All of my Porsche track cars had a front RC below the surface of the Earth. My Falcon parking lot racer does too. I set up a lot of cars that way. Come for a ride with me. You will puke before you detect body roll.
Here's my comment on the rear roll center in particular. A large majority of our Early Hot Rods DO NOT end up running an Anti Sway bar, and due to this, having an extremely low rear roll center will actually induce excessive body roll and body roll oversteer, to the point of being quite a handful. That all changes when the car is equipped with bars that can dial in and compensate for this.
Since it's a good topic for it let's get dirty. Typical buggy sprung early V8 Tudor, dropped axle, lower springs, blah, blah, seen a hundred times. Would a front anti-roll bar (sway bar) and a rear Panhard be preferable or front and rear anti-roll bars? I had planned a sway bar up front and a Panhard out back, and mainly because my tires are a wee bit close to the fender edges and I like em where they are (5" wide 5 truck wheels). There will indeed be tube shocks on all 4 corners too. The rear Panhard would be fabricated and as long as I can possibly get it. Or, front and rear sway bars along with the Panhard rod? What say some of you?
Totally true anout long panard bars, but the watts link has no lateral movment. Sent from my SM-T713 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
You can not see from the picture angle, but the sway bar is in the way on both side. It was build that way to clear and because it looks cool
A Mumford Link is more compact than Watts Link. Also, zero side deflection. Google for what they look like - if you care to know.
Any other pics of this set up from different angles? Nice and clean. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I always felt a Watts link was rather busy and cumbersome looking in a hot rod. The image search I did for a Mumford, same/same. They seem like a fairly ultimate get up for race cars (not so much drag racing). No input on my question above? One or the other out back? Both? Maybe a gentle angle to the shocks would assist an anti-roll bar out back vs adding another bar (panhard). Typical transverse 39 Ford rear suspension with a lowering spring, everything is fresh so not looking for a bandaid "fix", just some positive handling should the twit texting up ahead demand a moment of highway gymnastics.
I'd go with sway bars on both ends, then see if you need the panhard, JMO. I like the shock idea, my avatar is set up that way.
I have always installed sway bars , I always use someone's kit such as Chassis Engineering. However one of my 40's has coil over rear suspension and I feel it needs something to make it more stable. I am seriously looking for a panhard bar. I'm not a craftsman like most of you guys seem to be, so I'm looking for a kit. This thread I find very interesting but where can I buy a kit. Please no Hoffman group stuff either.
I'm sure that there are lots more, but I'd start with Pete and Jakes or Chassis Engineering. I know that they both have them and both have excellent reputations. They also have both been in business for a looooong time.
First .................Id like to buy a low roll center whats the part number? 2nd ...................Mumford link is the shit but I dont know of ANYONE who does kits???? Highlander.........roll bars and panhard bar do different things, panhard bar only locates the axle (rear buggy spring probs not needed) , the answer to if you need a rear sway bar can only be answered by driving the car somewhere safe and finding out if it has understeer, oversteer or is neuteral (wont be neutral)
http://not2fast.com/chassis/mumford.shtml great link on the Mumford - it says it allows you to adjust roll center where the Watt's roll center is fixed at the pivot. Interesting reading - Thanks
I made panhard bars for both ends of my Model T Modified. Front is made from a Citroen 2CV track rod arm and steering arm. Rear is from some cold drawn tubing, weld bungs and rod ends. Would have liked the front one to have been a bit longer but it is as long as I can make it without getting complicated. The rear one is the full width of the car.
Atch. Yes, Panhard as long as possible & way lower than anybody puts them on Hot Rods. You've seen my car handle at Mokan ( or heard about it ), but here is a pic of what is under it. As far as the Mumford Link, Its cool but not ideal in a lot of ways. I needed something for the sideways location of a DeDion rear axle in a ( very much Off Topic) racecar with a mid engine and a Hewland transaxle. This is what I came up with ( just a mockup at this stage ). Its based on a Mumford, but I think it will give me some advantages over that. Its totally unproven at this point, but on the off chance that it works, I claim the name Mac Gillavry Link.
And eventhough its O/T in this application, if it works like I think it will, it could be adapted to a Hot Rod with a Quickchange or something like that...
Thanks atch. I've found 2 in speedways catalog, one measuring 20" and another 26" end to end. Also found one on Welder Series that measures 29" C-C (center to center?) However other guys mention using one off a early to mid 60's Chev. I don't have one in my back yard to measure, I'm curious how long one of these might be?
That's a great looking setup, but the 2 bolt mounting would give me agita because the forces of the panhard bar will put those bolts in sheer. I'd feel better with a 3 bolt flange. Nice fab work through
just to add 2 cents..... if you triangulate your 4 link enough you don't need a track (panhard) bar. just make sure your roll center etc.... are close.
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