• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Panhard Rod

Share this page

John Turney

John Turney

Yoda
Silver
Country flag
Online
I've discovered that the bracket welded to the rear axle to attach my Panhard rod has broken loose from the axle. To keep the rod from rattling about, I've removed it for now. It looks like I will have to remove the rear axle to re-weld the old bracket or a new bracket to the axle.

Has anyone else had this happen? Should I totally disassemble the rear axle for rewelding, or can I leave the axle shafts and pumpkin in place?
 
I'd weld it up in place. Can you get light and access through the rear seat pans ?
 
I had that happen. On my two-seater it was impossible to re-weld it in place. I had a professional stick welder give it a try. You'd probably need to undo the axle from the springs/driveshaft/brake hose and slide it out of the wheel well.
I blamed the "uprated" Cape mounting - was yours stock? Since I have a tube shock mount, I modified that instead of re-welding the stock mount.
PanhardMountBroken.jpg
PanhardShockMount.jpg

PS - after running the car for a while with the bar disconnected (unbeknownst to me), I definitely believe the handling is better with the bar.
 

Attachments

  • screenshot.748.jpg
    screenshot.748.jpg
    23.5 KB · Views: 92
Haasad: Even though I have a "4-seater", I doubt there is enough access to weld it in place. I can't visibly see the welds well enough.

Steve: I have the stock rod, but I replaced the rubber bushings with poly bushings. I have the stock rear shocks. I'm trying to figure out your modified tube shock mount. Is the big hole on the left where the Panhard rod attaches, and the bolt at the bottom of the photo where the shock attaches?
 
I don't want to hijack this thread but can someone post a pic of how the panhard rod attaches to the axle on a 100? I have the bracket on the frame but have a ford 8 inch rear and would like to fab a bracket to install one. Thanks!
 
Has anyone else had this happen? Should I totally disassemble the rear axle for rewelding, or can I leave the axle shafts and pumpkin in place?

Naw I just took my car to my muffler shop N they welded it on the rack in place-:applause:
 
John Turney said:
Haasad: Even though I have a "4-seater", I doubt there is enough access to weld it in place. I can't visibly see the welds well enough.

Steve: I have the stock rod, but I replaced the rubber bushings with poly bushings. I have the stock rear shocks. I'm trying to figure out your modified tube shock mount. Is the big hole on the left where the Panhard rod attaches, and the bolt at the bottom of the photo where the shock attaches?
Click to expand...

Questions: right on both counts.

I started with Cape rear tube shocks, the lower mounts of which were poorly designed and broke after a while. I developed stronger replacements.
 
Keoke said:
Has anyone else had this happen? Should I totally disassemble the rear axle for rewelding, or can I leave the axle shafts and pumpkin in place?

Naw I just took my car to my muffler shop N they welded it on the rack in place-:applause:
Click to expand...

Keoke - did you have an older Healey prior to your two BJ8s? The cars you have now don't have the panhard bar.

John - My welder was not able to get his head with helmet into the wheel arch to where he could see to weld the bracket back inside the axle spring box. I didn't pursue it further because of my idea to modify the shock mount.

This might work if you can weld at your site.
Undo driveshaft, u-bolts, brake hose and possibly e-brake cable. Undo rear of left side spring; allow to hang down to floor. Rotate axle pumpkin upward so rear of axle spring box is pointed downward. Now you have access for welding.

If this doesn't work, continue and slide the axle out to the left as needed.
 
John Turney said:
Haasad: Even though I have a "4-seater", I doubt there is enough access to weld it in place. I can't visibly see the welds well enough.

Steve: I have the stock rod, but I replaced the rubber bushings with poly bushings. I have the stock rear shocks. I'm trying to figure out your modified tube shock mount. Is the big hole on the left where the Panhard rod attaches, and the bolt at the bottom of the photo where the shock attaches?
Click to expand...

I've been blaming the Cape setup for putting extra stress on the stock mount, but it looks like a weak design to have given out after lo these many years. :smile:
 
Keoke - did you have an older Healey prior to your two BJ8s? The cars you have now don't have the panhard bar.

No N don"t tell em that.:wink-new:

OH!! U mean that big one.--Yeah U Right-:highly_amused:
 
steveg said:
I've been blaming the Cape setup for putting extra stress on the stock mount, but it looks like a weak design to have given out after lo these many years. :smile:
Click to expand...
I figure the four contributors to failure are:
  1. Almost 60 years of age.
  2. The poly bushings are a bit more rigid than the rubber ones.
  3. 185 and 195 width radial tires allow more side load.
  4. Spirited driving.
 
John Turney said:
I figure the four contributors to failure are:
  1. Almost 60 years of age.
  2. The poly bushings are a bit more rigid than the rubber ones.
  3. 185 and 195 width radial tires allow more side load.
  4. Spirited driving.
Click to expand...

Good reasons to reinforce it when you weld it. Or even come up with a beefier design.
 
I don't really have welding capability in my garage for something like this, so I'll be pulling the axle out and taking it to someone who is a much better welder than I am.
 
Back
Top