Panhard rod

[scottkz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close scottkz]

Has anyone had issues with there panhard rod after a smallish lift
Dobinsons 35mm lifted springs just fitted
Drivers side is higher by 15-20mm
Im going to undo one end of the panhard and see what happens
This is the reason I replaced the 2"lifted king springs as I thought they were sagged unevenly
Looks to me like the rod needs to be modified or get an adjustable one

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Has anyone had issues with there panhard rod after a smallish lift
Dobinsons 35mm lifted springs just fitted
Drivers side is higher by 15-20mm
Im going to undo one end of the panhard and see what happens
This is the reason I replaced the 2"lifted king springs as I thought they were sagged unevenly
Looks to me like the rod needs to be modified or get an adjustable one

Before I get into panhard, a couple other things which affect rear heights are coil placement (one side should be longer than the other to account for sub tank) and sway bar (if links are different lengths, bent, or bar is out of shape).

Panhard...

As the suspension is raised (lifted) the panhard angle increases, and the effective length becomes shorter. This causes a few issues:
- the axle pulled towards the driver side, changing the alignment of vehicle.
- coils become angled, which could potentially affect lift heights each side.
- during suspension travel the alignment changes are more obvious. Ie going over large speed bumps or water bars the axle will move left and right during the suspension travel.

It's most noticeable on lifts larger than 2" but it applies to all.

Now, what can be done:
- Adjustable panhard. This helps correct the alignment but only at the height it was aligned for. As the suspension travels it will immediately change position again. So for small lifts this may be okay, but its absolutely not going to fix the greater issues on larger lifts. Another problem with using adjustment as a fix is that large adjustments will send your rear prop shaft even further into the sub tank - an issue we certainly we don't need to aggravate!
- Lowering the panhard chassis mount. Lowing the panhards mount location, at the chassis end, by your lift size, will 100% correct the issues. The angle and effective length will return to OEM. An adjustable panhard may still be useful for perfecting the alignment, but if the mount was lowered by the correct amount, further adjustment shouldn't be necessary. Do not raise the panhard mount at the axle end, as that will aggravate the issue.

I make adjustable panhards but haven't worked out a drop bracket as yet. The issue is the original mount has so many curves in it's design, that mating up a simple bolt on bracket is difficult. It's easy if welding.

Oh, and here's a pic of a coils being angled by large lift and standard panhard..

[scottkz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close scottkz]

Interesting....
Well ill do some investigating today pull the springs out on sat morn
The front got raised 100mm after i fitted the front 35mm lift springs ! It was sagged that much !

[scottkz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close scottkz]

So i switched the springs around this afternoon.... No change whatsoever they even looked the same height
Tomorrow i will undo one side of the panhard
Everything is straight under there sway bar links
I remember years ago on old hilux leaf front the drivers side spring always got bent from the tension from the diff to chassis bar (forgot the name)

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Check the gap distance between the inside of your rear tyres and the chassis. That's the quickest/easiest way to see how far out the axle is due to panhard.

[scottkz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close scottkz]

Yep will do
The springs look straight though but could be out
It's frustrating me ! Coz im going up north on a 8000k trip next week!!

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Put more weight on one side