There are a lot of different panhard bars on the market. I am curious what is the best kit. I am running a super bell drop axle, and hair pin radius rods with a vega a Box and cross steer.
buddy says there is no need for front panhard rods... doesn't the spring swing in the shackles ? . . . . . is that so ? ... y_ or n _ ... thanks . i have run them on my straight axle projects... '30 convertible w/ '32 frame, 4" drop, buick brakes,
Use the same brand as your hairpin kit. I have Speedway batwings and a P&J panhard bar kit on mine. the holes are 1/8" off.
I always thought a panhard setup (visually) cluttered up the real estate down there, at least on a fenderless car, though they are pretty much hidden on a fendered car. That is the reason I went with a "dead perch" (Google it) on my hiboy. They are getting harder to find a "kit" nowadays but they can be fabricated as that is how the dirt track racers of old did them which is where the design started. Here are a couple of quite lengthy old HAMB discussions on the subject. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/tranverse-springs-tech-info.1112840/ I always wonder why guys insist on a panhard bar on the front when a much simpler dead perch will do the same thing, much simpler. So Cal sells a real nice one, I think made by Deuce Factory. @Dean Lowe https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/help-with-front-panhard-bar-location.1020544/ Another option is the "tuning fork" style locator shown here. For your viewing pleasure (for inspiration). https://www.google.com/search?q=fro...UHvp4KHZXZDFsQ_AUoAnoECAcQAg&biw=1280&bih=800
I've never bought a kit for a panhard bar? I've always built my own from the correct DOM tubing, and rod ends. I put them on the backside of the axles so they're not easy to see. But I've only used them on axles with coilovers and hairpins, or 4 links. Never used any on a transverse spring axle before.
The longest one you can fit and with at least 3/8ths rod ends and preferably 1/2 inch. Think about it they do take a beating. Sent from my XT1710-02 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
My frame builder said theres no reason to have one. So, ive never had one due to that advice. I figure someone who made over 1k frames for Model A's alone must have something going right
Dddenny, how is a dead perch even possible? It doesn’t allow the spring length to change with the up and down of the suspension.
I would highly recommend a panhard bar for safety, because if you break the end off your main leaf or a single leaf, the axle is only limited by the hairpins, four bars, etc. if that happens. The axle can then move laterally as much as four to six inches under a side load. I have seen springs break on two cars, so it does happen, especially given the age of the components we use, or where and how they were manufactured. You will lose your steering control because your input will move the axle instead of steering the wheels. This would be especially dangerous, possibly fatal on a two lane road, a corner or in traffic. A dead perch would have the same problem. Just because you don't think it will happen to you doesn't mean it can't.
The dead perch is only on one side of the spring and a regular shackle is on the opposite side to allow the spring to move laterally as it flattens out. It would have the same problem I described above if the spring broke on the dead perch side. I have never run a dead perch but I would expect it could possibly have some bump steer if you hit a big bump too. Maybe Dddenny could answer that with his experience with them.
I once had a really scary moment in my Deuce roadster about 20 years ago when I first finished it. I was on a wide sweeping corner on I-90 west of Rapid City doing about 70 mph when the steering wasn't reacting as I pushed it into the corner, which scared the hell out of me until I really turned the wheel hard and fast to keep it from flying off the road over a huge embankment. It was the first big corner I had taken at high speed so I had not noticed it before then. It turned out that I had not crushed the rubber bushing enough on the bar end that was on the stud that was mounted on the axle. Once I really tightened and crushed it I never had a problem again. That panhard bar was bushed on each end, and since then I prefer heim joints. You can imagine what would happen if your spring broke in that situation.
The speedway one above is far from ideal ,but thats what you probably get when you want a “kit” . Longer is better and the frame mount on the same side as the steering box.
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