Adjustable panhard rod - educate me :)

[kris812]

This is what I went with:

ALLMAKES PART# DA1130

LAND ROVER D1 / RR CLASSIC / DEF UP TO 2002 ADJUSTABLE PANHARD ROD & POLYBUSHES | eBay

YELLOW POLYURETHANE BUSHES ARE SUPPLIED WITH THE PANHARD ROD. A new, adjustable front axle panhard rod complete with polyurethane bushes. LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 1 / RANGE ROVER CLASSIC COUNTY / DEFENDER 90 /110 UP TO 2002.

www.ebay.com

135$ USD


Rod is Gold plated better than my TF arms, and its nice and solid. Bushings were too big to fit into axle/frame so ends of bushings get chewed up some, but still nice and solid. Would have REALLY liked to get a Rod that is adjustable without removing one of the ends, but seems like they're all made this way.

To note in my other 'Axles and Vibration' post, I pushed the bar out too far to center the wheels on the body, and it made for some Nasty Deceleration vibrations in the Transfer Case.

 

[terryjm1]

Can you put rubber OEM bushings in that one? Also Lucky8 has one for a few dollars less.

 

[kris812]

Can you put rubber OEM bushings in that one? Also Lucky8 has one for a few dollars less.

I'm not 100% sure, but I would think so. The new stock bushings I have 'appear' about the same size, but it's already installed so I can't say "for sure".

However on the panhard, that is probably the ONLY place you would want to have Poly bushings on an all-stock Rover. With the power steering fluid exposure, it's the only rubber bushing of mine that was shot.

I put poly on EVERYTHING but wasn't really needed. Yes I can feel the difference on the road, nope doesn't bother me; been putting poly on cars for decades figured why not on the Rover.

 

[Tugela]

Seems I need one as well.

It can be a collective learning experience. I also found a ProLine heavy duty version at Rovers North on sale for about $100 less than the TF. From the vendor sites I can't tell much difference other than finish and the color of the bushings. I imagine polybushes in this application will need more frequent replacement than rubber. Both of these options use poly. Link to TF for comparison.

 

[p m]

Guys, my $0.02.
Poly bushings' lifetime in a Panhard rod is about 8-10kmi.
An adjustable Panhard rod is maybe needed with lift exceeding 3". The reason is this - in stock suspension, the drag link and Panhard rod are not horizontal but rather angled up from the end of Pitman arm. They become horizontal at around 1-1.5" of lift, and by 2-3" of lift they become angled downward by about the same angle.
As far as geometry goes - if the Panhard rod were horizontal at stock height (822mm long eye center to eye center), 3" lift would require increase in length by 0.1388" or 3.53mm.
And, in my experience, TF Panhard rods have ID slightly oversize, so factory bushings will fit but will be loose.

 

[StangGT5]

I bought this black powdercoated panhard bar with polyurethane bushings for my lifted RRC a while back https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-RBI500020TFADJ

I have not installed it yet, but it seems to be built well enough.

 

[kris812]

The WHOLE reason I got my Panhard bar was to adjust things to make the wheels centered on the body. That ended up being a VERY bad idea as I got highspeed deceleration vibrations from the transfer case output. I then went down the rabbit hole, replaced the bearing flange and got a DC DS.

I later moved the Panhard bar about 1/2" shorter to CENTER the axle on the Frame, and it seems everything is smooth again on that issue. It looked like the front DS was making a heck of a turn to get to the TC.

As it sits now, and in the picture, the Panhard bar is adjusted to 825mm from center of bolt to bolt. The stock bar is measured to 820mm.

Looking at JUST the front DriveShaft angles, I would have to say that the stock bar/length would be best suited for 2-3" like myself.

Now those yellow Britpart bushings are not of the same quality as the RED TF ones. You can see mine split on installation on the extra area that was too large for the opening. I have 2-300 miles on these bushings and see no signs of wear or being loose even after readjusting the bar.

 

[terryjm1]

I can see my front axle is slightly off center with my lift which is approximately 3 inches. I do have some deceleration gear “whine“ but I didn’t think it would be related to the front axle being a bit off center. Is that likely the issue? I don’t have any noticeable vibration.

 

[kris812]

I can see my front axle is slightly off center with my lift which is approximately 3 inches. I do have some deceleration gear “whine“ but I didn’t think it would be related to the front axle being a bit off center. Is that likely the issue? I don’t have any noticeable vibration.

My 2 cents from multiple adjustments of the Panhard bar and reconfiguring pretty much everything in the suspension killing vibrations I would have to say that,

"adjustment of the panhard bar should be set to center the Driveshaft, and everything else should be ignored".

Also if you have ANY deceleration vibrations, 100% check and center the Driveshaft with an adjustable Panhard bar. Apparently our front outputs are sloppy as hell, and any angle in the DS makes it go wild spinning fast and not loaded.

 

[Jimmy]

Can you put rubber OEM bushings in that one? Also Lucky8 has one for a few dollars less.

I just installed rubber OEM bushings in mine today. Much nicer than the yellow polys that have been in there for three years, meaning the rubber ones are much more firm feeling.

To answer your question: Yes, but there's a twist. The Britpart DA1130 has ends sized to 35mm, which is the outer diameter of the later Defender/P38/D2 panhard bushings, part number RBX101340. So, it's an OEM bushing but not for a D1/RRC/D90/earlier Defenders (these are smaller in diameter and use a 14mm diameter bolt; the D2, etc. uses a 16mm bolt).

Two options to make it work in a D1/etc. that crossed my mind: Drill out your mounts to accommodate a 16mm bolt (popular recommendation on the 'net), or use a sleeve/bushing/bearing with an ID of 14mm and an OD of 16mm (but know the D2 bushing is an ID of 16.1mm, so it'll have a touch of play just as a 16mm bolt would). I'm trying the latter for now.