Panhard bar Carnage

[Fox8950]

Well I started hearing a popping sound as my suspension got worked from side to side and lookie what I found today it would seem that the points on my frame where the gas tank straps bolt down and my panhard bar also mounted are now destroyed Lol. Not to worried about fixing it up just a little fab work and welding but my question to you all is, on just a strictly street vehicle (will see maybe a 5 psi bolt-on supercharger kit MAX) is a Panhard bar worth having? The kid I bought the car from had already put it on so I didn't mess with it any but as you can tell from the pics I should have checked things out


**The 2 pics are the spots that the gas tank straps bolt down to, the panhard bar piggybacks the straps and the same bolt holds the panhard mount and strap.

 

[1991vert]

i dont think panhard bars bolt to the gas tank hold down straps...

 

[Fox8950]

This one does, apparently they shouldn't

**There went and took a pic .. part of the bracing shoots over and it mounts over the gas tank straps as you can see.

 

[Wallzy]

Doesn't look good...looks like a disaster waiting to happen, look that car over good as it is your high-knee driving around in it.

Walz

 

[Fox8950]

It has been looked over fairly well, main reason I didn't see this is because I never dropped the gas tank, but I put a whole new front end on it from the shock towers forward the rear was gonna be this winters project oh well, it was a salvage title and I got it cheap with ALOT of bolt-ons so no biggie I'll get it welded up and continue the abuse, just need to decide if that panhard bar is going back on or not.

*What ya mean knee high driving?

 

[1991vert]

*What ya mean knee high driving?

he meant "hiney" (hi-knee)

 

[Fox8950]

Lol ah gotcha

 

[EXTRPR50]

Those panhards work good?

 

[niklid05]

Those panhards work good?

this one didnt LOL

 

[Mustang78]

the design looks kinda funky..where's the pivots? i would take it off and not look back. Keep it around though just in case it helped, but i doubt it did

 

[vristang]

I've had a Maximum Motorsports panhard bar in my GT for several years...
I do like it, and I did feel a difference...


jason

 

[Fox8950]

Thanks Vr think I'll just reinforce the mounting points when I fix em up and keep it in. Obviously its taking some sort of movement out or it wouldn't have loaded up enough to tear sheet metal like that. And to answer the pivot question a bracket hangs down on the left of the bar I was holding up in the picture (which was the frame brace) that the brace and panhard bar itself attach to and pivot off of .. the panhard has a hyme joint that mounts on the right side. I'd go take pics but it's late

 

[wizwrath]

what brand are they? They look like a first gen type that wasnt any good, they were only good for a very small portion of suspension travel, you have to go with a maximum set up, it would be even worse if you changed the height of the car (out of the range of the range of the design), the attachment points where they were mounted need to be professionally repaired and reinforced (if not they will only break again on the outside of the welds, etc.) By then you would have spent three times the amount versus going all new with a maximum kit, check to make sure the other arms, attachment points arent binding, etc.

 

[Fox8950]

Pfft ... screw "professionally repaired" nobody touches my stuff but me (honestly I don't think its anything I can't handle) , I dont really see how ride height is much of a factor since you can adjust the Bar length to compensate .. I'll go get some pics taken of how its set up here in a bit so you can see it all together .. Like I said before I bought the car with it on there so yanking it off to sell it wont break my heart but will probably put it back on, have been nothin but happy with the ride/handling I get out of my current setup.

**Ok finally got some pics of how its supposed to be set up .. as you can see the right part of the frame brace is just kinda hangin in the air because I just got done drillin spot welds and hackin that broke piece of frame out to fix/reinforce it

 

[AC91GT]

Well you asked the question"is it worth it" Yes a panhard bar is definiltey worth it. Is the one you have worth using? Definitely NOT. as others have stated throw it away and get one from MAximum Motorsports or a Grigs Watt link. The one you have will just tear out again. I have a Max Motorsports panhard bar and it works great. Chassis brace bolted and welded to the frame rails and all pivots and mount points are on the chassis brace not tied to the sheet metal.

 

[Fox8950]

Well if I had a disposable income I'd gladly "throw it away" and get a different one, I do like Maximum motorsports design much better and will probably end up picking one up eventually but this is better than nothing at the moment and I don't see any reason it wont work as a temp. once I fix things .. Thanks all for the help and opinions I'll be back on the road after a weekend of welding

** I did find out its a HP Motorsport Panhard bar if any were curious