Adjustable Front Panhard Bar Options
- Thread starter Walking Eagle
- Start date
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It became pretty obvious when my axle was 1" out on one side and the bracket didnt have any more adjustment and I was looking at hogging out a sizable chunck of steel to make it work, I sold the bracket to a fellow mud member Heckler and he had the same issue on his 80, put on the adjust bars and centered the axle at suspension height and problem went away
It became pretty obvious when my axle was 1" out on one side and the bracket didnt have any more adjustment and I was looking at hogging out a sizable chunck of steel to make it work, I sold the bracket to a fellow mud member Heckler and he had the same issue on his 80, put on the adjust bars and centered the axle at suspension height and problem went away
If you search under my name you'll see a thread showing the problems with that bracket. I had the same issues but worked them out. From MAF the bracket would only go on one way and it was wrong. All part of dealing with those guys and their suspension stuff.
Here is the link in case that bracket is still around as it's still a viable option.
While I don't own an FJ/FZJ80 (yet), I have started looking at them and have pretty much decided to get rid of the 4Runner ('95) and, instead get an '80 to build up. I was just, literally, starting work on the 4Runner, when several things caught my eye about the '80's and I've decided that an '80 would be much better for me, what I want to do, and how I want to build it.
Anyway:
- Regarding the drop bracket(s) for the trackbars (panhard). That's exactly the opposite of what should be done (the drop brackets are available for the 4Runners also).
The axle end of the trackbar needs to be raised up, not dropping the frame end.
- Poly really has no place in our suspensions. Rubber bushings are far better (maybe discounted the wear rate, but everything else) and rod ends (heims) or even better, J-Joints are the only way(s) to go.
Poly is too stiff and, as such, transmits too much twisting force to the attaching brackets. Rubber gives and, of course, the heims or J-Joints have a lot of "flex".
I have seen trackbar mounting brackets ripped (me for instance
by the use of poly bushings.
If you look and how the axle moves (side view) as it articulates, you'll see that there are several force vectors involved, and poly doesn't address all of them.
- Lastly, leaving the jamb nut loose is simply asking for trouble. The threads will wear and cause lots of looseness and noise, and possibly finally break.
Fred
Anyway:
- Regarding the drop bracket(s) for the trackbars (panhard). That's exactly the opposite of what should be done (the drop brackets are available for the 4Runners also).
The axle end of the trackbar needs to be raised up, not dropping the frame end.
- Poly really has no place in our suspensions. Rubber bushings are far better (maybe discounted the wear rate, but everything else) and rod ends (heims) or even better, J-Joints are the only way(s) to go.
Poly is too stiff and, as such, transmits too much twisting force to the attaching brackets. Rubber gives and, of course, the heims or J-Joints have a lot of "flex".
I have seen trackbar mounting brackets ripped (me for instance
by the use of poly bushings.If you look and how the axle moves (side view) as it articulates, you'll see that there are several force vectors involved, and poly doesn't address all of them.
- Lastly, leaving the jamb nut loose is simply asking for trouble. The threads will wear and cause lots of looseness and noise, and possibly finally break.
Fred
The price is right, it works plenty well, but it is extremely difficult to get the axle centered because the stock bracket will bend outward some as you tighten that upper nut, and it wrecks your calculation. I ended up with exactly the same axle shift as I started with, and so needed to adjust the bar anyway.
From a road manners standpoint, the horizontal bar was a hair better, but with a 42" bar on a 3.5" lift, it's splitting that hair. The value of not lowering a bracket is higher if you play in big rocks.
I went with the drop bracket for the reason of saving money and keeping it simple - I just didn't like the outcome and neither saved money nor kept it simple. I spent an hour grinding the bracket so it would properly fit, didn't get the axle close to centered despite having it set with a hand winch as I tightened the bolts, and lost a ton of clearance only to buy an adjustable bar anyway.
But I agree - it's a perfectly good compromise and should be chosen as such if it meets your needs. I'd still raise the axle end since I have a bunch of good fab shops locally - that's maybe a $60 job for a much better result.
To update this thread a little, I found these guys: https://www.reddirtoffroad.com/ironman-front-adjustable-panhard-bar-for-80-serieslx470 that sell the Ironman adjustable front panhard for 194 instead of 220 like on metaltech. Might save a few people 25 bucks 
To update this thread a little, I found these guys: https://www.reddirtoffroad.com/ironman-front-adjustable-panhard-bar-for-80-serieslx470 that sell the Ironman adjustable front panhard for 194 instead of 220 like on metaltech. Might save a few people 25 bucks
Is it for an 80 or 100 (LX470)? Or are those equivalent
The part number matches the fj80 panhard.