With a triangulated rear four link there is no side movement at all in the housing, plus there is one less bar as it does not need the panard bar. Also, triangulated four links tend to have more and freer movement for the housing plus the handling is neutral turning either direction. Sprint cars used to use panard bars and mount the frame ends opposite each other for front and rear because it made the car turn left better. The only rear down side to the triangulated set up is it is a little trickier to install.
Depends on what spring/springs you are using? What car car? What chassis? Transverse? Coils? Parallel? Open drive? Closed drive? Cruiser? Traditional?
I'm trying to decide which way to go as both have advantages. I like the parallel because of the added clearance for exhaust and other things but I know that the Pete & Jakes style works very well. So would the parallel style ride and handle nearly as well as the P & J style?
Triangulated rear is the go. I haven't seen many parallel set-ups, where the panhard is positioned correctly, to achieve exact roll center.
It depends. Mostly on HP, tire, and intended use. If you have a weapon under the hood, go parallel. Remember, all the "push" is going thru those links. The triangulated setup runs all that force into a crossmember instead of the main frame rails. The triangulated setup will give a better ride and handling (ladder bars on both).
My "weapon" is a 500 + or - horse Chevy 421" W-motor so I guess that coupled with a 4-speed should put lots of pressure on whatever setup is used. Probably running a 10" tire but no drag strip use is in the future. Thanks much!
I think the tri-4-link setup is a neater/simpler set-up. I'm currently building a '33 chassis this way, with a transverse spring. Seems to me it'll all fit. Not sure if a panhard would fit though if I tried to go with a parallel 4-link. Probably not.
I read the OP question as pertaining to the installation radius rods/hairpins not 4 links. If that is the case then the best way would be a nascar/GM truck type set up like Pete & Jakes ladder bars with the forward ends fairly close together, to allow some suspension articulation. If you mount the wishbones/hairpins parallel to the frame it is fine for straight and smooth like a drag strip, but when you turn and go over bumps the suspension can't move and it provides a stiff ride and eventually the mounts or bars will crack or fail. That said a lot of people get by with bones mounted to the outside of the rails.
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