Independent suspension systems have been utilized in the production car market for decades - and while it provides a smoother ride over solid axle systems, the debate is heavy in the off-road segment about which suspension set-up is best when you’re off the beaten path. Ultra4 takes “off the beaten path” to its most extreme — requiring not only fast desert speeds but also the utmost crawlability through monstrous rock sections. So how do you choose between the two?

Loren Healy scales Backdoor in his solid axle buggy.

Solid-Axle Strengths While IFS weaknesses are usually factory-installed, the same can be said about solid-axle strengths. By and large, solid front axles have a lot of built-in strength right from. Unlike solid front axles, independent front suspensions (or IFS for short) allow each wheel to move independently of each other. This is the higher-tech suspension option for sure. There are more moving parts needed to allow each wheel its own axis of movement. Each wheel is connected to a series of control arms. A trailing arm suspension will almost invariably give a softer and higher-quality ride than any solid axle, owing primarily to the fact that movement at one wheel doesn't have to affect the other. This is an important consideration if you do a lot of towing over dirt and grass and in inclement conditions, since the independent suspension will.

The IFS beam axle is attached separately from the chassi. So if a decent impact happens it may damage the beam axle but it may not damage the chassis. Comfort: In extremely uneven terrain with big holes, washouts, due to the high flexing ability the whole body moves nicely and gives way more comfort than an IFS vehicle which lifts its wheels. There are two main options for you to convert an F-150 from 2WD to 4WD. Either keep the original IFS (Independent Front Suspension) or scrap the IFS for an SFA (Solid Front Axle). Either way, it takes scrapyard parts and time to install the parts and tune them. 2WD to 4WD conversion on a Ford F-150.

Loren Healy, 2014 King of the Hammers, knows what works for him. At last year’s Superlift race, he made the choice to swap his new IFS (Independent Front Suspension) car for his older, solid axle buggy. The choice was the right one for that competition, as Loren walked away with 1^st place. Then, at this year’s King of the Hammers we spoke with him about his decision to stick with his solid axle buggy and Loren said his strategy was to play to his weakness — since the rock sections are what challenges him most, the solid axle is the way to go because it gets through those parts better.

Nick Nelson pummels through the desert dirt with IFS suspension.

The overall consensus from Ultra4 racers is that IFS gives you the upper hand through the desert while solid axle is an advantage in the rocks. Nothing can beat the way independent suspension absorbs uneven terrain at speeds upwards of 100mph. Solid axle however, is noted to have more ground clearance and better maneuverability (turning radius) within the rocks.

Rick Mooneyham shows how a solid axle articulates.

If you're new to these car types — an IFS car is easily identified by a narrower front end and diagonal supports going to the front tires (below), whereas a solid axle has a straight axle going between the front tires (above).

Ben Napier speeds smoothly with IFS.

Taking a look at what systems Nitto Racing drivers currently run, you can see the almost-even split:

Ifs Vs Solid Axle Towing Capacity

• Loren Healy: Solid Axle
• Nick Nelson: IFS
• Derek West: Solid Axle
• Jason Scherer: IFS
• Erik Miller: Solid Axle
• Ben Napier: IFS
• Randy Rodd: Solid Axle
• Rick Mooneyham: Solid Axle

Derek West heads toward the mountain to conquer it with solid axle.

IFS systems come with a $30,000+ price tag over solid axle as well as needing more maintenance. As Ultra4 racing continues to provide great R&D for bigger and better off-road parts, I’d venture to guess that in coming years we’ll see IFS continuing to evolve and overcome it’s shortcomings.

Randy Rodd choosing solid axle — specialized and tuned shocks help reduce bouncing around while driving at speed through the desert with solid axle.

This year’s changes in Ultra4 racing series’ rules may also have some effect. In years past, a driver had to run the same rig in all of a year’s races — now they’ll be able to keep more than one rig in their arsenal. Meaning that for courses with a lot of wide-open stretches a racer my opt for their IFS car, but switch to a straight axle one for tight and technical short course races. Surely the 2014 Ultra4 Championship series will provide plenty of opportunities for this debate to continue playing out…I’m lookin’ forward to it!

Jason Scherer running with IFS.

What’s better for your camper trailer, a solid axle with leaf springs or independent coil spring suspension? Every man and his dog has an opinion on this age-old question. I’m going to start off by saying there is no definitive winner here. Why? Well, there are thousands of different setups out there, and just because one type performs better in one particular scenario doesn’t guarantee it’s superior in all the others.

Cost is also a major factor when deciding between the two, with most independent systems being in a much higher price range. So, is independent suspension worth the extra dollars, or are the old leaf-sprung solid axle setups better bang for your buck?

Let’s looks at the facts along with all the pros and cons before we jump to any conclusions.

TOUGH TALK

A camper’s suspension should be tough enough to handle anything we can throw at it. After all, that is what stands between the harsh Aussie outback and your prized possession.

So let’s break it down. Both systems are used in some of the most capable 4WDs on the planet, and while they are both comprised of parts available all over Australia, you’re much more likely to find leaf spring parts in the middle of nowhere. Plus, when it comes to carrying loads, we see leaf springs being used in the majority of trucks across the country, so there’s no disputing their strength or load carrying capabilities.

In saying that, coil springs and independent trailing arms are more than capable of supporting a camper’s weight and copping the punishment, too. The real benefit that coil springs bring to the table, as you might have guessed, is a smoother ride over corrugations and potholes. The reality is, as long as the components used are of good quality, both of these setups are reliable and tough enough and, in all seriousness, often engineered to get the job done with no problems at all.

It all comes down to price compared to the need. If the price isn’t a problem, the independent system offers an advanced ride; if you’re on a tighter budget, leaf springs will get the job done with a cherry on top too!

THE VERDICT

Well there you go: the ins and outs of four popular camper trailer styles around, along with a few helpful hints on choosing the right suspension. We all know there’s no such thing as the perfect camper trailer, but there is definitely the best camper trailer for you out there. Everybody wants different things from their camper trailers these days, and it’s impossible for any design to be perfect for everything. The best advice we can give is to research the style of camper you want, and be realistic as to what you’re going to use the camper trailer for.

MYTH BUSTERS

MYTH

Leaf sprung campers will rattle to bits on harsh and bumpy tracks.

BUSTED

Contrary to popular belief, leaf springs can provide an extremely good ride for your camper trailer if they are set up properly. To test and see how harsh the ride is in a leaf sprung camper trailer, we left a cartoon of eggs sitting in the sink of both types of campers and hit the tracks for the day. Let me tell you, it wasn’t a walk in the park either – we tackled ruts, water crossings, corrugations and hit more pot holes than we could count. The results were actually quite surprising to say the least. Would you believe that not one egg cracked in either of the campers for the entire day?

While I don’t doubt that coil springs offer a smoother ride, it’s evident that a well setup leaf-sprung system will get the job done just fine.

Ifs Vs Solid Axle Towing Guide

MYTH

Coil spring suspension offers more travel, making a camper trailer more capable.

BUSTED

Ifs Vs Solid Axle Towing Reviews

Ifs Vs Solid Axle Towing Capacity

While coil springs are known to offer great flex, the benefits of impressive suspension down travel (flex) simply aren’t utilised in a camper trailer. The main reason for this is because of the camper trailer’s offroad coupling. The offroad coupling basically allows the camper to move independently to the tow vehicle. So, if a camper’s wheel was to fall into a large rut, the whole camper would tilt from the coupling first instead of letting the wheel flex down on its own.