Does this piss you off too?????

Steel City

New Member
Nov 1, 2003
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Im really annoyed that ford still has not given the solid axle, irs option. I understand that for the 03 cobra's they would probably have to use a beefier 8.8 if they gave us a choice but they could use the regular 8.8 for 2001 and below cobra's. The irs is cool if its your cup of tea but its useless for me and now I will have another project on my hands over the winter. Don't get me wrong, I love car projects but I would have liked to just get my car with a solid from the factory.
 
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Tony W said:
Just get the IRS bushings from Maximum Motorsports and your problems will be solved. They eliminate the problem of wheel hop (if that's what you are concerned about) almost completely.

Wheel hop or not the irs is a POS for drag racing. It may ride nice on the road but it's heavy and even if your into road racing it wont handle as good as a properly built live axle. Bushings or not, wheel hop or not half shafts still wont hold up along with the other weak links of the irs.
 
Steel City said:
Wheel hop or not the irs is a POS for drag racing. It may ride nice on the road but it's heavy and even if your into road racing it wont handle as good as a properly built live axle. Bushings or not, wheel hop or not half shafts still wont hold up along with the other weak links of the irs.

This is true but SVT does not build the cars for drag racing. Handling is a big part of the equation and like you said the car would not handle as well with a live axle. Besides youp could always buy a Mach 1 and salp on a blower.
 
The answer is still the same steel city. Same thing with the tranny choice. The cobra is bread as a grand touring for road courses- not so much the 1/4mi. That is why it got the IRS.

They also don't want to tool for new options- you know ya just can't throw a regular GT live axle in a 400hp car. You'd have to beef up the rear end, change the gearing, produce a cat-back, springs, et all... that is cobra specific also.

If you want auto or live axle, you only have to look to the Mach 1.
 
Friedchicken said:
The answer is still the same steel city. Same thing with the tranny choice. The cobra is bread as a grand touring for road courses- not so much the 1/4mi. That is why it got the IRS.

They also don't want to tool for new options- you know ya just can't throw a regular GT live axle in a 400hp car. You'd have to beef up the rear end, change the gearing, produce a cat-back, springs, et all... that is cobra specific also.

If you want auto or live axle, you only have to look to the Mach 1.

I agree with why they chose the irs!

But what do you mean when you say "If you want auto or live axle, you only have to look to the Mach 1". If Im not mistaking the mach 1 has better suspension than the gt, ie...bullitt! but the live axle in a mach 1 is the same a the 8.8 in a gt there for is no better for a modified 03 cobra?????
 
I recently swapped my IRS out for custom built 8.8 solid axle with 3.90 gears, and I absolutely love it. The IRS is nice but it's not for drag racing. The car rides about the same as it did before. I dropped 85 pounds off the car by doing the swap. Now the only problem I have is blowing the tires off at the line. Next up, M/T ET streets. :D

8.8 solid rear
31 spline
Eaton locker w/3.90 gears
Steeda upper and lower control arms
275/40 17 Nitto drag radials
Built by Gotera Racing (901.382.5050 or www.goteraracing.com)
 
honestly the live axle does suck for drag racing. BUT as long as you dont have wheel hope you will be ok! the amazon racing 03 cobra has 502 RWHP and 510tq. Linn ran the car all season in the NMRA series on STOCK half shafts. never broke 1! she ran 315/35 BFG drag radials!. the car is capable of 11.2. this is on a stock eaton that was later hand ported. a billetflow t-body. a amazon cold air, RR 2.75 upper pully. amazon tuned chip, upr x pipe and a stinger cat back.

so dont bash the IRS to much.
 
Derek@amazon said:
honestly the live axle does suck for drag racing. BUT as long as you dont have wheel hope you will be ok! the amazon racing 03 cobra has 502 RWHP and 510tq. Linn ran the car all season in the NMRA series on STOCK half shafts. never broke 1! she ran 315/35 BFG drag radials!. the car is capable of 11.2. this is on a stock eaton that was later hand ported. a billetflow t-body. a amazon cold air, RR 2.75 upper pully. amazon tuned chip, upr x pipe and a stinger cat back.

so dont bash the IRS to much.

Are you drunk? I don't want to here about amazon, nothing against them but your crazy. How many drag racers run an irs????????? There are guys who have popped half shafts on pot holes. Wheel hop or not the irs is not tough enough to handle the rigors of drag racing period......
 
funny thing is that linn bashed the hell out of the car for the first 1/8 mile then get on the breaks so she doesnt break out. the car was only legal to run 12.0.

and if im not mistaking nitrous pete ran 9.99 on the IRS?

right now rick jason and I are in the process of swapping out the IRS. and 6 speed. for next season.Rick is running it next year and Linn is running in the truck class. so low 10's to high 9's should in its future.
 
Derek@amazon said:
right now rick jason and I are in the process of swapping out the IRS. and 6 speed. for next season.

You said in a previous post that "honestly the live axle does suck for drag racing". So why you swapping to a solid if they suck for drag racing.

:shrug:
 
I think he mispoke. He meant IRS. Since this is my daily driver, I'll keep my IRS and 6-spd. I wouldn't have ordered the car any other way if I had the choice.

I'm not a hardcore drag racer tho... and even if the cobra did come with a live axle... a 600-700 hp car still would need some rear-end rebuilding
 
Info

What problems have you had?

I run a bit more power than you at the rear and have no problems at the track. On cold roads with cold tires I have wheel hop.

Actually I dont have any wheel hop now even on the street with my treadless BFG DRS! They just spin when not heated up. :banana: