XR6 Series III Irs On Hp motor

[Mangi]

Hi I was trying to figure out a few things about my Series III XR6 about what it basically has.
So Far I know its not LSD (obvious with all the wheel spin lol) so i am going to get it installed!!! Now i have the problem of is my car IRS or not as i have been told that its more expensive to get the IRS LSD installed. (Not sure why maybe someone could explain that to me to). Now looking at the brochures which are located on this site: http://www.fordforums.com.au/photos/...cat=602&page=1
it says that the XR6 hp is not even optioned with IRS.
Is this true?
I was under the impression that my XR6 did have IRS as it has been lowered and has camber kit.
Is it possible for my car to be lowered with camber kit but not have IRS?
Was it possible to get the Series III XR6 non VCT with IRS?

Any help will be great...

[NeishaXR8_347]

Hey dude, if your car is lowered and has a camber kit on the rear then it is irs, pop your head under the rear and have a look if it has 2 drive shaft type things coming from diff centre then its irs, normal diffs have centre and axle pipes covering it all in a seald unit right out to wheel, also from what ive always thought all the AU xr's 6/8'sall had 3.45 lsd fitted from factory i have a xr8 ute ser2 and it has lsd 3.45, one way to check for sure is too raise the car with both rears off the floor and turn one wheel forward and the other should go same direction if it does its lsd if 1 goes forward and 1 back then its conventional(single spinner), from what ive heard when LSD's wear out the spings inside become weak and loose tension i think may be what your experiencing.

[JC]

XR6 HP got live axle (non-IRS). IRS came on Fairmont Ghia, VCT6 and XR8. The camber kit would be for the front, and it doesn't matter if it's IRS or not, front suspension is the same.

Easiest way to check is poke your head under the rear bar. If you see a traditional diff (ie shaped like ==O== ), then it's non-IRS. IRS looks like a normal diff centre, but with heaps of stuff hanging off it (visible drive shafts, a big swing arm on each side, etc).

[richo77]

No IRS on the HP models series 1 through 3. You've got a live axle there mate - not such a bad thing.

Camber kit on the front end would not affect your rear end. I'm not sure about kits on the rear end though. Maybe someone else can help.

I'm pretty sure the VCT came with IRS as standard as well.

[MNM96]

Have a look underneath, is the diff a solid member from lh wheel to rh wheel (non IRS), or are there driveshafts between the diff centre and the wheels (IRS)?

[richo77]

Beat me to it JC!

[JC]

LOL. Looks like 4 of us all typing a response at the same time roughly.

[Mangi]

I have tried to look and by what you guys have explained it seems to be Live axle. I am pretty sure. bit hard to tell though in the dark with a lowered car. I took some pics on my fone but left the cable to load them up at work so will post them tommorow. By the way is it much better performance wise to have irs? Is there really a big difference? My ride is pretty hard atm due to the stiff suspension on it but i am after stiff suspension for handeling not a comfotable ride. So in terms of performance and handeling around corners is it better or not? Also could someone explain why a IRS LSD diff would be more expensive? Whats about a good price to convert single spinner to lsd for both irs and live axle?

[MNM96]

All our replies were so close in timing and content :togo:

Wheels magazine wrote that the Falcon has the best sorted live rear axle in the world.

For handleing, the IRS is better at the extreme, maybe 10%. For performance the extra weight hampers the IRS. Personally, I would prefer it in my car, but have not lost sleep without it!

The difference in cost would likely be the expense in setting the diff up. an IRS unit would take longer to R&R and longer to rebuild??

[Mark351]

Live axle vs IRS performance in cornering is dependant on other factors, the major one being the road surface. On a race track, where the surface is smooth, live axle wins hands down. XR6 production race cars were live axle, and did very well. On normal road surfaces, live axle can be unsettled by bumps etc mid-corner, so IRS becomes more useful. However, the Targa AUs were XR6 HP so from a racing point of view where good drivers can cope with back ends skipping out during cornering it's not such a problem. For the majority of us, IRS would be safer, and also provide a more comfortable ride.

[buickman]

Originally Posted by richo77

No IRS on the HP models series 1 through 3. You've got a live axle there mate - not such a bad thing.

Camber kit on the front end would not affect your rear end. I'm not sure about kits on the rear end though. Maybe someone else can help.

I'm pretty sure the VCT came with IRS as standard as well.

The XR series with IRS had a upper camber adj kit but the Ghia & other premium models just had a bolt non adj. But you can get the kit from ford if you decde to lower your Ghia or fairlane

[richo77]

to throw the cat amongst the pigeons i just read a Motor article (98) saying IRS was available as an option on all AU models.....probably misinformation though. :

[Casper]

Originally Posted by richo77

to throw the cat amongst the pigeons i just read a Motor article (98) saying IRS was available as an option on all AU models.....probably misinformation though. :

it was.... except the XR6 HP.

[richo77]

I stand corrected, thanks Casper.

[Dark Horse]

If you wanted an XR6 HP with IRS you might as well have gotten the XR6 VCT. By adding IRS to the lower output 'High Output' engine, you aren't left with 'High Performance'. It was the only AU you couldn't option IRS on.

Being a solid axle the rear wheels are constantly aligned, negating the need for any adjustments at all for conventional road use. I'm thinking the camber kit is more for the fronts as well.