SFA vs IFS - Bennie Hurter (aka Benhur)

The issue of having a Solid Front Axle (SFA) or Independent Front Suspension (IFS) in your vehicle is always a hot topic to discuss. People have different views on which one of the two suspension types are the right one.

From a technical point of view consider this. With SFA the centre of the diff is fixed between the front wheels and it moves in relation to the body of the vehicle. So the distance between the centre of the diff and the ground will stay the same (if the surface is linear) as the suspension travels in and out.

IFS working are the complete inverse. The centre of the diff is fixed in relation to the body and it varies in relation to the ground up to a point where it can come close to the ground. If the surface is now slightly uneven the chance of it touching the ground is much higher than with a SFA where the surface must be much more uneven before touching occurs.

The primitive illustration below will demonstrate what I tried stating above a bit more clearly

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