What year did Chevy start using IFS?

[streetstar]

Depends on what body style you want and what you want to do with it ----- if you want a faux monster truck with 40" tires, etc, then going with an older truck with a solid axle would be easier than converting a new one

But if you want something milder for general hot-roddin around in - an IFS has a better ride and better performance in mild off-road wheelin. I have taken a '97 F - 150 4x with stock size mud tires places where angels fear to tread and it had IFS. So the durability factor is bogus for most people. You just cant lift 'em reliably past 6 inches or so, but 6" clears 35's easily on most trucks

However - since you posted this on the 73-87 boards, i assume you like the big boxes, and they would all be solid axle front ends. They may be durable, but they ride like a teeter totter off road JMHO