I am installing a panhard bar on my 31 A and have a question regarding bar to differential clearance. Trying to just do this one time so it may be a lame ? but here goes. Using a P&J mount, the bar wants to interfere (under travel) with a horizontal casting in the diff. If I space it forward to clear (3/8" clearance), the mounting plate will not sit flat agoainst the pinion mount. I would have to space it 3/8" as shown. Spacers would be on the between the pinion nose and the bracket. I figure that P&J has make a lot of these so I am questioning what I am doing wrong or if my remedy is okay. Shocks are removed and replaced with rigid mounts at estimated ride height. Thanks in advance. Bryan
Not to sound like Captain obvious ...but... It looks like the bar is not running parallel to the housing... Maybe the end spud is welded a little off square ? I would try flipping the bar around and see if it helps . From the pics it looks like if you could move it forward on the frame an inch....it woul clear the third member. Dave
I've been studying your pictures and also went onto P and J's site and blew up the picture of their Model A setup to try to see what is different. The only thing I can see is that your center section has a very pronounced rib running across it and that seems to be your interferance point, at least from what I can see in your shots. Ford made a bunch of different rib designs and just maybe the one you have has larger ribs than what the P and J unit is normally used with. If you don't get an answer on here, maybe call them Monday and email your pictures to their tech guy. I honestly couldn't see where you have mounted yours any different than what they show on their site. Wish I had the car in front of me so I could tell better though. Don
Thanks Don. I actually called them when I first received it because it seemed early on that it wasn't right. You are right Don, they said that I may have a different style housing and would have to (my words) re-engineer it. The spacers are supposed to be on both sides and they said to play with it. I think it will work if I use spacers and move it forward and use longer bolts in the housing. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't screwing up. Need any other shots, Don?
What about taking a grinder to the front edge of that rib ? I don't think it would create any weakness or leakage if you only took a half inch off of the very tip of it. Those ribs are for reinforcement, but losing just a small amount shouldn't cause any effect at all. Don
Leave the upper single bolt and bracket the way it is. Make 2 spacers for the front bracket and use longer bolts. If necessary, move the frame bracket forward.
Looks like my solution. I will make a one piece correct spacer for the top and 2 spacers for the bottom. Assuming that 3/8" clearance would be sufficient. Thanks! Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
That's plenty for that chassis, and a car of that weight. The suspension will likely only swing 4-5", tops.
Agreed. Coil over travel will only allow 5" maximum travel. I will set a rubber bump stop at 3" above ride height. I am planning at setting the bar angle approx. 1" higher at the frame. Any issues? Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Ideally, it should be level, at ride height, wet, loaded, which you may not know exactly until later in the build. As long as you can adjust the coil overs, you should be able to forecast the ride height, and make it happen when it is done.
If you can't get it completely level it won't be the end of the world. Two cars we have right now have the panhards running at a slight downward angle due to clearances and where they ended up, and those cars handle fine. Don
I was just going to point that out. While not ideal, I've seen a LOT of them with the same setup the OP has, and the fix was simply raising the frame end a little. Yes, I know why it's "wrong"...
My personal opinion is its not long enough anyway, my solution would be send it back and make one much longer that will work much better.
Here is another way to do it. This is the 9 inch rear in my Son Dan's rpu. It is on a slight angle due to the difference in height between the rails and the axle tube, but it tracks great. Don
Why don't you start with the right pinion support or cut the snubber deal off, it's not structural.. Spacing it out is a terrible idea.
Because they're 3/8 bolts? Like the only reason that setup's rigid is because the mounts are clamped tight to the center section? Or that those pinion supports look like shit and making spacers so he can use that one seems dumb? I could have fixed it in the time it took me to type this on my phone.
There are four 3/8" bolts, at grade-8. The combined shear strength of those is about 135,000lbs. The end link bolt on the panhard bar is 1/2", which has a shear strength of about 45,000lbs. Each value exceeds the strength of the surrounding metal. The car would be a total loss well before those force levels were achieved.
Okay, I took the spring struts out and ran it through its swing. Although it seems too close, it is not, and does clear. The bar does not move through its travel nearly as much as I thought it would. Live and learn. So, it will get some gentle grinding for additional clearance. No spacers. Thanks Don. See above Thats what I did to come up with the above. Thanks. By the way, the question of the length of the bar has been brought into question. I assume longer is better because of less "push-pull" on the axle as the bar goes through its travel. I also measured that. The lateral movement at the end of its travel is less than .10 of an inch (about 3/32"). Doesn't seem like a big number to me ? Thanks everyone.
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