what you are thinking, just run the factory front diff, right?  I'm going to be running a small block Chevy, and it would never hold up to the power.

So after this long spiel, here's my questions

1 What is a good strong reverse cut independent front diff?

2 Would a 930 axle handle long travel AND steering angle?  I'd like to have a very tight turning radius, there is a couple very tight hairpin turns on the course.

3 As always, I'd be doing this on a strict budget, and I have friends that own a junkyard, so anything I can pick from a used car / truck would be perfect!!

*Edit*  I'm not shy about saving money to buy the right parts when needed, I'd like to make that part clear too.  I'd like to run coil-over's front and rear, and the rear suspension is going to be trailing arm solid axle.  I'm going to be running no larger than a 33" tire, probably 31's and I want at least 10"-12" of travel......no biggy, lol

[fabr]

Have you looked at baloo's project? I  ask the question because I'm wondering why you want IFS.

[RC51 Rhino]

 Start digging around in the racing classes here in the states. The newer CORR classes have 4x4s and they are limited on travel...I believe 14 inches in the smaller trucks. I have seen guys use the 930 stuff on Rangers (I guess the spline count is the same) and your s-10 front diff is not much if any smaller than a 1/2 ton independent chevy fullsize...run it with the v8 til it splodes and then install a 3/4 ton one!!!

Just poking around I found this....

http://www.prerunnermaniac.com/Prerunners/Prerunner-Tech/Long-Travel-Suspension-Kit-%11-Desert-4x4-Project-Ford-Ranger.php

[Islander]

I  ask the question because I'm wondering why you want IFS.

I'd like to run IFS for more stability on jumps and better handling in the turns.  We've got a pretty good little track to run close to my place with hill climbs, mud bogs, and what I'd like to run, the moto-style track.  Here's a few pics of a couple years ago, I can't seem to find pics from the other years. 

[Islander]

As you can tell, most of the rigs are run here on a shoe string budget.  There are a few guys running higher end stuff, but nothing compared to the desert racing stuff.  Once a year there is a big meet here that starts with a hill climb, then mud drags, time trials around the track, then they run multi-truck races, then the cat and mouse.  Cat and mouse is running stock cars trucks and vans around the track in a no-rules, run until you are the last one standing race.  Nothing but some good ole redneck fun 

[chrishallett83]

That seems like an INSANE amount of fun!

[Engineer]

930's for the outside front would be a no go IMO.  With only 25degrees, that is not enough to get a decent turning radius let alone add in for any travel.  The two angles are going to add up when the steering is at lock.

With all the variable that you have listed it makes me think "go solid axle".

If I was going to investigate the IFS further, I would go look at a mid 90s chevy IFS front end.  The diff would be strong enough.  How much travel do they actually have?  What could you modify to pick up a bit more travel?  The pumpkin is offset on these to get the drive line to run down one side.  The other side has a 24"? extension so that the axles connect at the same distance on each side.  If you wanted narrower width just reduce the width of the extension.  Or reduce the extension in order to use longer axles giving more travel.

[Islander]

Mid 90's Chevy IFS have very limited front travel (I've heard as little as 3-4" with the torsion bar's)  Not much good. 

[RC51 Rhino]

 The travel is limited but that ranger has 3" or 4" wider a-arms, netting more travel. It still has the same style front axle as the chevy, that's why I posted it...why not build some arms? I'd think with all the buggy stuff around here someone could design some up for you!