I've never seen IRS up close. I know Corvettes have it. Can anybody post up pics or explain how IRS is achieved, please?

 

It works kinda like the front suspension. Diff is mounted so it's stationary, half-shafts turn the wheels. Here's a C5 rear

 

this is a Ford IRS assembly from a TBird SC

 

Bud, would that be a 4-link rear? Upper control arm, lower control arm, body, and coilover? Also, is that a coilover strut or coilover shock assembly? Is it even a true coilover, btw?

 

a 4 link in terms of rear suspension mean two lower control arms and two upper control arms used to locate a solid axle


my question is what year is this thunderbird sc that the picture comes from?
because i am familiar with the mn12 chassis, and a cougars irs does not look like that

 

I got the image from the Factory Five website. Apparently they offer IRS for their Cobra kit cars. Going by what it said on their site, I'm assuming this is the differential from a TBird SC/Mark VIII in their fabricated rear frame.
This is not a 4 link setup. That has 4 trailing arms similar to a 4th gen's rear LCAs running from the frame to the axle. 2 are in position similar to a 4th gen and the other 2 run more diagonally from the frame to the pumpkin and they locate the axle laterally as well as keepinbg it from rotating like a torque arm does.
As far as I know the word strut only applies to front suspensions where the axle is attached to the damper and pivots with it to steer. I would call any damper with the spring placed around it a coilover, as opposed to a setup like our rear suspension where the spring is on a separate set of mounts from the shock.

 

This is the one used in current Holdens, and the same (or similar) to what the 5th-gen Camaro will be getting :

 

Do a "search"..... someone posted pictures of an IRS install in a 4th Gen F-Body about 6 months ago.

 

the one for the holden/gto/camaro is shiny, i like it