Hot Rods pan hard bar with leaf springs?

Have you ever used a adjustable pan hard bar with leaf springs? HRP

 

Yes, on my last build with tight tire clearance on the inner wheel wells. They would rub before and never again after installing it. Some may argue, but it cured my problem. I made the panard as long as possible to help things out.

 

Yep, they work good IF you have room for them.

 

I'm trying to understand "adjustable".

 

One end has a threaded rod end on it so you can fine tune and center the rear end as needed. I set them up with about 5-6 threads exposed and make the mounts accordingly on the center to center distance. Usually after installing it and putting some miles on it, you may have to re-center the rear end to the frame a bit. That's where the adjustable part comes in handy, usually just a turn or two , one way or the other and you're good to go.

 

^^^^^ That is my first thought. Just thinking I'm missing something since it would be on a leaf application. I mentioned watt link since it stay's centered. Otherwise make single panhard as long as possible.

 

80 year old shackles and springs tend to move side to side a bit.

 

Forgot to say. Be sure it's parallel with axle tube at rest as well.

 

Bushings also.

 

Danny didn't specify front or rear.

 

My avatar car has leaf springs all round and has Panhard bars on the front and rear. I fitted these over over 30 years ago. They really sharpened up the cornering. Here's the one on the rear.




I'm more about driving it than polishing it as you can see from all the cr*p on the underside of my car

 

Exactly what I was thinking.

I am inquiring about the rear. HRP

 

Not leaf sprung, but mine works well.
Danny, please be mindful the rear will travel up and down in an arc. Less pronounced with a long bar. Also it should be level when the car is at rest so the rear is centered.

 

My new 41 truck has recently installed parallel leafs and I inquired with several local builders about installing a panhard rod and they all said it wouldn't be necessary.

My 34 ford with semi elliptical leafs however does have a panhard rod to the QC.

 

1940's Cadillacs had parallel leaf spring rear suspension with panhard bars. It was a long bar to minimise the suspension arc however under compression the rear axle would move slightly to one side, where attached to differential housing.

 

Hurry!!! Danny you are inquiring about the adjustable panhard bar. Change it quick before triple D Denny corrects you or one of our other English Professors .

 

Well slap me silly . I was typing so fast I had to edit myself twice lol.

 

Fudge make that 3 x . I give up your on your own Danny .

 

The ONLY time a Panhard bar is used with leaf springs...is if you want the suspension to bind..!

That is, DO NOT use a Panhard bar with leaf springs. A Panhard bar, by its nature, moves the axle in an arc as the axle goes up and down. That is, the axle moves side to side as the body and axle compress and extend over each other as the car goes over even the smallest bumps in the road.

A wishbone or a Watts Link...sure if you really feel the need. The design of the leaf spring setup does not need a centering device...IF...all of the bushings and mounts are in good shape and tight, little flex (EVERYTHING flexes some amount). Also...no bastard 10" shackles ! Stick with short, stock length shackles.

Mike

 

Quarter-elliptical springs? I only see one thing that looks like a spring. Is this one of them?

 

Most parallel leaf systems are semi-elliptical (the shape of the spring). Are you sure you have semi-elliptical on your 34? Or did you mean transverse?

 

I agree with Mike VV in this statement. Simple geometry will tell you that there will be a bind as the suspension articulates. However, the distance the axle will move sideways as a result of the arc of the panhard will be very minimal if the bar is kept level at ride height. I just laid it out on my work bench. A 36"panhard will move only about 1/16" sideways with 3" of suspension travel. I think that even new shackles and bushings will absorb that amount of movement at the shackles and never know it.

 

Not trying to contaminate Danny's thread, but would a track locator be better?

Instead of the panhard bar? Curious, has anyone here run one?

 

My ‘49 Cad has the factory panhard bar as shown in post #16. I believe it was designed with one to prevent the tires from rubbing on the fender skirts as there is not much clearance. Seems to work.

 

It's you're on your own!

 

This is very common, and works successfully.
At "Ride Height" the panhard bar needs to be approx. 1" higher than horizontal on the frame mount, so the bar Arc's out for the 1st inch out travel then Arc's back to zero for the 2nd inch of travel .

A panhard will always move on an arc ,but try and keep this within a working range.

 

I have a slight rub on the drives side when I go around a curve on the '50 Ford, I need to stiffen the body roll and in the process gain about a half inch of clearance, I have tried loosening the U bolts and moving the rear axle and it didn't help, I don't want to cut everything out and start over.

If I can gain a half inch by using a panhard bar the problem will be solved. BTW, the springs have new shackles & bushings, there as about 1 inch more tire to fender clearance on the passenger side than the drivers side. HRP

 

Sorry B4U, wrong term, typed that on my way out the door for a dentist appt.
Meant quarter elliptical. And of course the afore mentioned panhard rod

 

this my not be the correct way but on my friends 50 we put a 1/4" spacer on the left tire and solved his tire rub